Making a difference in the Climate Struggle. Join!!

On an individual level we can all make a difference by reducing our carbon footprint. This is laudable but it is a known fact only strong collective action will save the day.  There are hurdles to jump, known and unknown, that will challenge us. By joining a climate group, we can participate and take satisfaction we played a role finding solutions.

The rest of the article will briefly touch on some of the climate groups I have experience with. One is new, XR or Extinction Rebellion formed primarily but not exclusively by youth.  It was unintentionally legitimized by the United Nations. The UN report on biodiversity, compiled by 450 researchers, warns us one million species are at risk of extinction. I will get back to XR at the end of the column.

If you join any environmental organization, you will be joining a climate adaptation and mitigation organization.  When the term global warming came out environmental organizations were caught flat footed. They were concentrating on endangered species, clean air, clean water, habitat protections, soil conservation, etc, etc. They were slow to recognize, but finally to their horror, realized climate change would eventually ruin everything they had been working for. All environmental organizations are now climate organizations. Here is a short list: The Sierra Club, Greenpeace, The Audubon Society, The Environmental Defense Fund, The Nature Conservancy, The National Resource Defense Council, Earth Justice, The League of Conservation Voters, and Trout Unlimited.

There are many more and if you feel left out, send me a letter identifying your organization and what it focusses on.

There are climate specific organizations. 350.org formed 12 years ago at Middlebury, College. After the head of the NASA Goddard Institute of Space Studies, James Hansen, reported that 350ppm of carbon dioxide in the air was the safe upper limit, the organization took its name from that report. It is now an international organization.

The Union of Concerned Scientists formed in 1969 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It defends science and promotes the use of science for peaceful safe purposes. When science data showed climate change to be a threat, many scientists were threatened by fossil fuel funded groups and politicians. Now the UCS devotes a lot of time protecting climate scientists. Wikipedia says, “The UCS has accused the US government of dozens of instances of political interference in science and supports whistleblower protection, monetary incentives, and free speech rights for federal scientists. Its scientific integrity program has produced surveys of federal scientists at multiple agencies and a statement signed by more than 11,000 scientists condemning political interference in science.”

You have heard me mention Citizens Climate Lobby many times. I devote my energies to this organization because it embraces science and economics in one solution, a carbon pollution fee and citizens dividend.

As an officer in the US military I took an oath to defend and protect the Constitution of the United States. CCL believes that our constitutional government can and will be responsive to the needs of the people, if the people petition their representatives in a persistent, rational, and respectful manner.

 World famous arctic explorer Will Steger has personally witnessed the profound changes in the polar regions due to climate change. One of his many climate initiatives is an organization called Climate Generation.  Recognizing that the greatest challenge our children will encounter is climate disruption he created this organization to empower teachers to know, and act, by teaching climate science. This August 5-7th they are sponsoring a Summer Institute in Washington D.C. Scholarships are available. If you need further help, call me.

The Climate Reality Project is a large and dynamic organization. They focus on education also. On the 2-4th of August they will host a training session in Minneapolis.  

The most vibrant climate movements currently are those who have taken off due to the efforts of the sixteen-year-old Swedish girl Greta Thunberg. Penguin books is printing her numerous speeches in a book, No One is Too Small to make a Difference.   

Her inspiration has brought thousands, in fact over a million students into the streets to protest world-wide government inaction. The new organization, Extinction Rebellion, and Rising UP have taken off as the young realize we have ignored them. It is a movement we should not take lightly.

Penguin Books is also publishing XR’s book called, This is not a Drill.  I love the title because it brings back the excitement of life on the Navy supply ships. Whenever there was something going wrong there was three short blasts from the ship’s whistle followed by, “This is not a drill, I repeat, this is not a drill……” Life was about to become a bit more interesting any second.

And that is the way it is now. We can retreat into our imaginary world, or we can grab the bull by the horns and deal with climate challenges. The scientists have given us three short blasts on the horn. The kids have finally brought us to our senses; this is not a drill. Like it or not, life is going to get even more interesting.

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