"Yes, and How Many Times Can a Man Turn His Head

and Pretend That He Just Doesn't See..."     Bob Dylan

1.  There is overwhelming agreement among climatologists that decades-old predictions about the effects of greenhouse gas emissions in our atmosphere have led to changes on Earth (droughts, floods, storms, fires, sea-level rise) unlike anything observed in meteorological records.  Scientists in Europe confirmed that 2024 was the hottest year on record, with the past decade seeing the 10 hottest years on record.  Warming winters during that time have had a lasting impact on moose, ticks, deer and other wildlife, and have increased the likelihood of algae blooms and fish kills in Minnesota's lakes.  Since fossil fuel emissions are the main culprit in global warming, and with the falling costs of renewable energy production over the past 20 years, now is the time to encourage our leaders at the local, state and national levels to do the prudent thing and move toward renewable energy.

2.  A team of international scientists found that the world's oceans for the seventh straight year set a heat record in 2024, supercharging the world's extreme weather systems when heat and humidity are transferred to the atmosphere.  Accepting that climate change is human-caused from burning fossil fuels is difficult, because it implies that changes will have to be made.  Yet the U.S. is by far the world's largest oil producer, with just five states and federal off-shore leases accounting for 87% of all U.S. oil production.  Parts of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge that were opened in January for oil development met with no bids from the oil industry, signaling an already saturated market.  27 states produce little or no oil and do not benefit from an oil economy, but have the potential to participate in the rapidly advancing clean energy economy.  

3.  Way back in 1938, a victory for children was won when the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) placed limitations on child labor, making it illegal for children under 16  to work in manufacturing or mining.   Yet child labor has persisted, and in 2023 the Department of Labor found a 69% increase in illegal child employment since 2018.  The Child Labor Coalition estimates more than 300,000 migrant children work in agriculture alone.  In the past two years, ten states introduced or passed legislation rolling back protections for child laborers, ignoring the injury and death rates, the school dropout rates, and the dependence on underpaid work that doesn't attract adult workers.  Many jobs are hazardous, including operating a forklift and applying chemicals for over 8 hours a day.  Support efforts to turn back the loosening of regulations, and support raised wages for hiring better-equipped adults.

4.  Plastic pollution is in soil and streams, drinking water and wildlife, and even inside of us, according to The Nature Conservancy (TNC).  Plastic is made from fossil fuel-based chemicals and contributes significantly to climate change as its carbon footprint, doubling since 1995, is expected to more than double again by 2050.  At this rate, the amount of plastic in the oceans will nearly triple by 2040, with only about 5% of the plastic used in the U.S. being recycled.  TNC is designing a bold plan to reduce plastic production and waste by shifting the burden from individuals to producers, which is in alignment with the United Nations Plastic Treaty that addresses the production, design and disposal of plastics.  Learn more and see how you can help by going to NATURE.ORG/PLASTICFREECA.