Just as after every terrible massacre, people and some legislators cry for a way to address gun violence, it seems that the politicians’ responses are the same after every major storm. The remnants – remnants? You’ve got to be kidding! -- of Ida that barreled its way through Central and Northern Jersey brought out the legislators calling for ways to address climate “change.”
The term climate change doesn’t have an emergency ring about it. We should be calling this “climate disaster” or “ecological emergency.” Some Senators in Washington are still coming up with excuses: it’s too expensive, it’s too risky, it’s not tested. Do we honestly have to wait until half the East Coast is under water? Maybe those Senators from the Midwest don’t think about hurricanes, but they should consider drought, not to mention those spring rains that flood out their farms.
Maybe if so many of them weren’t beholden to the giants of agribusiness who could care less as long as their profit margins are good perhaps we’d have some serious results instead of the dawdling we now have.
Prayer for the Day
We say we marvel in your creation, O Source of all life,
We say that the variety of life never ceases to amaze us;
But you know, O God, our actions belie our words,
For, in truth, we look to the earth only for what it can give us.
Your creation is more than what we take of your precious resources,
Help us to see that all life is connected through your hand.
In the name of him who came to show us the way,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
We owe it to the flood victims of New Orleans [after hurricane Katrina] to give them truthful answers as to why this event took place and to assure our citizens that tragedies like this will never happen again.
Charles Rangel, Member of Congress from New York 1971-2017
The question is not “Can you make a difference?” You already do make a difference. The question is what kind of difference you want to make for life on this planet.
Julia Butterfly Hill, American environmental activist
For I know my transgression, and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight.
So you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment.
Psalm 51: 3-4