So, why aren’t more people speaking out about climate change and the potential doom it may mean for mankind and the planet?

Well, several reasons, I think.

First, it is an awareness issue. Many people are not seeing climate change affecting their lives yet. It’s still business as usual for them. Maybe they don’t follow the news much, either. It’s sometimes hard to believe for news people like me that some people don’t read newspapers or watch newscasts.

Second, some people no doubt have a “What can I do about it” attitude. You can’t really blame them. They can’t do a heck of a lot about it. And why should they stop driving their gas guzzlers when big industry is filling the skies with carbon emissions and forestry companies are busy clear-cutting? Climate change is an industrial-caused problem, not so much one caused by the salt of the earth types.

Third, there are people who simply don’t buy it. Climate change is a leftist conspiracy for them. The earth has gone through major climatic cycles before, and we’re witnessing another one now, in their view.

Fourth, people in the last quarter or third of their lifetimes figure they will be dead before the full force of climate hell is upon the planet. Sure, they may feel bad about the looming mess, but it won’t affect them. They just want to live out the rest of their lives, as in “I just want to do this jigsaw puzzle” and drink wine.

Fifth, there are some who may want to speak out but can’t because they may work for the oil and gas industry or their employers may be linked to it somehow. They need their jobs. They need to feed their children today. But surely some must ache inside knowing that their offspring may face a hellish future and early deaths. I often think of those workers when I am writing posts here about climate change.

I spent a good part of today looking at reaction to the COP26 deal, such as it was, and there is a revolution brewing. Climate experts and various writers along with the usual activists are predicting a backlash against governments that failed to come up with a significant enough agreement, essentially “punting decisions to the future,” as one newspaper put it.

Columnist George Monbiot of the Guardian, one of the greatest climate advocates I have been reading, had this to say on Twitter:

From the peaceful protests we’ve been seeing to civil disobedience . . . to what?

Chaos? Violence?

It would have happened anyway, when/if civilization starts to crumble under the effects of climate change.

But George’s tweet today — and those of others — have me thinking the chaos may come a lot sooner.

I would never advocate for that, but I understand the frustration and the desire to do something about the climate crisis. I’m doing my thing here, and I try to raise awareness as part of my job, too, when possible.

But as I wrote ages ago when I first started blogging about the subject, it all may be futile now, anyway.

Still, I keep hoping it isn’t too late. I suppose when I know for sure it is too late, I won’t write about it anymore.

For now, I’m keeping the faith, Greta. We gotta do what we can.

— Jillian