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By Diarmuid McGuire January 29. 2016 12:01AM Guest Opinion: Honor Paris; go to Salem on Feb. 3 On the evening of Friday, Nov. 13, terrorists with links to the so-called Islamic State in Syria (let’s use the name they hate: Daesh) murdered 130 people and wounded 368 more in Paris. Most of the victims had been enjoying an evening of socializing and a concert near Place de la Republique. Thirty days later, on Saturday, Dec. 12, at Le Bourget, less than nine miles from the massacre, representatives of 196 nations signed an agreement aimed at slowing and eventually reversing global warming. What is the connection? The attack on civility in Paris was spun off from the turmoil in Syria, which followed five years of drought and the migration of nearly a million farmers into overcrowded cities. Like drought and wildfires in Oregon, the terror of Nov. 13 is among the consequences of a climate that is careening off course. (For a serious graphic account of Syria’s environmental and political collapse, Google “Syria climate change comic.”) On Monday, Feb. 1, our Legislature will meet in Salem. Just 53 days after the signing of the Paris Accord, our elected representatives will have an opportunity to join the international process outlined in that agreement. Among the bills that will be introduced in the upcoming “short session” is Oregon’s Healthy Climate Act, a measure that will cap the greenhouse gas emissions that are driving global warming and climate change. (Or course we need to control greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, but let’s start here.) I respectfully suggest that you clear your calendar and head for Salem on Wednesday, Feb. 3. Busy? Not an activist? Don’t feel that you can make a difference? There are a million reasons to stay home. Here is one reason to consider going: the survival of human civilization is at stake. Unfortunately, this is not hyperbole. We are already seeing early signs of environmental collapse, including ocean acidification, melting ice caps and extinction of sensitive species. Connect these dots to political meltdowns and spasms of violent extremism from the southern margins of the Sahara through the Middle East. Witness thousands of desperate refugees fleeing these regions, heading for Europe and beyond. In the background, the global warming curve is getting steeper. What will you do in Salem? Talk to legislators. Tell them we need we need effective action now, specifically a comprehensive program that addresses all of our industries. This is the essence of the Healthy Climate Act. Or just join a Healthy Climate rally at noon on the Capitol steps. The Oregon League of Conservation Voters is one of several groups organizing these activities. For more information or to sign up for legislator visits, go to www.olcv.org . Diarmuid McGuire lives in Ashland. He and his wife, Ashland City Councilor Pam Marsh, were in Paris at the time of the ISIS attack.   http://www.dailytidings.com/article/20160129/OPINION/160129842 © 2016 Copyright © 1995-2011 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use Privacy Statement -->