Yesterday, while Barack Obama had his rock star event in Atlanta, delivering goosebumps to thousands, John Edwards did something a lot less flashy, yet significant to show us just who he is. Edwards participated with Step It Up 2007, in a National Day of Climate Action.
Edwards traveled to Florida (and left) as the ONLY PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE with a carbon neutral campaign. Running a campaign involves an incredible amount of travel by air, train, and motor vehicle(s). Edwards's actions speak louder than words.
Edwards was in Fort Myers lending support at one of over 1,400 rallies designed to remind elected leaders around the country that Americans are serious about taking meaningful action to combat climate change. Nationwide, I suspect there were many more than 20,000 committed activists involved.
There were gatherings in every state, and in many of America's most iconic places: on the levees in New Orleans, on top of the melting glaciers on Mt. Rainier, even underwater on the endangered coral reefs off Key West.
Go to the website for Step It Up 2007. See what is being done around the country. Read media reports about the event. See what YOU can do.
Step It Up 2007 planned to link pictures of the events electronically via the web to have the largest protest the country has ever seen, not in numbers but in extent. See for yourself:
http://stepitup2007.org/
Every group participating said the same thing: "Step it up, Congress! Cut Carbon 80% by 2050."
Edwards appeared on the steps of the Old Courthouse in Fort Myers, to call for action on global warming. Several hundred people from as far away as Collier and Charlotte counties gathered for a chance to see him during his stop in the area.
A short video of the speech, where Edwards acknowledges the work of Al Gore and sets forth a general description of his own plan, linked below, can be seen here:
http://www.news-press.com/...
The Naples Daily News did a story, some of which said:
Edwards’ focus was the environment, though, and he said the United States doesn’t have the credibility in the world to be a leader when it comes to tackling global warming.
"We are an offender. We are not an example for anyone," Edwards said.
For the country to change that, he suggested imposing caps on carbon dioxide emissions and fees for those who don’t comply with those caps.
He noted that similar Step It Up rallies like the one he was attending in Fort Myers were happening around the country Saturday, and he voiced support for the Step It Up goal of reducing carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050.
"This is an aggressive goal, but it is an achievable goal," he said.
To reach it, Americans should make and drive more fuel-efficient vehicles as well as track how much energy they use daily in their homes, he said.
The country should also stop relying on imported oil, he said, and instead invest in wind, solar, biofuel and clean-coal technology. In particular, he said, there should be a ban on new coal power plants until that clean technology is in place, drawing cheers from some at the rally who oppose a new coal plant in Glades County.
"Here’s what all this boils down to at the end of the day," Edwards said, summing up his call for individual and national action on global warming. "We need you, we need America to be patriotic about something other than war."
Many, such as Sunny Park, said Edwards was inspring.
http://www.naplesnews.com/...
As mentioned, Edwards has released a detailed, comprehensive plan on how America can do its share to become energy independent and fight global warming, including the capture of CO2 emissions. His plans are not just to help the environment, but to create economic growth through transformation. His plans and ideas regarding energy can be found here:
http://johnedwards.com/...
http://johnedwards.com/...
In addition, Edwards called on Americans to take personal responsibility in addressing the climate crisis we all face by signing a "Reduce Your Carbon" pledge at www.reduceyourcarbon.com. The pledge encourages us to decrease personal carbon emissions by taking simple steps, like replacing regular light bulbs with fluorescent light bulbs, weathering homes with caulk and keeping air filters clean, and using our automobiles less frequently.
Here is the link: http://www.reduceyourcarbon.com/
What I like about John Edwards is that he develops an approach, then formulates a plan designed to confront the problem. His plans are specific, substantive, comprehensive. But that's not all. His energy approach includes an invitation to us all to participate on a practical level in making change become reality. Besides reminding our leaders about the issue, we can commit individually to reduce our own carbon footprint. THAT is transformational!!
Now is the time to act, not sit back until tomorrow. It is time to bring the change. We ARE the change. We have no more time to waste. Step It Up 2007 is a prime example of people taking control. We can all join with John Edwards and be examples, too.
So what do you say?