The next divisive question about climate change
With proof that human caused climate change is happening, we’ve moved to fighting over what to do about it. I wish this fight was over who has to combat climate change, how, when, in what ways. Unfortunately, we haven’t gotten there yet.
We’re trapped in a hamster wheel just past accepting climate change is real and before we get to solving the problem.
What’s keeping us in this limbo seems to be reluctance to believe our individual and collective actions to reduce our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions will have an effect.
In this argument, my actions don’t matter so why bother trying? It’s hard to counter that inertia. How do I prove a negative?
Climate change is Jonah’s whale
The story is told that God told Jonah to travel to Nineveh and warn the inhabitants to change their ways or die. After various acts of disobedience to the command, Jonah indeed travels to Nineveh, once the inhabitants to change their evil ways or die, and, remarkably, they change their evil ways. They perform acts of pennant and God spares the city.
What happens next is the most interesting part of the story to me. Jonah, instead of being pleased with himself, the inhabitants, and for God, feels like he has been used.
It’s hard to prove what didn’t happen. Because the inhabitants changed, they were not punished. There is no do over button to prove that if they had not changed their ways, they would have been punished. They had to take it on faith that change would save them and that not changing would destroy them.
Jonah understood that he had no proof. How do you measure success or evaluate outcomes when you cannot prove what didn’t happen?
We are playing Jonah’s game today. We are asking each other to play a global game of chicken. Who will move out of the way first? Will we wait for proof of distraction or except the profits warningTo change before the distraction?
How much distraction do we need before we believe the profit?
Frankly, I always thought Jonah was a whiner. His only heroic act was to be thrown off the ship into the turbulent waters. It was a noble act of self sacrifice.
The king of Nineveh was the second most interesting character. Without proof, he accepted the clarion warning and commanded the inhabitants to commit the acts of penance.
Who will act the role of king since we have so many prophets acting in Jonas capacity.
