Climate extremists are creating more fear than hope
For the last ten years or so, I’ve regularly taken a hot yoga class in an effort to improve flexibility. Along with strength training, I’ve found it to be highly beneficial, almost therapeutic. Going into the hot room is a calming experience, and the positive vibe is refreshing in a world of chaotic tension. During the class, instructors will often say “focus on the love of the universe”, or similar phrases that encourage you to connect to a form of spirituality. I’ve noticed that the word God is never used, maybe because many in the class don’t believe in God, or religious preferences differ. Nevertheless, it’s interesting that the word is avoided, considering that God is what I think of when love of the universe is mentioned.
Many in western society have a belief in God. Obviously, religious preferences differ, but that’s usually more about how we worship than how we define God. Whether you’re Christian, Muslim or Jewish, God still means love and divinity. Many however view religion as a cult, and instead attempt to find meaning and spirituality in something other than an almighty power. Nutritional lifestyles have become almost religious like. Advocates of Keto, Paleo and especially Veganism, will often express how a simple change in eating has saved their lives, and made them more balanced in the world. It’s not only a shared belief, but purposeful, and it provides a structure and discipline that separates them from others. The climate change movement is another form of advocacy that on the surface appears purposeful. Yet for many, it’s objective is something far deeper than improving the environment.
In January of 2019, at an event celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, stated that if action isn’t taken, the world will end in 12 years. She compared her generations struggle with climate change to that of those who endured World War 2. Surprisingly, many in the media failed to call out the irresponsibility of this statement, and instead dismissed it is as an acceptable exaggeration of a real threat. The consequences of those words, as well as statements from media personalities like Chuck Todd, who have stated that reasons for climate change are not debatable, have created a wave of fear with many millennials, as well as psychological concerns with children, as noted by a 2018 report on the Mental Health and Well Being chapter of a Climate and Health Assessment from the psychiatric department of the University in Bethesda, Maryland. Insomnia, depression, and anxiety have increased tremendously due to these fears. And yet, the research itself paints an entirely different picture.
For one, there is yet to be one study published that states if the world doesn’t take drastic action, the world as we know it will end. This isn’t to say climate change isn’t real. It absolutely is. But it is less industrialized societies that pay the price for dramatic changes in energy production. In 1931, nearly 4 million people died of climate related circumstances. In 2018, that number was 11,000, and many of those were related to cold, not hot weather. In 1934, the world saw it’s worst drought in a thousand years. Millennials, as well as many older adults could learn the meaning of courage from those that had to suffer real consequences due to harsh weather, as well as the threat of war lingering in the process. It is by far more convenient to get emotional about climate, from the comfort of your energy efficient home, and all the technology at your fingertips.
Climate activists have taken profound measures, even violent, to get their point across. The irony is that this behavior is no better than many of the religious zealots they claim to fear. This is almost no different than followers of Jim Jones. Rather than reading all the research on the subject, even if it doesn’t line up with what they’ve heard, climate activists have taken an authoritarian approach in shaming and demonizing others, mainly environmental experts who disagree with the status quo. This is not only a failure of our media to report in a fair and unbiased manner, but also of our educational system. Are students aware that more people died of harsh climate in 1931 than 2018? I highly doubt it.
It’s hard to believe that in 1975 many reputable scientists believed the world was cooling. Though many have now changed their viewpoint, it still shows why meaningful debate is necessary in order to form a consensus. Yes, we need to care for our environment. But the extreme measures being pushed will cause more harm than good in the future.
Until next time.
JPN