A Call for Action

11/08/13

Around the world climate scientists and environmentally conscious people alike are calling for action. While every reputable scientist agrees that climate change is real, happening right now, and is anthropogenic, what to do about it has been heavily debated. Because of this, there has been no definite and effective action taken place in order to stop it. This has caused a sense of urgency amongst the community leading to many scientists and activists urging people to take action on climate change. The nineteenth Conference of the Parties (COP) currently taking place in Warsaw is at the forefront of this push. Others in support include James Hansen, Bill McKibben and even Michael Klare who have all openly voiced their concerns for the future.

Representatives from countries around the world are meeting in an effort to further progress towards a more sustainable future. Following an already delicate topic of global climate change, the super-typhoon Haiyan has sparked further concerns around the world specifically about the adverse effects on weather patterns and storms. The UNFCCC speaker for the Philippines (Jeb Sano) made a moving and emotional speech on acting now to fight climate change, pleading with the president and the rest of the committee. Sano is just one of many people urging the world to take action and promote climate awareness and sustainability.

Others are also speaking out on dealing with climate change. Many climate scientists and activists are going to work, urging fellow citizens to promote awareness and action about dealing with climate change. Michael Klare argues that we need uprisings around the world in order to give climate change mitigation a real chance of going into affect. The idea that action must be taken in order for real progress to be made has been gaining steam over the past couple of months and maybe even years. Looking to the past, there have been many movements that were successful through direct action between groups of supporters. The same must be done in order to see any tangible progress on stopping or diminishing climate change.

In the past, groups have also taken action against a variety of movements for anything from injustices to differing opinions. In recent years specifically, many groups of people have taken to the streets to protest something. Take for example Japan's fight against nuclear energy after the Fukushima disaster. Many people argue that nuclear energy is one of the best alternative energies of the future, but because of the massive anti-nuclear movement (Sometimes justifiably so, like in the case of a nuclear reactor meltdown from Fukushima), nuclear energy has not been able to make any tangible progress. Other recent examples are seen with the Keystone XL Pipeline being fought as well as opposition of a chemical plant in  Ningbo, China.

As seen from past experiences, anti-movements can be effective and powerful ways for the general public to show their support or opposition of a controversial topic. The same must be done in order to apply pressure on governments to pass legislation that will help mitigate climate change. If climate change mitigation does not gain enough steam, more Superstorms like the Supertyphoon Haiyan, or Superstorm Sandy will become more prevalent. While more of these Superstorms could be the catalyst needed to push real climate change legislation, it might be too little too late. In the end, the consensus of climate scientists and activists is clear: Action must be taken in order to make a change.

"If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters. This struggle may be a moral one; or it may be a physical one; or it may be both moral and physical; but it must be a struggle." (Frederick Douglass)