We are killing our planet. Humanity received a first warning from scientists who specialize in the environment in 1992.

Nothing changed. Exploitation of our planet for her resources–often in the most rapacious and unsustainable ways–has only accelerated. The Paris Agreement is a very substantial step in the right direction, but is only now beginning to be implemented.

The tRump Administration has pulled the U.S. out of the Paris agreement, taken steps to gut the E.P.A., is trying hard to eliminate incentives to use wind and solar and killed through Executive Orders every possible policy put in place by previous administrations to safeguard the environment.

The overall situation has gotten much worse, with only one issue relating to the earth’s degradation improving–that being the hole in the ozone layer of our atmosphere–and all other indicators sliding downhill far faster than climate scientists feared.

And now a second warning has gone out. We’ve been put on notice. Twice.

It’s time–way past time, actually–to pull our heads out of the rapidly-warming sand, try to mitigate this damage and begin to heal the earth.

Our survival depends on it.

Benjamin Lawrence Basile