Reparations: the making of amends for a wrong one has done, by paying money to or otherwise helping those who have been wronged. It's been three years since the Paris Climate Accord. Apparently one of the reasons the Unites States has withdrawn is that we do not want to pay our fare share of climate expenses. It really is a puzzle. There are all these messy pieces, but the parameters are clear. We have to transition away from carbon-based fuels as quickly as possible. And as the recent National Climate Assessment Report suggests, we don't have much time. The warnings have been loud and clear this year, with enormous fires and storms. But our leaders ignore the signs... I get it. I'm now doing physical therapy for injuries I received during the summer, but ignored. It was just too inconvenient. But, if I had acknowledged the irregular pains, and if I had actually rested it right away, my ankle might have healed a lot faster. Does this sound familiar? Let's just ignore the problem. It might go away... I don't know about you, but I display this kind of behavior all the time. In my head, I know one thing. In my heart I know another thing. And then I act as if none of those understandings or feelings existed! On a trip to Mexico a few years ago, we had a beachside room that was not very romantic - - Each day, the tide came higher and higher and each night I woke to the sound of waves crashing beneath me. It was frightening. I vowed to never travel again. I did not want to be part of the problem...But guess who's going to Mexico with her extended family this year? It was just too good to pass up... What about the climate? Yes, but what about my extended family? It's a choice many of us make all the time, especially around holidays. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, like when I first see all those puzzle pieces in a pile on the table, I took action by gathering data. I may be an artist, but I value real information. The facts. So I investigated the climate impact of my traveling. Here's what I discovered: When combining all trips I have taken alone and with my family, beginning with my first international trip to Ireland & England, in 1974, I have traveled 208,674 miles on 105 different trips. That's the same distance as flying eight times around the equator. Total Carbon impact: 141.26 tons. What's a gal to do? Cross her arms, plant her feet, and say "so what?" Or, perhaps, get on with it and take responsibility? I'm tired of ignoring warning signs and not taking action, so I went online and learned that 'all' I need to do was pay $4,146 to offset the carbon impact of my family's adventures. (www.myclimate.org). A carbon offset: a reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide or greenhouse gases made in order to compensate for or to offset an emission made elsewhere. I had been petrified to learn what we might owe for our family's amazing adventures and it was that fear that had kept me from exploring offsets sooner. But here I am, still icing my ankle and feeling rather stupid. If we had paid offsets as we went we would not have this debt for which we had not budgeted. I wonder if our leaders feel stupid too... Sometimes, as hard as it may be, we have to admit
our mistakes and pay our fare share for the privileges we have. Given the National Climate Assessment's re-evaluation of our current climate circumstances, it seems appropriate that we pay the carbon debt we owe as quickly as possible. It's just the right thing to do. Thank you, President George H.W. Bush. Country (and planet) before self. Next week, in part 2, I'll talk about how.
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Evelyn R. Swett
reframing the narrative in community and with myself, finding transformation and joy in the mess of it all Let's ReFrame!
is a somewhat regular 'viewsletter' that hopefully inspires joy & transformation. It will include links to recent blog posts & updates about my work. Oh, and I promise I won't share your information (that would be so uncool) and I don't actually do promotions, but that text is required. Archives
December 2020
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