Yesterday I was subbing in a 4th grade class and a student was doing a report on global

[kimbutgar]

Last edited Sun May 22, 2022, 02:29 PM - Edit history (1)

Climate change. I talked with him about how it is so important that we try to save our planet and do things to help it. When I came home I thought about this discussion and then thought even though my first immediate worry is climate change at the moment I’m more concerned about the democracy in this country and struggled with that quandary.

So I decided to do my first ever poll:

Are you worried more about…

43 votes, 1 pass | Time left: Unlimited
	I'm more worried about global climate change and it is my first priority
	8 (19%)
	I'm more worried in the immediate future if the USA survives democracy.
	34 (79%)
	Other worry than those two choices
	1 (2%)
	1 DU member did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[Elessar Zappa]

1. I'm more worried about democracy because

without it, we can’t ever address climate change.

[pandr32]

8. +1

[electric_blue68]

23. +10 exactly And I do worry about climate change

[avebury]

36. +1 nt

[Sympthsical]

2. I worry about things I know concretely will happen

That is climate change and all the disaster that comes with it.

Our democracy? I am not in panic mode about it.

But I don't get into panic mode about most political things. So far, I haven't been steered wrong.

[we can do it]

3. Exactly

[Hortensis]

4. I said democracy, and it's as Essar says. However, I believe fears

related to climate change and disappearing fresh water are the main force behind the global anxiety and surge of nativist authoritarian movements, including of course angry reaction to the specter of many millions of people forced to migrate to cooler climates.

[TreasonousBastard]

5. Both are essential for our future

[ananda]

6. Climate change is more serious because it means...

survival of all large life forms is at risk...

sooner rather than later.

[viva la]

7. I'm worried that soon your state will force through a law--

That makes it a crime to talk to students about climate change.

[DeeNice]

34. My first thought as I was reading OP. nt

[Deuxcents]

9. Well..in the great state of Florida..

Our former governor, Rick Scott, who is now one of our senators, put a ban on the term “climate change” and instructed state employees to use “ sea level rise” . I don’t put anything past deniers in office.

[tirebiter]

16. He can't ban anything. It's not like he can give make decrees.

Much less raise our taxes so billionaires can continue paying nothing.

[Tetrachloride]

10. Even in my blue family, none of my blood relatives praised my environmental work

Eventually, I was forced out.

I joined social work activities recently in a distant land and participate in the DU Foreign Affairs sections.

[electric_blue68]

24. Thanks for doing that work. I was marching for Renewable Energies in the '80's.

[Takket]

11. you can't have one without the other

so democracy is more important. if the rethugs succeed in scrapping our way of life and country, they will ban all non-fossil fuel sources of energy, and while we drown from sea level rise and roast from heat waves, they will say it is God's wrath for years of Democratic rule...........

[Ron Green]

12. So-called democracy hasn't addressed the climate issue up to now,

so there’s that.

[tirebiter]

14. Democracy deals with nothing.

Doing things democratically is how you bottle that up. Anti democratic forces will obviously choose to use climate change to their ends. So both gotta be did to get either done.

[Ron Green]

22. People have rarely voted for the planet and against their own comfort,

if ever.

[2naSalit]

13. Both simultaneously.

[moondust]

15. Do autocrats care about climate change?

Not to my knowledge. More likely to call it a hoax and hold up a snowball to prove their point.

[Mister Ed]

17. I'm just glad you're not required to "teach both sides of the climate-change controversy".

But the way it's going, I'm worried that teachers in many states might soon have to do exactly that.

[róisín_dubh]

18. Climate change

Then again, I don’t live in the US anymore. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Climate change is a global existential threat.

[Meowmee]

19. The greater imminent threat

is obviously fascism and insanity. If this country goes under to fascism, good luck trying to do anything about climate change.

We have seen what fascism has already done. The murder of over a million due to lies and an improper response to covid, an on going pandemic which is denied, a destabilized rule of law, a country ruled by an electoral college and a government in deadlock, a major war which threatens us all, massive inflation and other economic stresses.

Climate change damage is done already and it can’t be stopped. But we need to do whatever can be done at this point. The main cause is overpopulation.

[Raine]

20. Climate Change nt

[Demovictory9]

21. we are screwed

[Kaleva]

25. Our democracy may not survive the catastrophe climate change will bring.

Your comment:

" I talked with him about how it is so important that we try to save our planet and do things to help it."

If this planet could be saved, it would have been done already. Thus I believe our only chance is to work to adapt to what is coming. Many won't make it it but some will.

[hunter]

26. Climate change has already kicked down the doors and now it's in the house.

There's worse coming, whatever we do.

Fewer people will be hurt if we have a functional democracy to deal with it.

Humans, especially wealthy humans who are used to insulating themselves from the rest of the world with money, have a remarkable ability to ignore the suffering of others.

I don't preach any philosophy of hopelessness, no whatever, there's nothing I can do, but it does irritate me that a lot of the hopes sold by the bucket full on television and other mass media won't "save the world."

Wind turbines on hillsides, for example, don't give me the warm fuzzies. Neither do solar panels on the desert.

[Elessar Zappa]

28. We can still stop the worst case scenario regarding climate.

We won’t hold it to a 1.5 degree increase but we can stop it from increasing 4 degrees.

[Kaleva]

29. To stop it from increasing 4 degrees will take a massive effort worldwide.

And if this poll is anywhere near accurate, then a big majority don't believe it's a priority.

[Martin Eden]

27. Can't take effective action against climate change if we lose our democracy

Rightwing fascists will gut environmental regulations and promote Drill Baby Drill.

[Kaleva]

30. When do you think we'll start taking effective action against climate change?

Every year the reports are getting worse and worse and we are very near the tipping point. Some scientists think we may already be past the point of no return.

"UN warns that world risks becoming 'uninhabitable hell' for millions unless leaders take climate action."

https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/13/world/un-natural-disasters-climate-intl-hnk/index.html

"Greenhouse gas levels hit record; world struggles to curb damage"

https://www.reuters.com/business/cop/world-scrambles-contain-damage-greenhouse-gas-emissions-hit-record-2021-10-25/

"'It's now or never': World's top climate scientists issue ultimatum on critical temperature limit"

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/04/ipcc-report-climate-scientists-issue-ultimatum-on-1point5-degrees-goal.html

"The Po, Italy's Longest River, So Drained By Drought That Seawater Is Moving Upstream At The Delta"

https://upload.democraticunderground.com/1127153074

"Critical climate indicators broke records in 2021, says UN"

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/may/18/critical-climate-indicators-broke-records-in-2021-says-un

[Martin Eden]

31. Do you disagree with my statement?

That if we lose our democracy to rightwing fascists that NO effective action will take place, and more likely they will expand the use of fossil fuels?

The climate action in the Build Back Better legislation was not all we could have hoped for, but it was perhaps the best that could be cobbled together with politics such as they are.

To answer your question, effective action is unlikely unless we he have 60 senators or eliminate the filibuster.

Even then, the Democratic Party is constrained by the imperative to win elections among a voting public which is far from united on the action to be taken.

But if any action is to be taken it is absolutely imperative we save our democracy and elect Democrats.

The health of Earth's environment which sustains life itself is of paramount importance, for beyond the vicissitudes of politics.

But if you believe effective action is necessary, we must first save our democracy.

[Kaleva]

32. Can you provide evidence that even with a democracy, effective action is being taken?

Plus, the US alone cannot combat climate change. You need every industrial nation in the world involved for any chance of success. And that includes China and India who are continuing to build coal fired power plants.

We can't get sensible gun control laws passed in this nation and it looks like women are going to lose their right to choose but you think we can get together with Rs and pass a massive bill to fight climate change.

[Martin Eden]

33. I made no such claim

I pointed out that in order to take effective action and get our legislation through the Senate we need 60 seats or elimination of the filibuster.

What is your realistic alternative?

[Tommy Carcetti]

35. To me it's a false choice.

Like if someone were to ask me if I were a cat person or dog person; I like both cats and dogs, for different reasons.

Climate change is more of a global issue, whereas threats to our democracy is a national issue.

Both are critical in different ways.

[avebury]

37. I firmly believe that too many Rethugs are or will be guilty of

crimes against humanity. The list of what they live to destroy is endless. What they fail to realize is that nothing will save them when everything collapses. They will sit there Pikachu faced while trying to find a way to blame it all on the Democrat/Liberals.

The decision to have children given our current state of affairs is difficult but I would dread having a daughter knowing that there is a good chance that she will grow up without the same rights and privileges that women have fought so hard for. Republicans are working to dumb down public education so that they can keep the masses down trodden.

It is normal for countries to rise up to power and eventually decline, history has showed ample examples of this. But I never dreamed that one party, Republicans, would really be out to crash and burn this country. The rate of decline is appalling and I am not confident that we can stop it because the Republicans have gotten away with so much for so long that the games is pretty rigged. I really think that all Democrats can do is just try to slow things down.

Republicans do not care what the majority of people want.