A national report card by Climate Central, www.StatesAtRisk.org, describes the actions each of the 50 states are taking to prepare for climate threats. Years of wildfires, droughts, and concerns with rising sea levels are undeniable.
Arkansas, away from the coast and seemingly safe, is at the bottom of the list. This a black eye on the Natural State but the ranking is not surprising. Blessing a pig factory on the Buffalo National River, two of the largest wood pellet mills, and offering millions in public funds to host the first Chinese fluff mill is reckless behavior by the Arkansas Department of Environment Quality, the Arkansas Economic Development Council, and the Arkansas Forestry Commission.
Climate change is a worldwide threat, the U.S. is falling behind, and the world is watching. Arkansas has a role to play, this is a race against time. Faced with extreme floods, droughts, wildfires and extreme heat, we need to oppose false climate strategies.
Be wary of those who profit from projects treating people and nature as commodities, who delay investments in infrastructure and oppose distributed solar energy and offshore wind solutions.
Denial
Denial comes in many ways – it is not true; if it’s bad news I don’t want to know; there is nothing we can do; it may happen to others but not here, and even “We are in God’s hands.” No, there are no magical solutions to man-made climate change.
If you have a copy of The Greatest Hoax: How the Global Warming Conspiracy Threatens Your Future by James Inhofe, you may be in denial.
A smart choice is to learn as much as you can on climate. Storms of My Grandchildren: The Truth about the Coming Climate Catastrophe and Our Last Chance to Save Humanity, by James Hansen and published in 2009, is a seminal book on climate change. It tells the story of the struggle to deliver an urgent message by a brave and honest scientist, witnessing a catastrophic event. Hansen’s arguments have been validated over the last seven years.
Deception
When in doubt “follow the money.” The Butler Hollow project was an eye opener. The U.S. Forest Service, like other federal agencies, uses words with peculiar meanings. When USFS says, “The forest restoration project is to improve the health of the forest and prevent wildfires,” what they really mean is “we need funds from timber sales.” For details, please read Josh Schlossberg’s March 22, 2016, “New Conservationists Push for Logging to Prevent Wildfires,” TheBiomassMonitor.org, where he explains why biomass exports are the reason for firing up the chainsaws, and “fire borrowing” using USFS District funds to buy ineffective aerial fire-fighting equipment.
On February 17, 2016, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture announced $40 million for projects to “restore forests and reduce wildfire threats” through partnerships between public agencies and private landowners. “That’s how conservation should work,” said Robert Bonnie, USDA’s Undersecretary of Natural Resources and Environment.
A 2016 forest-restoration project in the Ozark-St. Francis and Ouachita National Forests is included, for the new wood pellet mills. The Nature Conservancy and other conservation groups seeking commercial use of national forests, partner with USFS providing funds to get projects approved.
Detachment
Seeing others as different from us, and treating nature as a resource, is a convenient way to justify destructive behavior.
Despair
Anguish and worry lead to defeat, man-made extinction. But there is hope if we use a compassionate, inclusive worldview.
“There would be nothing to frighten you if you refused to be afraid.” – Mahatma Gandhi
Call for action
We must care about other life, and through caring we will bring about our own salvation. There is hope if we act on solutions driving sustainable behavior, ones that empower people while treating the earth sustainably. Natural solutions are needed for man-made climate change. “You may never know what results come from your actions. But if you do nothing, there will be no results.” – Gandhi
Please join us for a two-hour workshop, “Surviving Climate Change: With Pope Francis’s encyclical, Laudato Si,” Saturday, April 23, 10 a.m., at the ECHO Clinic.
Dr. Luis Contreras