Global Climate Disruption: No Planet B

Sustainability is Security. Humanity must do everything possible to stabilize the climate. Climate change is a public health and safety issue of epic proportions. It has been called the World War III of our time. Cutting way back on carbon emissions is a key step, requiring a change in our lifestyle as U.S. citizens. Scientifically, there is no debate that this is a real issue, that human behavior affects the climate, and that public policy and private action must be geared toward recognizing and correcting the problem. I will provide leadership at the federal level to create a public works program, called a Green New Deal, so that everyone can have meaningful work as we strengthen our infrastructure and transform into living sustainably.

Campaigns of disinformation regarding the effect of human behavior on the weather are intended to suppress popular resistance to polluting industries. Industries that don't want to clean up their act have a vested interested in keeping production and profits up and controls down. Unfortunately, the risk of the "naysayers" being wrong is unacceptably high, and their behavior delays implementation of steps to protect cities, towns, tribes and ecosystems. The solutions to climate change are far from horrific, except to those who demand that we continue with our ways of consumption and waste. Due to the alliance of big business with government, neither mainstream party is interested in truly addressing and solving this problem.

There are steps to take to discourage belching carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. From a regulatory standpoint, a tax on carbon emissions is better than "cap and trade," as it is less prone to being gamed and manipulated. The real issue, 'though, is that we are living outside our means with an ecological "footprint" far exceeding that which can be maintained. World-wide, we are: demanding more resources at a time of dwindling supply, ruining ecosystems, putting pressure on indigenous cultures and leaving future generations with a bleak outlook. Some simple steps include supporting local organic farmers, growing your own garden, eating lower on the "food chain," retrofitting and designing buildings to be smarter with energy use (such as L.E.E.D. and beyond), walking or biking to work, utilizing light rail transport, having tax codes that protect "undeveloped" areas, requiring businesses to accept the packaging that their products come in, so as to reduce waste both "upstream and downstream." To the consumer, the transformation is a plus: the cost of living is lower (food and energy bills, for example). Emergency readiness is improved by these steps and others.

The climate is unstable and we are unprepared. The GOOD news is that, by becoming prepared, we strengthen our local communities, cut our waste and our pollution, create a more livable society where people work together to make sure everyone's basic needs are met, and lower the odds of climate disruption disrupting our lives. In short, cutting greenhouse gasses by living more justly and sustainably is what we ought to be doing, anyway. It is cost-effective to move away from fossil fuels and nuclear energy, and it is important that we do so as quickly as possible. A "Roadmap for U.S. Energy Policy" is presented, for example, in the book CARBON-FREE and NUCLEAR-FREE by Arjun Makhijani. As someone not living far from a nuclear power plant (San Onofre) I very much want the plant shut down and the radioactive waste stored in dry casks, at the very least! Through improvements and adjustments such as conservation and energy efficiency we can make up for the 6.5% or so of the energy that the aging, brittle, fault-prone San Onofre Nuclear Generating station supplies to California. The plant should not have its license renewed.

Those who are threatened by improvements based upon climate concern are those wanting to maintain the status quo of consumption of energy, of materials and of our lives. Look up Transition in Action, join others to do that which our government and our business leaders are NOT doing. Learn that sustainable living is our future, that it is extremely cost-effective, especially from the big-picture view, and that come earthquake, firestorm or tsunami, we will be better prepared in our localities when water, food and energy are locally maintained. Be Green, be proud, and take steps to transform our culture to consume less, live more, and to solve societal problems responsibly and locally.

Please don't forget to donate. Campaigns such as this are independent of corporate influence, are not funded by a party or a PAC and rely upon small-level donations from concerned citizens who want to help protect the environment and clean up political corruption.

Note: The term "Global Climate Change" recognizes that what is happening is much more complex than the older term "Global Warming" would imply. Some areas of the world are much hotter than at any time before in recorded history and some places are actually colder! Everywhere, the planet's climate patterns are showing disruption.

10/24/2011