Bill McKibben: 'There finally is climate change activism' and anyone can join

by Emily Gertz

categories: Activism, Changemaker Profiles, International Action

Published August 13, 2009 @ 02:41PM PT

Above: "350 Graffiti," by Anonymous, Oakland, CA, USA. Part of 350 Art Gallery.

Five Questions for Author and Environmentalist Bill McKibben

Author Bill McKibben wrote the first mainstream book about global warming, "The End of Nature," in 1989. As well as writing plenty since (on redefining wealth, curbing Christmas consumer frenzy, and more), Bill has founded and co-directs 350.org -- a genuinely global, grassroots, international climate action campaign.

The project's mission is to support communities and organizers around the world, in demanding that world leaders set a goal of 350 parts per million of CO2. It's the level some scientists say is the safe upper limit for greenhouse gas concentrations in our atmosphere to avoid a catastrophic and unstoppable cascade of disruptions to the climate. (We're currently at around 389 ppm and rising.)

Bill has been traveling around the US and the world to inspire and help plan events for a united, planetary "International Day of Climate Action" on October 24, 2009.

Bill kindly agreed to trade questions and answers in e-mail about the state of global warming activism, what's lifting his spirits, and how any citizen can act now to create change for the better.

Emily Gertz: What are the major currents in climate change activism, based on what you've been seeing on your travels and work for 350.org?

Bill McKibben: The most basic answer is that there finally is climate change activism.  For so many years we left this mainly in the hands of the experts, and they weren't able to accomplish anything because they had no movement behind them to match the power of the special interests.

But that's changing everywhere--- a real citizens movement, often outside the established environmental organizations.

Gertz: How does the activist scene in the US compare to the scene in other nations?

McKibben: The commonalities are most striking--especially the  heavy involvement of youth. The EnergyAction network in the US has been widely emulated--there have been variations of its Powershift conference (which drew 12,000 young people to DC in February) all over the world. I just came from the Indian version: Badlaav,  which means Change, in Delhi.

Some places are just getting started--at 350.org we've helped run training camps for climate activists in Africa, Central Asia, and the Caribbean this year, with lots and lots and lots of new young leaders. Good fun!

Gertz: Who has particularly impressed you -- given you optimism for the future?

McKibben: Those youth are impressive--check out the videos from the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, for instance.

And check out IndyAct, the Arab world leaders in climate work, headquartered in Beirut. They're doing amazing work in a tough corner of the world.

Gertz: What are the most important, effective things people should be doing right now to have the most positive impact on US climate legislation, as well as the December climate treaty talks in Copenhagen?

McKibben: We need to reboot this debate some, so that our politicians aren't looking for agreements, but for solutions. We have precious little time to actually deal with climate -- we need to pay more attention to physical reality than political reality, and that's what 350.org is all about.

I think it's pretty clear that October 24, 350.org's global day of climate action, is emerging as the most exciting day on the fall calendar. It's going to be enormous and it's going to be creative, and it's going to matter.

EG: How can people get involved in the October 24 Day of Action?

BM: Getting involved is easy--go to the website, and start planning an action for your area.

When you do, you'll be joining the 1,500 or so already scheduled in most of the countries of the world.

There will be big city rallies -- but also climbers high in the Himalayas, and underwater demonstrations off the coral reefs of the Maldives, and teams of 350 bike riders, and churches ringing their bells 350 times, and an endless variety of other creative and impassioned ways to drive this most important number into the consciousness of the world!