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Kathy Williams December 24, 2022

While I was writing my last column for 2022, the urge to look back on the year persisted. It is impossible to avoid. In our culture, we mark this time of year when December meets his January as a time of contemplation and reckoning. Regardless of how religious rituals, commercial activities, or the solstice of nature are marked this time, their impact on our thinking is undeniable.

Looking back over the year can be tough. Months of events and revelations throughout the year seem to burst into our heads as we enter the new year. Mass shootings, ruthless wars, and racism have shown the worst of humanity. The fossil fuel climate crisis and other pollution disasters show that our industries are safe and sustainable and our institutions are falling short of our ideals. I’m looking forward to seeing how this changes.

In last week’s issue, columnist Isiah Smith gave me hope. He reminds us that “the path to lasting change is gradual, consistent, humble and sustained effort.” He points out that we all have a “mediocre capacity” to grow and learn from our mistakes, even if it means questioning our beliefs. A positive view makes our ideals seem less lofty and more attainable.

In this spirit of optimistic tenacity, let us look to the past for perspective and understanding, rather than despair, and start 2023 with hope. While we certainly learned from our many mistakes last year, there were many notable events and actions that showed that we can and will do better.

This includes many climate wins to celebrate. Renewable energy is on the rise. Already more affordable than fossil fuels, renewable energy accounts for 25% of the energy market, and that share is expected to double by 2027. The market share of EVs and hybrids is up to 5% of new car sales.

Congress has (finally) made some moves: The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in August, is a fair and just climate and energy solution for developing technology and infrastructure in the public and private sectors. Hundreds of billions of dollars promised. State and local governments have done some good work as well. Without waiting for lawmakers, several states have passed their own major energy and climate laws in 2022. These laws accelerate timelines for achieving results, making them more comprehensive and ambitious than past efforts (inside climate news).

Environmental law currently Be expected Consider and correct past harms and injustices. This allows us to focus on the frontline communities most affected by energy pollution and to ensure that the needs of the typical low- and middle-income residents in those places are met.

This equitable recovery approach came as the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) closed with a long-sought agreement to provide “loss and damage” financing to vulnerable countries hit hard by climate disasters. spread worldwide. This is not a stopgap measure. This is a restructuring of the World Bank that will allow the least wealthy countries that contribute the least to climate change and are most affected by climate change to rebuild stronger without the burden of crushing debt. (new york times).

Progressives increased their numbers in government. Some saw this as an “existential uprising” (Stephanie Taylor, Progressive Change Campaign Committee) over rights issues. In fact, several states, including ours, have protected voting rights, defended reproductive rights, established permanent childcare funding, and made affordable health care a right under their constitutions. Passed one or more ballot measures to declare (Americans of Conscience Checklist).

To encourage diversity and representation, many candidates will be “firsts” in their offices this year. Among them is Mary Peltra, the first woman to represent Alaska in the U.S. House of Representatives and the first Alaska Native to serve in Congress. Wes Moore, Maryland’s first black governor. Maxwell Frost is the youngest member of the House of Representatives and the first Generation Z. In red-hot Florida, Frost raised the issue of gun violence prevention. And, of course, with the president’s appointment, Justice Catenz Brown Jackson became the first black woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Twelve Senate Republicans opposed to bipartisan ethos and bigotry joined Democrats to pass the Marriage Respect Act, protecting interracial and same-sex marriage from further culture wars.

Young people are registering and voting more. Researchers at Tufts University estimated that her 30% of young people between the ages of 18 and 29 voted in her 2022 midterm elections, her second highest youth turnout in the last 30 years. was expensive.

Unions are on the rise, making sure no one goes anywhere alone. Challenging workplaces considered unwinnable, the union won the most elections (76%) in almost 20 years. Union support (70%) is the highest since 1965 (vox).

Speaking of working together, volunteers take action. 63 million American volunteers log an average of 50 hours a year (nonprofit sources). Volunteers improve their own well-being by helping others, finding community, and collaborating.

Thank you for whatever you have done this year to make one life, your town, or the world better. And toast to his new year of consistent, humble, and tireless work!

Cathye Williams is a volunteer and media liaison for the Grand Traverse and Manistee chapters of the Citizens Climate Lobby. She writes from the north corner of Manistee County.