Editor’s note: This commentary is by Autumn Blais, of Putney, who is a school nurse and avid gardener. She votes in every election, while holding her nose.
If you are like me, you are tired of climate change being framed in partisan terms. Each side continues to dehumanize the other while claiming to be more evolved. I have long been exploring the topic and very rarely come across media commentary by someone who I would consider fair and balanced. I hear all the time that facts don’t “hook” people and that creating an emotional impact enhances the ability to digest ideas. Perhaps this is true, but what if we don’t want to be manipulated? What if we want to simply hear the facts and then decide for ourselves what we think and how we feel? This is said to be, after all, the most critical issue facing us today, with talk of survival hanging in the balance. Our judgement on the matter is too important to give away to whoever can keep us comfortably feeling right, indignant, angry or victimized.
You see, it’s my opinion that We the People do not belong to political parties. We are fundamentally aware of the corrupting force of power and how rare true public servants are. Unfortunately, when it comes to contentious issues such as climate change, the noise coming from all sides is loud enough to drown out even our own thoughts. We can quickly feel overwhelmed and just want to hide, effectively giving away our right to participate in decision-making. Still, we must recognize that in the end our collective future will be determined by our individual choices. We can, in fact, choose to reject the soundbites and reclaim the power of our autonomy. If we are to make difficult and far-sighted decisions together regarding climate change, we need to invest some time in our own understanding. I know that we are more than capable of productive civil discourse and problem-solving once we’ve broken the spell of slanted media.
You may be relieved to know that there is one clear way to cut through the media clutter and find some clarity; it’s called science. Scientists don’t tug at your heart strings, they don’t want you to vote for them, and they don’t use combative language. Their community is worldwide, and they are brutal about their professional standards and peer review process. In science, there is no loyalty except to truth. So, if you are ready to investigate climate change for yourself instead of blindly accepting the word of a media personality or politician, here are some basic resources to start with:
- Climate Central
- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
- World Meteorological Organization
- NASA Global Climate Change
After spending some time learning the facts about climate change, whatever you think and however you feel has value at the table. Let’s talk together then, as independent citizens, regardless of who we tend to vote for.
