Today is Blog Action Day and as a new blogger, a new green blogger to boot, I feel proud to participate in this global green event. Blog Action Day is held every year on October 15^th when bloggers worldwide write about an issue of incredible importance. This year’s topic of global importance is climate change, the most critical, well- known, and adamantly publicized environmental issue of our time. Bloggers all over the world are asked to write about climate change today regardless of the subject matter of their blogs.

Working on the internet, I have established links, both literal and metaphorical, with other writers in the green blogging community. Though I can’t put a face to their names, I would like to think that some of my fellow bloggers have become not only collaborators but also friends. Today feels like our very own Super Bowl Sunday, where even those who do not read or write about the environment on the regular, engage in the festivities, not only for the great commercials, but also to watch the game. So grab a Bud Light, various high in trans-fat snacks, throw in the sporadic chauvinist comment, and here we go.

Climate change is unique, in that it affects every single person on the planet. Not to sound morose, but when we make the choice to drive solo to work (guilty) , buy a bottle of water (increasingly less guilty), or litter (haven’t done that in at least 5 years, well, at least not intentionally), we make a beyond selfish decision. I equate it to drunk driving, except with far less obvious consequences. When you drive drunk, you are putting your life on the line, except that’s not the worst part. The worst is that you’re putting every other person on the road’s life at risk as well. Not to mention the fact that that if you’re driving erratically, you’re compromising fuel efficiency, but that’s besides the point. Environmental disregard is kind of like that, except with consequences that are only beginning to be seen, and will only be fully comprehensible years down the line.

Whether you would like to accept it or not, climate change is real. And if you don’t want to take Al Gore’s word it, take mine (trust me I’m a doctor). Okay, I’m not a doctor, but I do have a  B.A.

Actually, you don’t have to take anyone’s word for it. If you’ve ever come across wonderingmind42’s YouTube account, you’d realize regardless of whether you agree with the rhetoric (and sound science behind it) or not, the cost of doing nothing grossly outweighs the cost of taking potentially misguided action. Wonderingmind42, also known as Greg Craven a high school science teacher from the US, posted the video “The Most Terrifying Video You’ll Ever See”  in 2007. Craven’s video outlines the different worst case scenarios for taking action on climate change, assuming the extreme in each scenario to give both the skeptics and proponents for action the benefit of the doubt that their beliefs are both equally and hypothetically correct. (Man, that girl is hot, still with me?)

His analysis yields four possible outcomes:

Outcome 1: Action is taken and the skeptics are right: An incredible amount of wasted capital, increased taxation, and a possible global economic depression.  

Outcome 2: Action is not taken, and the skeptics were correct:  no consequences! Hooray!

Outcome 3: Action is taken and the proponents are right:  global climate changes still happens but we managed it! The cost was money well spent!

Outcome 4: If we don’t take action and the proponents were right:  the world will be plagued with economic, political, social, environmental, public health catastrophes—i.e. the worst case scenario.  Craven describes this worst case scenario as “sea levels rising 10-20 feet, entire coastal countries disappearing, hundreds of millions of people worldwide displaced, crowding in on their neighbours, causing widespread warfare over scarce resources and longstanding hatreds” and the list goes on. And you think the Arabs and Israeli’s have a problem now?

Here is the replicated diagram from the video for clarification’s sake.

Craven’s video stands out amongst the climate change messages out there, because it breaks down the possibilities in a clear and concise way, without being accompanied with doomsday music and images to get the point across. I’ve done a lot of research on the environment, and come across a bountiful amount of videos, and I can tell you one thing, their manipulative tactics can be seen from across a football field (sports fans, are you there?). Craven’s logic is sound and I’d encourage those of you confused about where you stand on climate change to watch his video but also educate yourselves further. Climate change is real and we are all subject to its consequences and liable for its solution.

Until next time,

Same green time, same green station,

Brittany

Click here to watch Wonderingmind42’s “The Most Terrifying Video You’ll Ever See” on Green TV in the Four Green Steps Community.

To find out more on Blog Action Day 2009 go to www.blogactionday.org.

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