Alex Baer: Happy Belated Everyday

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Climate changeHappy belated New Year, even though everything is the same as it ever was, year in and year out:  corporations trump human life; Republicans can't be bothered with truth, facts, or logic;  labor and the middle class have been cold-cocked and are down for the count.  Money still shrieks out the rules.

Happy belated Earth Day, while we're at it, even though nothing's changed over here either, even after 40-plus years.  Oh, sure, there have always been engaging science fairs, well-meaning bazaars,  contests using various arts and crafts, and nice ideas we try on as if playing dress-up for an hour or so.

Wish we could take credit for altruism being a standard part of human nature.  It's just not so. Instead, we all get back into our fossil-fuel eaters after the Earth Day show, and go roaring away somewhere else.

And all the jets flew and spewed, same as ever, and we herd our fossil-fuel eaters, en masse, in twice-daily migrations, at the least -- back and forth, back and forth.

Yes, we really do know we need two or three planets filled with forests to scrub out the pollution we belch out on this planet every day, but, well -- we're not in charge of planet creation.  After all:  We're only in charge of our own pollution.  Sort of.

Darn shame there's no Plan B.  Or Plan C and D, for that matter.  And, we could really use a Planet B, C, and D, when you come right down to it.  Especially right about now.

But, you know, come to think of it:  We could give evolution a hand, and we could learn to start breathing methane and CO2 right away -- we should start today!  It will take our lungs a while to adjust and adapt, but this approach will be a lot easier than learning to do without fossil fuels, and our cars, and our planes...

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