INTRO: The United Nations Conference on Climate Change has started its second day in Copenhagen Denmark. It’s scheduled to last 2 weeks. The most visible American on the issue could be a college professor from Vermont. Last month he was in Michigan. His goal: get industrialized countries to cut their carbon footprints. Michigan Now’s Chris McCarus reports.
The groundswell of support last year for candidate Barack Obama coincided with another surprise. 350.org. It’s a website led by a teacher and author named Bill McKibben. He spoke on the University of Michigan campus.
“Those of you who think or who thought that environmentalism was something that rich white people engaged in should take a while to go to 350.org and look at those pictures from all across Africa, from all across Asia, from 300 rallies across China where it’s not easy to do this kind of thing, all over the world, completely beautiful to see.”
On October 24th, 350.org staged an international day of climate action. The website shows human chains made of the number 350 next to pyramids, on soccer fields, in deserts, in front of opera houses, underwater in coral reefs. People are concerned that the earth’s atmosphere has 387 parts per million of carbon dioxide in it. Scientists say a safe level is 350. Hence, 350.org.
“And there wasn’t a rock star or a movie star in sight. It was people taking science seriously, understanding the plight that we’re in. It’s been amazing to watch those people especially in the most vulnerable areas of the earth.”
Thousands, perhaps millions joined McKibben’s call to shout in their local governments’ ear. Just a couple hundred turned out in Ann Arbor. Earlier this year, 7 coal plants were planned for Michigan. Now just 2 are on the table, in Rogers City and Bay City.
“We’re going to need action on the state level to make sure that your senators and governor are doing the things they need to do that those coal fired power plants get closed down in short order, across this state.”
The Michigan Public Service Commission has said new coal plants shouldn’t be built right now. The decline of manufacturing has reduced the need for them. The Sierra Club, Clean Water Action and the Michigan Environmental Council have been pleased. McKibben is saying go farther. Close down the ones you’ve got. He says states like Michigan have been contributing to other countries demise for decades.
“Papua New Guinea. People from the Carteret Islands, the first people in the world who’ve had to leave their homes, thousands of people evacuated because of rising waters have relocated, places where people have lived for thousands of years that they can’t live anymore. We can’t take for granted anymore this planet that we were born into. We have to fight to make sure it’s here for people who come after us. The outcome of that fight is far from certain. It lies entirely in our hands. On to Detroit, thank you all enormously.”
If it’s hard to relate to people’s problems in the South Pacific, climate change activists say point to the problems you feel here in Michigan everyday.
“The motivation to change is going to be coming because of things like rising energy prices or recessions or other types of impacts on our communities.”
Architect Bryn Davidson is also in Denmark at the UN Climate Change Conference. Before that he came to the climate and energy conference held at Crystal Mountain south of Traverse City. He’s a Californian who lives in Vancouver.
“You can see governments spending money on things like highway capacity expansions. These are massive investments in things that only make sense in a future that looks just like the past. So we’re saying, instead of dumping our money into these stranded assets can we instead shift it to a more resilient investment. These are familiar things: rail for people and moving goods, electrification of transport. More dense land use patterns, alternatives to moving goods which is about creating a more local economy.”
350.org is asking people to join in a worldwide vigil, gathering at local community landmarks this Friday and Saturday, demanding governments sign a legally binding pact to reduce co2.