As another Earth Day approaches, it is with no small degree of despair that I acknowledge that the day has almost entirely lost any meaning. While the impacts of human activity on the environment continue at an increasingly rapid pace the reality of climate change as the single most pressing issue that faces our beleaguered Earth seems to have been swallowed up by the distractions of other events. In my mind, I have to go back to 2019, the year Greta Thunberg sailed across the Atlantic to speak before the United Nations, to identify the time when Earth Day last had real meaning and environmental activism still had momentum.
After that, the world became distracted. First by COVID, then by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and now by the victory of the MAGA movement in the United States. Even someone as readily identifiable as an environmental warrior as Greta Thunberg allowed herself to become distracted from her mission and become, instead, a champion of radical Islamic terrorism. The heck with the Earth! Let’s campaign to push Israel into the sea instead!
But, damn, whatever the distractions, climate change isn’t a problem that is going to solve itself. If anything, the obstacles to finding meaningful solutions and taking effective action are far greater now than just a few years ago. The ranks of those who deny the scientific evidence that is readily available for all to read and understand grow steadily. The control of society by the very rich who benefit financially from a lack of climate action also has grown exponentially in just a few short years. The political turmoil that brings with it growing prospects for war makes it so much more difficult for the world to close ranks and focus on a common problem that faces every single one of us. The Earth doesn’t care about the political aspirations of leaders in America, Russia, China, or any other nation. It will just keep warming up regardless of who wants to come out on top.
And all while feeling rather like Nero fiddling while Rome burns, as I am powerless to do much else, I’ll keep on putting black dots on staves and adding to my MUSIC FOR THE EARTH project.
