“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair….” From A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Written more than 150 years ago, those words describe the conditions that existed in London and Paris during the late 1700s. If only Dickens were alive and able to describe as eloquently for us, the world of 2018.
Weird though it may be, his words do ring true today. What with the stock market at an all time high, low unemployment, amazing advancements in almost every field of human endeavor, and the easy access we all have to an overwhelming amount of information; we should be in a cultural golden age. Yet we are torn apart by political polarization, human rights issues, and climate change. As we are battered by more and more catastrophic weather related events and face rising health issues, climate change, without doubt, is the challenge of the ages.
Now, before the winter of despair trumps the spring of hope in your world, take a deep breath and then look around you. People everywhere are stepping up to make changes, and they are succeeding. In spite of our federal leaders’ refusal to take action, around the country governors, state legislators, mayors, city councils, CEOs of corporations, directors of NGOs, and individuals are stepping up, and we try to bring as many of their stories to you as we can.
But, it’s the youth that give me the most encouragement for that spring of hope. That’s right, it’s the kids, or at least certain groups of them, that are taking on climate change from a whole new angle. They are suing the U.S. as well as several states to secure the right to a stable environment and healthy atmosphere.
Spend some time exploring the Our Children’s Trust website – you will be moved. What they are attempting to do is huge.
There’s a good chance that their cases will go all the way to the Supreme Court. To get there they will need a lot of support. They deserve help from all of us, so please donate to their cause and/or sign their petition.
