Fighting to protect the climate -- with one hand reaching out to work together

The debate about climate change has become incredibly divisive of late, so I have a suggestion for those of us on the side of taking strong action to protect the climate: fight hard for our cause, but keep one hand extended to those on the other side of the debate, in willingness to work with them when they are ready to change their mind.

The problem with a 'scorched earth, take no prisoners' approach to opposing those who oppose climate legislation is that they represent perhaps tens of millions of Americans, they are pulling in exactly the wrong direction (develop even more fossil fuel resources, with no carbon cap or tax, and leading to higher CO2 emissions per unit of useful energy due to all the complexities) -- and ultimately if we are going to succeed in dramatically bringing down carbon emission, we need everyone to help.

Case in point: the other day I saw a clip of journalist Mark Hertsgaard confronting Senator James Inhofe about his stand on climate change. Sen. Inhofe states that "the science on climate change is mixed." Response: "Senator, show us one example of a peer-reviewed scientific paper that refutes the connection between human caused carbon emissions and global climate change." That's the 'fight hard' part. (For the record, the last one I saw is Richard Lindzen of MIT's "Some coolness about global warming" but that came out in the early 1990s and the science has become much more clear since then.) But the hand extended to work together part says, on a regular basis, to those like Jim Inhofe on the other side: 'we need you to do the right, patriotic thing and change your mind, we need you to join us and work with us.'

Unrealistic? It may not work overnight, but ultimately there are many people in the climate movement who started out skeptical, and eventually came over to the other side. It can work. In any case, I think it is more realistic than solving America's greenhouse gas problem with a quarter or a third of the country pulling in the exact opposite direction. I am reminded of Gov. George Wallace of Alabama, who stood on the steps of the state house in Birmingham in the 60s and declared: "segregation now. Segregation forever!" In the 1990s, he came back to the national African-American leadership and declared that he had been wrong, and pledged himself to support the cause of integration and civil rights.

Happy Earth Day everyone. -- FV