COVID-19 has taught us much, and these lessons will help us as we adapt to the pandemic and turn our attention again to the ongoing threat of climate change. We have learned that abrupt economic contraction can reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, but the reduction comes at an unsustainable cost of human suffering.
To control greenhouse gas emissions in a way that produces abundance for all will take careful planning and timely action. We’ve learned that science-based decisions give us the best results, and that the technical experts advising our leaders have much to offer. Finally, the pandemic has helped us understand that we are no safer than the most vulnerable among us, and that action to address climate change must address issues of equity and justice both for those that have been most harmed by pollution and those whose livelihoods depend on jobs in the fossil fuel industry.
Wooten Neighborhood Association has been invited to draft a climate change resolution, joining other neighborhood associations to call for local action on climate change. An example can be found on the website of the Windsor Park Neighborhood Association Climate Crisis Committee. If you are interested in this topic, please click on this link to receive updates on the process.