Climate disruption has become so apparent that many politicians and even corporate executives have begun saying that we can’t continue business as usual. Meanwhile, after a few palliative gestures, they are continuing business as usual.
Scientists who have been predicting for three decades that rising temperatures would cause the extreme weather events we are currently experiencing now tell us we have only a decade to prevent uncontrollable climate chaos. During these three decades concerned individuals have circulated petitions, lobbied legislators, campaigned for climate candidates, filed lawsuits, organized boycotts and led marches to urge action on this crisis.
The stunning lack of progress from these efforts and the urgency of the situation would dictate that a new approach is in order. Non-violent civil disobedience is a tactic of last resort when an individual sees an injustice and the powers that be are not addressing the problem.
That is why a new group calling itself Extinction Rebellion has organized in 33 countries, including a chapter here in Eugene. Governments and economic systems that do not act to protect citizens cannot be supported and must be disrupted from business as usual.
Regretfully, it has come down to this. Consult your conscience and act accordingly.
Carolyn Partridge
Eugene
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519
Comments are closed.