As the saying goes “So many options and so little time”. As we hurl toward an unlivable increase of 4 degrees centigrade globally, the ingenuity and creativity of the human spirit has blossomed with a plethora of possibilities to combat climate change.
On June 24th a landmark decision was handed down by the district court of The Hague in the Netherlands in which over nine hundred citizens sued the government for not doing enough to decrease their part of global emissions. This verdict will provide support to all other climate cases around the world.
They invoked The Tort Law which is a body of rights allowing for the provision of relief for persons who have suffered harm from the wrongful acts of others. Norway and Belgium are already underway with their own lawsuits against their governments. The main plaintiff Ms. Minnesma stated “millions of people that are already suffering the consequences of climate change are hoping that we, the people that have caused the emissions and have the means to reduce them, will intervene while there is still time”.
The means to reduce the emissions are plentiful, technically feasible and cost effective today. The real barrier is slow adoptions rates, not inadequate technologies or lack of opportunities. Many sectors are already being addressed including clean renewable energies, freight and trucking industries and energy efficient buildings. All we have to do is harvest the fruit of human will and ingenuity.
Cindy Sherry
Nelson