Countering Code Red With Something Better Than Hope
By now you’ve read the punchline of the most notable climate report from the most notable scientific body on the topic. If you haven’t been able to read it, take eight minutes to watch this smart summary.
Human activity is changing the climate in unprecedented and sometimes irreversible ways. Earth is getting so hot that temperatures in about a decade will probably blow past a level of warming that world leaders have sought to keep us under, and things will get worse before they get better. In short, the nearly 4,000 page Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report can be boiled down to four words:
Code Red for humanity
As I reflected in recent coverage by the Santa Barbara News-Press, scientists are not hysterical people, so when they speak up this strongly, we must listen. Which is why I particularly appreciated the words of Dr. Kate Marvel, Research Scientist at NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies:
“As a climate scientist, I’d like you to know: I don’t have hope. I have something better: certainty.”
Dr. Marvel is saying that the good news is we know exactly what’s causing climate change. We can absolutely 1) avoid the worst and 2) build a better world in the process.
CEC believes in a world where everyone is safe from climate chaos, so we are putting the Central Coast – and California – on track for an equitable, climate-safe future with an ambitious plan to meet this urgent moment.
Over this decade, our work will focus on three major efforts:
Reverse the trajectory of the climate crisis
Repair the damage already done
Protect communities from extreme weather and other climate impacts
We know this work is too big to tackle alone, so we actively partner with over 160 organizations each year. Our latest partnership with the California Climate Action Corps (CalCAC) brought on two Electric Vehicle Equity Fellows, Sarah Olsen and Tyler Barton. This program is both building the youth leadership we need and making electric vehicles more accessible to all income levels. Read more in our latest press release.
The critical work we do is made possible by our community. If you would like to take direct action to support CEC’s continued work in this field, please visit our website and give a donation.
Wishing you health,
Sigrid Wright, CEO/Executive Director
Community Environmental Council
In case you missed it
Read the IPCC Summary for Policymakers for a summary of the current state of the climate.
Meet CEC’s new President’s Council members who are helping drive community climate action.