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

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Hot Earth: Science and anti-science at the AAAS

Click here to access article from Climate Code Red and Radio Ecoshock Show. 

The linked recordings of speeches contained in the article are from a recent conference of the American Academy for the Advancement of Science held in Vancouver, BC. Thus far I have listened only to James Hansen's 29 minute presentation which I found to be outstanding. It is a bit technical in places for ordinary people, but overall I think it provides a clear picture of the crisis that our ecosystem faces if we continue much longer with business as usual.
Dr. James Hansen, head of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, warns it isn't enough to reduce our emissions. We must actually take carbon dioxide back out of the air, to avoid entering a new and dangerous age of greenhouse living.  
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