It’s not too late to reverse threats to our existence

In recent weeks I’ve met and engaged with some brilliant individuals who’ve succumbed to the belief that the human race has at best 12 years left before we enter a free fall into apocalypse and extinction.

These are not people prone to hyperbole, hysteria or exaggeration. They are in fact wedded to reason, science and rationale thought. It is hard to counter or challenge their end-of-times outlook given the rapidly approaching realities of catastrophic climate change and the growing likelihood of nuclear Armageddon. Add to this the reality that we are in the midst of the sixth great extinction which takes 80 species of animals a day.

Despite these damning and rapidly approaching realities there remains hope and that hope is wedded to the infinite power of collective, organized and determined human activism. Consider this with just one eighth of the Pentagon’s budget we could build lasting security, become energy independent, meet climate catastrophe head on and at the same time rebuild the nations waning infrastructure.

There is still a viable road to both survival and yes; the rebirth of a civilization committed to both the sanctity and celebration of life. This challenge, mission, this work eclipses and dwarfs the greatest threats to ever face humankind. Our choices are stark and clear. We can either resign and align ourselves to the growing belief that all hope has been vanquished and global extinction is inevitable. Or we can with an urgency and immediacy build a sustained and unwavering movement to counter and vanquish once and for all the lethal and human created institutions that have brought us all to the brink.

I recommend and advocate that we stand and work with the collective forces of hope and reason.

Jim Sawyer

Edmonds