I Skyped with a good friend who is in Copenhagen participating in the climate negotiations today. She told me she woke up crying.
Yesterday, a large group of some 70 developing countries walked out of the climate talks because they felt that an unfair responsibility for carbon reductions was falling on poor countries. Luckily, they came back. But rich countries like ours are simply not doing enough.
There are so many obstacles to a meaningful treaty resulting from these talks. That’s why my friend cried. She’s been working 20 hour days.
“What are you saying about the talks on the blog?” she asked me.
“Nothing,” I said. “What can I do from here? What can I say?”
“You have an audience!” she said.
And I realized.
I haven’t been discussing the climate talks here on the blog because I have fallen into feelings of paralyzing helplessness. I have fallen into that terrible place of doubting that I can say or do anything that makes a difference and so not even bothering to try.
That, I know, is a big mistake. The question, I’ve written many times before, is not whether I can make a difference, but whether I want to be the type of person who tries. Each of us starts from where we are. We do what we can within our own life situation.
And what I can do tonight, from my bed where I am typing, is ask that you join with me by clicking here to automatically phone the White House to ask the President, when he shows up at Copenhagen next week, to push for a strong, binding treaty on climate.
As it says on the 1Sky blog, tell President Obama to step up on climate by:
Leading negotiations to create a fair, ambitious, and binding agreement based on the best and most current climate science;
Taking responsibility to protect vulnerable communities:
The U.S. is responsible for over 1/3 of developed nation emissions, so we should finance at least 1/3 of allocations to protect vulnerable communities worldwide who are being hit first and worst by climate change, and help developing countries reduce their carbon emissions;Building the political will necessary to pass a strong bill in the Senate this spring.
Making the call is easy. Click here, then enter your phone number, and an automated service will call you back and connect you to the White House.
You can do that, and then, like me, you can pray (or, if you have no belief, hope).