Thursday, September 1, 2011

BILL MCKIBBEN, ONE OF MY HEROS

It seems incredible that Republican presidential candidates deny the reality of climate change caused by manmade contributions to global warming. And even more incredible that the media ignores this, as well as how it impacts the extreme weather we've had this year (including Irene, which we're still dealing with in re our water problems, having to boil before using or using bottled water etc.).

Bill McKibben is considered one of the leading ecological activists and is leading the demonstrations that have been going on for over a week now in front of The White House. Demonstrations I thought of traveling down to take part in, even bringing my thirteen-year-old to get a hands on civics lesson. But then I thought of my various health issues and the problems they might create for me if I were jailed, and other life events got in the way (Irene, for instance).

There's plenty of recent articles to read about McKibben's work, or his own books including the most recent EAARTH, or his first which helped start the fight against global warming. But here's an interview that will show you why I admire the guy. He's a true hero in my book, whose modesty and clarity compliment a kind of true humility (meaning he doesn't puff himself up, but neither does he shrink from the truth).

(He also reminds me physically of a cross between the poet/photographer Kevin McCollister, who is handsomer, and poet Ron Padgett, who is wittier. Anyway, I recommend watching the whole interview, i.e. both videos, to the end. It's rewarding and hopefully inspiring.)

[PS: Check out his organization's website: 350.org]

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

My church had a 350.org event a few years ago. We rang the church bell and other little bells 350 times.
Caitlin

Lally said...

totally cool church

JIm said...
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JIm said...
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Robert G. Zuckerman said...

I was waiting for the deletions. Deny-ers of the impact of man's activity on our eco-system are in league with Holocaust deny-ers.

JIm said...
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Lally said...

I agree Robert. Allowing rightwingers to continue to propagate their lies and misinformation is like allowing racists in the South when we were young spew their lies and misinformation (they used the same language against those of us involved actively in the Civil Rights fight that Assad and his minions use against the Syrians demonstrating peacefully for change in Syria, i.e. "outsider agitators" etc.) or the Nazi and Fascist propaganda machines spew their anti-reason excues for genocide and eugenics etc. The purest perspective is this, global warming and the climate change it is causing is a fact no matter what its cause and it has to be dealt with and any time wasted arguing over it just adds to the accumulating damage. Those who believe "the end times" are nigh don't care, those so greedy and selfish that all that matters is their own wealth and well being don't care, and those whose ideology precludes believing anything contrary to their corporate masters' dictums (i.e. government itself is the problem etc.) don'r care. But we do, and the first thing we must do is not give any more attention to the insane nonsense the right keeps overwhelming all media with, including even personal blogs!

Robert G. Zuckerman said...

hmmm, would all the Teapocrits rather have plastic derived from petroleum that does not biodegrade and that leaches into the food chain with proven carcinogenic results, that clogs our ecosystem with country sized vortexes in the middle of our oceans, or plastic made from corn and potatoes, that biodegrades in 80 days, that vaporizes harmlessly when you burn it? Even my late father, a hardcore Conservative with a brilliant scientific, humanistic mind, explained to me how the deforestation of the Rockies, Sawtooth and other mountain ranges affected the weather, agriculture and life of our nation's "breadbasket." Today's agenda/slogan driven robot/lemmings don't think at all, don't have the character to admit the truth or own their mistakes, don't see the consequences of their prejudice and ignorance on the lives of real, God loving people. If and when the reckoning comes, they will pay for this sin.

Lally said...

well said.