Failure is NOT an option!

The Apollo Moon Program took Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the moon’s surface in 1969. During the third mission to land men on the moon (1970) an explosion left the Apollo crew in grave danger.

The story of Apollo 13 offers an important message for humankind as we face up to climate change: “Failure is not an option.”

These words were uttered by Gene Kranz, NASA Flight Director, when he addressed the engineers and scientists responsible for returning the three crewmen to Earth under what appeared to be impossible circumstances and limitations.

As we learn more about the daunting task of reducing carbon emissions well below 1990 levels even while the world’s population grows exponentially, the challenge feels every bit as awesome as that faced by Krantz on that fateful mission.

Kranz advised his team to not be emotional but to “work the problem.” It seems to me that is good advice. We have to cut through the arguments and individual beliefs that each of us holds to create a sustainable human enterprise on Earth.

And like Apollo 13, the clock is ticking for us, too. Beyond a certain point we will not be able to reverse the physical adjustments of Earth’s atmosphere and oceans and of living communities most vulnerable to them.

So just how did these scientists and engineers “work the problem?” Well, to begin with they erased the previous flight plans and went back to the drawing board. Then, they looked at what was on hand that could be used in new ways to meet the needs of the moment: “We’ve got to take this square battery pack and make it fit into this round receptacle,” the engineer explained to his team.

And what were they attempting to solve? Chillingly for us, the crew was experiencing a lethal build-up of carbon dioxide on board their small craft, and the engineers were attempting to build a carbon scrubber with the stuff on board the spacecraft.

Cutting through all preconceptions, the team put their heads together and managed to build a new scrubber with a square end that fit into a round hole.

Without being simplistic, much of what we have to do to come together as communities, nations, and international bodies seems just like that: a square peg in a round hole. So far nothing fits very tight.

But here is a simple example of how a great accomplishment was achieved:

1. Work the problem, skip the rhetoric;
2. Gather what is on hand and if necessary use it in new ways that can get us the solutions we seek;
3. Failure is not an option – we do not have the luxury to try this another time, therefore our leaders, social institutions, and citizens must all come to the table with sobriety and willingness to think anew.

Apollo is the Greek god of reason, morality, and maintenance of society. Perhaps in our cultures these have not always been united. Just as the Apollo crew was buoyed by the worldwide prayers and hopes of people and nations, we could look at the human community, and all the living communities that keep us alive and happy, as a crew on an endangered spacecraft that we have got to bring home safely.

Let’s work that problem.

Climate Code Red - a Mandate for Action

Dear Visitors to My Site,

I am sending two things this morning out of the passion in my heart for this Earth and out of my profound sense that we must acknowledge climate change and get to work to save our planet and our lives.

Think of living in the desert as Ground Zero for climate change. We are running out of water and everyone knows it but is afraid to talk about it for fear of causing panic. Yet citizens here are panicking because they do not see one leader with gumption enough to face facts. Only doing that will we have a chance of turning this around in time.

First watch this video of a elephant who paints her image:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LHoyB81LnE

Is this not a message? What are we losing if life on Earth is destroyed?

Then go to this link to read the Climate Code Red Report. It is long and comprehensive but it is a MUST read for all of us. Put aside your doubts. We are at a point of no return and our job now is to create the political and social will to act together to reduce carbon emissions dramatically.
http://www.climatecodered.net/ Save the PDF then read it over the next week.

The consensus is that we must reduce carbon parts per million to 320 ppm to enter a safe climate zone. We are at 385 parts per million now. What is happening is a series of interrelated factors that are reinforcing heating so that events are happening much faster than predicted. Most scientists now say the IPCC reports that won the Nobel Peace Prize were too conservative and racked by political and economic pressures to be conservative in their estimates.

The catastrophic impacts we predicted for future generations will happen (are happening) in our generation and nothing short of the survival of the biosphere is now in question. Business as usual is over. Don't be fooled.

I am no longer worried about being called crazy or overly dramatic. That attitude and not paying attention to world wide events such as the loss of polar ice (50% reduction in just two years!) - that is insane.

Please read this. Let's discuss what we each need to do to create that will to change course, and what each of us must prepare for in our various regions. Those of you living in the east where decent public transportation is available are so lucky you have no idea.

Don't panic. Just sit down and read. Action will help us stay settled. But we all need to get ready to show up at our leaders' doorsteps. Use your intuition. Ask questions. Why aren't we leading the world in dealing with this?

See the link on this blog for the Pew Climate Center where you can find other important research results and recommended policy decisions.

In faith that we will act as a human community for not only ourselves and our own, but for all life on this Earth we share. It's time. The time is NOW.

Susan