The two “K” words contained in the title of this essay are a transliteration of two of the words for time in Greek, the language of the Christian scriptures.

The first word, Kronos, refers to the time we measure in seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, centuries, millennia. 

The second word, Kairos, refers to the right time, the opportune time, the ideal time to accomplish something important.

Well folks, It is time!

Climate change is having a direct impact on people everywhere – and that includes right here at home in Canada, in Ontario, in the Bay of Quinte area.

Around the world we are seeing:

—Ice caps melting.

—Sea levels rising.

—Insects and birds disappearing.

Hurricanes, Typhoons, Tornadoes, Severe Thunderstorms, Heat Domes and Atmospheric Rivers – we read about them and watch them unfold in real time.

Wildfires rage everywhere, devouring our forests at an alarming rate and causing climate refugees by the thousands, forced from their homes and communities with no idea whether they will be there when they are able to return.

The world around us is on fire! Our house is on fire in many unfortunate cases! Just ask the folk in any of the communities in Canada, the United States, Spain or southern France who have had to evacuate their homes, their villages, their towns, and their cities, because of this summer’s wildfires.

It is time for us all to take very seriously the threat to our planet – the threat to our very survival as a human species – that is posed by climate change and the heating up of our planet. This is not some future apocalyptic scenario. It is happening now!

What is to be done? The solution has been known for decades – even more than a century! We have to stop burning oil, coal, natural gas, propane and other fossil fuels. The combustion of these is causing carbon dioxide and methane to build up in our atmosphere. These are called greenhouse gases. They prevent the heat of the sun from escaping back into space as it has done for millions of years.

Since human beings have known how to stop the overheating of our planet, why haven’t we done it?

The greed of the tiny percentage of people, those who control a vastly disproportionate share of the earth’s wealth, is a significant factor. Big Oil companies have known about this danger, at least since the 1950s. These companies mounted vigorous and expensive campaigns to propagate misinformation and disinformation. The public has been told lies. These companies spend billions lobbying our governments to disarm any attempt to interfere with their business.

And this process continues! We read in our papers and see on television news reports – alongside reports of thousands of wildfires engulfing the planet – about plans to build pipelines.

One has to ask if those who propose this are insane? Deluded? Or simply blinded by greed? What about the future for our grandchildren and their grandchildren?

As a person of faith and a Minister of The United Church of Canada, I have to say, “In the name of God, it is time to stop the madness!” As a grandfather and lover of this beautiful earth I seek to try to hold on to hope.

The New Democratic Party of Canada is reminding us of a plan called “The Green New Deal.” The name harkens back to how President Franklin D. Roosevelt combatted the terrible conditions of the Great Depression with a New Deal. That policy of the 1930s and 1940s helped to turn his nation around.  (You can find the details of the Green New Deal with any search engine.)

I am going to be financially supporting Avi Lewis and the NDP, as they seek to bring some sanity to government policy. Although I joined many other Canadians in voting for Mr. Carney in the last federal election – I do not support his approach to climate change. 

We do live in a democracy. If enough people speak up on any issue (for example, the Billy Bishop Airport expansion) governments listen. Please add your voice by writing or calling your Member of Parliament and the Prime Minister to express your concern.

We can also financially support The David Suzuki Foundation, Environmental Defence, and the Nature Conservancy of Canada. We can make a difference as we make daily decisions that favour the reduction of greenhouse gases – installing a heat pump, driving less, carpooling, using public transit, when we need a new vehicle try hard to make it an EV or at least Hybrid.  We can slow down when we are behind the wheel. Driving 90-100kph will burn 50% less fuel than driving 120-130kph – and will produce 50% less CO2.

Above all, do not despair. Don’t be lulled into inaction by the propaganda that tells us this is a problem that individuals can’t impact. Martin Luther King Jr. reminded all during the struggle for civil rights that it was imperative to “Keep hope alive.”