Today, it’s not enough to say you believe in climate change. We live in an era of climate emergency that demands radical action. It’s a small step to finally see politicians say this out loud. On May Day, Jeremy Corbyn pushed the UK parliament to declare such an emergency. Just last week, Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Earl Blumenauer introduced a resolution that would declare a national emergency and call for a WWII-style mobilization to address it. It’s no surprise that socialist politicians are the ones out in front, taking this necessary first step.

But we need more than declarations. When it comes to the climate crisis, we have very little time to avoid the worst consequences. Last fall’s IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report led many to mobilize around the twelve years timeline, but the reality is that we have to start now to even have a chance to implement what that report describes as “rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society.”

When society implements such massive changes in a short period of time, it’s often called a revolution. Noted climate scientist Kevin Anderson agrees: “When you really look at the numbers . . . the science comes out with, then we’re talking about a complete revolution in our energy system.” What we do between now and 2030 will essentially determine whether we’ll have a livable planet for centuries to come.