Riding your bike to work and changing your light bulbs may make you feel like you’re a part of the solution, but you’re not really making a difference. No matter how many of us stop driving gas guzzlers, swap out our incandescents and eat local, we still face the construction of 850 new coal plants in the US, China and India.
It’s time for progressives to stop washing their hands of politics by “being the change they seek” and turn up the heat on decision makers in Congress and the industries responsible for this civilizational emergency.
Focus the Nation is mobilizing millions of students, educators and citizens across the country in a day of education and civic engagement on global warming. We aren’t asking anyone to promise to join a carpool or turn down the thermostat. We’re challenging you all to educate each other and yourselves on global warming solutions, take that knowledge to the people in charge and demand action.
If you aren’t already working on Focus the Nation, its time to start. We’ve got ten weeks left before the biggest day of civic engagement on global warming ever on January 31st.
If you’re on a campus, find out who’s organizing at your school. If your school still isn’t signed up, take the initiative yourself. If you aren’t a student, then sign up your household, organization, business or faith group for a showing of the 2% Solution web cast with Van Jones.
Don’t ditch your cruiser just yet. We’ve got a long ride ahead of us, and we all need to start pedaling a whole lot harder.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Don't Turn Down the Heat: Changing Lightbulbs Isn't Enough to Stop Global Warming
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1 comment:
Love your blog. I take exception at the idea of minimizing the impact citizens can have on greenhouse gas reductions from personal actions. 29.7% of all US GHG emissions are from direct energy use from personal vehicle use, home electricity, and home fuel use. A 10% reduction in personal energy use simply through energy efficiency (which also saves people money) would reduce 3% of the nation's emissions. We need to keep all solutions on the table. I coordinate the Maryland Carbon Reduction Action Group at www.carbonrationing.org.uk/maryland - check it out before you badmouth the potential for personal reductions next time.
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