Earth Day: Make it a Reality  - Michael Streich

Earth Day is April 22nd, 2023, a designation that should cause every civilized person to shiver. Germany is shutting down it's last three nuclear powered plants - Emsland , Neckarwestheim, and Isar II. Yet 49% of the Germany people, according to NDR, oppose this and want the plants kept open. Most in opposition were over the age of 35. Younger citizens who approve of the closings are members of the Greens, FDP, and Linke parties. To make up any future energy losses, the government plans to increase coal exploitation, which becaomes a major pollutant in and of itself.

The same arguments are heard in the U.S., especially as the Biden Administration seeks to force a new Executive Order auto featuring regulations vastly increasing the number of EVs. But where are the charge stations and how strong is the existing power grid? On Earth Day, inhabitants of East Palistine, Ohio will still breath toxic air and drink bottled water because tap water may still be contaminated. Across the United States, many water sources are contaminated for a variety of reasons, some affecting large population centers such as Philadelphia.

"...With purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain..." May be becoming a lovely history reference but hardly the everyday truth. 

Climate change is on many world leaders public narratives but cities like Jakarta and Bangkok are still sinking into the ocean. And South Africa still suffers from an on-going water shortgage. What countries can claim they have no examples of climate change? Yet world leaders, prodded by corporate and other monied interests, act like Climate Change is just another Jules Verne novel.

In February 11-20th, 2021, the state of Texas underwent an unprecedented freeze, it's power grid almost completely failing, and twitter commentators reminding Senator Ted Cruz of a comment he once made that he would believe in climate change when, "Texas freezes over." 

As this is written, Fort Lauderdale, Florida is under water after a so-called once in a thousand year rain event, nearly 26 inches within a 24 hour period. How many more records will be broken as the climate change narrative becomes more true?

Earth Day should be a funeral dirge for people that go about their lives dismissing all actions such as those mentioned above. Of course, older politicans who have always denied climate change like former president Donald Trump may not care since many drastic predictions will work themselves out after these politician have passed on.

In the Broadway musical "CoCo," (1969) Katherine Hepburn sings, "...the world belongs to the young..." This Earth Day, youth must take a stand and demand change. Thus far, at least in the U.S., no democrats and no anti-woke candidates even believe in the changes yet to come. That must not become a harbinger of the next two decades.