Just in time

Posted 8/21/12

An estimated 400,000 marchers took to the streets of New York City on Sunday to press world leaders to address climate change and to do it now. Many marched with environmental and social justice …

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Just in time

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An estimated 400,000 marchers took to the streets of New York City on Sunday to press world leaders to address climate change and to do it now. Many marched with environmental and social justice organizations, others with friends and neighbors, still others in blocs representing their own special interests—students, for example; foodies and farmers; scientists; religious leaders and people of faith, and labor unions, to name only a few.

Around the globe, some 2,000 other demonstrations were also held in 150 countries. Organizers believe that, just in time, the People’s Climate March will ignite a powerful grassroots movement.

Why “just in time?” What all those marchers know and what is becoming increasing clear to people everywhere is that time is running out. Climate change is here, and unless action is taken to mitigate it, the risk of dire consequences is considerable in the outlying years of this century.

Nothing short of a monumental effort by the world’s governments will be needed if we are to limit global warming to two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial temperature levels, the number scientists say could forestall the worst consequences of climate change. (Since 1880, the global temperature has risen 0.9 degrees C, with more than half of this occurring since the 1970s.) The numbers are daunting. Keeping the limit under two degrees C, is predicted to require reducing greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 40 to 70% by 2050.

Much will be asked of the world’s citizens: we will need to agree to leave fossil fuels in the ground, agree to phase out GHG emissions; agree to work toward a net carbon-free global economy, agree to transition quickly to renewable energy sources; agree to fund an initiative to help poor, undeveloped nations pay for adaptation. Taking these and other crucial steps will be our insurance policy. Without such insurance, the risk of continuing to do too little too late is simply too large.

A global agreement is imperative. Without it, nations will continue to act in their own self interests at the expense of the universal interests of all citizens of this planet. Work is ongoing through the United Nations to draft a new climate treaty proposed to be adopted in Paris in December 2015. We believe it must require that all nations reduce their carbon emissions. Only governments acting together will have the power to move the global economic system toward such goals, and only people power, including (but not limited to) action like we saw in the People’s Climate March, will move governments in the right direction.

We believe that for this to happen, the U.S. must take a leadership role. Sadly, thanks to obstructionists in Congress and a flood of money from cynical, self-interested climate deniers with their own agenda, the U.S. has so far been blocked from taking the lead. The time is now for the climate to change in Washington, and it will only change with enormous pressure from grassroots America. Climate change is more than an environmental issue. It is also an economic issue, a societal issue and a moral issue. On any of these grounds, if you have never spoken up about climate change and the need to mitigate it, now is the time. If you have never written or called your Congressman/Congresswoman to demand needed carbon policies, now is the time.

Time is running out. If we cannot turn our global economic system away from business as usual, the risk is all but certain that we will surpass four degrees C by the end of this century, leaving a damaged and uncertain world for our heirs.

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