All Together Now (Part Two)

[H2O Man]

18. My younger son

frequently says to me, "Hey, Old Man. I thought your generation was going to straighten this shit out. But it seems worse. What happened?" I wish I had the answer.

I remember when Bush the Elder was in office. He invited Chief Waterman's sister, an Onondaga Clan Mother, for a private meeting at the White House. He wanted to know if there was a secret way to fix the environment. As if Native Americans had some magic. He said things were far worse than the public knew. She told him there are no secrets, only common sense.

Around that same time, she met with Gorbachev, about the same general topic. My impression was that he recognized that common sense approaches were required. But, of course, he was removed from power.

My brother works at a large university. He has lunch frequently with the scientists studying the environment. They've told him that things are far beyond the point where minor adjustments will help avoid major, extremely damaging things begin/continue to take place. The rise in sea levels, for example, will place many of the most populated regions of the US and Central America under water. Major migrations will take place, creating disruptions we can't imagine. (This, of course, is the reason Trump wants to build the wall.)

People will need to change. That includes changing our relationship wil the earth, and with each other. We will do better, I suspect, if we re-charge the batteries of our constitutional democracy. Going back to a feudal state , even with high technology, is a much less attractive option. I don't think you are overreacting at all.