I have supported equality for as long as I realized it was an issue. I watch with glee as the laws against marriage are struck down state by state.
As a scientist I took a little longer getting through the data and models about Global warming. That was about fifty years ago. Climate change as a result of global warming took me even longer. I am an addict, like the rest of us and I passed the denial stage long ago. My life style still lags my knowledge, but I am working on that.
An article in grist (crossposted from Slate) came to my attention on facebook today, “Climate change war” is not a metaphor, and it brought up this idea:
Q. How quickly could the debate shift? How can we get past the stalemate on climate change and start focusing on what to do about it?
A. People working on climate change should prepare for catastrophic success. I mean, look at how quickly the gay rights conversation changed in this country. Ten years ago, it was at best a fringe thing. Nowadays, it’s much, much more accepted. Is that possible with climate change? I don’t know, but 10 years ago, if you brought up the possibility we’d have gay marriages in dozens of states in 2014, a friend might have said “Are you on drugs?” When we get focused, we can do amazing things. Unfortunately, it’s usually at the last minute, usually under duress.
That is one of the most hopeful exchanges I have seen in a long time. Read on below for more.
The word "war" as a result of what is coming has been used a lot lately.
a recent interview with the blog Responding to Climate Change, retired Army Brig. Gen. Chris King laid out the military’s thinking on climate change:
“This is like getting embroiled in a war that lasts 100 years. That’s the scariest thing for us,” he told RTCC. “There is no exit strategy that is available for many of the problems. You can see in military history, when they don’t have fixed durations, that’s when you’re most likely to not win.”
This has been one group along with financial wizards and others who begin to understand that what we have been talking about is real and will have profound consequences.
The idea for the diary came from this:
In a similar vein, last month, retired Navy Rear Adm. David Titley co-wrote an op-ed for Fox News:
The parallels between the political decisions regarding climate change we have made and the decisions that led Europe to World War One are striking – and sobering. The decisions made in 1914 reflected political policies pursued for short-term gains and benefits, coupled with institutional hubris, and a failure to imagine and understand the risks or to learn from recent history.
In short, climate change could be the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of the 21st century.
These guys are taking this somewhat seriously and what they are worried about compound the basic consequences of climate change we usually hear about. You can read the rest of his interview in the link above, but it seems like there is a lot of stuff happening that deniers have no control over. The more these folks come out of the closet, the more ordinary voters will take notice. He doesn't see that as just democrats either.
Q. Despite all the data and debates, the public still isn’t taking that great of an interest in climate change. According to Gallup, the fraction of Americans worrying about climate “a great deal” is still roughly one-third, about the same level as in 1989. Do you think that could ever change?
A. A lot of people who doubt climate change got co-opted by a libertarian agenda that tried to convince the public the science was uncertain – you know, the Merchants of Doubt. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of people in high places who understand the science but don’t like where the policy leads them: too much government control.
Where are the free-market, conservative ideas? The science is settled. Instead, we should have a legitimate policy debate between the center-right and the center-left on what to do about climate change. If you’re a conservative – half of America – why would you take yourself out of the debate? C’mon, don’t be stupid. Conservative people want to conserve things. Preserving the climate should be high on that list.
You don't have to buy his whole line to be encouraged by the fact that he did not need a weatherman to see which way the wind is blowing. We need lots more of this and we need it now!