Chapter 1: The Fear of Inaction

Climate change is a daunting issue, primarily because of the lack of action being taken to address it. Instead of entrusting our fragile planet to knowledgeable scientists who can study and heal it, we engage in endless debates about whether we should even allow these experts to proceed.

Why is that? If neither you nor I are scientists, why do we have a say in the matter? Is it purely about financial interests? Personally, I’d prefer my tax contributions to support research aimed at improving our world rather than funding projects to see if we can colonize Mars.

The reality is that we don’t have much control over where our tax dollars go. Your vote might be your voice, but in the end, choices are limited. Two certainties in life are death and taxes, neither of which you can truly dictate.

Some individuals might choose their own end, but that’s not the focus here. I don’t have children, yet I’m still obligated to pay school taxes. Owning a home means contributing to the education system. If my money is supporting your children’s learning, I want them to understand the existence of polar bears, not just the history of those that have vanished. I want my educational funds to foster scientific literacy, so future generations won’t have to struggle as hard for the planet’s survival.

It’s their future at stake. For those of you with kids, what do you envision for their world? Catastrophic storms and widespread extinctions? That’s not just a possibility; it's the reality we face today.

My upbringing was sheltered. I spent much time indoors, and academics took a back seat to ballet. I don’t recall discussions about storms decimating entire nations or wildfires consuming vast landscapes, leaving nothing but ash in their wake. Growing up in New York, I experienced distinct seasons. Nowadays, they blend into one another, with winter resembling autumn and spring, while summer's duration seems unpredictable.

I watch Shark Week religiously and absorb the scientific insights regarding climate change's impact on marine ecosystems. The warming oceans don’t just affect the Arctic; they threaten the health of our entire planet. If our oceans deteriorate, so does everything else. This isn’t just an opinion; it’s a fact. As ocean temperatures rise, fish migration patterns shift, bringing sharks closer to shore and increasing human encounters. This leads to shark culling, despite the fact that sharks are a vital part of ocean health. Without them, our ecosystems suffer, which ultimately jeopardizes human existence.

So, to summarize... without sharks, humans cannot thrive. Keystone species like sharks are crucial. When a shark bites a human, we retaliate, but the uncomfortable truth is that sharks play a more essential role in our ecosystem than we do. In many ways, the planet would be healthier without humanity.

During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we witnessed the Earth beginning to heal. Studies revealed that ecosystems were revitalizing in our absence. Yet, what lesson did we learn from this? As humans, we often fail to learn from our experiences and instead seek new ways to harm ourselves and our environment.

I have strong disagreements with PETA, as I believe their stance—that animals are better off dead than living with humans—is misguided. However, I do concur that humanity poses a significant problem for the planet. It frustrates me to find common ground with them, but we must accept that we’ve damaged our environment, and it’s our responsibility to restore it.

We shouldn’t stand idly by, holding a snowball as proof that nothing is wrong.

Let’s entertain a hypothetical: what if climate change deniers were correct? I shudder at the thought, but let’s assume there’s no issue to address. You would have to be living under a rock to genuinely believe that, but for the sake of argument, what harm would come from fixing something that isn’t broken? What are they afraid of if we allow scientists to do their jobs?

Are they worried that everything will remain unchanged? That’s the argument they’re making anyway, so why are we still debating this instead of taking action? Why are we waiting for permission? Why are we not only allowing uneducated voices to speak but also giving them an audience?

If you’re not a scientist, perhaps it’s best to let the experts take the lead. And maybe, just maybe, we should stop contributing to the degradation of our planet through single-use plastics and pollution.

Imagine if your profession was dictated by the uninformed masses. It would be incredibly frustrating, wouldn’t it? Those in healthcare often face this reality, as people believe they can outsmart professionals based on internet research. This phenomenon even affects juries in criminal trials, known as the “CSI Effect,” where viewers think they understand criminal science better than the experts.

Yes, climate change frightens me, but it’s not the extreme weather events or melting ice caps that terrify me most. What truly scares me is our tendency to debate rather than act. The most frightening thought is that by the time we stop letting those who profit from ignorance dictate the conversation, it may already be too late.

What haunts me is the possibility that we might have already crossed the point of no return. The only glimmer of hope I see is that the pandemic temporarily allowed nature to recover.

Perhaps we need a stronger wake-up call.

If a simple snowball can convince the uninformed that climate change isn’t real, how is it that the healing of the planet during lockdown didn’t sway them?

It’s because those in power, who stand to gain from practices like fracking, dictate the narrative, and we allow them to do so. Groupthink has never served anyone well, anywhere, at any time.

Science shouldn’t have to wait for public consensus. Your life may depend on the silence of those who don’t understand the facts.

So, it’s time to silence the noise.

I want to inhabit a world where polar bears still roam, and I refuse to align with PETA's views. Let’s not make this a point of contention. Otherwise, find yourself in the ocean and let a shark change your perspective.

Either way.

Chapter 2: The Role of Media in Climate Awareness

The first video, Dean Lewis - Scares Me (Official Lyric Video), delves into the emotional weight of facing fears, including those surrounding climate change and its implications.

The second video, Election Deniers Are Ruining Democracy, discusses the dangerous effects of misinformation in political discourse and its impact on issues like climate change.