The Planet can afford four more years, but humanity can’t

One day before the US elections, Finland recorded the highest November temperature in history.  At the same time, World Economic Forum alerts that 2020 is on course to be the warmest year on record. The time is running out. The colossal surprise from the 2016 US elections has proven the painful reality behind the statement, “If you think education is expensive, try ignorance!” The cost of four more years would be simply unsustainable. Not just for the US, but for the rest of the world too.    

We are under a perfect storm whose force is being accelerated by the individual strength of climate, health, economic and existential crises that we are living globally. Today, the eye of the hurricane is over the USA. It is the binary choice between Biden and Trump that decides the country’s political future and, by the pure force of its political and economic global influence, dramatically determines the outcome of major global challenges.

The covid19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of countries trying to fight it separately. The challenges that arise from climate change will be infinitely more complex. No matter how economically strong, no single country can face these challenges on its own.

Binary choices are not the most optimal solution to provide answers for high complexity problems. I am sure that in the US, there are many for whom, just like me, under the normal circumstances, Joe Biden would not be the first pick in the elections. But these are far beyond normal circumstances! The alternative is so terribly wrong from any perspective that acknowledges decency, science, ethics, and diversity as universal values that any political leader in the democratic society should uphold. This is it! The outcome of this cliff-hanging suspense will set the future course of global action against climate change. The choice is between facts and miracles. Knowing the power of myths on human choices will make this a long day/night for me. I hope that the US people got aware of the high price to pay for four more years of ignorance because the bill to pay would be collateral. And because I don’t believe that we will get many more chances like this before the hand decides to shake us of its tip of the finger.