I was reading Bill McKibben’s most recent article entitled Obama Versus Physics – Why Climate Change Won’t Wait for the President and it reinforced my feelings that we must act now and aggressively to address climate change. Given what has not happened in Washington over the past two years, I am not hopeful that our broken political system can save us from the worst impacts of climate change unless we act now with something like a Pennies Per Pound CO2 Tax & Energy Stamp Program.
Bill McKibben talking at MIP&L Annual Meeting
Here is a short passage from the article that resonates with me:
We’re talking about a fight between human beings and physics. And physics is entirely uninterested in human timetables. Physics couldn’t care less if precipitous action raises gas prices, or damages the coal industry in swing states. It could care less whether putting a price on carbon slowed the pace of development in China, or made agribusiness less profitable.
Physics doesn’t understand that rapid action on climate change threatens the most lucrative business on Earth, the fossil fuel industry. It’s implacable. It takes the carbon dioxide we produce and translates it into heat, which means into melting ice and rising oceans and gathering storms. And unlike other problems, the less you do, the worse it gets. Do nothing and you soon have a nightmare on your hands.
We could postpone healthcare reform a decade, and the cost would be terrible — all the suffering not responded to over those 10 years. But when we returned to it, the problem would be about the same size. With climate change, unless we act fairly soon in response to the timetable set by physics, there’s not much reason to act at all.
Bill McKibben – Obama Versus Physics
Here are some ways you can get started now saving energy and reducing your impact on the planet including your CO2 emissions.
Happy Greening!
Jon
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