Even If Global Warming Isn’t a Threat

The debate continues as to whether human activity is likely to cause harmful and irreparable climate changes.  Until there is concrete, indisputable proof either way, it will continue to be deliberated.  It’s entirely pointless to waste so much time and energy arguing this issue though.

Let’s say that we conclude, beyond a reasonable doubt, that global warming is nonexistent, and the environmental movement receives a crushing blow as a result.  Then imagine that, 20 years from now, we realize we were wrong.  Not good. As Scooby Doo would say, “Ruh roh, Raggy!”

But what if we decide that global warming is a threat to humanity, make a committed, unified effort to fight that hazard, only to find out 20 years later that there was no serious threat in the first place?  Were our efforts wasted?  Nope.  Far from it.

If global warming doesn’t exist, yet we believe it does, our “blunder” will be a tremendous benefit to all who inhabit our planet.  Consider the following:

1.)  Energy Security:  Since our imported energy is composed entirely of dirty fossil fuels, transitioning to cleaner sources of energy necessarily means fixing our energy imbalance.  No longer will we be at the mercy of OPEC.  No longer will our nation instigate conflict in the Middle East to secure energy supplies.  Instead we will power our nation with the natural, renewable resources that we have in abundance.

2.) Less Environmental Destruction:  Conversationalists have been around since long before global warming was on anyone’s radar (like this dude), but their efforts have certainly been aided recently by broader environmental movements.  Conservation is now accepted as far deeper than simply preserving the beauty and diversity of natural ecosystems for future generations to enjoy.  Now we see conservation as vital to the well-being of the planet as a whole; to our very existence.  We’re discovering how interconnected we are with the entire living world.

3.) Less Human Injustice:  We remain in trade agreements that foster continued exploitation of the poor for the benefit of the rich, all the while creating more and more environmental damage.  Our corporations travel to remote corners of the globe, blatantly violating human rights (often of indigenous populations) in the ruthless exploitation of resources ranging from oil to cheap labor.  The way we treat each other and the way we treat our planet is highly correlated.  A movement to address one is almost invariably related to the other.

4.)  Stronger Communities:  We’re learning that it’s not sustainable (nor desirable) to live in the franchised, outsourced, isolated world we do.  Small-town America has been overrun by fast food chains (”do you want fries with that?”) and box stores, causing local businesses to fail.  Our inner cities struggle as suburbia continues to expand.  Our clothes come from China, many of our fruits and vegetables from Central America, and a good portion of our fuel from the Middle East.  More efficient, locally-based economies are not only better for the earth, but arguably much more rewarding as well.

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The movement to combat global warming is about far more than the possibility of rising temperatures.  It’s about bringing meaning back to our lives.  It’s about questioning our values (why again are we working so hard to buy more stuff we don’t need?).  It’s about reconnecting with our planet, with each other, and with ourselves.

Global warming or no, we have the chance to go down in history as either those who ushered in a new era of meaningful existence, or those who perpetuated the status quo and handed our successors an even bigger mess.  What’s there to debate?

Note: For my next Toastmasters speech (mid-September), I’m planning to give a speech similar to this.  My first two speeches have been more of the informative type; now I’d like to try my hand at a persuasive style. I’ll probably post it here when it’s done.