The word “emergency” can set the heart racing, fire up the fight or flight response, and otherwise bring about a reaction to a situation that needs a response now. Immediately. Tout suite.

The Oxford Dictionary Word of the Year 2019 is climate emergency, selected because its usage was a big bounce from other climate related wording in recent times and because it is deemed by the esteemed dictionary to “have lasting potential as a term of cultural significance.”

The Oxford defines climate emergency as “a situation in which urgent action is required to reduce or halt climate change and avoid potentially irreversible environmental damage resulting from it.”

That this term should be used so frequently that it becomes the equivalent of Time magazine’s Person of the Year is significant.

It is true that over existence, periodic cooling and warming of the earth have occurred. But not at rates recorded in the past half century — 100 times faster than at the end of the last ice age, 11,000-17,000 years ago, according to climate.gov. As nations become industrialized and wealth is spread worldwide, we have increased atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) to amounts not seen for the past 3 million years. This site also notes that CO2 concentrations “are rising mostly because of the fossil fuels that people are burning for energy,” including coal and oil.

The Environmental Protection Agency notes that six common air pollutants have decreased over the past 40 years, even while Americans drive more and energy use has increased. That is good news; think how much more progress could be made if climate emergency resonated in a manner that led every person to consider actions they could take to further decrease pollution. Globally, greenhouse emissions continue to climb. A worldwide effort is vital to the health of Earth’s atmosphere. We are not a singular country; addressing issues affecting all the planet is a responsibility we cannot shirk.

The Newtown Bee gives space to the column produced by Newtown Environmental Action Team (NEAT) on a semi-regular basis. We do so because the tips that they provide are a benefit to our community. Who does not want to have air that is safe to breath, water that is clean, a litter free world? Why not make small efforts that contribute to the greater good? Human beings impact the environment every single day — and not always in a positive manner.

Preparation for any emergency requires knowledge and tools. We have them at our disposal. Why we are not publicly horrified at regulation roll backs that make polluting easier and legal; racing to demand clean air and water; or committing to life saving, lifestyle changes is confounding.

Is the Oxford Dictionary Word of the Year for 2019 a wake up call for the general population, or do we continue to leave a trail of increasingly distressing air, water, and health issues for future generations to address?

Climate emergency is the word of 2019. Will climate action be the word of 2020? That would be NEAT.