Definition: Climate Hawk – A person who’s primary political priority is supporting candidates and organizations which seek to aggressively confront and solve the climate crisis.
Climate Hawks have spent enough time messaging “how” Global Warming is happening, and not enough time messaging “what” will happen if we don’t slow down Global Warming this decade. We’ve done a pretty good job communicating the physics of global warming to the public. Most voters understand the concept that more carbon emissions warm the Earth. Even voters who deny that Global Warming is occurring, understand this concept.
Now we must message what is about to happen if we don’t begin phasing out fossil fuels this decade. Because our time is running out. And when we explain “what is about to happen” we need to avoid generalities like extreme drought, floods, and heat waves. It is too easy for the public to imagine extreme droughts, floods, and heat waves happening to someone else. Instead, we must be geographically specific.
For example, sea levels are rising much faster than expected off the coast of Florida. If sea levels rise just 3 feet, one third of South Florida will vanish. If sea levels rise 6 feet, half of South Florida will be gone. And this is very bad news for anyone who owns real estate in South Florida today. Because if we keep burning fossil fuels, sea levels will rise 2 to 3 feet as soon as 2060 or perhaps even by the 2050s. Which means by the 2020s, banks may stop making 30 year real estate loans in Florida. That is less than 10 years from now. And once real estate mortgages become unavailable in South Florida, the Florida economy will collapse. And it gets worse. Nearly every city and county in Florida sells bonds to finance schools, roads, bridges, drinking water systems and sewer systems. And the bond markets may also stop lending money to Florida governments as soon as the 2020s. And with that, city services in South Florida will begin a slow collapse as well. And Florida will not be alone. Millions of Americans and trillions of dollars in real estate and infrastructure are exposed to rising seas along the entire Gulf and Atlantic coasts. Climate Hawks should talk specifically about “the Fate of Florida, Charleston, Galveston, Norfolk, New York City, and the Jersey Shore, etc.”
We must also remind Americans who live further inland that they too are in great danger. From heat. Today’s young people will suffer terribly (physically and economically) from higher temperatures in the years ahead. But their children will receive global warming’s death blow: the new maximum heat waves.
Approximate Estimates for Maximum Fahrenheit
Temperatures and Heat Index on a Warming Earth
Increase
in Earth's Approximate Maximum
Average Celsius Fahrenheit Heat Wave
Temperature Temperature Heat Index
+12 C 147F 200F
+6 C 136F 170F
+4 C 132F 155F
+2 C 129F 142F
If we don’t start phasing out fossil fuels this decade, Earth will probably warm at least +2C by 2050 (35 years from now) and somewhere between +4 to +6 degrees Celsius by 2100. This will be a catastrophe for every young person alive today. But for people living in the forested American South, it will be global warming’s death blow. Because just one July heat wave with 129F highs and a 142F heat index would burn our Southern forests and many of our Southern towns to the ground. Those cities which survived would be flooded with millions of homeless, hungry refugees. This is the future of the American South if we don’t begin a rapid phase out of fossil fuels this decade. Climate Hawks should talk specifically about these new maximum heat waves and how they will render the American South uninhabitable.
And Climate Hawks should assign blame. And by that, I don’t mean responsibility. (We all use fossil fuels) I mean BLAME. Specifically, “Why didn’t our government begin phasing out of fossil fuels 5, 10, 20 years ago?” This means Climate Hawks should NEVER use the pronoun ‘we’ when assigning blame. This is an US versus THEM battle. Phrases like, “we are addicted to fossil fuels” must be replaced with “The Republican Congress and the Fossil Fuel Industry are blocking all solutions to the climate crisis.” And Climate Hawks should assign BLAME before, during, and after every climate catastrophe.
However, we must not attack conservatives in general. Millions of conservative voters are sincerely confused about the great danger which is staring us in the face. As these voters begin to see the truth, some will realize that their most trusted advisors: Fox News and talk radio have lied to them. And their resulting anger can be channeled into voting for climate action if Climate Hawks are careful about assigning blame to NAMED elected Republicans – past and present.
So we should specifically attack the Republican Party itself, and Republican politicians by name. And, we must tie the Republican Party to the big bank accounts of the fossil fuel industry. Over and Over and Over AGAIN. Our attacks must be as continuous and consistent as Republicans attacking Democrats as “Big Government Liberals” for nearly forty years. Climate Hawks should not shy away from stoking the fires of betrayal, resentment, and rage. Because if there is a single issue in which rage and resentment were appropriate, it is the Climate Crisis. And lastly, our attacks must be FEROCIOUS and UNFORGIVING.
Like this political ad:
Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio and former Florida Republican Governor Jeb Bush are both running for President. And both have promised to block all efforts to solve global warming. But without swift action this decade, rapidly rising seas will put much of South Florida underwater within 35 years. Leaving millions of Floridians homeless. Like all Republican politicians, Rubio and Bush put the big bank accounts of the fossil fuel industry above everyone else. They have already betrayed the people of Florida. Don’t let the Republicans betray America. In 2016, let’s put the brakes on global warming. Vote Democrat.
And this political ad:
Many people think Global Warming is a slow gradual process. It is not. Many people think we have time to change course if Global Warming becomes too dangerous. We do not. Without swift action this decade, runaway Global Warming will unleash 130 degree heat waves with 150 degree heat indexes within your child’s life time. Burning our farms, forests, and cities to the ground. But the Republican Party is blocking all efforts to solve the climate crisis. To them, the big bank accounts of the fossil fuel industry are more important than what happens to you and your kids. So in 2016, let’s put the brakes global warming. Vote Democrat.
And finally this political ad:
What is the greatest threat to America? ISIS? No. North Korea? No. Ebola? No. The greatest threat to your children is runaway Global Warming. Without swift action this decade, Global Warming will spin out of control pushing summer heat waves up into the 120s and beyond. Turning our farms to dust and burning many of our cities to the ground. All within your child’s lifetime. Just like a full scale nuclear war, Runaway Global Warming will make much of America uninhabitable. Forever. And today, the Republican Party and the Republican Congress block all efforts to slow down Global Warming. They betrayed America and sold us out to the fossil fuel industry. So in 2016, let’s put the brakes on Global Warming. Vote Democrat.
Notice that I barely touched on the mechanics of ‘how’ global warming happens. Instead, I mostly talked about ‘what’ is going to happen. And ‘what’ is going to happen evokes the most powerful political emotion: FEAR. And fear is far more effective at demonizing our opponents and mobilizing average voters than rational scientific arguments. If Climate Hawks are going to win this war, they must learn to constructively harness the power of fear. And they must use their words to FIGHT, not debate.