Let’s get real about climate change – our planet is crying out for help. As temperatures shatter records on three continents and wildfires scorch lands from Greece to Canada, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) is sounding the alarm, stating that the “Earth is screaming at us” to switch gears, abandon fossil fuels, and address the climate crisis ASAP.
“The fuse has been burning for decades, and now the climate change bomb has gone off,” warned Inslee in a recent ABC interview. “The scientists are telling us that this is a new age. This is the age of consequences.” This isn’t a dystopian sci-fi novel, folks. It’s the reality we’re living in right now.
The sizzling heat wave currently engulfing millions worldwide is more than just an uncomfortable sweat-fest. It’s a glaring, undeniable signal that the climate crisis has arrived, and unless we take drastic action, things are only going to get hotter and more hazardous.
So what does this mean? Simply put, our planet is urgently begging us to pay attention. As Inslee put it, “The Earth is screaming at us.” However, it’s not all doom and gloom. There’s still a chance for us to course correct and avert the worst-case scenario, but it requires a global commitment to halt the use of fossil fuels.
“This is a solvable problem. But we need to stop using fossil fuels. That is the only solution to this massive assault on humanity,” Inslee said. “There are two parts of this story: This thing is now the age of consequences, the bomb has gone off. But we do have the ability to restrain fossil fuels if we make the commitments we need to.”
In Washington, Inslee has already been paving the way, banning the sale of gas-powered vehicles from 2035 and committing to net-zero emissions by 2030. Embracing renewable energy not only helps our planet but also creates jobs, paving the way toward a “new economy,” as Inslee puts it. His advice? Pay attention to climate change when casting your vote.
Of course, no politician or state is perfect. Even Washington, a state far ahead of many others in terms of climate legislation, has faced criticism from climate advocates who believe lawmakers should be pushing for even more ambitious climate action. The thing is, the climate crisis isn’t going to pause and wait for politicians to play catch-up. The extreme heat waves are already here, claiming lives, with over 61,000 people succumbing to heat in Europe last year.
Our planet is in distress, and it’s sending out an SOS. The time for debating climate change has passed. Now, it’s time to take decisive action. And that starts with ditching fossil fuels and shifting towards a sustainable, climate-friendly future. The clock is ticking.
