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<th nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT" valign="BASELINE">Subject: </th>
<td>[California Greening] California's climate is changing.
Will we?</td>
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<th nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT" valign="BASELINE">Date: </th>
<td>Wed, 8 Dec 2010 21:11:31 -0800 (PST)</td>
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<th nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT" valign="BASELINE">From: </th>
<td>Wes <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:wrolley@charter.net"><wrolley@charter.net></a></td>
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<th nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT" valign="BASELINE">To: </th>
<td><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:wrolley@charter.net">wrolley@charter.net</a></td>
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<br>
Since my <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://cagreening.blogspot.com/2010/12/theres-no-happy-ending.html">pessimistic
post</a> on dot earth's interview with Bill McKibben, I have been
challenged by Gerry Gross to explain why he should listen to yet
another session of gloom and doom Jeremiad. It made me do some
additional thinking about what we should be doing. So this may
ramble, but it hopefully provides energy of some kind for the work
that needs to be done. <br>
<br>
"more than anything, it's just a question of power." Another quote
from McKibben that starts to explain why he started 350.org. If it
is a question of power… the fossil fuel companies have it and we
don't… then McKibben wants to build an <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.350.org/">organization</a> large enough to have
power. <br>
<br>
I see two problems here. The first is that McKibben has chosen not
to come forward with a firm statement of policy. What changes do we
need to make? When do we make them? How might government provide
incentives to change in the right way? In one way McKibben is right.
There are many solutions and every country, state, province, group
has to find the one that works locally. One of the reasons that
Copenhagen failed, and that Cancun promises to just a disappointing,
is that there is no solution that works for everyone. That is
addressed in the video segment I linked. <br>
<br>
The other problem is essentially one for Greens to deal with, but
also seems to apply to other progressives and independents. People
don't really trust those in power. This distrust is one of the
reasons for a lack of cohesion within various Green organizations.
The devolution of power to the people rarely results in a unified
sense of direction.<br>
<br>
Let me ramble back to Gerry's original question. Should we be
supporting the <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.millionlettermarch.org/">Million Letter March</a>…
an effort to send a million letters to Congress underscoring the
need to act on climate change now. I guess that it is like eating
chicken soup to fight a cold… it can't hurt but I would not expect
it to cure H1N1. As it is, even with the names of Bill McKibben, Dr.
James Hansen and Lester "Plan B" Brown attached to the effort, they
have so far generated less than 400 letters from US Sources. <br>
<br>
We have to acknowledge that our Federal government is not going to
act at least for the next 2 years, since any action will be blocked
in a Republican controlled House of Representatives. An examination
of the people that are being selected to head committees in a
Republican House makes it abundantly clear. A good example is the
selection of Oil-Industry cheerleader <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/11/gop_takeover_in_the_house_may_spell_doom_for_obamas_environmental_policies.php">Ralph
Hall</a> to head the House Committee on Science and Technology.
Whatever action takes place will have be local, or at least at the
state level.<br>
<br>
For example, we should learn more about the Panoche Valley Solar
Farm Project in San Benito County. This is a photovoltaic
installation designed to eventually supply 420 megawatts of power
when completely built out. There are pros and cons for the project,
and some environmental groups would like to stop it over the
question of habitat loss. You can read the draft Environmental
Impact Report <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.san-benito.ca.us/departments/planning/documents/Solargen/feir/b_projdesc.pdf">here</a>.
The scope of this project is such that we can not allow a mistake
through ignorance or indifference. <br>
<br>
Let me underscore the fact that most Greens acknowledge the
importance of climate change. The draft of the 2010 version of the
GPUS Platform clearly states that "<b>Climate change is the most
grave environmental, social and economic peril that humanity has
ever met.</b>" On it's own, that will have as much political
effect as a Million Letter March that only generates 400 letters.<br>
<br>
If we believe, as I do, that the formulation in the platform is
correct, then we need to organize around that fact. It is time for
California's Green Climate Hawks to get together and start having an
impact. <br>
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--<br>
Posted By Wes to <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://cagreening.blogspot.com/2010/12/californias-climate-is-changing-will-we.html">California
Greening</a> at 12/08/2010 09:11:00 PM
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