Today, Heads of States delivered their opening remarks as COP21 launched in Paris. I sat in a room of eager listeners as President Obama spoke about the urgency of the climate crisis, the need for collective action, and the kind of world that we leave to today’s youth. Overall, I was impressed with his strength and commitment. His eyebrows were furrowed, almost as if he was exhausted of having this conversation over and over again.
One phrase that he used stood out to me. He called for COP21 to produce an “enduring framework for human progress.” I suddenly saw humanity continuing its evolution at warp speed, as if addressing climate change is a natural part of our growth as civilization. This struck as me odd. Is a climate treaty “human progress?” It represents progress for our work on the climate issue. But I think of it more as surgery for humanity, healing the hurt of unintended consequences, intervening, fixing mistakes.
Wouldn’t the real progress be to understand the roots of the climate crisis and ensure that humanity never repeats a ravaging of the Earth and its people? I had a visceral reaction to Obama’s phrase because it frightened me that society will march forward without reflecting on the systems and behaviors that created the climate crisis. If we do not reflect, then we are prone to create destructive industries that take advantage of life and love. Instead of Big Oil, what if we have Big Solar? What if renewable energy companies repeat patterns of the fossil fuel economy and disregard the well-being of communities for the sake of energy and profit?
This moment in history provides us with the opportunity to understand the past and become aware in the present and the future. We have a chance to think about our behavior as human beings and the structures that we create as result of our nature. Progressive movements often talk about this kind of awareness and sense of human justice in a better future. But if we relegate these values to the future, then they will never exist in the present. Today, in this moment, we can create change. I call this the ‘radical now.’
The possibility of reflection and intentionality lies in each and every one of us. It’s about waving to the person who lets you cross the street. It’s about empathy in our campaigning. It’s about awareness of our being. That is the real framework of human progress.
