Friday, October 31, 2014

Sorry, Fear Mongers. ISIS And Ebola Aren't Existential Threats To America... But Climate Change Is


When listening to cable news hosts and Republican congressional candidates on the eve of the 2014 Midterm Elections, one would think that America is teetering on the brink of collapse.

Between ISIS and Ebola, the freak-out meter is at record highs not seen since the days of 9/11.

On CNN and Fox News, they flash "BREAKING NEWS" headlines all day even when nothing new is going on. They stalk Ebola victims like Hollywood paparazzi. They speak incessantly about ISIS's every move, making them out to be the most unstoppable, terrifying fighting force in the history or warfare.

Republican congressional candidates are playing up the same anxieties as well.

Scott Brown, the poster boy for Fear and Hysteria, has been running an ad non-stop in New Hampshire in which he states, unequivocally, "Radical Islamic terrorists are threatening to cause the collapse of our country." He goes on to claim that anyone with Ebola can "walk across" our "porous border" and says Americans are not safe because Obama and Jeanne Shaheen, his opponent, are clueless about national security.

But it's not just Brown. Fellow Republican Senate hopefuls like Thom Tillis, Tom Cotton and Cory Gardner have said similarly hysterical things about ISIS and Ebola.

Neither the media nor Republicans running for office are approaching ISIS and Ebola with the calm, level-head is demands. Instead they are fanning the flames of terror and unrest, offering no solutions of their own, whipping the nation up into a frenzy just to improve their ratings and scare up some votes.

Worst of all, while they are shamelessly devoting all of the available oxygen in the room to ISIS and Ebola, they are burying any discussion about a real existential threat that goes largely unmentioned in the media and in politics: Climate Change.



PUTTING IT IN PERSPECTIVE

As scary as ISIS and Ebola may seem, they do not threaten to wipe out our existence. The media and Republican candidates like Scott Brown are wrong to suggest that they do.

While it's true that ISIS and Ebola are serious challenges and America has been slow to respond to both, it doesn't change the fact that we are now 100% all-in on both fronts.

America is at war with ISIS and we have been since September. We are launching dozens of strikes in both Iraq and Syria every single day. We have a coalition of allies at our side helping us in the fight, with more joining each day.

The fight against ISIS has its own official name, Operation Inherent Resolve. And the well-respected John Allen is the special commander overseeing the operation.

Similarly, Ebola is being given the full-court press as well. After a rocky start, Obama has worked to fix and strengthen the protocols and airport screenings for possible patients.

He has also appointed an Ebola Czar, Ron Klain, a testament to how important the issue is and how serious it's being taken by the administration.

In addition, some generous philanthropists like Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Miscrosoft CEO Paul Allen have donated $25 million and $100 million to the Ebola fight, respectively, which is a huge help to the overall effort, not only in America but in Africa as well.

In both cases, ISIS and Ebola are being met head on by real, multifaceted action.

However, the same can't be said for a much more serious threat: Climate Change.



NO TIME TO WASTE

In the fight against Climate Change, there are small victories to report.

In September, over 300,000 people marched in New York City in the largest ever Climate Change demonstration. Solar panels are cropping up on roofs all over America and solar energy is expected to be as cheap as fossil fuel energy by 2016.

President Obama has also proposed EPA rules to cut carbon emissions, becoming the first president ever to do so.

Unfortunately, the climate crisis is so dire that incremental measures are not enough. Whether or not Americans are willing to admit it, we are faced with Climate Armageddon. We must drastically cut our carbon emissions- and fast.

Recently there have been some frightening reminders of how bad the situation is getting, yet the news has gone under the radar with everyone fixating on ISIS and Ebola.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found that 2014 is on track to be the hottest year on record. A study by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showed that melting polar and glacial ice have accelerated sea level rise to the highest rate in at least 6,000 years.


Meanwhile, the amount of carbon in the air is rising at a much faster than we previously expected, with greenhouse gasses in 2013 reaching historic highs.

If that news isn't enough to worry you, consider this: Between 2030-2050 an additional 250,000 people are expected to die each year as a result of Climate Change.

In the media and in Midterm Election debates, all of the attention is centered on ISIS and Ebola. There is barely any mention of Climate Change at all.

On the off chance that Climate Change does get mentioned in a debate, it's usually just a generic question like "Do you believe in it?" The Democrat says yes, the Republican says no. Both answers are given the same respect even though one is factually wrong. There is no follow-up question about how we should address it. Just a shrug of the shoulders. Agree to disagree. Move on.


THE TIME IS NOW

In America, the panic over ISIS and Ebola has reached a fever pitch. We are told all day, everyday by the media and Republican politicians that our entire way of life is being threatened and Doomsday is upon us.

But why are they selling us this bill of goods?


It's simple. Fear sells. Nonstop bad news is good for TV ratings. It's good for Republican politicians seeking office because the electorate tends to vote Republican when they feel scared.

On the surface, it makes sense. When something bad is happening it's easy to stay glued to the "news." And in a state of high anxiety and unease, the heavy-handed Conservative position seems much more comforting than the calm, science-based approach championed by Liberals.

But that doesn't make it right.

No one is arguing that ISIS and Ebola aren't serious challenges to America. They are. And it's true that if we don't stay on top of both issues they could spread and become even bigger problems in the future.

But let's be honest: neither is an existential threat to our country. ISIS is in the Middle East. Ebola is in West Africa. Neither are going to cause the collapse of our nation.

And on top of that, we are making a real, concerted effort to defeat both, with President Obama devoting all of his attention and resources to both fights. Neither issue is being neglected. Both are being met head on.

In the end, fear mongering is a tactic used by those who can't win on the issues and don't have any answers of their own, so they must manipulate the emotions of others to achieve their ends. It may be good for TV ratings and help scare up a few votes, but it does nothing of substance to improve the situation.

In times of high anxiety, it's important to remember what FDR said in his 1933 Inaugural Address.

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."

If only we could approach Climate Change with the same honest, bold stoicism that FDR applied to the Great Depression.

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