President Barack Obama is correct: “We can’t wait.”
While he is correct, he (and his Administration) is failing — utterly failing — to turn this slogan into reality on the most critical issue facing his Administration, this nation, and the global community for the coming century: Climate Change.
At his election, based on his campaign words and his quick comments after the election about the importance of climate action, many focused on climate change mitigation and adaptation had real confidence of serious progress to come in terms of U.S. policy and the U.S. engagement in the world community on climate issues.
To be clear, whether CAFE standards or pushing ‘greening the military’ or ARPA-E or the Better Buildings Initiation or …, President Obama and his Administraiton have made important steps that represent a radical different course than what was the case with the Cheney-Bush team.
However, different is not enough, it is not enough against the enormity of the challenge and the severity of the risk(s).
In Durban, at this time, the United States seems to be standing with China and India against serious moves toward a near term binding international treaty to reduce emissions. To forestall to 2020 … or beyond … a serious treaty that would put international law at play to foster reduced global emissions meaningful enough to forestall truly catastrophic climate chaos. And, it seems evident that there isn’t another decade to play footsie with the concept of serious action. Reduced emissions from a massively fossil-foolish BAU (Business As Usual) to solely a moderately fossil foolish future aren’t enough.
As President Obama puts it: “We Can’t Wait …”
Without question, there are some who will assert that this diary’s title is hyperbole, who view “climate change” an issue for tomorrow’s concern, and who do not see how it might have a real impact on their (and, well, others’ lives). Climate change disruptions are (climate chaos is) already killing people. And, there is no question that the situation will worsen. The question is whether we, as a global community, as nations, as communities, as individuals will take serious action to minimize that coming damage and to increase the potential for a robust and desirable (by our standards … each of ours) human civilization at the end of this century.
For some perspective on the situation, two recent discussions by others:
1. David Roberts, The Brutal Logic of Climate Change, Grist
2. Joe Romm, NOAA Chief: U.S. Record of a Dozen Billion-Dollar Weather Disasters in One Year Is A “Harbinger of Things to Come”, Climate Progress
After the fold is an email that Avaaz sent out to their US supporters. Here it is, reposted in full with permission. Climate change is a global challenge and perhaps our voices can help President Obama raise his ambitions and and save the Durban talks.
Creative Commons: WWF, 2011
Our amazing partners from Avaaz have just sent out this email to some of their supporters in the USA. We’re reposting it in full with their permission – climate change is a global challenge and with all of your help, maybe we’ll help the US raise their ambition and save the Durban talks.
“Running into its 24th hour of overtime, the vital UN summit on climate change is being held hostage by the US – It’s up to us to turn it around in these last crucial hours.
Europe has built an alliance of countries to drive forward a deal on saving the UN climate treaty at the talks in Durban, South Africa. Butthe US is blocking all efforts at progress, trying to bully, divide and conquer the rest of the world and spin the media so a failure is not seen as their dirty work. Africa is being hit hardest and earliest from climate change and is already dying from the deforestation, drought, dessertification, famine and war that massive changes in climate is causing. Killing the UN climate treaty now will sign Africa’s death sentence.
It’s a monumental failure of moral responsibility, and it’s time to call out the US’ blocking ways by shaming them publicly and in the media. President Obama has built his brand around Twitter and Facebook – especially during election time — as a way of being more young and in touch. We have just hours to act — let’s contact Obama now so both he and the media know about the shocking behaviour of the US delegation at the Durban talks — and build an overwhelming pressure on the US to get out of the way:
- If you have a twitter account, tweet how you feel about this – but make sure to include @BarackObama! Personal messages are more powerful, but to save time you can also copy this text and tweet it – Twitter: #COP17 @BarackObama don’t sign Africa’s death sentence. The US must lead, follow or get out of the way at UN climate negotiations @Avaaz
- If you prefer facebook, write a message on the White House’s Facebook wall. Again, personal messages are best, but if you want to copy and paste here’s a good message: President Obama tell your negotiators to stop blocking on climate change. Any attempts to delay climate action will devastate Africa. 2 years ago you said “We understand the gravity of the climate threat. We are determined to act. And we will meet our responsibility to future generations.” Honour that promise now — lead, follow or get out of the way at the Durban climate talks. Voters next year, and historians in decades to come, will judge you on your leadership today.
- We can also call and email the White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/write-or-call#call
If we flood President Obama with social media RIGHT NOW, the journalists at the talks will take notice, and we can affect the spin-job that the US is trying to do on it’s blocking tactics. It would also give other countries the encouragement they need to stand up to US bullying.
We know this can work–it did at the Bali Summit 4 years ago–where newspapers ads, Avaaz campaigns, heaving lobbying and strong criticism all persuaded George W. Bush to back down from blocking. President Obama certainly doesn’t want to be cast in the same light. He will move, if we put enough pressure on him to act now.”
With hope from Durban,
Iain, Morgan, Daniel and the rest of the Avaaz team