How a Random Guy Trumped the Greatest Minds from China and the USA on Climate Change
In May of 2006, I had the chance to attend the China-US Climate Change Forum hosted by the University of California at Berkeley. To an eco-geek, the list of speakers was star-studded with Nobel laureates, professors from top universities, famous innovators, and leaders from the business communities in China and the United States. The conference opened with the premier of Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth, just before it hit theaters. Before a university worker’s strike altered plans, Al Gore himself was slated to join the stage.
But it was a random guy in the audience who stole the show with a single insightful comment in the closing moments.
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During the conference, speakers had argued the benefits of different types of solar panels; they had showed environmental progress from some of the world’s largest corporations; they had represented government opinions; and they had detailed the economics of climate policies. In addition to these positive developments, the evening wasn’t without some finger pointing between the US and China over which country is more responsible for climate change and which should make the first big move.
After the last speaker had cleared the stage the conference was opened to audience questions. Most drew out details from the speaker’s lines of reasoning. Then a slender man in a well-worn brown jacket stood up. With short, grey hair he looked a youthful sixty.
His tone was quiet and respectful. He said (paraphrasing), “For three decades, I’ve heard speakers say things similar to what I’ve heard today. Thirty years ago, they were called doomsdayers. Today, we know enough to respect their opinions, but we still haven’t changed our lifestyles. I take good care of my clothes and they last a long time. I have short, cold showers and I don’t own a car. These solutions aren’t complex. They’re right before every one of us.”
When he sat down, there was a moment’s pause and then the auditorium filled with applause.
The man’s point, as I took it, was though we should all take the initiative to push our governments and businesses to act in environmentally sustainable ways, it’s a two way street and the other side starts with individual action. In all the talk of the latest thin film solar technology and the goods and evils of corporate environmentalism, somehow even the great speakers at this conference had forgotten to bring the message home, literally.
Since then, I’ve also treated my clothes a little better, taken more short, cold showers, and lived (and well) without a car. You may also do some of these things or other things to help build a more socially and environmentally responsible and sustainable society. If so, I’m glad to know you.
Read More About Everyday Activism
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Family Activism: Mothers and Children Want Stronger Climate Legislation
Five Tips For Talking To Your Children About Climate Change
Photo source: taufiq @ eyecreation via Flickr under a Creative Commons license.
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Why is everyone so eccentric one way or the other?? Look at the simple idea this guy is suggesting… He didn’t say “Everyone do as i do because i got it right, and if everyone was like me, the world would be better” He just made it clear that simple actions can have a positive personal impact, and the chance for a greater positive influence. The fight shouldn’t be whether or not Global Warming is happening, or if renewable energy is feasible, but rather, here’s my justifications… Go into your garage, and turn on your car without opening the door. It’s not very nice. Why would you want to put those gases into the environment more than necessary?? Pick up a styrophome container off your yard and look at the dead grass underneath. Why not try to use less? It’s so simple, not a huge movement of one type of people against the other. Do what’s practical, and stop making excusses for either side!!!
I do my bit by not showering often!
TO CHANGE THE CLIMATE WITHOUT ALLOWING NATURE TO DO IT, CAN DELETE ALL LIFE ON EARTH. ONLY NATURE CAN CHANGE THE CLIMATE NATURALLY, WITHOUT LOSS OF LIFE IN LARGE QUANITIES. AS IS MY GLOBAL TEAMS AND I ARE TRYING TO DELETE GLOBAL WARMING, SINCE ITS CAUSED BY ANOTHER SPECIE IN EARTH USEING THE ROTATION OF EARTH TO AUTOMATICALLY ACTIVATE EACH BEAM TO WEAKEN THE OZONE. DURING A SERIES OF SEARCHES I TOYED AROUND USEING MY TEAMS AND I FIGURED OUT HOW TO DEACTIVATE EACH BEAM. FOR 28 DAYS WE DEACTIVATED THE BEAMS =THE RESULTS THE GLACIERS STOPPED MELTING AND RETURNED TO FREEZING EACH TIME. ALL FRESHWATER ON SALTWATER FROZE ALSO. THIS IS WHY ITS SO IMPORTANT I DELETE GLOBAL WARMING MY WAY. IF WE ARE ABLE TO DO IT MY WAY, WE DELETE THE SPECIE CAUSING THIS PERMANENTLY AND THE INCOMING LARGE CRAFT THAT THE HUBBELL IS TRACKING FOR NASA IS THE OTHER SPECIES AND THEIR CULTURES INCOMING, ONLY THEIR ON A COLLISION COURSE IN DEEP SPACE. OUR BIG PROBLEM WAS THAT PRESIDENT BUSH KNEW FROM THE SCIENTISTS HE HIRED THAT MAN WAS’NT RESPONSIBLE, SO HE USED HIS CIA TO STOP ALL OUR EMAILS TO OTHER NATIONS AND ORDERED NASA SCIENTISTS TO LIE ABOUT IT, JUST SO HE COULD DESTROY ALL LIFE THAT HATES HIM, WHY? WHO KNOWS. WE WILL CONTINUE TO SEARCH AND WHEN READY DESTROY OUR ENEMIES. HAVE A NICE DAY. THE DISASTER SOLUTIONIST MASTER.