Tomorrow, as global leaders meet in NYC at the UN Climate Summit, protesters from around the world will gather outside in what is hoped to be a massive demonstration of the peoples desire for action on climate change. Hundreds of events worldwide will be held in solidarity, and I would like to encourage everyone who reads this to participate in events in their locations, as well as spread the word among their networks. For too long weve, Ive, sat idle waiting for political action to take place on what is unarguably the most important issue of our times, although far from the only one. Despite a cacophony of warnings from our leading scientists, journalists, and activists, our political leaders have proved completely inept at taking virtually any steps towards mitigating this massive threat to ours and our childrens future. Worse still, as Naomi Klien pointed out the Guardian today, not is there no plan for action, steps continue to be taken in the opposite direction: It’s not simply that our leaders aren’t leading us – at an appropriate gallop – away from fossil fuels and towards the renewable energy revolution that is both technologically and economically feasible. It’s that most of them are doubling down on the very energy sources that are most responsible for the crisis, cheering on the extractive industries as they dig up the most greenhouse gas-intensive fossil fuels on the planet. (theguardian/commentisfree/2014/sep/20/climate-change-global-emergency-alarm) Left with so little representation, and so much at stake, I encourage all of you to get involved in the climate movement and stand up for the future of the planet - no jobs or economic prosperity could be worth the risk were taking by not dealing with this threat. As Ricken Patel, founder of Avaaz, puts it in the film below: We live in a razor thin universe. Just a few kilometers below my feet its too hot to live. Just a few kilometers above my head the air is to thin to breathe. Its not about a few more droughts or a few more storms, its about this catastrophic shift in this fragile balance of our biosphere that threatens everything we love. Tomorrow is the an important march, but actions will continue in the lead up to the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris next year. Like Rebecca Solnit said on Wednesday: the silence on climate change is deafening. Its time for us to get loud. (theguardian/commentisfree/2014/sep/17/silence-climate-change-peoples-march) For more info on the NYC march go here: peoplesclimate.org/march/ If you are in Toronto, a march will take place at 1pm starting from Nathan Philips, (info here: https://secure.avaaz.org/en/event/climate/Peoples_Climate_March_Toronto) If you are in Prague, a march will take place at 1pm starting in Wenceslav Square, (info here: https://secure.avaaz.org/en/event/climate/Peoples_Climate_March_1530) Finally, check out the film below about climate change, the inaction of our leadership, and what you can do about it.
Posted on: Sat, 20 Sep 2014 21:07:08 +0000