1 • Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020 - The Scoop Today/Shopper’s Guide
Serving the communities in Jo Daviess County
the
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VOL. 86 • NO. 4
• Medical Malpractice
Personal Injury • Wrongful Death Workers Compensation Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect • Personal Injury No Charge Unless Recovery is Made
The earth is heating up, there is no denying it! Science tells us that the major cause is burning fossil fuels which pumps carbon dioxide into the air and raises the heat through the greenhouse effect. Reputable sources from NASA to the World Meteorological Association tell us that the average temperature of our planet has already risen by almost two degrees (F) and that we have to stay under 2.7 degrees (F) warming to avoid major threats to our survival, like increased intensity of storms, flooded infrastructure, extreme heat, property loss, food system collapse, economic disruption. We are already experiencing the effects of warming - the natural disasters happening these days are made worse and occur more frequently because of climate change. So why aren’t we talking to our friends and neighbors about this? Climate change was never a polite topic of conversation like the weather, although it is not a political issue but a scientific fact. People are always saying to me: “You can’t call it climate change, because that will turn them against you. You should approach it through things they care about, like clean air and clean water.” Sure, it’s easier to get agreement on these issues, but I believe by not talking about the underlying cause we are delaying action and ultimately making things worse. The whole world is talking about climate change and making plans to address the crisis. Why aren’t we? Are we waiting for a major climate related catastrophe to strike us before we call it what it is? This reluctance to call the problem by name is not limited to climate change deniers, whose positions range from those who do not accept that any warming is occurring to those that accept warming, but deny that it will cause any harm. These are the folks that cannot square their worldviews with the science, maybe
because they haven’t learned about it or because their livelihoods depend on denying it. What I find truly baffling are the folks who do accept the science, but don’t want to name the problem. They advocate for slow change and do not want to upset the systems in place, although these systems may well contribute to the crisis. Their refusal borders on ‘predatory delay’ – pretending to be good while acting the opposite. As long as we only talk about air, soil and water, we are not looking at the problem as a whole. We will not consider ourselves in an emergency and we will not make comprehensive plans for reducing our carbon emissions to net zero. This delay will have consequences across generations. The clock is ticking and there is great urgency for action! The world-wide goal is to get to zero emissions by 2050 to avoid major climate damage. But the latest reports are showing that climate change is happening faster than predicted and we may have less time than we thought. The longer we delay action, the more drastic will be the changes we have to make. Not acting is not an option. Future generations have a right to a livable planet and it is unethical for us to doom them to extreme suffering and early death. We used to think it is our duty to listen to all sides, but climate change is not an issue that has sides – it is a fact just like gravity. We do not need to hear another word from deniers, or cater to their anti-science position by beating around the bush. It’s time we joined the rest of the world and talk about climate change and what we need to do about it. In the words of Alex Steffen, the writer who coined the term “predatory delay”: “We owe it to the future to call it what it is.” Calling it climate change makes us look at the larger problem. It lets us see the interactions between its parts and the solutions and helps us prioritize them. It puts us right with the rest of the world.
• Product Injuries
WWW.RICHARDROSENBERGLAW.COM
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WEDNESDAY, JAN. 22, 2020
Climate change denial and delay
SONYA WILLIAMSON PHOTO The Scoop Today
Honoring Ed Curry
In recognition of his becoming an Illinois’ Ag Educator of the Year finalist, Ed Curry’s family is presented with $500 and an individualized plaque at the Lady Wolves’ basketball game against River Ridge/Scales Mound.
2020 notice of election of SWCD directors To all Owners and Occupiers of Lands Lying within the Boundaries of The Jo Daviess County Soil and Water Conservation District: Notice is hereby given that an Election of Directors will be held on the 4th day of February 2020 from 7 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. at the Jo Daviess County Soil & Water Conservation District Office in Elizabeth, IL. Three Directors will be elected to each serve a two-year term on the Jo Daviess
County Soil and Water Conservation District Board of the State of Illinois. All persons, firms, or corporations who hold legal title or who are in legal possession of any land lying within the boundaries of the said district are eligible to vote at said election, whether as lessee, renter, tenant, or otherwise. Only such person, firms, or corporations are eligible to vote. Absentee balloting will be avail-
able to those who are unable to attend the Election of Directors. Absentee ballots can be requested beginning January 21, 2020. All absentee ballots must be completed by January 31, 2020. For further information or to request an absentee ballot, please contact the Jo Daviess County Soil & Water Conservation District, located at 227 N. Main St. in Elizabeth, IL, by phone (815) 858-3418 Ext. 3, or email at mindy.pratt@il.nacdnet.net.
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• Job Accidents
E. North Ave. 815-947-3445 841 Hwy 20 East Stockton, IL
YOUR FREE HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER
By Hendrica Regez
• Car Accidents
Rosenberg, Eisenberg • Slip / Trip & Fall & Associates, LLC
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Hours: T-F 8-5; Sat 8-3 or by appointment
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