For 2020: Not a resolution, but a plea
Fire Drill Friday in Washington, DC, on December 6, 2019. (Credit: Ted Eytan/flickr)

For 2020: Not a resolution, but a plea

As we head into the new year how about a little more honesty and a little more reality? And a lot more passion when needed.

As the year comes to a close, here is my wish list and suggestions for all of us in the coming year who cover the environment.


First, a little constructive gripe: Can we please not deal in rhetoric that suggests all is lost on climate in 12 years?

I must point out that was 2018's rhetoric, so we'd now only have 10 and a half years to Doomsday. If the fossil fuel industry hasn't unconditionally surrendered by then, it slams the rhetorical door in climate advocates' faces. You have five years to stop saying this, or else.

Second, not long ago, we heard that natural gas from fracking will be the "bridge fuel" to clean energy; flame retardants always save lives; glyphosate is the harmless alternative to conventional pesticides; and vaping will be the solution to the scourge of lung cancer. Entering 2020, we know that none of these have proven true. Optimism toward finding solutions is still essential, but so is keeping a diligent and cynical eye on ourselves. Don't buy into perceived solutions that aren't—like when the Sierra Club's otherwise roaringly-successful Beyond Coal campaign accepted $25 million from frackers.

Next: Can we – please – see at least one prominent climate denier step back, take a deep breath, look at the science and on-the-ground evidence and concede that man-made climate change is real and desperately needs to be addressed? In recent years, very few, like think tanker Jerry Taylor and scientist Richard Muller, have made the mea culpa switch.

My nominee for climate convert is Sir Rupert Murdoch. His Fox News and other worldwide outlets still incorporate climate denial into both their editorial and business plans. Back in the day, before denial became de rigeur for conservatives, Sir Rupert was all in on making a carbon-neutral News Corp. Even today, as his native Australia burns itself to the ground, he and his media empire won't have any of this climate hoax. Before her death in 2013, Rupert's mum, Dame Elisabeth Murdoch was a 101 year-old climate activist.

And while we're at it, can we all do a better job of connecting the dots between climate denial and the other potent forms of denial impacting modern America and the world? There are overwhelmingly common bonds between climate denial and those who fail to see the mendacity and corruption of President Trump. Or the link between the horrifying death toll from guns in the U.S. and the tens of millions of fact-blind NRA members. Or the 2009 theft, allegedly by Russian hackers, of thousands of climate scientists' emails, used deceptively to discredit the science, and the subsequent hacks of political emails – not to mention voting data. It's a clear pattern, benefitting the same politically-interested few.

Also, let's support journalism at all levels as a key player in education on environmental problems. Industry mainstays like the New York Times, Washington Post, and the AP have upped their games. A legion of nonprofits, including this one, have offered a sharp focus on climate reporting.

Donald Trump's impeachment and related scandals are no doubt the biggest news stories on any given day. But climate change, its impacts and potential solutions, are the story of the century. In the new year, I hope we all show a better understanding of this.

Peter Dykstra is our weekend editor and columnist. His views do not represent those of Environmental Health News, The Daily Climate or publisher, Environmental Health Sciences.

environmental justice

LISTEN: Robbie Parks on why hurricanes are getting deadlier

"In places where there are high minority populations they bear, by far, the most burden of deaths from tropical cyclones."

Dr. Robbie Parks joins the Agents of Change in Environmental Justice podcast for a bonus episode to discuss how hurricanes have become deadlier in recent years and how we can better protect vulnerable communities.

Keep reading...Show less
Senator Whitehouse & climate change

Senator Whitehouse puts climate change on budget committee’s agenda

For more than a decade, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse gave daily warnings about the mounting threat of climate change. Now he has a powerful new perch.
ocean acidification climate impacts
Photo by NEOM on Unsplash

Ocean acidification set to triple by 2100—what this means for the US coast

The acidification of the Earth's oceans is expected to triple by 2100, and could lead to major impacts on biodiversity across U.S. coastlines.

Are we voting with our wallets to overheat the planet?

Surveys of Canadians have repeatedly shown that a majority would choose to prevent the bad things caused by climate change. Politicians think we won't make sacrifices. Maybe we won't have to.
north sea oil caroline lucas
Image by wasi1370 from Pixabay

Caroline Lucas: The Tories’ huge new oilfield is a moral obscenity – but Rosebank can still be stopped

Reliance on oil won’t slash our bills: this is a climate crime that will leave our economy more vulnerable.

climate cafe mental health
Photo by Compare Fibre on Unsplash

Climate change is hurting our mental health. How ‘climate cafes' can help

Similar to grief circles or other types of peer-support groups, these informal gatherings help people work through the emotional distress of living in a climate emergency.
night harvest extreme heat farming
Big Stock Photo

As extreme heat blasts farms, can night harvesting be a solution?

Farmworkers are at high risk from scorching daytime temperatures. Harvesting at night can help to keep them cool, but poses different safety and well-being risks.
From our Newsroom
children nature

Opinion: When kids feel the magic of nature, they will want to protect it

Improving our quality of life starts with the simple of act of getting kids outdoors.

birds climate change

In the Gulf of Maine, scientists race to save seabirds threatened by climate change

“I could see that, if successful, the methods developed could likely help these species."

fracking economics

Appalachia’s fracking counties are shedding jobs and residents: Study

The 22 counties that produce 90% of Appalachian natural gas lost a combined 10,339 jobs between 2008 and 2021.

Marathon Petroleum y una ciudad de Texas muestran una  potencial crisis de comunicaciones sobre sustancias químicas

Marathon Petroleum y una ciudad de Texas muestran una potencial crisis de comunicaciones sobre sustancias químicas

En los últimos tres años, Marathon ha violado repetidamente la ley de Aire Limpio y tuvo tres emergencias en el semestre de febrero a julio de 2023.

WATCH: How Marathon Petroleum and one Texas city show the potential for a chemical communication crisis

WATCH: How Marathon Petroleum and one Texas city show the potential for a chemical communication crisis

Marathon in Texas City has repeatedly violated the Clean Air Act and had three emergencies in the span of a six month period.

air pollution heart attack

ER visits for heart problems plummeted after Pittsburgh coal processor shut down

Levels of one highly-toxic pollutant fell by 90% and ER visits for heart problems decreased by 42% immediately after the shutdown.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.