Our primary focus here at Social Earth is to deliver you good news about people and organizations who are dedicated to improving our world, but it would be unrealistic if every once and awhile we did not share our frustrations. For me and everyone else with an environmental conscience, this week was a particularly discouraging one.
Yesterday, CBS World News reported that the much-anticipated Climate Convention in December this year may not actually produce a binding treaty and the United States has been one of the main culprits behind fostering these doubts. Obama blamed the U.S. Senate as the main reason that concrete action would be unrealistic. A major bill dealing with domestic energy and climate change is still stuck in the Senate and it is unlikely that it will be completed in time for Copenhagen. The President did not indicate whether or not he would attend the climate convention, but Michael Froman, Obama’s deputy national security advisor for international economic matters stated that “a fully binding legal agreement would be left to a second meeting next year in Mexico City.”
The people at Greenpeace aren’t buying this excuse and neither should we. To begin, they emphasize that the bills stuck in the Senate aren’t what we’ve been waiting for anyway. “The bills have been corrupted by big polluters. They simply do not deliver anything close to what scientists say is necessary to avoid catastrophic climate change,” the Greenpeace blog states. Greenpeace goes on to point out that “the President is charged with leading U.S. foreign policy and negotiating treaties, not Congess. President Obama should not take the back seat as a slow-moving Congress drives U.S. climate policy towards failure.” And neither should we. To everyone who came out and rallied on October 24th for the 350 movement, it is now time to rally harder. The date for Copenhagen is fast approaching and we simply cannot afford to let its importance fall by the wayside. Put pressure on your local representatives. Get angry. And do not allow yourself to be thrown a bone.
In my opinion, it is a convenient coincidence that the delays in Copenhagen are being juxtaposed by news that deforestation rates in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest have dropped dramatically – nearly 46 percent – within the last year. Do not let this headline fool you into thinking we’re on our way to a more sustainable future; this false hope has already been de-bunked by a few environmentalists. Greenpeace and others have pointed out that rainforests are primarily cleared to make farmland for beef cattle. Thus, the worldwide economic decline and the dramatic drop in demand for beef are likely the strongest factors contributing to the decrease in deforestation. Secondly, the Amazon is only one rainforest of many. We must remain vigilant for all of the rainforests across the world. A “victory” for one does not create a landslide effect.
I have invoked this quote many times in my writings because it is one of my favorites and as the sustainability movement recedes and progresses, it only becomes more and more relevant… In his book, “The Abstract Wild,” Jack Turner upbraids the lack of intensity in our reactions to environmental injustice. “We have forgotten the relation between violence and the sacred, forgotten that the wars in Ireland, Palestine, and Kashmir are, in part, about sacred land,” he asserts. “If you go to Mecca and blaspheme the Black Stone, the believers will feed you to the midges, piece by piece. Go to Yellowstone and destroy grizzlies and grizzly habitat and the believers will dress up in bear costumes, sing songs, and sign petitions. This is charming, but it suggests no sense of blasphemy.”
The 350 campaign was charming, inspiring, and heartfelt, but our politicians didn’t listen. It is about time we get angry.
Contributor Profile: Ashley
Ashley is a friend of anyone who is fighting the good fight for social change. She currently resides in Bilbao, Spain where she is teaching English and researching the history of the Basque conflict. Personal blog
Twitter: @socialearth
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