When Will We Start Treating “Global Warming” Like the N-Word?
By: Jayla Sun
Tags: Climate Change, Society, Global Warming, Culture, Environment

When Will We Start Treating “Global Warming” Like the N-Word?

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Before I even get into what I’m about to say. I’m going to start with some caveats and disclaimers.

I am no expert when it comes to climate change and environmental movements. I am also no expert on the history of racism or even on the progress we’ve made (so far) as a society.

So I guess, that makes me doubly not qualified to be speaking at the intersection of these issues.

But perhaps those of you who are experts in either fields, or even experts in both fields, will forgive any of the things I say which stem from any one of my multiple gaps in knowledge.

And I know I’m going to say lots of wrong things, and make big, assumptive jumps. Please know, this all comes from a place of ignorance. But also know that it also comes from a willingness to grow. Because… well, I am ignorant in many ways, but I am also willing to learn. Not that those things necessarily cancel out one another. Anyways, my final plea is: be gentle if you’re going to correct me. But do correct me. I’m receptive to constructive criticism.

Can you tell? I’m a little nervous to be stepping on this terrain. But this idea dawned on me the other day during a virtual team lunch and hasn’t left me since.

Lots of things have happened this year — anti-racist protests being among them. And while the BLM movement precedes 2020, this year has really brought to the surface the issue in its’ entirety. Never in the 21st century has there been a more notable time where we, as a population, discussed the issue of racism more thoroughly. Again, excuse me if I’m misguided. And correct me if I’m wrong.

But throughout this year, we have been challenged as a population to assess and discuss all angles of racism as we see, feel, and experience. People are speaking up and speaking out about the myriad of issues under the “racism” umbrella.

Again, I could be wrong. This could just be the view I see through my limited, privileged pair of eyes.

But it feels like we’ve made a lot of progress.

I remember being in elementary school nearly fifteen some-odd years ago. And I remember (horrifyingly now) how the N-word was used somewhat casually in jokes and small talk. Sometimes, it would make an appearance in a flight of rage. Other times, it was used colloquially by someone who I assume did not understand its’ history or impact.

The sad part was, it wasn’t just the person saying the N-word who didn’t fully understand its’ history or impact. It was all of us… who heard it being said and didn’t think much of it… or who heard it being said, paused to assess how others would react and saw that they didn’t think much of it… or worse yet, who heard it being said, and egged it on.

But in spite of the how differently we all might’ve reacted to the same issue. I believe this: that we all knew it was wrong. Even the person who spoke the word, and the people who egged that person on. I believe they knew deep within themselves that using the N-word was wrong.

It’s a little hard to explain, but how we act, what we say, what we think and — HECK, even what we THINK we think, is so influenced by factors beyond our executive minds. And sometimes that means we end up acting in a way that’s deeply misaligned with how we would have acted if our thoughts and beliefs were the sole governors of our actions.

Anyways, this isn’t meant to be a philosophical spheel.

My point is that my limited experience has shown me that we’ve grown a stronger, more sure stance on the use of this word. I barely hear it being said. And when it is, everyone is really quick to jump in and put an end to it. We’ve learned how to communicate to others how it’s wrong and that it needs to stop. We understand that use of the word can come from misunderstanding and we’ve have ways to handle that.

But when it comes to climate change and global warming, it seems we’re a bit further behind.

The other day during a virtual team lunch, we ran out of work appropriate surface skimming topics to discuss. So like any group of colleagues, we turned to the weather. That’s when one of my co-workers looked longingly out the window and said, “it’s pretty warm for this time of the year….” And then, she sighed and offered a wry smile, “global warming, I guess”.

Everyone nodded in silent agreement, myself included.

But days later, it kind of hit me. Just like racism and the use of the N-word, we all know the global warming is upon us. Scientist have been warning us for decades. Climate change experts and environmentalist have pleaded with us to change our ways. We’ve seen the damage we’ve done and continue to do. If you need any reminders, just think back a couple of months to the wildfires out west.

Even then, we kind of brush it off like it’s not our duty. Like it’s something we can put off until later. Or it’s something we can ignore. Because right now, we’re the middle of a pandemic and a hot mess of a year. There’s a lot going on right now, and no one has the energy.

But, it’s not. Global warming is not a joke or something that is “coming” but not here yet. It is not something that only applies to the people who don’t recycle or who still drink out of bottled water bottles. It is here, and it is everyone’s business and duty.

Just like how in racism, we all play a part. Whether it is active and immediately damaging, or whether is it “passive” in that it silently allows someone to continue with their damaging ways, we are all responsible.

Racism most directly affects its’ victims, but ultimately affects the society and community and world we live in — and so, it impacts us all. Global warming is no different. It is not just the enablers or the bystanders. It is the enablers AND the bystanders AND those who are ignorant of the issue, AND everyone else in between. At the end of the day, global warming affects the planet we all live on. So I think that is it time for a Planet Earth Matters movement, and just like with racism — I think we can make good progress, we just need to get started.