from David Levitan at ecopolitology.org, January 2010: Communicating Climate Change:Joe Romm on Cutting the Crap: Joseph Romm is the editor of Climate Progress and a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress Action Fund. He spent five years in the Clinton administration, notably as Acting Assistant Secretary of Energy for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. He also holds a PhD in physics from MIT, and is among the more outspoken and visible voices on climate and energy issues around the web.
from Climate Progress, April 22, 2014, Let’s Rename Earth Day by Joe Romm
“…
I don’t worry about the earth. I’m pretty certain the earth will survive the worst we can do to it. I’m very certain the earth doesn’t worry about us. I’m not alone. People got more riled up when scientists removed Pluto from the list of planets than they do when scientists warn that our greenhouse gas emissions are poised to turn the earth into a barely habitable planet.
Arguably, concern over the earth is elitist, something people can afford to spend their time on when every other need is met. But elitism is out these days, at least for everyone but the 0.01 percent and the Supreme Court. We need a new way to make people care about the nasty things we’re doing with our cars and power plants. At the very least, we need a new name.
How about Nature Day or Environment Day? Personally, I am not an environmentalist. I don’t think I’m ever going to see the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. I wouldn’t drill for oil there. But that’s not out of concern for the caribou but for my daughter and the planet’s next several billion people, who will need to see oil use cut sharply to avoid the worst of climate change. …”
Read the entire piece here.
Climate Action Alliance of the Valley 