Can we please end the debate now?
An overwhelming majority of earth scientists agree: Global warming is real, and human activity largely causes it. At this point, anyone who argues otherwise or lobbies for inaction while a phony “debate” rages on is a denier of epic proportions.
Fortunately, the world seems to have woken up. National and state governments like California, industry, communities and individuals are scrambling to devise policies in response to climate change and other environmental concerns. Among those taking action, we are proud to note, is the Jewish community here and abroad.
In j. this week, multiple stories suggest a steady greenward bent on the part of the Jewish community.
Organizations such as Hillel and the Jewish Council for Public Affairs are experimenting with carbon-offset programs. Both will calculate the carbon emissions they generate at upcoming Washington conferences, and will offset this by donating to reforestation projects.
Locally, the Northwest Region of American Associates of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and the Consulate General of Israel have teamed up to offer a green-technology workshop at the Stanford University Faculty Club next month.
In Israel, environmentalists like Alon Tal are making headway in the greening of the Jewish state. He was in the Bay Area recently, informing local audiences about his Tal Fund for Environment and Conservation. Among the fund’s current projects are preserving the Negev and cleanup of contaminated lands in the Galilee.
As Tal said in his interview with j., “Environmentalism is a return to the essence of Zionism. We must return to the harmony between Jews and the Promised Land.”
For our purposes here, we would expand his definition of promised land to include “kol ha’aretz,” or all the Earth.
Humanity has only a very narrow window to reverse course on global warming, perhaps not much more than 10 years. It is hard to believe the world community can come to terms with this crisis and collectively step back from the brink. But we must try.
America, which generates up to 80 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, must lead the way. We hope the Jewish community will be among the leaders of this critical movement here.
The science is clear and non-negotiable. Global warming poses a looming crisis unlike any in human history. But if “l’dor v’dor” –– from generation to generation –– is to have any meaning in the future, then we must take immediate action.
What will you do?
CopyrightJ, the Jewish news weekly of Northern California