The Climate Crisis is an Emergency but also an Opportunity. The future is Ours to Reimagine

Did you read President Biden’s Fact Sheet for the American Jobs Plan? Joe and Kamala are asking us (and Congress) to reimagine who we are as a nation and how we can create a sustainable, compassionate economy.

The plan covers various initiatives—from fixing crumbling bridges to protecting our water and precious wetlands to addressing endangered coastal communities and restoring wildlife. It includes investing in alternate energy resources that include utility-scale energy storage, carbon capture and storage, hydrogen, advanced nuclear, rare earth element separations, floating offshore wind, biofuel/bioproducts, quantum computing, and electric vehicles.

The plan allocates 40 percent of the benefits of climate and clean infrastructure investments to disadvantaged communities invests in rural communities and communities impacted by the market-based transition to clean energy.

Now that’s a tall order. Read the White House Briefing, and your head will spin.

Almost everything we consume has been produced, manufactured and shipped to us using fossil fuels. How do we transition our entire lives to a regenerative renewable way of living? How do we behave as a species on this endangered planet to get us to the goal?

Let’s look at it as an opportunity we can all participate in and create new jobs and innovative technologies along the way! 

It’s our chance to understand what products we consume contribute most to Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

Global greenhouse gas emissions are led by energy use and production. But agriculture and forestry are second. And nearly one-quarter of those greenhouse gas emissions are generated from Agricultural Livestock.

Raising cows, pigs and chickens generates as much greenhouse gas emissions as all cars, trucks and automobiles combined.

Yet cattle ranchers have cut millions of square kilometers of forests for grazing pastures, decimating natural “carbon sinks.”

The Washington Post reported that, “The Earth saw nearly 100,000 square miles of lost tree cover in 2020 — an area roughly the size of Colorado — according to the satellite-based survey by Global Forest Watch. The change represents nearly 7 percent more trees lost than in 2019.

The survey told us that the vital, humid primary forests of the tropics, that store immense amounts of carbon, saw even greater devastation. More than 16,000 square miles of these forests vanished last year, a 12 percent increase.

No wonder plant-based proteins are becoming an engaging option for our upright species. Do we need to raze our forests to produce animal protein?

Yet many crave meat’s savory flavor yet don’t want to add to the problem. It’s the challenge that plant-based businesses such as No Evil Foods are addressing by creating healthy, yummy, and nutritious substitutes that don’t affect the environment. They have managed to become carbon-neutral with plastic-negative packaging.   

I didn’t know that the pharmaceutical sector plays a significant role in greenhouse gas emissions.

It may come as a surprise, but the pharmaceutical industry is more damaging to the environment than the automotive sector.

Get off the pills and take health into your own hands—food is medicine!

A nutrient-rich diet builds a strong immune system because food is our medicine. Eat more organic fruits and veggies, add in a few supplements and get off the sugar.

Eating too much sugar has profound negative consequences for our long-term health—contributing to diabetes and obesity. Sugar decreases the effectiveness of white blood cells—a critical part of our immune system that fights infection.

That doesn’t mean you should stop comfort baking! There are plenty of sugar alternatives that can make your tasty treats even better.

Stevia is one sugar alternative that I love, and Pyure Organic Stevia is one of the only organic stevia brands out there. Stevia is a sweetener that’s zero glycemic (meaning it won’t spike your blood sugar), zero-calorie and free from any of the chemicals used to create artificial sweeteners.

I have written much about where to begin. Restoring the balance of our planet begins at home.

But what about the companies that produce all the stuff we consume?

What are those companies doing to meet the climate challenge and reduce their emissions? Because everything we consume has to change – and soon.  

When it comes to the workplace, many companies are committed to reducing their carbon footprint. Coca-Cola, for instance, is dedicated to reducing its footprint by 25% by 2025.

Fifty-three mainstream companies have joined the Climate Pledge and have committed to net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. 

The Climate Collaborative is a group of natural products companies working collaboratively to take bold action to reverse climate change. All of the organizations listed on their website have made a public commitment to take action to mitigate Climate Change.

Supporting the companies working to reduce their carbon footprint is a great way to play your part.

I believe that this crisis offers us an opportunity to move forward as a species, to do things differently, protecting and healing our hot planet. 

Walker, there is no path. The path is made by walking.

- Antonio Machado (1875-1939) (from Reinventing Fire, Lovins & RMI, 2011) 

Hey – thanks for reading. I included links within this post. I make a little money for some of these referrals, and the FTC wants you to know that. If you know me personally or have been a longtime reader, I hope you also know that I only recommend companies that I believe in. Live well, friend.