resilience

What will happen when thousands of people overwhelm communities? Climate change is mostly a “slow onset” phenomenon.  It does, however, generate fast-onset disasters/catastrophes as well.  Multiple years of drought slowly debilitate the ecosystem, threaten crops growth and healthy forests that absorb rain when it comes. Wildfires fed by dead/dying plant growth destroy communities rapidly, thus leading to soil poised to contribute to mud slides, etc., etc.  The rhythm of the unexperienced and destructive dynamics of climate change play themselves out.

Many of the actions we must take to mitigate climate change-reducing fossil fuel use offer significant benefits for public health. 

We must snap out of our collective climate denial, and accept that the future will not be like the past. Only then can we protect ourselves from the floods (and the tornadoes, droughts, wildfires, heatwaves, and storm surges) to come—and build a resilient future for all.

NYC's outdated, blackout-prone electrical grid is a dangerous liability in the era of climate change. Luckily there are community-led energy solutions worth shining a light on.