Time to choose

We may not have until November

Undoubtedly everyone has heard about Europe’s unprecedented heat wave of the last few days, with temps in France hitting “highest ever” levels of 40°C+ (104°F+). As one writer said, the first 40°C day, which occurred a few years ago, was supposed to be a wake-up call, but someone hit the snooze alarm. More than 40 people drowned in France while trying to beat the heat in rivers and pools. Deaths from the heat itself in France were over 20 last I heard, and two of the dead were children left in a car. All of Europe and England were dealing with the same sorts of conditions. There were disturbances and conflicts, too, between those who could afford air conditioning and those who could not.

There is little to say, now, about the reality of global warming. Little to say because only dramatic actions will mean anything. The Iran war supposedly has kicked many governments into moving faster toward renewables because now fossil fuels seem more unreliable and renewables are hitting lower and lower price levels.

The deadly heat wave in India that sparked action in The Ministry of the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson in 2020 now seems rather passé, because the surge of fascism in the U.S. and the Russian genocidal war against Ukraine, and the genocide Israel is perpetrating in Gaza and Lebanon, and the Iran war all have dragged attention to other matters. Trump’s financial support comes in big part from fossil fuel interests, so he has doubled down on fossil fuels.

The one bright spot is that renewables now are mostly cheaper than fossil fuels. Oh, yeah, money speaks. So, even in our benighted U.S., the movement toward solar and wind rattles on, though it has taken mighty efforts in the courts to stymie the fascists’ efforts to stop those projects, at least for the moment.

For American citizens as individuals, these manifestations of the crisis are just one more element that should goad us to greater efforts. There seems to be a general notion in the country that “we’ll get ‘em in November.” Well, be that as it may — and right now chances seem very good — it seems more and more likely that the fascists, seeing the same numbers we see, are trying to seize power so firmly before the elections that they can control the outcome. It very well may be that the critical moment will be next week, or the third week of July, or sometime in August.

Finally, the single biggest factor now is that the heat and the political dangers should rouse all people around the world to action. Every thinking adult should be pulling on the same rope, but 21st century fascists are highly adept at manipulating the information sphere and keeping many out of the game in one way or another. Racism, digital propaganda, and religion — engaged through fear — are three of their most effective tools. We should understand that the billionaire/epstein class has us by the throat. Will we NOW get going?

In the end, the personal decisions of literally billions of humans will drive this era and determine our fate. Either we’ll overcome petty issues and considerations and look to the main chance to preserve our species and our freedoms, or we won’t. I’m betting we will, but it clearly is going to be a very difficult and closely run race!