ASK ME HOW I KNOW
Wheel’s turning, ain’t it clear D G A
Ain’t any way out of here
World’s burning, Ask me how I know.
Every second of every day
Burned up or else washed away
Wheel’s turning, Ask me how I know.
Use your ears, use your eyes
All you gotta do is step outside
World’s burning , Ask me how I know.
I don’t want no weatherman G A
Who’s eating out of someone’s hand D E F#7
They won’t talk about natural laws, B7
Talk about the weather, but — not the cause. E7 A7
Corporation’s got ’em tied in knots
All I’m saying is connect the dots
World’s burning, Ask me how I know.
I got a message from the New York Times
Fossil industry’s a life of crime
World’s burning, Ask me how I know.
INSTRUMENTAL
Every time you watch a TV show
The more you watch, the less you know.
They won’t talk about natural laws,
Talk about the weather, but — not the cause.
I don’t care about dirty looks
Ain’t afraid of reading science books
World’s burning, Ask me how I know.
Nothin wrong with what you learned in school.
Don’t let America play the fool
World’s burning, Ask me how I know.
©Doug Hendren 2018
What’s it about? While the world is burning. California, Australia, even Greenland. while we allow politicians to squander our shrinking opportunity to salvage a livable future, the mainstream US news networks are still largely asleep at the switch, abdicating their deepest responsibility to the American public. Instead of urgent, clear and accurate information, they feed us favoring superficial analysis, catering to corporate advertisers and higher ratings.
Corporate special interests remain an insidious force operating in the United States. Fossil-fuel interests knew the truth decades ago about climate change, but worked hard for years to undermine the public interest and confidence in American and international climate science. There are few Americans that wouldn’t see a doctor in the event of serious illness or injury, but we know a great deal more about climate change than we do about many medical conditions. Those who mock “climate scientists” forget that they include NASA and the Pentagon. Those tasked with space exploration and national security are acutely aware of the risks posed by climate chaos, including food shortage, rising seas, and uncontrollable human migration.
Most people can now tell with their own eyes and ears that climate change is picking up speed. Ridiculous rains like Hurricane Harvey’s 60 inches on Houston, and horrendous California and Australia wildfires are anything but normal. Extreme weather events are now costing the insurance industry four times more than just a few decades ago.
Half of all the fossil fuels ever burned have been burned since 1989. This is the problem, and we know what it takes to fix it. The agreement among qualified scientists on this subject is now 100%.
But science alone can’t change our collective course. That requires public pressure and political action, too. And that won’t happen unless the news networks do their job. There are lots of other ways you can learn more and be part of the solution. Check out some of these terrific educational and activist organizations:
350.org, Citizens Climate Lobby, Drawdown.org
The Media Are Complacent While the World Burns, by Mark Hertsgaard and Kyle Pope, The Nation, April 22, 2019 https://www.thenation.com/article/climate-change-media-aoc-gnd-propaganda/
Global Climate Coalition: Documents Reveal How Secretive Fossil Fuel Lobby Group Manipulated UN Climate Programs, by Mat Hope and Karen Savage, DesmokUK April 24, 2019.
