I have think I am throwing my lot in with CCL- Citizen's Climate Lobby, on the grounds that they have the only concrete possible answer to global warming that I have seen. I still think we might be to late, but in case we are not, I have to do something.
So yesterday I went to man a table at a county fair event. First I learned, as if I didn't know, that I am very bad at approaching people. And secondly I discovered how ignorant people are about climate change. People don't know- I don't think that people want to know- because then maybe they will have to do something. And because scientific literacy is pretty low, even in this affluent area.
I think that is the appeal of thinking that it is too late- then I wouldn't have to do anything. I wouldn't have to give up my car. I wouldn't have to try to do things I am really bad at like getting people to sign petitions and lobbying politicians. I don't think I can convince people climate change is an emergency- for the most part I can't even convince my family. And I am not a scientist or engineer who is going to make some amazing discovery for new energy sources or better battery technology.
A couple of years ago I was worried about peak oil, I thought that would bring down civilization as we know it (a bad thing), but I also thought it would happen in time to prevent the worst effects of climate change (a good thing), so I wasn't so worried about climate change. But now it seems that nature is not that kind, and that we have sufficient fossil fuel reserves to cause severe heating, and perhaps human extinction.
A couple of weeks ago I went to a protest in Washington DC. I was talking to a guy there and said, "The question is not are we right, but are we too late?" And he said, "Of course we too late. I am just here so I don't go postal." And I think that is kind of what I am doing too.
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