By Naomi Klein
Our planet is radically changing and this requires a radical rethink by all of us. It requires an economic, social and environmental revolution.
Each day we delay bold climate action, sea levels continue to rise, forests continue to burn in record-breaking heat and the fossil fuel industry continues to put profits ahead of human health and safety.
We need to think big if we are to have any hope of preserving a habitable planet, and that begins with taking action for climate justice right now. We cannot wait another year, or two years, or pin our hopes on just the presidency. Projects like Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren’s “Marshall Plan” for Puerto Rico, and bills to ensure 100 percent clean energy from Representatives Pramila Jayapal, Tulsi Gabbard, and Raul Grijalva deserve our support, and the support of our elected officials in Congress, state houses, and governors’ mansions across the country.
You belong to this revolution because you already know we need to organize early and often to identify, support, and elect candidates who share our priorities to put people before profits. You also know that we need to connect the dots between climate collapse, racial exclusion, and corporate profiteering. That means we need to invest in grassroots groups who are laying the foundation for change through community organizing, direct action, and local leadership to set our priorities. The candidates will follow our lead.
We need a revolution in clean energy.
We do not have the luxury of weighing our planet’s survival against the financial solvency of ExxonMobil, Shell, BP, and other major polluters. This year’s Atlantic hurricane season starts in just two months, and it could well carry more record-breaking storms. Already, the New York subway system floods from rainstorms. The Mississippi Delta is rapidly disappearing into the sea. The streets of Miami are underwater on sunny days. Wildfires rage across the western United States and Canada. Clean water is running out in cities as large as Cape Town, South Africa.
Meanwhile, at home, our government props up dying industries but cannot be moved to end the poisoning of Flint’s residents by supplying clean water or to take the measures necessary to keep the lights on in Puerto Rico. Climate disruption is already a major driver of armed conflicts and mass displacement—with much more on the way.
This may sound apocalyptic, but it is not hyperbole. Sen. Bernie Sanders was absolutely right when he declared climate change the single greatest threat to national security during his campaign for president.
And if you can, spend a little time outdoors, noticing the natural forces that sustain and protect each and every one of us—and resolving to do more to return the favor!
I look forward to continuing to partner with you to implement these changes and more in our quest for a political revolution.
Naomi Klein is a writer in the USA and is well known for her writings on disaster capitalism
