When we are rich in what matters, we know we are part of something greater than ourselves. 
The climate we share with each other, and with all species, is greater than ourselves. Our climate sustains all of our lives, even though it is invisible. And it is heating up due to our burning of fossil fuels, even faster than scientists had originally thought. It is causing record-breaking droughts, wildfires and extreme weather events of all types. Its effects in the years and decades to come will be much more dire.
It’s easy to feel helpless in the face of something so big. I sometimes feel helpless about climate change, myself. But when we act with others, we do have the power to slow climate change. Right now is the final opportunity for public comment on the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline before President Obama decides whether or not to approve it. Be a part of something than yourself and make your comment here, asking the President to reject Keystone XL. It takes 40 seconds or less. The comment period closes on March 7, 2014.
Let’s encourage him to be a climate champion, not the pipeline president.
More than a million people submitted public comments against the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline the last time that comments were accepted. We hope to get even more this time. Numbers really count with public comments. When I submitted my comment yesterday (in italics below) I saw a gratifying feedback stream telling me that other people had commented 37 seconds ago, one minute ago, two minutes ago, etc. But this shouldn’t be surprising. We all need a stable climate.
President Obama,
I voted for you twice because I saw you as a truth-teller, particularly about our dangerously warming climate. You have said you would not approve Keystone XL if it would significantly impact the climate.
We all know that it would. Any truth-teller knows we have to decrease our extraction and burning of fossil fuels to slow climate change, not extract more so we can burn more, as Keystone XL would have us do.
Please go down in history as our climate champion, not as our pipeline president. Please reject Keystone XL.
Submit your comment rejecting Keystone XL here. You can cut and paste my comment above. Or you can write your own. Be a part of something greater than yourself today — do it now. It will make you richer in what matters.
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Next Sunday I’ll post on “How To Deal With Hoarding”. My talented assistant Ursala Garbrecht will then be moderating comments as I am on away on a volunteer vacation in Costa Rica. Ursala Garbrecht is also a professional organizer here in Portland — go, Ursala!
February 26, 2014
Alison,
I love your passion.
This will change the world. Xxx
February 27, 2014
Thanks for the support, Kim. In truth, I don’t feel optimistic here. But, just like your approach to domestic violence, I am not about to stay quiet on climate change.
I loved your latest post.
February 26, 2014
I don’t think I would rely on this President to do something. Everything he has done has not come out exactly how he claimed it would. As for the Keystone pipeline goes if it means that we are not hostage to other countries over Oil then I am for it. However, we do need to stop wasting the Oil that we have and use it wiser than to just burn it up in automobiles moving 1 person 3 to 4 blocks down the road. America needs viable alternatives to using oil for transportation and shipping. Instead of halting this pipeline I think it would be more prudent of a cause to encourage growth in alternative transportation options but in the mean time we still need a stop gap until the technologies mature and we need a buffer for the huge cost the average American faces in their transportation and shipping costs. We have to solve these other issues before or we will no longer be competitive on the world market due to the cost of transporting goods and services because of the cost of Oil. You can’t deny a critical commodity and not offer an alternative. Sure Earths climate has been effected by humans and yes it is bad and we should try to be more carbon neutral or at least carbon buoyant but on the other hand we must have alternatives in place before we can completely ween ourselves off Oil. IMHO the Pipeline is not great but unfortunately it is needed for now.
February 23, 2014
If I find some time I will definitely read up on Keystone XL, Alison! In general I’m soooo with you on slowing climate change. It’s just horrible what’s happening around the world. Especially to wildlife
February 25, 2014
Mike, Thanks for your openness and concern. One thing I notice with climate change is that people often tell themselves they have to understand it better, or understand a thing like Keystone XL better, before they will consider speaking up and owning their voice. But our lives being as busy as they are, we tend to let our time fill up with other activities that are less confusing, and that provide more immediate gratification.
I warmly encourage people that they don’t have to have high levels of knowledge to own their voice and speak up on climate change. One option is to trust that someone else has done the reading (I truly have :)), and take a small action based on that. Another option is to let go of an immediate-gratification activity to create the time to read up on something like Keystone XL, and then speak up about it.
I’m going over now to visit Past My Curfew. Thanks for always being my First Commenter, Mike (kind of like being a First Responder in the emergency management world ;))