I’ve decided that dealing with climate change is a lot like dental care.

At that one dental visit 6 years ago, your dentist told you that you had a tooth that was a little concerning. “Daily flossing should help!” (Great, easy).

5 years ago, she said, “How is that flossing going? Your tooth still looks concerning” (Haven’t done it, sorry)

4 years ago, she asked “Have you ever even tried to floss?” (No, I’ll try)

3 years ago, she said, “You definitely need to be flossing. There is a lot of build up that is risking additional problems for your gum health” (Sure thing).

2 years ago, she said “You’re actually going to need a nightguard, a Waterpik, and new sealant” (Sure, I’ll schedule another visit to do those).

1 year ago, she said, “I see you never scheduled that follow up appointment. That concerning tooth has gotten much much worse and the problem has spread to other teeth”. (I know, I’m in pain).

This year: “Unfortunately you leave me no option but to remove three teeth entirely. I told you many years ago that you could have just flossed or used the Waterpik and the nightguard or redo the sealant. But you chose to ignore it, and now it’s a real problem.”

I am clearly not a dentist.

But I do know that small, preventative behavior changes add up over time.

Investments in resilience infrastructure are much more painful (and expensive) later on than they are today.

And listening to the scientists who’ve “told you so” for years is a smart idea.

Our planet needs us to start flossing.

On an individual level that looks like: buying less, buying used, reusing what you can, repairing what you own, and reducing food waste, to name a few!