From our nation’s beginning, we have had an ethic to provide our children and beyond with both a healthy economy and an environment that would enable them to prosper. In his farewell address long ago, President Washington said: “We should not leave to future generations that for which we are responsible.� Native Americans have long said that we do not own land; that we are caretakers who pass it to down to our children. How can we carry these ethics forward in the face of radical changes that climate disruption is already causing?
We’re at the tipping point of whether our natural, social, economic, and governmental systems remain capable of upholding these values. We need to shift our economy to reduce and reverse our CO2 emissions; otherwise, we’re accelerating climate disruption that will cause massive environmental and economic collapse.
Bryan Bates, Naturalist and Wilderness Guide, Emeritus Professor of Sciences, Coconino Community College, First Coconino County Sustainable Home Award recipient (2004) and Platinum Sustainable Home Award recipient (2023), and Northern Arizona Climate Change Alliance member, .
I just celebrated another year as a federal employee and was prepared to dedicate the rest of my career to civil service. I always knew I wanted to work to protect natural resources, and the s… Read moreCoconino Voices: Diary of a federal worker facing cuts
