Stepping back from the Brink - 326

 Here is a message to those who love our planetary home, Earth. You are not alone, nor are you a radical. This is our only planet home; there is no "Planet B" even remotely as beautiful and nurturing to life as this one. If you feel an attachment to it, you are demonstrating admirable respect for Holy Ground.

When I say you are not alone, a recent Pew survey noted that 60% of U.S. adults are concerned that climate change will adversely affect them and 74% are willing to change their lifestyles to address climate change.

In this coming election, environmentally aware voters have the potential to make the difference.

The Yale Climate Communications Center summarizes their latest report: "A significant proportion of American registered voters (37%) are pro-climate voters. According to the most recent data available from the Census Bureau, there are more than 161 million registered voters in the United States. This suggests there are nearly 60 million pro-climate voters in the U.S. Moreover, most of these voters plan to vote in the 2024 presidential election. In a close election – as 2024 is expected to be – these voters could be decisive."

Do you want to be part of the most decisive moment in history? Now is the time.  The world's leading experts warn us that tipping points if exceeded, will be tough to recover from. They warn us some tipping points are starting to lean precariously.

Tipping points refer to thresholds in Earth's systems that, once crossed, can lead to irreversible changes. Professor and Scientist Johan Rockström, through his team's research at the Stockholm Resilience Centre and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, has identified sixteen focus points within the Earth system that are at their limits.  The top three include, the Amazon rainforest, the polar ice sheets, and the oceanic circulation systems. Each of the 16 plays a vital role in maintaining the balance of Earth's climate and each environmental focus point has the potential to destabilize the Earth. As such, each one can trigger cascading effects throughout the planet.

I am pleased to share this with you since it is my nature to assess danger. I was unaware of this until I met a fellow veteran from the 101st Airborne Division. We think of Airborne Divisions as soldiers who parachute out of airplanes. They do jump out of airplanes, but these days they usually ride in helicopters.

I met the 101st vet while riding the Iron Belle. We took a break from riding and exchanged our military stories. As usual, I mentioned climate change. At some point, I said, "I wonder why I care?" Without hesitation, he said, "You were a helicopter pilot. Helicopter pilots are always looking for the point of no return."

This statement was shockingly short, concise, and straightforward. I was taken by surprise. He summed up the biggest challenge of being a helicopter pilot in two brief sentences. Too often, a helicopter is pushing a limit. To be a successful helicopter pilot, you must be aggressive while always respecting the fact there are points of no return.  Sometimes, the limit is the capability of the aircraft. Sometimes it is your own ability. Most often, the limiting factor is the weather. You often ask yourself how bad the weather will get before you must call off the mission. Where is that "Point of No Return?" "How close am I willing to get to it?"

This mindset initially attracted me to the science of climate. When I was flying, it became obvious that the Earth was warming, but did that mean we were approaching a point we could not recover from?

To the best of the scientific community's knowledge, we are getting close to the brink, and there is no way to be 100% sure exactly when we will reach it. So, when all reputable science organizations and 97 to 99% of climate scientists ask us, "Is there any wisdom in playing chicken with the climate?" We might want to ask ourselves the same.

While flying some 13,000 hours in my thirty-year career, I admit I made some mistakes. Only by the Grace of God and with my guardian angel attentive to my mistakes am I still here to enjoy the beauty of the Upper Peninsula. I bumped against the point of no return a little more than a wise pilot should have. I am thankful for being "lucky" but not proud of it. However, I am pleased that when passengers were onboard, I always tried to provide a much larger safety margin and stay away from "the brink"

Folks, we are not alone on this planet. There are a lot of people onboard. Most people do not live in a place where climate change will not imperil their lives like ours. Millions of people, not nearly as lucky as us, live in areas that will become uninhabitable if the planet further warms.  

We have a chance to collectively be decisive. By voting wisely, we will decide to keep Planet Earth safe for our fellow earthlings and future generations.

I am good at spotting the point of no return. We are near it. We can turn this climate mess around. Our parents made sure we would have clean water and clean air. They voted for politicians who then passed the Clean Water and Air Acts.

It is our turn to be decisive and vote.

Grey

References:

Pew Research

Yale Climate Communications