We were made to stop business as usual

The west coast is on fire. We could say the world is on fire with widespread injustice, poverty, human migrations, random and organized acts of violence, the polarization of what God’s name is and who’s right, environmental degradation and collapse.

Hurricanes, flooding, earth shaking, undrinkable water or breathable air, a big election coming.

Climate change is fake news, some say. Nothing but blue skies (and white people). Others say climate change is real, and that if we don’t change how humans do things, we may only have 20-30 years before major earth changes make life uninhabitable for humans.

Still others say we have gone past the point of no return and have set in motion earth changes we are no longer able to stop. Change and uncertainty are in the thoughts of most everyone. Many are afraid.

We, personally and collectively, were made to stop business as usual — including the business as usual that’s been killing the world.

We got to see how fast everything could change, one day we were wearing masks. We self-isolated and distanced and all of a sudden, death came closer and friends moved further.

We in Hawaii have not yet experienced the level of breakdown we are seeing elsewhere. We are in a unique place and time.

How will we meet these uncertain times? We can grow more food, ensure that everyone has a home and enough to eat, make it right with the Hawaiians, make land more available to young farmers and malama the aina. For starters.