Tuesday, April 01, 2014

Now that climate change disruption is out of the closet, what next for the intractable, extremist GOP?

Nelson Algren: “Our myths are so many, our vision so dim, our self-deception so deep and our smugness so gross that scarcely any way now remains of reporting the American Century except from behind the billboards."

The new IPPC report, coupled with the astounding warning from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, plus the US Department of Defense Quadrennial Defense Review, puts some heft to arguments we've raised from behind the Miami media billboards on the threats of climate change that are within one mortgage cycle of emerging in low lying lands. For the world's poor struggling for daily survival, climate change has already wreaked havoc. Still it is not the "threat multiplier" that the DoD predicts.

In Miami, with condos springing up along threatened coasts -- and settlement agreement/s between the federal government and local entities like Miami-Dade County still dragging their heels and breathless new plans for public spaces like stadiums at the waterfront -- it is no wonder really that US Senators like Marco Rubio and political aspirants like Jeb Bush are constantly dodging the issue. Better to attack. Call Barack Obama the "imperial president". Hah.

In this world, there is no more freezing over for hell. Just a slow boil.

On April 22nd, Democratic US Senator Bill Nelson will be holding a field hearing on climate change. Nelson, late to the climate change issue, is pulling even with science: "South Florida is the area that is most threatened by sea level rise in the continental US" he told Bloomberg.

Heck, in late April the CLEO Institute -- run by the most competent educator and administrator in Miami-Dade County (fired from Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden for being too competent and too good at educating the region's children on environmental threats) Caroline Lewis had to reach for a US senator from out-of-state to help local audiences understand what climate change means for us. In late April, a CLEO Institute event will feature Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse. Marco Rubio ought to come sit in the audience with the rest of us, since he has steadily and consistently refused to be briefed by scientists on global warming.

Voters need to focus on what is happening, here. Entrenched political interests that mainly fund the GOP have been obstructionists for decades on climate change. Although we are being overtopped by climate change science, the bigger looming threat is if the GOP gain control of the US Senate in November. That would propel one of the key climate change deniers, Mitch McConnell, to majority leader of the Senate. A disaster.

There is something you can do. Participate. Speak out. And when it comes time to vote, mark the ballot for leaders who support pro-active measures to protect our health and safety. Turn off Fox News and turn out incumbents who are stealing our future by tying our present to a terrifying course forward. That would be the GOP.



South Florida Climate Action Rally!

Friday, April 25, 2014
Banyan Bowl, Pinecrest Gardens
11000 Red Road, Pinecrest, FL 33156
We will CHAMPION THE VOICES of our regional leaders of all ages and in all sectors who speak up for A Climate-Ready South Florida!

GUEST OF HONOR
U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (RI)

This recognized climate champion will end his multi-state Climate Road Trip in Miami on April 25.

He will serve as the moderator for the panel and as the featured speaker at the rally.
5:00PM - 6:00PM
Climate Science Briefing & Panel
Moderated by U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island
_________________________
FREE & OPEN to the PUBLIC! - Registration REQUIRED

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

look at the troll comments on Yahoo and other websites with the story about the newly released report/findings. The head in the sand crowd still refuses to believe!

Anonymous said...

As Commissioner of District 7, I shared my vision to put the South Dade busway underground and reclaim the land to be used as a greenway along US-1. I held meetings to share this vision with leader of the municipalities along the corridor some time ago. Today's op-eds encouraged me t...o revitalize my efforts as a possible extension of the M-Path. https://www.facebook.com/xavier.suarez.92#!/xavier.suarez.92/photos/a.315756378563607.1073741825.254393671366545/379594888846422/?type=1&stream_ref=10