Elizabeth Rusch's The 21 is probably the most timely book that's in Orono Public Library. Just like Pandora with her legendary box, when humans started over relying on fossil fuels we unleashed a host of evils on our beautiful planet. It's very likely that you personally have experienced at least one of them. How about extreme weather events? In Maine our blizzards are getting nastier and our heat waves hotter and longer. How about floods, drought, melting ice caps, and rising oceans? How about the increasingly common ever more devastating fires? How about disease carrying invertebrates expanding their territory like those pathogen packing ticks we now have to watch out for in Penobscot County? Even if these and other evils haven't arrived on your doorstep, you won't be immune forever.
The world's youth, knowing how quickly we're speeding toward a global point of irreversibility, are taking matters into their own hands. They're organizing protests and demonstrations and going to court. The 21 are the activists who took on the United States government knowing that it is not only not doing enough to prevent to prevent climate change but is facilitating it by cutting deals with fossil fuel industries, even opening up federal lands for extractive exploitation and knowing that they and the yet unborn are the ones who will face the worst effects of a dystopian future. They claimed that climate change deprived them of fundamental rights up to and including life enshrined in the Constitution. They merely wanted the government to acknowledge this and do something about it. What should have been a slam dunk…
…has been anything but with the government doing everything in its power to derail the case. And it's a truly bipartisan malpractice with presidents from both parties contributing to the damage and denial. The 21 covers this ongoing high stakes battle, bringing it vividly to life. One thing that makes it captivating and engaging is that the youth are beautifully portrayed as individuals. You learn about the very personal losses and ongoing threats climate change has brought into their lives. Levi's beloved home, a barrier island, will most likely be engulfed by rising ocean waters. Nathan was very concerned about the melting permafrost in his home state of Alaska. Jacob's family farm is threatened by drought and forest fires. Fires had made the asthma several worse for several of them. You also learn about their dynamics as a group during the years long legal roller coaster they were engaged in.
When Pandora let the evils out there as one thing left. Hope. With climate change it can't be a passive trusting that someone else will solve the problem hope. And those of who are adults must respect and support youth while NOT leaving the fight to them. We need to join them in the trenches. We made the decisions that brought them into this world. We owe them.
For this reason I recommend The 21 to its target demographic and way beyond. It's a must acquire for school and public libraries.
On a personal note, on Easter Eugene and I took a road trip. At lunch time we went to Burger King which is problematic because of my fat and sodium limits. I actually thought to ask if they had kids' meals. It was quite a relief that they do. Fast food is an occasional treat. Now I can indulge without the guilt.
A great big shout out goes out to my older daughter, Amber, and her husband, Brian, for organizing a climate rally and march at UMaine.ju
Jules Hathaway
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