In a recent blog post, Calvin at Climate Change Action notes: “Other countries are acting aggressively to reduce man-made contributions to warming…It’s time Congress and Bush likewise listened to the chorus.”
While I appreciate and essentially agree with the sentiments expressed in the article, I think it nicely illustrates a tired and ineffective approach to fomenting change. Mitigating climate change is much more about rebuilding vibrant communities than passing more legislation.
Let’s face it, big government is a bloated and cumbersome entity bogged down by corporate lobbyists, arcane regulations, and a veritable labyrinth of intransigent bureaucrats. It hardly resembles the Jeffersonian ideal promulgated by the republic’s founders over two centuries ago. In fact, it hardly seems like a republic at all anymore.
Thus our public institutions no longer represent the interests of the public at large. Still, since 2003 many state governments have decided to take the initiative and tackle the issue of climate change themselves. In June of 2003 Maine became the first state to pass legislation to reduce CO2 emissions. What followed was the passing of legislation and the creation of regional climate change alliances in several US states and Canadian provinces It’s not enough, but it’s a start.
To effectively fight climate change, we must be honest with ourselves about what has lead us down this path in the first place. By virtue of our lifestyles and our civic apathy, we have inadvertently delegated too much control to the global corporatocracy. Now, as global citizens we must resist empire. We must reclaim ownership of our technology, our landscapes, and ultimately, our communities. We must demonstrate ourselves to be effective stewards of our environment.
Yes, federal legislation will help mitigate the effects of global climate change. But it won’t stop it. So we can focus our energies on rhetorical tirades against the Bush administration, and point our fingers at the villains that we ourselves created while the polar ice caps melt and the world spins into one long mega-disaster, or we can energize our minds and bodies into action by helping our communities find ways to be healthy and sustainable.