On October 2, Science Daily reported that summer melting of arctic sea ice had reached new highs "shattering the 2005 September record by 23 percent." While, most people still think of global warming, if they think of it at all, as a gradually unfolding danger whose serious consequences are still decades in the future, many prominent scientists no longer share even that minimally comforting conviction.
"We are on the precipice of climate system tipping points beyond which there is no redemption" says Jim Hansen, director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies and one of the elder statesmen of the global warming research community. Hansen believes that we have to act within a decade if we are to avoid these tipping points.
So, what do we do? I think we need a movement, a real movement, one with passion and cojones. Last weekend I took my 17-year old son to see a movie about the trial of protesters at the 1968 Democratic National Convention called "Chicago 10". I wanted him to see what a real protest march looks like, one where people are truly pissed and refuse to be ignored by their elected officials, even when they use police-state tactics against them. I think Al Gore understands this need for a real movement when he says: "I can't understand why there aren't rings of young people blocking bulldozers, and preventing them from constructing coal-fired power plants." And it shouldn't be just young people. Why aren't we all doing this?
On November 3, 2007 Step It Up a grassroots movement for leadership on global warming is holding Step it Up 2, it's second National Day of Climate Action. The first was held on April 14, 2007 and drew tens of thousands of participants at 1400 different locations around the country. Step t Up 2 is calling for members of Congress and presidential candidates to commit to a 3 point plan:
- GREEN JOBS NOW--5 MILLION GREEN JOBS CONSERVING 20% OF OUR ENERGY BY 2015
- CUT CARBON 80% BY 2050--FREEZE CLIMATE POLLUTION LEVELS NOW AND CUT AT LEAST 80% BY 2050 AND 30% BY 2020
- NO NEW COAL--A MORATORIUM ON NEW COAL-FIRED POWER PLANTS
Events have already been scheduled in 48 states and invitations to attend have been extended to nearly every member of Congress and to 17 presidential candidates. But so far only 6 members of Congress have accepted the invitation to attend and not a single presidential candidate has agreed to attend, although Barack Obama did say today that he will "probably make it to one of the November 3rd events."
But "probably" isn't good enough. We need a firm commitment to attend from all the Democratic candidates and from all the Democratic members of Congress. Look, like many people, I've changed all my light bulbs and am paying my power company extra for renewable energy, but that's not going to be enough. Individuals can help but we can't do it alone. Dealing with global warming takes a national commitment of the sort that we made in World War II and for the moon landing. But big projects like these don't get done without leadership at the top. The problem is that, historically, it has taken events like the attack on Pearl Harbor and the Soviet's launch of sputnik, respectively, to prompt our leaders into action.
It can't be that way this time. We can't wait for dramatic events (that is if current events aren't dramatic enough for you). If we wait until the ice sheets collapse, the ocean conveyor stops, the clathrates in the oceans and Siberia melt, or our coastal cities are under water it really will be too late.
And since we can't wait, we have to make enough noise at the grassroots level. We can start by attending a Step It Up 2 rally and by writing and calling the presidential candidates and our members of Congress to insist that they attend and commit to enacting Step It Up 2's 3-Point Plan. Then, maybe, our next president and the new Congress will go on national television and announce that we, the government and the people, are going to get off our collective asses, rebuild our economy on a green foundation, and STOP global warming.
If they won't do it, we'll just have to rally in the streets and camp in the parks until they do. My son tells me he's ready.