We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Crisis of climate-change confidence

from The Age. The article makes clear that there is no issue among the overwhelming body of scientists or scientific institutions re the reality of human caused climate change, but the attacks of leading capitalist corporations are having a definite adverse impact on the public. 

See also this report form Union of Concerned Scientists on Exxon-Mobil's efforts to discredit scientific findings.

Meanwhile scientific research keeps indicating that the situation is growing worse. See this, this, and this.