Will 2007 bring action? I addressed that question in January and July posts to this blog. It has been a year of remarkable advances and big letdowns, but the battles themselves give me hope that the human race will at least fight the good fight against this greatest of all challenges, global warming.
The biggest news of 2007 was the accelerated melting of the Arctic polar ice cap, ahead of what scientific models had been predicting. The people of Earth have far less time time than previously thought to avoid the worst consequences of global warming. The time line shifted from a future generation, to our own generation, to a decade from now, and finally, to NOW.
With a better idea of where things stand, it is plain that humanity's global INCREASING RATE OF GREENHOUSE GAS PRODUCTION must be stopped, and massive reductions in future emissions be achieved, even as we prepare for warming effects that cannot be avoided.
Getting back to the 2007 scorecard, points scored pale in contrast to our improved comprehension of reality. Yet I have hope, and so should the world, for we know what has to be done and we can do it.
Topics from the earlier posts are scored:
Action by US Congress - passed environmental legislation hailed as a start in the right direction, but still under the influence of fossil fuel interests. Too little too late in my view. SCORE ZERO.
(Sidebar on Bali - The United States backed down when the entire world confronted it. For the delegates of the world who spoke up for the good of us all, SCORE ONE. The unofficial US delegation more accurately reflected the will of the American people than did their federal government.)
The battle to stop the expansion of coal power plants - At the state level the fight continues throughout the United States. I read that investors for new coal plants are becoming hesitant, as well they should. That could turn the tide in the battle to stop increases in the primary greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, that coal burning produces in greater quantity than other fossil fuels. "Clean" coal is no exception. "Clean" coal allows more of the sun's energy to reach the earth's surface without reducing coal's greenhouse gas output, cooking the planet even faster. The score for the anti-coal effort in America - too early to call.
Activists' progress - Environmental activists are trying to reach the American public. The problem is that there aren't enough of them, and although people are sympathetic, they aren't joining the action. The direct response of the American public to the year's rallies has been ho-hum. Be it any consolation, the American public hasn't taken to the streets even for their most passionate grievances causing them direct and immediate suffering.
However, the awarding of this year's Nobel Peace Prize to the IPCC scientists and to Al Gore was of enormous impact to the understanding of the American public. Media coverage changed in the United States overnight. People finally started hearing on major news networks what the rest of the world already knew.
To the opposition party to Gore's, too bad none of you took as great a leadership role on global warming and you had to choke on Gore's success. I and the rest of the world wish the science had proven him wrong. It didn't. It proved his sources were correct. We all need to work together now to slow global warming, and a great many in your party are now doing that. Please join them.
For the Nobel Prize selection and the dedication of all environmental activists, SCORE ONE.
City, State, and Regional local actions - These efforts continue to pick up steam and are a growing source of hope, from New York and Chicago all the way to my small city and beyond. Governments and citizens are courageously breaking new ground to combat global warming. I will have more to say about some examples soon. SCORE ONE.
Consumers - Again, more people are changing their buying habits and even their lifestyles than ever before, and hardly a day goes by without informative articles--genuine, not hype-- appearing in one or both of my daily newspapers. General and mainstream magazines have joined the environmental publications in printing "green" articles. Often they are in stark contrast to the magazine's normal fare, but at least they are there. I've read about eco-conscious lawn care and the growing use of certified green gardeners, and also of cleaning services offering sustainable and environmentally sound methods. All of this came to my notice in just the past year.
On the other side, it boggles the mind that so many people still jump in their cars for the most unimportant trip, throw aluminum cans into the trash, put inflatable holiday displays in their yards that require an air pump along with the lights, over-water their lawns when the city has requested conservation, and don't have the slightest awareness of how out-of-step with the times they appear to the growing numbers of who have gotten the message. Yet nearly everyone drives their cars as much as ever. This is a mystery to me, since so many families here and abroad are touched by the hardships and horrors of war, and buying gasoline empowers the combat. That carries a sense of immediacy for every fill-up. Have we no conscience even for this?
In spite of all the toy recalls and other problems with imports, Americans are still in love with cheap goods from overseas, usually manufactured with coal energy. 2007 has been a year in which the ability of multi-national companies to monitor and regulate products and their environmental costs is a proven failure, while corporate greed succeeds. To be sure, this has been the rule rather than the exception throughout human history--and today it guarantees tremendous growth in greenhouse gas emissions. We can do better on all counts, and we must.
For American consumers overall: SCORE MINUS ONE.
Global warming and American politics: As a resident of Iowa, where the campaigning of presidential hopefuls begins and has grown in intensity during the past year, I can't resist additional comments. Over the summer, environmental groups worked hard to bring global warming into the set of top issues that candidates were debating. It seemed an uphill battle. Perhaps the Nobel Prizes made a difference, but by now all candidates of both parties have had to provide their positions on energy and the environment.
I live in a city with a well-educated and aware populace. Yet at the presidential candidate meetings I attended, it was the candidate more than the audience who brought up the issues of global warming and proceeded to address them. Clearly, some candidates are well ahead of their audience and are not at all hesitant to speak out on global warming. Their environmental statements rang true to my ears. I am hopeful one of those candidates will become the next President of the United States.
On the other hand, other candidates have made remarks that indicate little grasp of the situation, but certainly they show themselves attuned to the sources of their campaign financing.
For the (anticipated) future leaders of the federal government, and for the elected leaders of states, cities, and other entities who have aggressively attacked emissions levels and barriers to reducing them ( including the federal government), who have set goals and are making plans for emissions reductions to the full extent required by the science - SCORE ONE.
Composite Score - Three out of Five Possible Points of the Scorecard
Let us all resolve to continue the struggle into 2008.
For the rest of our lives, we will judge ourselves on what we did or did not do this coming year. For the rest of our lives, by our actions in 2008 we will derive a bit of hope and peace of mind, or else incur overwhelming remorse.
Choose the path of hope and peace of mind in 2008. Learn. Think. Plan. Do.
Create the Change. Be braver than you have ever been before.
Love life as you have never loved it before.
These are my New Year's wishes for you, my readers, and for myself.
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