We need the same sense of urgency and action on the climate crisis. Increasingly, public surveys signal that we have moved beyond misguided questions like “Is climate change real?” or “Is it a hoax?” It reminds me of the same skepticism some people exhibited at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic but now look at where we are (over 5.5 million deaths globally at the time of writing). This past week a NOAA report pointed out that 20 climate disasters exceeding $1 billion in damage costs each happened in the 2021. While rapidly intensifying hurricanes, record warm months or years, or deluges in New York City make headlines, these extreme events are not breaking news to climate scientists. I am often frustrated as things happen around us that we as scientists have warned for decades were coming.

FALLON/AFP via Getty Images) AFP via Getty ImagesĪnother part of the letter that I want to highlight is this statement - “Too long has our beloved Southland been bogged down in a tragic effort to live in monologue rather than dialogue.” He is explaining why his non-violent actions were needed to break the inertia of inaction and produce negotiations. Rescuers on Monday combed through the 'catastrophic' damage Hurricane Ida did to Louisiana, a day after the fierce storm killed at least two people, stranded others in rising floodwaters and sheared the roofs off homes. neighborhood in a volunteer high water truck assisting people evacuating from homes after neighborhoods flooded in LaPlace, Louisiana on Augin the aftermath of Hurricane Ida. TOPSHOT - People react as a sudden rain shower soaks them with water while riding out of a flooded. King would have been on the frontlines for this crisis too. Climate change impacts are accelerating and the economic gap is widening. We can no longer sit idly by either as heat waves, hurricanes, and flooding ravage communities. Like racism of King’s day (and now), certain groups of people disproportionately bear the brunt of climate change - the poor, elderly, children, and communities of color. Trust me, they are there when you buy groceries or gasoline, turn your faucet on, consider your health, or watch relatives battered by storms like Hurricane Ida. I always try to make this point because too many people don’t make the connections to their daily lives. Climate change is a crisis disrupting agricultural productivity, public health, economic well-being, national security, water supply, and our infrastructure. Our weather-climate system is intricately connected to every aspect of our daily lives. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” He was responding to those that called him an “outside agitator,” but this statement hits home for me as a climate scientist. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. King wrote, “I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states.

Martin luther king jail letter