Beyond the Speeches and the Parties

As I write this, Gustav is barreling towards the Gulf Coast. It may hit landfall concurrent with the start of the Republican Convention next week. No matter how carefully choreographed the pageantry, we can never be certain that anything will turn out as planned – or that our elected officials of either party will develop or implement sound public policies addressing climate change or any of the other critical issues facing the United States.

Yesterday, I attended a panel on the “Pickens Plan”, with T. Boone Pickens and Carl Pope. John Podesta of the Center for American Progress moderated, and also enumerated the unfortunately all-too-familiar signs of climate change. Carl laid out his vision of what America needs to do – “repower, refuel, and rebuild” – and the role that our government must play. 

But it was Mr. Pickens’ words that really stood out to me. He readily acknowledged that his wealth and prominence in the corporate world give him access to the ears of any number of public officials. But, he noted, access doesn’t equal action – and he pressed everyone in the audience to get involved and exert the necessary pressure to get things done, at every level of government. Whatever progressives may think of the Pickens Plan, and there’s been loads of analysis in lots of places, we can’t argue with that exhortation. (Mr. Pickens also previewed an ad that he said the traditional media wouldn’t play over the airwaves, in which he claimed that Iran is converting its vehicles to natural gas – one of his main goals here, too. By the time you read this, it may have been uploaded to You Tube or other blogs.)

This convention has been a great time, and I hope I’ve fulfilled my Sierra Club remit in giving you a bit of “color commentary.” There’s nothing wrong with having a celebration, or giving speeches, or whatever. The speeches last night were moving, exciting, and everything else you’ve probably already seen or read. The visuals were amazing- I’m really impressed with the way signs were distributed and waved at the appropriate times! And yes, I did hit a couple of parties where the drinking and networking were happening in equal measure. Indeed, as I alluded to earlier, the networking here is at least as important as the hoopla that happened inside the Pepsi Center. Teleconferencing is great, but bringing thousands and thousands of folks face-to-face does have its place.

And just to be au courant, right now I’m listening to Rachel Maddow and Google CEO Eric Schmidt talk about the internet and politics, including the restrictive laws in China and what Google is trying to reach the Chinese population, what’s going on in other countries, and whether the “internet will change politics as we know it.”  (Rachel is a bit skeptical, since pundits have been saying that for the past 12 years!)

But I know that as soon as I get back to New York, I’ll be out there working for the candidates and issues of my choice, just like Sierra Club members everywhere.

Whoever wins in November, I don’t think that we can assume that candidate websites or the thousands of column inches written or speech after speech after speech will tell us exactly what either Obama or McCain will do starting in January, 2009.  That said, exposure to their ideas, through whatever medium that we seek out – including the experts at Sierra Club, whom I admire so tremendously – can and will inspire us, anger us, frustrate us, and most importantly, motivate us to decide whom to vote for and to work at keeping elected officials to their good promises (or work against the bad ones). 

Carl and Pickens closed their remarks yesterday by agreeing that actually combating climate change is quite feasible – the knowledge and technology is there.  And I don’t think I learned anything else in particular that Sierra Club members don’t already know, including the need to work hard in whatever fashion suits you.   So, I wish I could sign off with an Obama promise or McCain promise that all of our problems will be solved effortlessly – but instead, I’ll just say, “See you in the trenches!”

Bye,

Claire

Ps, And oh, yes – tonight at Invesco Field, I’ll be proudly wearing my Sierra Club Tee.

Comments

[Susan Wise]

Thanks. It all boils down to Obama restoring "Honor" to America! By respecting the people, the land, the integrity of the nation as a whole, it's something that is ignored by the other side! I believe that "We, the People" are indeed a team caring for each other and these things above all else.

[John Wilkinson]

Mr. Pickens supports drilling, not just offshore but in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as well. His plan has nothing to do with global warming; his interest is entirely in reducing dependence on foreign oil. Pickens money helped make "swift-boat" a verb. He donated to Bush's campaigns in both 2000 and 2004. The Sierra Club should not be flirting with this scoundrel.

[Ruth Douglas Miller]

Don't ever forget Pickens' roots--thanks for reminding us, John: but if he is willing to pour dollars into keeping global warming in US citizens' heads, I'm not going to say no. I can say "yes" to his wind farms and "no, don't be an idiot" to his drilling for oil and piping the Ogalalla water to Dallas, all in one breath, and I think most people can understand that.

[Larry LaVerdure]

If we just think a little about Mr. T-Bone's ideas and forget about his character qualifications we don't find much of worth except his desire to increase wind power which he no doubt expects to make money on. The notion that we convert our fleet of cars to natural gas is at best short sighted and quite probably a first rate economic disaster. Natural Gas is a also a fossil fuel in decline and it's price has been climbing and dropping erratically just like any commodity as it approaches peak production. We should be looking to decommission most of our privately owned transportation assets and move to public transportation, incenting the use of bikes, rail and bus routes. But all of this is just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. No one is seriously talking about the elephant in the living room of scarcities in food, energy and housing..."Over population" is driving the crisis on all fronts. In my short life world population has leaped from 2 billion when I was learning to ride a trike to 6.7 billion and headed even higher. We have to stop thinking about growth as an unqualified good thing for our economies and start thinking about a steady state economy. One that gets by on less energy by reversing globalization and invest in localized food and industrial goods production.

Obama is a good candidate but he can't restore honor to America. Americans will have to earn that by reducing their carbon footprints and reversing the concentration of wealth into the greedy hands of corporate elites so we can have universal health care and good schools for all.

The good news is that we can do it if we stay focused and stop playing the patsy to administrations that criminally abuse our rights and claim service reductions are the results of deficits rather than the huge tax breaks that are given to the rich.

This may be our last chance to save our only planet from irreversable harm so let's help Obama lead by leading also.

[Jeannie Gibbons]

Good for you, Claire!

[Claire Silberman]

thanks, everyone! hope you have a great Labor Day weekend!

[Pierre Louis Lemercier]

I do agree plainly with Larry LaVerdure.

The good news is that fossil fuel will hopefully become much too expensive. We will then be oblige to stop paying lips service and compromising with the corporate world as we did with the Kyoto protocol.

This may hopefully force the North Americans to reflect on their unsustainable dependency on energy and reduce it drastically ? Would the US population accept it together with a bit of their comfort for the sake of the world and new generations ?

It is time that US takes its share of responsibility regarding the messing up of the planet just for its greed and comfort.

This is really the first step before talking about renewable energies.

It is true that if we continue playing around with the lesser evil fossil fuel like the natural gas and nuclear, we loose crucial time and investment to build up the renewable energy infrastructures.

Pierre Louis Lemercier from South Africa

[joe]

No sunspots in the month of August. First time since 1913. Yes we will have climate change, but it won't be warming. Get your parkas ready. Sorry Al Gore.

[Charles Moore]

Time for a reality check and that is oil is a massive part of America. The above ranting and raving can not change this.

There is no alternative source in the near future. Improved efficency will help but can not

As far as Kyoto and carbon footprint - China and India have said shove it as has most of the world. At least America's President had the guts to say no upfront. Even Europe is planning new cola fired electrical plants.

For those who a pinning hopes on Obama, you really think the government is the answer? Again oil need is a reality and no politican can change this

[Michal Mudd- 25+yr member and looking for options]

First T. Boone Pickens is heartily endorsed by our club's leadership, then Ken Salazar for Interior is praised, then Vilsack is glorified . . . do we as an organization have any backbone, integrity or cajones left?
What do we stand for when we refuse to act as if we have a cause and can demand some accountability?
The Sierra Club, which I have been a member of for 26 years, has become some kind of branch troop of the Democratic Party indeed. I'm behind on my dues and honestly not really sure I want to continue on even in my leadership roles with this situation. I know it must be fun to rub elbows with politicians and attend inaugural soires but enough is enough. Make some initial demands of milquetoast environmentalist Salazar, pressure Vilsack on organics, stand for something Sierra Club instead of drooling on these gentlemen's shoes in adoration!
Their records speak for themselves and do nothing to lend themselves to the sort of praise lavished upon them. As it stands we have ZERO leverage with these officials now. And the club as a whole ZERO leverage in the political arena now that the board has made it clear on down the line that the club will not endorse Green Party candidates who have better records, leaving the Dems certain of backing even should they resurrect James Watt!
It's called leverage and it's time our membership got involved and reminded the folks sitting in those comfy offices in SF that this club stands for more than currying pats on the head from politicos.