All Posts Tagged With: "bill mckibben"

In response to this week’s Wishcasting question. . .My first wish for winter is always for a lot of snow. I love how snow covers everything, smudging away the angular edges that divide everything up into neat, separate objects all the rest of the year. Snow requires us to see our world through different eyes; its magical visual effects are so invigorating and uplifting.

The other reason I wish for snow now is to somehow stave off the effects of global climate change. The last several years, Maryland has had mild weather, both summer (a blessing!) and winter (boring!!). Back in 2003, it snowed a lot in February AND in December. That’s my son after the December 2003 storm. In “Long Distance,” Bill McKibben bemoans this trend and its effect on the cross-country skiing industry. It’s been 6 years since I’ve been able to ski around my neighborhood!

I love how Chinese medicine describes both the seasons and the elements related to them. Fittingly, water is the element in winter. Water is so willful and strong; ice formed inside a wall can literally tear it down without even trying. Water always, always finds a way around something. My final wish this winter is to be as willful and resourceful as water in its many forms. What’s your wish?

Dear Friends,

There are moments in a nation’s—and a planet’s—history when it may be necessary for some to break the law in order to bear witness to an evil, bring it to wider attention, and push for its correction. We think such a time has arrived, and we are writing to say that we hope some of you will join us in Washington D.C. on Monday March 2 in order to take part in a civil act of civil disobedience outside a coal-fired power plant near Capitol Hill.

We will be there to make several points:
#Coal-fired power is driving climate change. Our foremost climatologist, NASA’s James Hansen, has demonstrated that our only hope of getting our atmosphere back to a safe level—below 350 parts per million co2—lies in stopping the use of coal to generate electricity.
# Even if climate change were not the urgent crisis that it is, we would still be burning our fossil fuels too fast, wasting too much energy and releasing too much poison into the air and water. We would still need to slow down, and to restore thrift to its old place as an economic virtue.
#Coal is filthy at its source. Much of the coal used in this country comes from West Virginia and Kentucky, where companies engage in "mountaintop removal" to get at the stuff; they leave behind a leveled wasteland, and impoverished human communities. No technology better exemplifies the out-of-control relationship between humans and the rest of creation.
#Coal smoke makes children sick. Asthma rates in urban areas near coal-fired power plants are high. Air pollution from burning coal is harmful to the health of grown-ups too, and to the health of everything that breathes, including forests.

Continued

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5kg1oOq9tY[/youtube]

There is so much anxiety in the air these days, along with all that excess CO2 . I was happy to stumble upon this global movement to solve the climate crisis. I’m sure I’m not alone in wondering — hey! When are our elected leaders going to wake up and DO something about this already?! Well, guess what? It’s up to each and every one of US to do something about it, whether that means changing out your lightbulbs, walking more, buying locally, and/or calling your elected officials to let them know your concerns. This website has wonderful graphics to explain the situation, making it perfectly clear even to those of us with science deficit disorder. There is also a way to take action, find events, and sign up to receive action alerts. Bill McKibben is one of the people behind this site, which is not surprising, given his interest in the subject. His book, The End of Nature , was an early influence on my career. Order it from your local bookstore — The Ivy or Breathe Books are two in Baltimore.