Is Kook Behavior the Solution to the Climate Crisis with Our Current Administration?
"When people talk about global warming, I say the ocean is going to go down 100th of an inch within the next 400 years. That's not our problem." - President Donald Trump.
Every time I read something from the current administration it feels like a kook dropping in on me. Ocean levels are going down. We’re cutting 5% of our National Parks Staff right before peak season.
There’s a lack of knowledge and seemingly no thoughts about anyone other than themselves; Total kook behavior.
My initial instinct when reading something like the statement above is to counter it with logic, stats, and studies.
I might be tempted to argue, for instance, that even if you don’t believe humans are at all responsible for climate change, there's no disputing that sea levels are rising. In 2023, the average sea level hit a record high, 3.99 inches above levels in 1993.
I might also want to argue that it is, in fact, the President’s problem because
Much of the US population’s housing is directly affected by sea levels. This affects the real estate industry.
Weather is tied directly to the ocean. Warmer water = more extreme weather = more natural disasters. Natural disasters cost the US $93.1 billion in 2023. Of course, maybe our President is suggesting that the government will not support any populations that experience damage due to extreme weather moving forward... if that’s the case, I stand corrected, and it’s not his problem. It’s ours. Ours for having a government that can’t support its people when they need it.
Marine life adds much-needed nutrients to the soil and helps support wildlife. Whether you believe in diverse ecosystems, our food system, or just love hunting, this means the ocean is all of our problems.
But here's my controversial hot take: Let's stop trying to argue with logic.
It hasn't been working. These types of arguments seem to make the current administration dig their heels in and act like petulant children, reacting with tantrums that result in worse outcomes.
But what has been working?
Honestly, it seems like fear-mongering and conspiracy theories have been driving a lot of action these days.
So, let’s get WEIRD Y'ALL.
My proposal: I'll start the Reddit thread. You create the YouTube videos. We become completely unhinged and create a conspiracy theory!
In the words of SNL’s Stefan, this theory will have everything: aliens, mind control, and social hierarchies so that those who are reading it can feel like there’s a chance for them to have more power than other people.
Here’s my first attempt:
Aliens have developed nuclear tech that's been infiltrating our brain chemistry, blocking us from innovating into sustainable advancements, and causing us to rely heavily on fossil fuels. Only the select elite can withstand their brainwashing and think beyond the consumerism they're trapping us with.
What do you think?
Shall we see if that’s something they respond to better than calmly expressed concerns about what we’re actually seeing happen in the world?
I’m only half joking.
In all seriousness, I do want to embrace some of my kook energy and use it to try to make a difference. I’m sure you’ve seen Chad and JT going to the city council to ask for a city of marble so that they, and future generations of skaters, can skate.
Though I’m not going to make a similar request, I do think I’ll be more active in local politics, reaching out to our senators, signing petitions, and showing up to support those organizations that are trying to make a difference while starting to try to diminish my spending at those who aren’t.
If you’re interested, you can currently sign this petition to speak up for the National Parks Service Staff. If you’re unsure what’s happening to our National Parks and its staff right now, there’s also this Op-Ed for the blog that you can read.
