Bill McKibben recently gave a thoughtful, comprehensive overview of his career trying to stop climate change -- which as it turns out is a comprehensive overview of the entire battle that has been waged thus far:
http://www.undispatch.com/...
Great guy - but even Bill now feels we won't get out of this unscathed no matter what changes we make today. But we have to stop the worst outcomes.
I didn't really understand what we were up against until the UN report in 1999. Then I knew it was serious -- or at least it got my attention.
As Bill says in the interview, he thought climate change was a debate for many years when he finally came to the realization it's a fight against money and power. That's when he turned from writer to activist, and he's done an amazing job since organizing 350.org, creating effective strategies and stopping many carbon-intensive projects and applying political pressure.
But we ain't outta the woods by any means. Not when the largest hurricane in history hits the Mexican shores and, because it landed in a fairly unpopulated area with no live images of devastation, everyone immediately turns back to the Kardashians.
It's a tough, sad state of affairs. I always thought we were better than this, as a nation and as a species.
I do know there's been a ton of progress on the engineering front, as Bill says. I know many Republicans who have switched to electric cars and solar power here in California because the government makes it so attractive economically.
I think Hilary will in the end do what it takes to meet the challenge but she will still be stymied by the morons in Congress. If somehow a Republican gets in the WH this time, you can kiss the world good-bye.
Once again as always and forever in presidential politics, the stakes have never been higher.