Carbon Diet New Year’s Resolution
Written by Lora Wondolowski, Director of Advancement and Communications, Peace Development Fund
With the turning of the New Year, many are turning to New Year’s resolutions and self-improvement. It is an age-old tradition that usually lasts until February when the cold and dark gain footing; making me want to eat unhealthy snacks and binge-watch TV. This year I want to commit myself to a different type of self-improvement — a carbon diet for our ailing planet.
At the end of last year world leaders met in Egypt to update commitments to the Paris Agreement on climate change. More striking to me were the meetings in Montreal to discuss biodiversity and mass extinction of species in every corner of the globe. I admit it is hard to get my head around mass extinction and what that means for me. As humans, we only experience a narrow range of species that support the ecosystems that we rely upon. Species are dying off as much as 1,000 times more frequently than before the arrival of humans 60 million years ago. Overall wildlife populations have plunged by an average of 69% between 1970 and 2018 with Latin American and the Caribbean experiencing the steepest decline in animal populations since 1970. That is a huge change just in my lifetime. More than 41,000 species are threatened with extinction.
These figures are hard to swallow and fathom. This is about more than polar bears and rhinos and seeing nature on vacation. The web of species sustains food production, clean air and water, raw materials for medicine, and protection from flooding and major storm events. Deforestation, overfishing, invasive species, industrial framing, pollution, and climate change are the key drivers of wildlife decline and extinction. On a personal note, it makes me sad to know that I am a part of wiping out species that evolved over millennia and that my daughters won’t have in their futures.
If that isn’t a doomsday scenario, I don’t know what is. As I write this, the Montreal meetings are just beginning to hammer out agreements and targets. It all seems like a tall order to make a dent by their 2030 target date. Targets are focused on reducing invasive species, decreasing pesticide use and plastic waste, supporting Indigenous Peoples’ preservation of biodiversity, and stopping government subsidies of harmful activities.
In a world with many challenges, I understand that it can be hard to prioritize protecting the planet when inflation, poverty, racism, and health take precedence. Plus, I believe that major shifts can’t be put on our individual shoulders to bear. We need government and corporations to take responsibility and set policy. The partisan divide in Washington continues to keep us from making progress on this life-threatening issue and we are running out of time. But there are many success stories of bringing back endangered species. I still get a thrill every time I see a bald eagle flying overhead near my house. There are also states around the country making progress on implementing policies that will reduce climate change and protect biodiversity.
So back to my carbon diet. I am just one small part of the puzzle but know that the choices I make can reduce plastic waste, reduce carbon emissions, and push companies to shift their products. Too many advocates tell us that it won’t be a sacrifice. I think that is misguided, if we want to truly turn things around, we will need to dig deep. I harken to stories of sacrifices made by my grandparents during WWII and know that if they could do it so can we. That is my resolution and I’m sticking to it.
This article is featured in the January issue of the Af-Am Point of View
