Ch. 35 Why You Should Be a Single Issue Voter

“Climate change is the single greatest threat to a sustainable future,

but, at the same time, addressing the climate challenge

presents a golden opportunity to promote prosperity,

security and a brighter future for all.”

- Ban Ki-Moon, Former Secretary-General of UN.

When you step into the voting booth, most likely you have some concern in mind. It could be the economy, healthcare, taxes, immigration, or any number of issues that you personally care about.

Take a second right now, and think about the issues that you are most concerned about.

Now. Let's be crystal clear... 

Global warming is going to adversely impact any and every issue that you're concerned about. 

With no exceptions. 

If you have concerns about illegal immigration, and the "porous border," then how do you feel about hundreds of millions of climate refugees worldwide? 

If you are concerned about the economy and a temporarily elevated inflation rate upsets you, then imagine worldwide crop failures, overwhelmed property insurance, and the threat of economic crashes and collapse. 

If you wish for lower taxes, imagine the $1.2 Trillion that will be added to our taxes every year to cover the physical damage caused by global warming. 

Pro-life? Imagine the exponentially rising death toll that comes with increasing heat, wet bulb temperatures, unbreathable air, food shortages, water shortages, increasing wars, dead and poison oceans, etc. 

Family values? Try looking your grandkids in the eye and telling them that you didn't do everything you could to stop this from happening. 

If you care about any of these issues, then you should be a single issue voter from now on, because global warming is going to exacerbate all of these issues. And though you might not be around to see it, that doesn't mean that your children and your children's children won't experience every modicum of suffering that results from your inaction.

We see a lot of hand-wringing and pearl-clutching in Washington over every one of these issues, by the same people who are denying that climate change is even a problem. 

It's pretty hard to take seriously someone who says immigration is a number one concern when they clearly don't care about a possible influx of millions. 

It's pretty hard to take seriously someone who says they are pro-life but care nothing about the millions dying from fossil fuel particulates and the hundreds of millions that will die as a result of a rapidly changing climate. 

And it's very hard to listen to someone who talks about family values but shows absolutely no concern for the future of their own children. 

Global warming is a clear and present danger. An existential threat that needs to be recognized and treated as such. 

But here's the good news. There are solutions, and it's not too late to reverse the effects of global warming.

Perhaps more importantly, these solutions represent an opportunity. An unprecedented opportunity to collectively transform our relationship to the Earth, our fellow humans, and all living things.

The opportunity to truly build a better world.