Take Action Next Weekend--Climate Change & The Economy

by: Paul Rosenberg

Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 19:00

Make no mistake, whatever else it takes, mass action is needed to make real change happen, and we're one week away from two important opportunities to do that. Go to these sits to learn more about them.

October 24th is an internal day of climate action, sponsoed by 350.org, with over 3500 events scheduled around the world, in 161 countries. 350 parts per million is the CO2 threshold we need to get below in order to avoid the worst of global warming. Find an action near you on the map here.

October 25-27 is the Showdown in Chicago, pitting the people against the plutocracy at the American Bankers Association annual meeting in Chicago.

Schedule of Events
Note: all times are approximate and subject to change
If you wish to join us at the Showdown, please fill out a Showdown Inquiry Form
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2009
3:00pm - Welcoming & Kick Off to the Showdown
Americans from all walks of life come together to roll up our sleeves and start working together on how we ensure we have a financial system that benefits people.
7:00pm - Community Dinner
Break bread with people from across the country.
8:00pm - Workshops: Financial Reform that Protects People and Creates a Recovery on Main Street
MONDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2009
DAY OF ACTION
The American People take our grievances and proposals for change directly to the worst actors in the financial crisis - the banks and lobbyists who caused the crisis and even now continue to block reforms the that will help American families recover.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2009
MARCH TO THE BANKER'S CONVENTION
10:00am - Prayer vigil on Wacker, east of Michicagan Avenue
10:30am - March: starting at Stetson and Wacker
11:00am - Rally at the Sheraton Hotel (301 East North Water Street, Chicago)

Paul Rosenberg :: Take Action Next Weekend--Climate Change & The Economy

Tags: 350.org, climate change, economic populism, financial justice, (All Tags)

Print Friendly View

Send As Email

Take Action Next Weekend--Climate Change & The Economy | 3 comments

There Are Enough Local 350 Options (0.00 / 0)

That I should be able to go to one sometime during the day next Saturday, and you'll never even know I'm gone.

How about you?

"Senate passes expanded GI bill despite Bush, McCain opposition"

by: Paul Rosenberg @ Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 18:08:15 PM CDT

Priority Number One for 2010: green energy & green jobs (0.00 / 0)

We have nearly finished the fight for health care reform. I expect something to get passed this year, and I expect it to be good but imperfect. The only thing that might not be in the final bill, which we all need to fight for, is the Kucinich Amendment, which would allow a state by state fight to implement Medicare for All.
The next priority needs to be green energy and green jobs. Global Warming is going to be one of the biggest problems in the world over the next generation. To say that every American has a moral imperative to fight Global Warming is to understate the problem. It is going to be a long, hard fight in both Congress and the media, to get meaningful reform. The two strategies that I encourage us to use are: link greenhouse gas emissions to the creation of "green collar" jobs, and call out those that deny a link between carbon dioxide and Global Warming.
The Right will use two basic strategies to protect our high-carbon status quo. One is outright denial that Global Warming is even happening, and that is the position of Sen. Inhofe and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. A related (but not as obvious) lie comes from Sarah Palin, who claims that Global Warming is happening, but that it is not caused by man. (Some Global Warming deniers like to say that our current warming is caused by increased solar radiation, and that Mars is warming as well. These people ignore the fact that for several thousand years, there has been a strong correlation between atmospheric carbon dioxide and temperature. They also ignore the fact that for several thousand years, the highest level of CO2 was 308 ppm, while we are currently above the highest safe level of CO2, which is 350 ppm.) The second strategy is to delay and minimize. After all, does it really matter whether we get CO2 levels below 350 ppm by 2015 or 2020? What is another five years, in the greater scheme of things? This second strategy will be harder for us to fight, because it relies upon a lot of geeky policy-wonk questions that are harder to frame with sound bites.
Individual scientists may quibble about minor differences in models of Global Warming, but they have all agreed since the 1980's that Global Warming is happening, that it is caused by CO2 from fossil fuels, and that it is a real danger to the world. So, when anyone tries to spread the Inhofe lie or the Palin lie, we need to call them out early, call them out often, and call them out loudly. Yes, there will be short-term financial costs to reducing CO2 levels, but the costs of inaction are far greater. And if we link an increase in green energy to the creation of American jobs, it will be a winning issue for us. As for the second strategy of delaying and minimizing, we need to get clear statements from leading scientists that support our CO2 reduction targets, and we need be able to point to near-term economic benefits (like job creation) to go along with our carbon reduction legislation.

1 Corinthians 13:1 (KJV) - "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal."/ GOP = Greedy Old Privatizers or Greedy Old Privateers?

by: Christian_Dem_NY @ Mon Oct 19, 2009 at 07:55:21 AM CDT

Chris Hedges on climate change (4.00 / 2)

"The reason the ecosystem is dying is not because we still have a dryer in our basement. It is because corporations look at everything, from human beings to the natural environment, as exploitable commodities. It is because consumption is the engine of corporate profits. We have allowed the corporate state to sell the environmental crisis as a matter of personal choice when actually there is a need for profound social and economic reform. We are left powerless."
http://www.truthdig.com/report...

by: nasrudin @ Mon Oct 19, 2009 at 09:42:22 AM CDT