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Letter to Young Americans
You’re young. You may have just started or returned to college for fall
semester; maybe you’re starting senior year in high school; maybe you
finished college last spring but haven't been able to find a job yet;
maybe you already have a job; maybe you have nothing to do with college
or a job and you are just trying to figure things out... or so many
other scenarios that I don’t know about.
The world in front of you does not seem very bright right now –– the
economy has tanked; BP's criminal spill must have impacted you
emotionally; the climate bill failed; ongoing war in Afghanistan... the
list goes on and on. I bet you’re disheartened (or worse disgusted) with
politics and politicians. Possibly you're thinking of not even voting
this year.
I'm writing this letter to you with all that in mind.
During the past decade, I gave lectures at the United Nations and at
Universities of all sizes and reputation across the country. But I'm not
a motivational speaker. And I sure am no Rilke. But I’ll try my best to
inspire you to start a clean energy revolution –– yes I’m talking about
a revolution.
During my childhood in India, I had no interest in politics or election.
I loved cinema. Each time I could save 75 paisa (about 2 cents) by
selling my fish (guppies and mollies) at the Sunday market, I’d go see a
film made by such directors as Mrinal Sen, Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak,
and others. Through these films I began to learn about storytelling and
about social justice.
In 2004, I became a U.S. citizen. I've been fighting for ecological and
human rights justice in the American Arctic for nearly a decade.
Now I’m concerned about your future, as well as the future of all young
people all over the world, and all the birds and animals. Why? I’ll tell
you.
This year, you’ve watched, read, and heard about: tragic flood in
Pakistan; deadly fires in Russia; BP’s criminal oil–and–methane spill in
the Gulf of Mexico... and the list goes on. All these disasters are
devastating for human communities as well as the ecology of each of
these regions. They’re also very costly to deal with. These disasters
will increase both in frequency and intensity if we continue our
addiction to oil-and-coal and fail to address climate change.
You maybe asking “how does any of that relate to me?” Let me explain.
Energy experts are now worried about the increasing greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions from China and India. I’ll update that scenario for you.
China is now the largest emitter of GHG, U.S. is #2, and India is #3.
However, per capita GHG emission goes like this –– U.S. is about 4 times
more than China, and about 12 times more than India.
If we don’t move away from burning fossil fuels in short order, China,
U.S., and India – just these three countries together will put so much
carbon in the atmosphere over the next several decades, that you will
find yourself in a planet that may not seem very healthy or habitable
for you and for much of life that inhabit our earth. You’re young and
you must shape and define the future of the planet that you'll continue
to inhabit long after I’m gone.
Henry Thoreau wrote Civil Disobedience –– it was powerful and profoundly influenced among others Gandhi, Tolstoy, and Dr. King. Then came Howard Zinn and he wrote The Problem Is Civil Obedience. A few years ago Howard Zinn and Anthony Arnove, co-edited the influential book Voices of a People’s History of the United States. I was honored when in 2005 Anthony asked me to perform Howard’s The Problem Is Civil Obedience
at the Seattle Art Museum. We did readings from the book two days in a
row. Howard Zinn passed away earlier this year, but it is his words that
ring true in my ears.
Barbara Freese in her thoroughly researched book Coal: A Human History
details how Big Coal was actually more influential than even Big Oil in
getting George W. Bush elected as the U.S. President. After the climate
bill failed this past July, Kevin Knobloch, president of the Union of
Concerned Scientists wrote in The Hill, “too many Senators are
more concerned about short-term oil and coal profits”. What I’m trying
to say is that many politicians are obedient to the corporations that
helped them get elected. You don’t have to be obedient to anyone.
Recently I read in The New York Times that fewer young voters see themselves as Democrats this year. Fortunately, there was a nice critique of that piece in The Huffington Post.
Its also true that recent polls are showing that Republicans maybe
taking over either or both chambers of Congress. My allegiance is not to
any particular party, but to the issue of clean energy economy and a
healthier planet for all life. We squandered our chance to pass a
comprehensive climate and energy bill during the 111th Congress. Now if
the Republicans do indeed take over either or both chambers of Congress,
what worries me is that Big Oil and Big Coal will be rejoicing and the
clean energy economy in the U.S. will have to wait. All these don’t bode
well either for you or for our earth.
China will continue to burn coal–and–oil for some time to come, no doubt
about that, but they’ve also started unprecedented investment in clean
energy technology. They know that in 10 or 20 years there will be an
enormous global market for clean energy and they sure would like to be
the leader of the pack. Where will U.S. be then?
I'm urging you to start a clean energy revolution in the U.S.
Between now and the November election I’d suggest few simple things that you can do:
Local –– Do research to find out which organization(s) in your
city/town/state working on clean energy economy and find out how you can
get involved. To give you an example, in my home state of New Mexico we
have a wonderful organization called New Energy Economy
(NEE). I recently testified at a climate hearing on their behalf in
front of our Environmental Improvement Board that is considering NEE’s
proposal to cut GHG emission in New Mexico by 25% below the 1990 level
by 2020.
Global –– Check out 10-10-10 Global Work Party
that 350.org will make happen next month. I bet they’re doing something
in your neighborhood. Find out where and participate for sure. With
just one act that October day, you’ll feel part of a global movement,
that dissolves all borders of race, class, gender, age, and economic
status, with only one common global concern - climate change.
Beltway –– Do research to find out who are running for office in
your district and in your state for U.S. Congress and what their
positions and past records are on clean energy and climate change.
Friends and Family –– Tell everyone what you learned with your
research and action. If they’re younger tell them you’re working to help
secure a better future for them. If they are older tell them they must
join you to secure a better future for you.
Stories -- If you need stories for inspiration, to know that what you’re fighting for is worth every bit, you can visit anytime ClimateStoryTellers.org that I founded last month.
You’re young. Your future is in your hands. Start your climate
revolution now. Come November you must vote and you must vote with
climate in your mind.
It’ll be the beginning of a long journey for you just like it has been
for me since I saw my first Mrinal Sen film when I was a little kid in
India. In the process you’ll secure a better future for yourself and for
so many others.
In solidarity,
Subhankar Banerjee
- Posted in
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27 Comments so far
Show AllI admire your work in helping people understand our environmental problems and I think that your letter is wonderful and very much needed. However, to reach the youth in America, or any group in America, is impossible. Your letter must pass through a censor before being delivered, if delivered at all. Your message doesn't help to promote the expansion of the empire so it won't be allowed to go mainstream. Your letter will be be thrown into the marginalized bin and be lost forever. You're asking for honesty and sincerity in the land of hypocrisy.
Hoa binh
And good luck young folks (and all other folks) trying to find candidates to vote for who are not beholden to corporate interests who profit from the status quo and have bulging war chests full of money to fight positive change.
The states of California and Washington now allow only the top two candidates on the general election ballot, thereby shutting out third parties and giving you no non-corporate choices. This plague will no doubt be spreading to most other states.
The youth who will hear this, and empathize with you desperation are living in varying levels of resignation. I attempted to speak, to share the tribulation of the world, to expound to people the suffering which is ongoing in the rest of the world, and they have little strength, sympathy is in vain.
Yes, a land of hypocrisy, and I the hypocrite, oh and a bitter hypocrite I am.
This brief video says a lot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkQ6XgXeNuY
Well, it's one of the better "vote Dem this November!" pieces I've read in the last two months. It's almost subtle.
You can vote until the cows come home, but that ain't going to give you a serious climate bill. It *will*, however, contribute to a growing disillusion with political processes among youth as they realize that they're being had.
And as he pointed out, the fact remains, till yoiu can bring China and India on board, you cannot convince Americans to give up anything just to watch Chinese and Indian citizens gain it.
Unilateral action is NOT going to happen. And frankly I'm surprised that anyone thinks it will.
Unless you believe you can dictate to the American people and I'll point out that they are not having it.
Did you miss his remark that energy consumption of a person in China and India is a small fraction of that of an average USAn?
And, it will continue to be so, as it is in Europe, which has half the per-capita energy consumption of the US, despite a higher level of human development than the US?
And, did you miss his remark that China has the worlds most ambitious program of renewable energy development?
And why do USAns tie fossil fuel use so tightly to their levving standard?
When I moved to townhouse a city neighborhood with fundctioning public transit, and went to work in a much-more efficient-per unit-floor area multi-story building downtown, my personal fossil fuel use plummeted, yet my living standard and quality of life improved vastly in many ways.
Whenever you come here, you seem to operate out of some kind of fact-free zome. Go back to your tea party.
Mightymite's somewhere in between right and wrong about the energy consumption issue in China and India. He can be right and wrong when he discusses things but he's not part of the tea party.
I hope that the youger generation has heard of BRIC, of which South Africa has expressed an interest in joining. http://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/bric.asp
The main problem here is: "Beware lest you lose substance by grasping at the shadow".
In this context, we have let go of our manufacturing; agriculture; forestry and other important industries and outsourced them elsewhere. All for the promise of an easy life based on debt and compounded interest, that the next generation (and all of us as well) will have to pay for beginning on 1.1.2011............
Ponzi schemes do not cut it. It is time that the younger generation get a "real" education and not indoctrination. It is time for educators to bring in the elderly to describe what they know. Listen carefully.
"the next generation (and all of us as well) will have to pay for beginning on 1.1.2011............"
We're already being forced to pay for it when you look at what has been cut over the years and further cuts to come. 1/1/2011 will only be in the middle of it all.
I know. "Forced to pay" is another issue. The legal term Odious Debt seems to come to mind.
When he said "Between now and the November election I’d suggest few simple things that you can do", he basically discredited the rest of what he wrote. Why should we be doing this only up until the election? Why can't we do it permanently and defeat the political monsters?
"Come November you must vote and you must vote with climate in your mind."
Not this trick again ! If you expect the Democratic Party to address your concerns on climate change, I have a Taj Mahal to sell you ! At a time when unemployment and underemployment are getting worse despite all the number fudging, green jobs not coming, and health care going broke even before Obamacare makes it worse, do you think young Americans are gonna have any respect for this planet? It's too late and the Democratic Party having worked too hard to get kicked out this November and November 2012 is not a party that has climate in mind. Come to think of it, most young Americans do have climate in mind but it's not the same "climate" the author is talking about. It has already started with last year's gubernatorial elections in VA and NJ, each turning out Democratic losses never before this severe, and the MA special senate election where the Democratic loss was as embarrassing as Al Gore losing his own home state of TN in 2010. The Democratic Party has had about a year to correct their ways and they completely refused. Let them fail and let's focus on turning our support to other parties that will actually address our concerns instead of flipping between Democrat and Republican every few years.
If I may also note, even in India and China, the anxious youngsters put jobs before environment unless the two are intertwined rather well. I've been there and I've seen more yuppie capitalism poisoning the younger minds faster than getting them to think green. Bear in mind that thanks for China PNTR and outsourcing more jobs to cheaper labor in India too that they will inevitably be burning more fuel to make those cheapwares to pick up at a "Walmart" or similar near most Americans.
Good points as well.
A fine article.
I hope its not too late. Looking at China, these people are just starting to bloom as consumerists. They like us, want their shiny stuff, their share, too.
We now have Global Capitalism set firmly in place and its gonna take some real work to uproot it. It'll now probably take a earth-wide calamity to change the world's mindset--if at all. Its all pretty damn scary.
it is petrifying how scary it is. I have lost many a day of peace worrying about the very turmoil that the world will face. I believe it is inevitable. The very fear which drives me to fight the foundation of my culture is the same force that binds me to conforming, if only to find a way to save a life.
Go to Earth Justice, the Sierra Club, Food and Water Watch, Friends of the Earth, ACLU,
NRDC, Greenpeace, Defenders of Wildlife, Union of Concerned Scientists and Read, Read,
Read, Pass Out, then come to and learn, learn, learn. One of them, or many will fit you
just perfectly!
Read, THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED, then Pick a direction and don't stop until you get there!
"...Republicans maybe taking over either or both chambers of Congress..." - they already have control of not only Congress, but the White House (and the military). Today's GOP are pure all-out fascists - as is the DFL. Meanwhile, American college kids (and others their age) have other things on their minds - like sports, drinking, i-pods, text-messaging, video games, TV, etc. At that age, they think they're invulnerable and that the rules (of physics and chemistry) don't apply to them - they're brainwashed besides, like their parents.
If things are going to change, BRIC, ASEA (sic), and Latin America are going to have to be the future - the US, UK, Europe and other NATO countries are a lost cause. It's not that they won't listen - they can't: they're brainwashed (and feel entitled).
I agreed with the article, as I read it. My grandchildren (12 to 19) need to know as much as possible, and along the way to getting a comprehensive picture they will read plenty of criticism of the powers-that-be.
As I've written many times on CD, I also think devestation from global warming is going to have to become unmistakable and to affect the US as well as foreign countries our media can ignore, before the capitalist troglodytes get worried.
Someone once told me that just 5% of the human population has kept the other 95% out of the caves. A thin veneer of civilization is all they (we) have been able to apply, and now that is cracking under the strain.
So if our kids are intelligent, rational, humane and concerned, by all means encourage them to learn more.
"As I've written many times on CD, I also think devestation from global warming is going to have to become unmistakable...'
Global warming isn't ever going to be rapid enough to be unmistakable - particularly in these media-induced amnesiac times. The winters in my region are already unmistakably warmer than the past for anyone 50 or older. 50 years from now people will think Maine or Mova Scotia always got 100F degree days in summer. 500 years from mow, what people who are left will think the US Midwest was always a uninhabitable desert.
This summer's weather events in the Asian continent may leas a Russian or Pakistani to argue about it not already being "unmistakable". And certainly the changes have been unmistakable in Australia and a powerful popular mandate for action exists among Australians.
Is the whole world going to be held hostage to the fortuitous location of most of the US population in what is probably the most temperate and well-watered location on the whole planet?
Recall the anecdote of the frogs (or in my own experience, crabs) in a slowly warming pot of water?
the reason why the movement for alternative green energy hasb'r been taking off in the US is
there's no billions in solar / wind/ tidal energy to be had by a few monopolizing global corporates.
green energy sources are unlimited and easily accessible, liberating people from corporate control.
imagine that.
"green energy sources are unlimited and easily accessible, liberating people from corporate control."
good point.
and it would take the force of nearly a corporation to initialize such a transition, how Ironic that you and I see the solutions but the means escape us by a light year.
..
Cicero: "Freedom is participation in power."
Voting Dimocrat with climate in mind is no different than voting Rethuglican with climate in mind.
Can we start a REAL radical revolution now? Can we stop playing political games and hoping that politicians will fix everthing for us?
Where are all the anarchists? Anarcho-socialists, eco-anarchists, anarcha-feminists, etc? This is where the Left should be organizing around. Not simply progressive, but radical, militant and uncomprimising DEMAND of freedom and equality. Because we cannot have one without the other.
So what kind of anarchist are you?
You point a finger, angry, and for good reason; but for most of us, we adhere to the idea behind Mahatma Gandhi and the statement "an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind". I understand the bitter anger that droves you to call for a revolution, long and bloody; but the same feeling of empathy which I am sure was the root of your anger, is the same force that binds most of us to non-violence, and in the end, inevitable comprise.
There are many who see as you do, what you are calling for will only be enacted when there are no more game to play. I support you, but I cannot join you on the battle fight for freedom, just yet. I have a society calling me towards collage education, I have the arduous responsibility to secure food for myself, I have to play the games long enough for enough people to quit.
Elijah Z
"Resignation is confirmed desperation"-H.D.T
This letter was intended for me, my friends, we are not yet voting age, and already we see the futility in playing political games. I am encouraged by your desperation; but I can only empathize. Action you say, a Green revolution...I am taking a class that is funded by the Federal Government to train me in alternative energies...but it is all a farce. The technologies to harness clean , Free, energy have existed for damn near a century; Nikola Tesla had a way to harness the differential in the earths magnetic sphere...in the 1900's!
The technologies exist, as do the calamities. I think that people will only change/adapt when their surroundings/lifestyle are DIRECTLY impacted by their choices. Because poverty, war, destruction are held away by the buffers of the first world people can continue unaware and resigned, or aware with the sense of powerlessness. I know.
I am saddened that I am so pessimistic, you issued a call of desperation to my generation, but alas we may never hear it. Falls upon deafened ears if you will.
I see the world as a war of ideas. Perspectives gained momentum as the centuries dragged on, translated from generation to generation, we sit at the present climax of human history; War has more power, people are the masses...distracted we are, the masses slumber while the war drags on. Sadly, I wait, for desperation to throw us into the panic, the struggle, the revolution. What will emerge in it's place? No one knows. We were birthed here in the world with no control over the past, but a firm hand on the present, and our fingers have been pried, greed has over taken compassion, and the boom of the industrial age will grind to a shuddering halt, and for THAT I wait.
Elijah Z
"resignation is confirmed desperation"-H.D.T