Was greatly
impressed with Tim
DeChristopher’s visit to Bill Moyers’ and Co.
recently. Hadn’t heard of his story which has occurred/is occurring
on the frontlines of the climate
issue. He is passionate and
articulate and speaks knowledgeably about all aspects of the climate
issue. One thing that impressed me was
his speaking critically of the groups that want to work with Congress to affect
change – these efforts cannot move forward without getting the corporate thumbs
up and have proven to be ineffectual. There
were many parts of his appearance that are grist for thought, I recommend you
watch it (link above). Here are two
directions my thoughts took me:
Moyers mentioned
that people today are less concerned with the environment than we were after
the start of Earth Day, the annual event held on April 22, which started in
1970. Of this DeChristopher says:
One
of the weaknesses of the environmental movement and parts of the climate
movement [check out the interview for the sound differences between the two] is
its always encouraged people to think as consumers, about what they can do in
their consumer purchases – driving a hybrid, buying the right light bulb, and
that sort of thing. That is
understandable because we have so many reminders of our role as a
consumer. We see 3,000 advertisements a
day that all remind us: you’re a consumer, that’s who you are. And we don’t have nearly as many reminders
that we are also citizens in what was once the greatest democracy in the
world.
This is important because it speaks of a fundamental mold
that our approaches to the climate issue are cast from. That we are consumers must be understood in
order to make sense of the issue and understand what conditions must be
addressed/met in order to even theoretically approach the problem. And as Moyers and DeChristopher mentioned,
getting the “right” kind of light bulb ain’t gonna do it.
Another
question: Is it right to compare the struggle for defense of the climate with
African-American civil liberties struggle of the past? This comparison is made in light of climate
activists being arrested, or, in DeChristopher’s case, being put in
prison. In asking if it is right – that is a moral question. What are the salient facts besides the moral
question? Biggest is the economic
backdrop and the correlative different time periods in which the events are
taking place. Taken from some impossible
birds-eye-view, the battle against segregation almost seems blessed by the
upswing in the economy that occurred in the post-WWII era. Those economic factors may be traced to today
where they represent some of the factors causing global warming (or as some have
referred to it: “global death”). Put
another way, the civil-rights movement capitalized on a world where expansion
was occurring in the economic sector, where there were more jobs coming online
and the US was transforming into the world it is today. That world, one of enterprise and job
creation, is now the culprit – much of the energy we need to run our world
coming from fossil fuels be they oil, coal or natural gas. The conditions that helped one movement are
the conditions that the other is fighting against.
Dealing
with the consumerist psyche and the historical place we find ourselves at
add to the complexity of the issue. To mention one the other aspect of the issue touched upon was the idea of that no matter what, our species will carry on - only in reduced numbers. Had to at least refer to the apocalyptic territory the interviewed entered. In the end though, thank goodness for the Tim
DeChristophers (and of course the Bill Moyers) of the world for accepting the
challenge.
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