How hot is up to us.
The new IPCC report is out. The world, and what's possible for our children's futures, is being transformed before our eyes, and the predictions are very dire if we do not act now.
In just nine years, by 2030, the world may reach 1.5 degrees of warming. How old will your kids be then? My daughter will be turning sweet 16.
The IPCC paints a clear picture of what this means, and how every degree of warming matters: "And as global temperatures keep rising, the report notes, so will the hazards. Consider a dangerous heat wave that, in the past, would have occurred just once in a given region every 50 years. Today, a similar heat wave can be expected every 10 years, on average. At 1.5 degrees Celsius of global warming, those heat waves will strike every 5 years and be significantly hotter. At 4 degrees of warming, they will occur nearly annually." Certainly, during this summer, nearly every #Montana family could look out their window at one point, and imagine where things are going if we don't act: more heat will mean more drought, more fires, more smoke, more dead crops.
So, it's going to get hotter, but how hot is up to us.
As Bloomberg reported another takeaway is that, “The Earth rewards good behavior: Almost as soon as emissions cease, heating will cease and temperatures will stabilize in a couple of decades.”
In order to ensure the best possible future for our families, as parents and caregivers we must call on our leaders to address this crisis and act now to prevent additional warming. (We must also do some deep work to mend and protect our world.) Here's are few ways to engage today:
CALL MONTANA LEADERS
Call Governor Gianforte and our federal delegation and ask them to come to the table on climate in a serious way: We ask that they do the following immediately: 1. Declare a climate emergency, 2. Prioritize phasing out of fossil fuels in Montana, 3. Prioritize phasing IN renewables as rapidly as possible, and 4. Use every means necessary to help us do our part as Montanans to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees.
Call the following people today:
Governor Gianforte. Phone: (406) 444-3111.
Senator Jon Tester. Phone: (202) 224-2644.
Senator Steve Daines. Phone: (202) 224-2651.
Representative Matt Rosendale. Phone: (202) 225-3211.
GET INVOLVED WITH A CLIMATE GROUP TODAY
See a list at livableclimate.org/montanaclimate
Here to the right, my daughter is pictured in her 5-point car seat we still use on long road trips to keep her as safe as possible--which is what most every parent and caregiver tries to do for their children every day. Now we're all faced with an unthinkable challenge to our children's safety and future, and we simply can't protect them alone. Join us. Join another group. Lead your own.