2˚ for 2˚?

So this morning plenaries are complete and its time to reflect on all the wonderful things we’ve learned! One of the major themes that I noticed all the speakers touching upon is the environmental illiteracy of Americans, (specifically), and the need to get the message out there and create a real, visible movement in order to make real change. As Jack Hidary noted, Americans today are connected more than ever through technology (he specifically talked about facebook). His whole idea was 2˚ for 2˚, meaning that since there is (about) two degrees of separation between people these days (this my be a bit of an exaggeration but let’s go with the idea…), we need to join together to change things in a much bigger way. The second 2˚ is a reference to the two degree Celsius change in the mean global temperature that we need to work to keep from turning into a globally lethal six degree change.

            Facebook, though powerful, will not change the world. We need to realize the direct effects of our actions on the environment and to decide that WE need to make changes NOW instead of waiting for the government to figure out our problems for us in the future. Michael Pollan noted that Barack Obama, while in the position and willing to be one to push sustainable living on the country, will not do it unless the people tell him that that is what we want and what we need. It’s time then, to show him that we, as his constituents, demand a political movement toward sustainable living, and the time to show him is right now.