It is a vision intentionally imprinted in my brain several weeks ago, before wildfires polluted the air and invaded our lungs, before oceans of rain threatened to wash us away along with fledgling crops, essential infrastructure, and personal property. On a routine drive east on Route 2, we hit the crest of the final hill down to Greenfield and looked up to see the long green mile ahead, a luscious tunnel of hardwood and pine, followed by more hills and infinite gradations of green as far as I could see.

It was a gift of nature, combining temperature, sunshine, seasons, humidity, and the other variables that bathed me in moderate warmth, blue sky, and the full-green offspring of winter snow and spring rain. Our New England weather and landscape don’t prompt my gratitude every day (although maybe they should), but early summer often does.

However, this perfect reverie, created by familiar, natural beauty and the complex balance of forces beyond my control, was disturbed by a seed of doubt and anxiety. It may be a function of advancing age, or the reality of a world in which many comforting assumptions and rituals have crumbled, leaving an essential question: Can I look forward to more (or at least some) of this in the future?

Spoiler alert: The plot of the 2021 dark comedy “Don’t Look Up” is revealed below, but it probably won’t spoil your enjoyment. It is a parable that mimics our reactions and inaction on environmental concerns and alternately made me laugh and feel nauseous.

Some obscure U.S. scientists identify a comet that will destroy earth in a few months. But a proposal to deflect it is minimized, and dismissed by big-money energy companies hoping to reap a fortune from a rare mineral the comet contains. When their efforts fail, it’s too late. As the approaching comet gets larger in the sky, those responsible for the failure settle on the slogan “Don’t Look Up.” This head-in-the-sand approach does nothing to alleviate the problem but insulates the leaders from widespread criticism. In the end, most people look inward and solidify their bonds with family and loved ones, while the leaders engineer an escape into outer space.

The parallels with our current situation are clear: science has been thoroughly disrespected and discredited, leaders avoid uncomfortable and possibly vote-losing controversies, and the earth and its people’s well-being are sacrificed in the greedy pursuit of wealth.

In assessing today’s deep social and political divisions, some people point to a short period before and during World War II as the last time our country unified behind a common cause, and sacrificed willingly to achieve a goal. There were obvious, evil enemies in Adolf Hitler and his allies, clear threats to our survival in their attempt to control the world through military might, government oppression, and brutality.

It's hard to imagine that America, and our traditional allies and enemies, don’t face the danger from climate change together. Except for a tiny fraction of the wealthy and powerful (as in the movie), few people worldwide will be spared discomfort or destruction. Certainly, the poorest will suffer most directly, from starvation and disasters like floods, heat waves, and wildfires, and forced immigration due to the weather and the resulting political crises. These problems will eventually have a ”trickle up” effect, producing social upheaval that even the wealthiest won’t be able to ignore.

Al Gore, questionably defeated for the presidency in 2000, published “An Inconvenient Truth” in 2006, followed by the movie. Some conservative scientists questioned a few facts, and Gore and other environmental leaders’ lifestyles and motivations may invite criticism, but the basic fact remains: climate change is real and a significant threat to all.

As opposed to “Don’t Look Up,” it’s time for us to look up and acknowledge the threat we face, and force politicians to do the same. We need a bold program, and a reason to make sacrifices against our common, dangerous, enemy.

Multiple climate-action groups suggest individual and group actions. But solutions shouldn’t rely on NGOs and personal sacrifices. National governments have been fully complicit in creating our problems, and should be held responsible for fixing them. This is the reason governments were created: to tackle problems beyond the scope of individuals and small groups.

Although looking inward and finding peace in the midst of chaos is a necessary personal goal, our planet and our neighbors need both personal and governmental action to preserve a bit of our precious, green planet.

Allen Woods is a freelance writer, author of the Revolutionary-era historical fiction novel “The Sword and Scabbard,” and Greenfield resident. His column appears regularly on a Saturday. Comments are welcome here or at awoods2846@gmail.com. 

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