By Bill Chisholm
Climate is defined in The Oxford College Dictionary as: “the weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or over a long period of time—- a region with particular prevailing weather conditions— the prevailing trend of public opinion or of another aspect of public life”. Both weather and public opinion impact the survival capabilities of the fauna and flora that live within a particular region or on the Earth in general.
There is much talk these days of Climate Change in relationship to the weather pattern definitions of climate listed above and what impact man is having, but far too little if any on the impact of needed changes in the other type of climate mentioned, that which is solely man caused, public opinion. Within this later group one can speak of the prevailing political climate, religious climate, economic climate and sub groups of those climates. What is missing in the discussion, if one can call it a discussion, when in fact it seems more of a shouting match; is the obvious connection between the weather aspects of climate and the public aspects of climate.
It is impossible to have a truly full, honest and open discussion about Climate Change if all the cards, all the aspects aren’t laid on the table. Though the weather aspects are driving the current process, it is the public opinion aspects of climate that are core and key, are foundational to whether we find resolution to the situation we find ourselves in.
For many folks, their world view is shaped not by the weather, but by the definitions and focus of the public opinion climate, economic, political and religious. For those whose world view is shaped by aspects of changes in weather patterns, one might say they have a deep connection to Nature. For those whose world view is shaped in the climate of economic, religion or political ideology, the natural world is just a resource base to be used for their comfort and convenience, or a means of achieving wealth and power at the expense of other species and even of their fellow humans, as their ideology allows for the diminishment of others not of their race or religion.
With 7.5 billion people on the planet living a very dis-connected and highly wasteful materialistic lifestyle, it is ludicrous to pretend we humans are not having an impact on the “Natural” climate. Deforestation, the damming of rivers, the concrete and asphalt urban footprint, the drilling for oil and the burning of that oil have an impact… there is a law in physics that says “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” We pay scant attention to the reactions if the actions bring in profit and power. Economists even have a word for the adverse impacts businesses don’t want to take responsibility for. The term is “externalities”.
This is not to say that there aren’t other forces at play in “natural” climatic changes. The Universe is dynamic; the Earth is dynamic and has been going through changes ad infinitum. One need only to drive through a road cut or observe the side of a canyon to see the geologic changes that have taken place in an area over time.
As a long time activist and politico, it has been my observation that too often the deeper aspect of an issue gets left out and we debate and argue a symptom of the issue, not its core, and thus we can not come to a viable solution. Such is the case currently, while there certainly is a lot of evidence that the “natural” climate is changing and impacting places and species, what is missing is the impact that the social climate is having on the Earth as a whole. The issue here is not just the changes that are happening to the Natural Climate, but the changes that are necessary to the social climate if we are to have a chance at a viable future.
The social climate, those economic, religious and political ideologies that have created a “deep spiritual dis-connect” from Nature have to change. The economic, political and religious aspects feed off each other, create the scenarios which justify the dis-connect. While the religious sector has long played a major role in the disconnect, the economic sector has with “corporate personhood” increased its influence over the political sector. The political climate has certainly changed for the worse because of the increased influence of the religious and economic sectors. Where once there may have been civil discourse and debate, there is an atmosphere of animosity and distrust. The “public good” and common ground have been forsaken for profit and partisan political power.
The whole notion that human beings are the pinnacle of creation or that one race or religion is superior to another is absurd. As long as that world view is held, there is no possibility for positive change and we will continue to spiral out of control. To bring this to some sort of reality check we should ask this simple question, “Is the urban lifestyle with its traffic jams and wasted fuel worth sacrificing the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, so that we can get more oil to keep that lifestyle going a little longer?”
I think not, surely we can figure out a better way to live, to transport ourselves.
Bottom line here is the climate of spiritual dis-connect, our dis-respect from Nature and the responsibility for that is human caused, the adherence to social, economic, political and religious beliefs predicated on spiritual inequality.
We are seeing some movement in the right direction with some nations, tribes, cities, acknowledging and granting rights to rivers and lakes, even other species. This needs to be at the core of the Climate Change debate, sans a change in mindset, there will be no solution and sans a solution there will be ever increasing chaos and disaster. When this is over it will be all of Nature with certain rights and corporations will no longer have personhood.
William K. (Bill) Chisholm 