It’s the end of the world as we know it (and I feel doomed)
The past week has been tragic but eye-opening in terms of just how bad the climate emergency has gotten in so little time across the world.
Democracy Now!’s rundown of headlines (at the start of the show) on several shows this past week has had a rapid-fire look at just a few of the worst and most destructive disasters, as well as some more in-depth coverage.
The MSM is starting to mention climate change as a possible cause more often now, but unlike DN! and some other progressive media sources, they’re still not really connecting the dots IMO.
Even if you know we’re in a climate emergency, these horrible events are shocking. It’s hard to believe these all happened within 7 days of each other.
From Democracy Now, 7/19/2021:
Death Toll in Western Europe Flash Floods Nears 200 “At least 157 people have been confirmed dead in Germany, while 31 fatalities are being reported in Belgium…This is the heaviest rainfall many European countries have seen in at least a century.”
From Democracy Now, 7/21/2021:
“Once in a 1,000 Years” Rains and Flooding Kill at Least 25 People in China. At least 25 people were killed in China’s Henan province as it was battered with a year’s worth of rain in just three days…Some 200,000 people have been evacuated. Meteorologists said that kind of rainfall happens “once in a thousand years.”
Record-Breaking Wildfires Continue to Rage in Siberia, Western U.S., Releasing Toxic Fumes. “In Siberia, 320,000 residents have been told to stay indoors amid record-breaking wildfires…Here in the U.S., the skies are once again thick with haze as far east as New York City as the massive Bootleg and other fires rage in the West.”
3 Die in Iran Protests Sparked by Historic Drought. “At least three people have died in protests sparked by a massive water shortage. Protesters have taken to the streets for the past seven days. Iran is facing its worst drought in 50 years.”
(Click image to be taken to DN!’s video of today’s headlines)
From today — Democracy Now, 7/26/2021:
Monsoon Floods Kill 135 People in India. “While monsoon rains are common in India, climate scientists warn global warming has contributed to heavier and devastating rainfall.”
Dixie and Bootleg Wildfires Rage in West as Another Heat Wave Settles Across Much of U.S. “Northern California’s Dixie Fire has become the state’s largest blaze this year…Meanwhile, Oregon’s Bootleg Fire has destroyed more than 400,000 acres. Oregon Governor Kate Brown said the climate crisis is ‘a hammer hitting us in the head’.”
This is unfortunately just a selection of disasters just from this past week — in Costa Rica, there were historic floods that a Twitter friend @UnprecedentedMadness, host of the Spanish-language YouTube show @CosechandoRosas, tweeted about. She has family who lives in Costa Rica, apparently not in the areas hit worst, but as she pointed out, it still affects everyone since it’s a small island. Flooding, landslides, thousands are in shelters, houses and business ruined…
Lastly, this final headline isn’t about a specific event, but is probably news to anyone not listening to or watching Democracy Now! this week.
Head of U.N. Climate Talks: Nations “Must Consign Coal Power to History”. “The president of the upcoming U.N. climate talks in the United Kingdom has urged nations to ban the burning of coal as part of an effort to reduce carbon emissions.”
The president of the UN climate conference is calling for the banning the burning of coal. A climate leader from the U.N. As in, the organization that represents the near entirety of the world’s countries and populations. But it still doesn’t make headlines in the US.
I have a 7-year-old daughter. I’ve always been worried about what kind of world we’re leaving her. She loves recycling, talks about inventing new vehicles so they don’t pollute, so we can stop the planet from getting too warm and melting all the glaciers.
It’s obvious that it’s too late to stop deadly, civilization-altering climate change. I can’t bring myself to tell her just how bad it is, but I think she’s starting to get an idea. We need to act now to at least salvage what we can.
And until outlets besides Democracy Now start covering this day in and day out, and connect the dots to climate change, we’re going to keep losing precious time in what’s currently a losing fight against climate change.
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