Saturday was the global day of action for the 350 movement, which aims to pressure decision-makers at Copenhagen to agree on a limit for atmospheric carbon (350 parts per million – we are currently at around 390).
It was a big day, globally. The front of 350.org is cycling through images from all around the world of citizen-initiated actions, often from places that seem wildly distant to me – three mongolian guys on horseback holding up a banner, for instance. The 350 blog featured a lot of photos with short explanations as they came in from around the world across the day.
Movement originator Bill McKibben guest-blogged over at Climate Progress, pointing out “here’s the thing that impresses us. There wasn’t a rock star or a movie star or a charismatic politician in sight. It was ordinary citizens and scientists coming together around a scientific data point.” (emphasis in original)
350 was a big thing in NZ, and particularly in Wellington. Building on Bill’s local appearance (which I blogged about here) and driven by a group of activist youth who sprung out of the local university environmental group, we had a full day of local events including the event that launched the day globally, a sunrise celebration/demonstration on Brooklyn Hill at the wind turbine (picture above). I made it along to the tail end of the public event, lots of people dancing and signing petitions and generally showing up and being counted. It was pretty neat.
Just around the corner was a big display of cars, all parked up outside our national museum, with a lot of people checking them out. Some motorsport club, clearly. As I walked past them on my way to the 350 events, I couldn’t help thinking that these guys were part of the problem. But I caught myself – because no, really, they’re not. They are the people who need to become allies in working to resolve climate change. The real sign of the opposition that was set against the local events was the stock ticker on the building alongside, remorselessly sliding gains and losses and signifying the restricted valuation system that constrains decision-making around the world. I really wanted the thing to blow a fuse for the day. That woulda been cool.
Day: October 27, 2009
Nobel Obama
I know everyone and their brother has done this to death but I’ve been away, indulge me.
Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The entire right wing commentariat in the U.S. spat on their pancakes. The reality-based community wasn’t exactly delighted, though.
e.g. my buddy R at Judge & Jury raised his eyebrows at the Nobel committee’s decision to offer the big prize to Obama. He is cynical for the same reasons as a lot of folk: too soon! What has Obama even actually done?
See also this neato cartoon by some guy who drew a cover for a Pearl Jam record
Counterpoint: a worthwhile discussion at the ever-sensible Making Light, with Abi Sutherland noting in the original post that while it does seem early, it will serve as incentive as well as award, and Charlie Stross saying “I think it’s premature unless the incentive thing is taken into account — but it’s not wholly inappropriate…”
Obama accepted (but for “the movement”). GMS was one of many hoping he’d turn it down, but he was given pause by an Andrew Sullivan reader who saw it as an endorsement of optimism in and about the US. Something to that, maybe.
Me? I think it’s cool. I think Obama deserves it about as much as many of the Nobel’s other awardees, which doesn’t say terribly much I know. It makes a lot of sense to me that he receive this award now, when he still embodies the hopes and dreams of progressives and peace-lovers around the world – before he disappoints us all utterly. Which, of course, he will. In a sense, the award is about a moment of change-potential that has arrived – something definitely to be celebrated and honoured. And, at the same time it lays down a narrative of how that potential will be squandered.
I mean, I’m still up with Obama. He’s better than the alternatives, seems clear to me. The way he’s doing foreign policy has changed the international ground incredibly in a very short time, profoundly for the better. I still have big hopes he’s gonna do more good than harm, and will step up to the plate on climate change. But he’s not going be Superman, or even Spider-Man. Foolish to expect it. Maybe the reason everyone’s reacted so badly here is because the award just forces us to acknowledge how much we expects of Obama, and how secretly we all know he isn’t going to live up to those expectations.
But anyway. Gotta give the man some respect. Win a Nobel Peace Prize at the same time as you’re fighting two wars? That takes 18 charisma. No doubt.