Dear Editor: 

Reconsidering reality in a period of rapid change

“Education is the most powerful weapon … you can use to change the world.”  ~ Nelson Mandela

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” ~ Albert Einstein

 As a new decade approaches, it’s prudent to reflect on our perception of the formative issues and experiences of our era.

Moreover, reconsidering habits of thought is imperative when events clearly demonstrate rapid, disruptive change.

Reevaluating reality is especially vital in light of our tradition of self-determination and independent thinking, which shapes public opinion that influences key decisions affecting the future.

Consider the implications of these profoundly important, scientifically verified facts:

➤ The past decade is the hottest on record.

➤ Heat-trapping atmospheric carbon is greater than it’s been in hundreds of thousands of years.

➤ Due to higher temperatures caused by civilization’s emissions, there’s less ice on Earth than at any time since humans evolved.

➤ Biologists estimate the current rate of species extinctions is a thousand times above average.

➤ Annual damage caused by extreme weather in recent years is more than double the long-term average.

Despite this stunning evidence, politically distorted views portray climate change as either a hoax or of remote relevance – a concern negligently delegated to future generations.

Accordingly, a fundamental question must be asked: Are Americans capable of comprehending and taking timely action in pursuit of their own self-interest?

It appears that decision-makers are deeply deluded by preoccupations with short-term objectives that generated these dire trends – dominated by profligate profitmaking – that now drive humanity toward the brink of disaster.

Surely our methods for evaluating and guiding human use of Planet Earth must be fundamentally reformed if our species is to prevent a self-destructive dystopia.

David Kyler

Center for a Sustainable Coast