You may recall that President Obama used both his inaugural and State of the Union Address to speak to the urgency of climate change and the threat it poses. The highlight of the SOTU:
"But the fact is, the 12 hottest years on record have all come in the last 15. Heat waves, droughts, wildfires, and floods –- all are now more frequent and intense. We can choose to believe that Superstorm Sandy, and the most severe drought in decades, and the worst wildfires some states have ever seen were all just a freak coincidence. Or we can choose to believe in the overwhelming judgment of science -– and act before it’s too late."
With the president shining the spotlight on a changing climate, a new issue advocacy group, Organizing for Action, sponsored a Climate Change Awareness Rally at Congressman Tim Bishop's Southampton Office, at noon on May29th. The rally's size, held down by threatening skies, still successfully informed passersby that the time for action is now. Signs urging Congressman Bishop and others to "Act on Climate Change" and to "Cut Carbon Pollution," and to "Protect Our Future, End Carbon Pollution," conveyed a sense of urgency that ralliers thought missing from public dialogue.
At the event I said that today's activity was about starting a process: "Before a legislative agenda can be crafted the body politic needs to recognize the urgency of the issue; we are asking Congressman Bishop to become more active by convening Town Hall meetings and ensuring that local climate experts have their well-earned say. We think indifference can be changed to action by a coordinated educational effort. We are also asking Congressman Bishop to join with like-minded colleagues in Congress to join together and reinvigorate the Congressional Climate Caucus."
Rally attendees believe the educational process began today. Rally speakers included "Tip" Brolin, former chair of the Sustainable Southampton Advisory Committee, Fred Havemeyer, Southampton Town Trustee, and Dorothy Reilly, Women’s Initiative for a Sustainable Earth (WISE).
Brolin spoke to the objective reality of climate change: "This issue should not be political or philosophical, it's a matter of understanding the science and technology: there is more energy in the atmosphere that is causing climate disruption and we know how to reduce the carbon dioxide levels stoking that energy, and we know how to mitigate the worst effects. We need to act sooner rather than later, however." Brolin is a former employee of the US Department of Energy.
Southampton Town Trustee, Fred Havemeyer, informed those in attendance that as a long-time Trustee he experiences the change, "The waters are higher, the storms more frequent and more intense, I can see the shifting seascape and the coastal impacts of stronger winds and rising tides. Inaction is not a reasonable response, we live in a fragile environment."
Activist Dorothy Reilly referred to the steady increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide, "The atmosphere now holds 400ppm of CO2 and this level has climate scientists alarmed. The paleoclimate record indicates that the last time the atmosphere was this saturated sea levels and temperatures were much higher and not life sustaining."
John Hooker of Sag Harbor, a frequent overseas visitor, suggested that the perils of climate change are more obvious in Europe, "Switzerland takes the science very seriously. They've noticed that their glaciers have diminished substantially over the last several years."
After the rally, attendees presented their requests to Congressman Tim Bishop's aide, Jane Finalborgo: 1) Hold Town Hall Meetings 2) Emphasize climate change impacts on the local community 3) Join other congressmen and women in focusing on climate change; join the Congressional Climate Change caucus. 4) Become an active leader.
I informed everyone that today's event is only one of dozens being held throughout the USA today. "A consistent message is being conveyed in congressional districts throughout the country today, our OFA colleagues are doing exactly what we're doing at Congressman Bishop's office...let the word spread -- we can't wait any longer."
Mike Anthony Southampton OFA
