4 minute read
Eco Briefs
overhaul of environmental laws.
Analysts say that the fossil fuelfriendly components of the IRA will be significantly outpaced by the emission reductions the bill’s green energy provisions will deliver. However, such a positive outcome is highly dependent on how the legislation is implemented in the coming years and whether assertive actions will also be taken at local and state levels. Voting for climate-literate local, state, and federal candidates is more important than ever.
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Meanwhile, human-generated greenhouse gas emissions, predominantly from transportation, electric power, industrial, and agricultural sectors, continue to rise. This activity has already warmed the world on average by 1.1 degrees Celsius (1.9 degrees Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times with devastating consequences: historic flooding, “thousand-year” storms, megadroughts, and water shortages. According to NASA, extreme heatwaves will become widespread at 1.5 degrees Celsius warming.
Hope in a Hotter World
Recently, I read a quote from poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou that helps me grapple with my own mixed feelings of hope (a stronger climate movement, innovative solutions, and passage of the IRA) and despair (the possibility that our slow and inadequate climate measures are too late and not enough). Angelo said: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.”
Grounded hope is essential, even when challenges are daunting. The concept presents a way of thinking and acting that pushes us forward to achieve our goals. Hope is what has sustained me for more than four decades of fighting against significant odds to help protect our environment and revive the Chattahoochee River. I can’t give up—and neither can you. Do the best you can, where you are.
Celebrating is also vital, even when the results, such as the final version of the IRA, are much less than perfect. I attended the “Georgia Celebration for Climate, Justice, and Joy,” hosted by the nonprofit Georgia Conservation Voters (gcvoters.org) a few days after the IRA was signed into law. The organization’s young, inclusive leaders give me hope; their grassroots organizing, demands for democratic processes, and new strategies are smart and increasingly effective.
As nature philosopher and author Henry David Thoreau presciently wrote more than 150 years ago: “What is the use of a house, if you haven’t got a tolerable planet to put it on.”
Science Moms (sciencemoms.com), a nonpartisan group of climate scientists working to demystify climate change and protect our kids’ future, is just one of many excellent sources for information and action.
►Inspired by Earth Day, three friends have launched Root Local to raise awareness and visibility for sustainability issues ranging from maintaining Atlanta’s tree canopy to recycling, clean air, and clean water. While Atlanta boasts several organizations that address certain of these specific issues, Root Local aims to become a central organization that connects them all. Root Local was born out of a dinner prior to the pandemic when Liz Lapidus, Johanna Ellis Reisinger, and Butch Whitfield posited that small changes could make a big impact. With careers in public relations, real estate, and the auto industry, they shared their own conservation hacks like turning your car off instead of idling, composting, and shopping at their favorite farmer’s markets. Since then, they surveyed key constituents, developed a strategic plan, hired executive director Tabitha Schwartz, and embarked on a branding campaign. Root Local intends to influence the future of Atlanta’s natural resources, uplift organizations doing the day-to-day work, and connect community members to services. For more information, visit rootlocal.org Georgia River Network (GRN) presented the organization’s 2022 Water Trail Hero Award to the Flint River Water Trail during the recent Georgia Governor’s Tourism Conference in Athens. Carolyn McKinley from Meriwether County Chamber of Commerce accepted the award on behalf of the entire water trail group. The award recognized the Flint
River Water Trail and project managers for their impressive collaboration with representatives from 18 riverfront counties and the Flint Riverkeeper. Together, they worked to establish access points and outdoor recreation opportunities that will lead to economic development and river advocacy opportunities all along the Flint River.
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