Anthropocene Emergency Confusion

Posted 1st July 2019 to the Southland Times Newspaper Invercargill Southland NZ

Looking around the discussions about the human overpopulation and just plain bad habits wrecking the planet
one has to question the education system for the gaps in simple understanding of words and effects.

When people want to declare a code red CLIMATE EMERGENCY for example it does not require a air raid siren and flashing lights
It is in fact a heads up to start factoring a big change into our society, so it is not just a call to action for those in power
but a wake up call to everyone who will be effected by something that will effect everyone everywhere in some form or other.
It is without doubt a responsible act to indicate the need to prepare.

Public Education I am sad to say teaches little about life skills and critical thinking and a lot about passing exams for entry the job market
leaving the internet to fill vast gaps in young minds.

Just a quick look on the internet reveals many people speaking with authority about politics and history parroting a load of folklore
and assumptions based on half learned observations and often, contempt.... Take the term socialism, how many people think it means
 a living hell as opposed to a word that literally means leave no one behind.  Maybe it’s not all the fault of educators but it is already
heading to become a code orange emergency of it’s own.     

Obama Called Climate Emergency ish

Posted 11th June 2019 to the Southland Times Newspaper Invercargill NZ

I read Robert Guyton stating it is time to declare a climate emergency on a local level.

I happen to know a message asking president Obama to declare a climate emergency was sent just after the time
Obama finished off Bin Laden. A dramatic presidential announcement was not forth coming but he did make the effort to say
to a journalist that “Of course climate change is a problem”  instead of flinching from the idea.

I suppose in retrospect President Obama was not the man for the job as he did not have the backs of the right wing voters.
to declare a global state of Emergency a president would require the powers of a dictator  and Mr Obama was getting enough heat
of his own to walk into that kitchen.

So while we wait for a presidential super hero to save us all, us folks at the bottom of the power pyramid need to get cracking and change
the political narrative.