News & Articles

The past several months we’ve been hearing about a number of very alarming and destructive climate events from around the world.

During the months of July and August, the Servizio news service reported that there were more than 8,000 fires on the Island of Sicily that burnt and destroyed more than 61,776 acres. On Aug. 24, the BBC reported that the European Copernicus climate change service announced that the average surface temperatures of the planet’s seas outside of the polar regions hit a new high of 70 degrees Fahrenheit. And on Aug. 28,Earth.com News reported that permafrost was thawing across the Arctic, Antarctica and various mountain ranges due to higher temperatures and increased rainfall which carries heat into the ground.

Then on Sept. 3, ABC News reported there was a flash flood in Nepal that killed more than 1,252 people, with another 4,216 missing. Only a day earlier, the United Nations Environment Programme issued the “Limiting Overshoot” report which stated that the global temperature rise will cross the 1.5 degree Celsius mark that was set by the Paris Agreement.

Around the U.S., we’ve been watching the heat domes in the southwest and southeast, new record low water levels in the Colorado River and Lake Powell, raging wildfires in Texas and Washington, and extreme storms and flash floods in Kentucky and Indiana.

One night last week, to distract myself from all the bad news, I decided to watch a few reruns of the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. In one of his monologues, Ferguson shared a quote from the philosopher Soren Kierkegaard - “Only the noble of heart are called to difficulty.”

The more I thought about that quote, I began reflecting upon all the difficulties people from around the world are facing with the ever growing challenges of climate change. Here in Duluth, in the past 90 days, we’ve experienced hazardous air quality alerts, severe droughts and warmer temperatures.

It’s quite imperative that the citizens in Duluth come together and collectively choose a more resilient and sustainable path for our city’s future. And maybe, just maybe, it will happen when we choose to lead with our hearts as much as our heads.

I read somewhere that a person with a noble heart is characterized as having compassion, moral strength and a steady commitment to doing what is right. Wonder if Duluth can become the city with heart where we move forward with compassion, moral strength and a steady commitment to address climate change, especially with regards to its impacts on our vulnerable neighbors in Duluth.

In his book self and soul: A Defense of Ideals, Mark Edmundson wrote, “If you live life without courage, compassion, the true exercise of intellect and creation through love, then you will not feel very well. You may even get quite ill.”

Well, climate change is already having a significant impact upon our physical and mental health. Therefore, with a courageous heart and a compassionate mindset, we need to find the individual and collective strength to deal with this climate emergency with a greater sense of urgency.

On Thursday, Sept. 17, the citizens of our city will come together with their heads and hearts to address the challenges Duluth will be facing in the future. From 6-8pm (doors will open at 5:30pm) at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1710 East Superior Street, the Duluth Citizens Climate Commission is inviting you to attend a Climate Town Hall,

Imagining Duluth’s Climate Future,

where people will share their personal stories about facing climate change, and everyone will have the opportunity to talk about how we can become a more resilient and sustainable city for everyone.

What do we need to do?

Do we need to walk more and use public transportation?

Do we need to plant more trees and create an urban forest?

Do we need to build more community gardens?

Do we need to organize climate anxiety groups for our youth?

Do we need to build more solar installations?

Do we need to promote more community climate education programs?

Hope you will join the Duluth Citizens Climate Commission on Sept. 17 and help create a city with heart.