Today grist.com published A call for direct action in the climate movement: we need your ideas. I plan to submit a response but first I want the valuable opinions of the readers of Daily Kos. Don't limit yourself to responding to my proposal. Make a proposal to climate.ideas@gmail.com as well.
Dear Climate activists and friends,
The climate movement must expand beyond the brave, highly intelligence, well-educated supporters it has now. It must reach out to the average product of our substandard public high schools.
Remember that most Americans don’t understand the theory of evolution, a standard high school subject. Evolution has been taught in public high schools for over 80 years, yet only about 40% of Americans accept evolution as true. See 11 AUGUST 2006, VOL 313, www.sciencemag.org . Climate change can be even more intellectually challenging for most Americans.
I hope we can focus on the victims of carbon pollution. The scope of climate change is just enormous. It is affecting the entire surface of the planet. It will have effects a thousand years from now. We know this in part based on millions of years of geological history. However U.S. history tells us that, passionate movements are based on the empathy for the victims of society’s practices.
Climatologists are in a similar position to an oncologist or other specialist that must communicate with the public. If you go to an oncologist and find that you have cancer, do you want an explanation of the biochemistry of cancer? No, you might want to know the common symptoms and the best treatment and the likely outcome. Similarly, the public should be informed as to the symptoms of climate change, the treatment and the likely outcome. Keep it local!
The stop carbon pollution movement needs human faces. Although many factors led to the Hurricane Katrina disaster of 2005, carbon pollution was an important factor. Thousands of Americans died because of the effects of carbon pollution. Many victims can be found scattered around the U.S. and in New Orleans.
I’m not religious but I’m convinced that religious leaders are needed if the stop carbon pollution movement is to have a lasting impact. Religion has the ability to persuade the ignorant. Over the long-term, it may be required that a new sect of Christianity has to be created to stop climate change.
The stop carbon pollution movement must confront the Tea Party. I suggest banners and t-shirts proclaiming slogans such as "Carbon pollution kills" should be used by those who attend Tea Party events. A coal burning power station or a coalmine or a railroad crossing where coal cars pass would also be a good location for a "Carbon pollution kills" protest. Banks that provide loans to coal companies or tar-sand energy companies should also be the target of "Carbon pollution kills" protests. Railroad companies that transport coal and companies that mine coal and utilities that get power from coal burning power plants should be included in the protests when ever possible.
None of these actions will be easy and all should be controversial. All participants in direct events should be trained in non-violence. Training is necessary to prevent violence, maintain a positive image and to prepare participants from something completely new in their experience.
These actions will not insure success but they will keep the issue in the public eye. We must above all be honest and true to the facts. We should all know that climate change is the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced. It will be a problem most likely for this and the next century. Getting humanity to connect the cause and effects of human caused climate is something relatively new and hence difficult. Any actions must remind the participant and audience that these actions are for the benefit of all humanity. What do you think?