a global warming petition

The House votes this week on a bill, HR 969, that would require utilities to have 20 percent renewable energy. It's by far not enough, but it's something, so let's support it!

Can you sign this petition today? Clicking here will add your name:
http://pol.moveon.org/cleanenergyfuture/o.pl?&id=10885-4074013-ZCJSz7&t=3

world without us

I went to see Alan Weisman, http://homelands.org/producers/weisman.html, an old friend from Mexico, talk about his book, The World Without Us, last night. It is an amazing work of art, politics and spirituality and is doing very well, as it deserves. (Who says environmental books don't sell?) I say spirituality because it's almost Buddhist in its serene acceptance of constant change, and its weirdly hopeful look at the resilience of life, with or without humans. If you get a chance, see him. And read it...

Yay, John Dingell (Whether he deserves it or not!)

I wrote a blog yesterday praising Rep. John Dingell's proposal for a carbon tax http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/07/washington/07carbon.html?_r=1&oref=slogin without realizing the politics of it until some helpful friends pointed it out. In chagrin, I deleted the post. But then, thinking it over, I find it's still hard for me to believe any ethical politician would champion something so clearly necessary with the intention ascribed to him -- i.e. that he simply wants to get the idea out so it can be shot down, once and for all.

That's why I just called Dingell's office http://www.house.gov/dingell/contact.htm to give him my support. I left a message with the young man who answered the phone, and said I'm a mom, and because of that so heartily agree with his brave stance on this issue. I encourage other moms to do this too --- today. Let's get it started! I do think politicians have been underestimating the American public for years. It's time to show them just how much.

more on carbon offsets

Thanks to Thomas Friedman for the nice nod in today's column regarding my Salon piece on carbon offsets.

shopping for carbon credits

I'm blogging from a family reunion in Mexico this week in the wake of a poop-storm of comments on my recent piece on carbon credits in Salon.com http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/07/02/carbon_credits/index.html?source=rss . I'd been warned about Salon letter-writers but never expected they'd focus such an intense debate on the eco-sin of having had children. (For the record, I'm at peace with that decision, and my children are my main motivation to continue writing about the energy crisis.)

Many of the other comments focused inanely (no, really, I'm not mad!) on when and how I should use umbrellas or froth my lattes, which neatly emphasized my point that we are at a really wacky time in human history when individuals are going after each other for who's the greenest (shopper) of them all (the New York Times piece Sundayhttp://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/01/fashion/01green.html on this theme was excellent) and losing sight of the very very short timeline in which we must take serious action if we are to have a fighting chance of curbing climate change.

What makes the issue more serious is the corporations who are taking advantage of the delays and even making money on them -- I use PG&E, northern California's utility, as an example.

I recommend everyone tune in to the Live Earth http://www.liveearth.org/ show July 7, by the way.