March 19, 2009

"We need cap and trade legislation that sets real goals."

Not long ago I participated in a workshop that examined the history of global movements and their common characteristics. Often, the most obvious factors were simple messages, charismatic leadership and political urgency. The most critical defining element, though, was that each movement became self-organizing at the most grassroots level—be it through local schools or churches, or through towns or communities.

There’s no question the threat of climate change is the impetus for the most urgent global movements gaining momentum today. It is a threat to the global commons, the unintended result of lifestyles in Europe and the United States, rapidly growing emissions in China and India, and actions in the forests of Indonesia and Brazil.

We need commitments at all levels to meet this challenge head on: state or local building codes, national “cap and trade” legislation, and a global climate treaty are among the actions needed to establish incentives for individuals, businesses and governments to make the necessary investments to achieve low-carbon economies and low-carbon lifestyles.

While momentum is building, we must be realistic about the challenges we face in making real progress. Fortunately, we have a new administration whose first public announcement detailed commitments to address climate change on several levels—including a stimulus package that prioritizes re-building the economy around sectors that solve our energy problem. The right climate legislation and the right investments will create jobs and economic opportunities, across the United States and globally. And this year we need to join other countries in a global climate agreement, facilitating not only a collective sense of progress, but also helping to move critical money and technologies where they are needed most in vulnerable areas around the world.

WWF brings our brand, our membership, our scientific and policy expertise and our field-based programs together to address climate change in four areas: conserving forests to reduce carbon emissions; prodding the world toward a global deal that dramatically strengthens the original treaty signed in Rio in 1992 and amended in Kyoto in 1997; building our science to guide adaptation efforts for places in peril; and motivating companies to reduce their carbon footprint.

But how do we mobilize our citizenry? We all need inspiring moments to make this happen, and among those moments will be Earth Hour 2009. On March 28, citizens and leaders around the world will turn off the lights in their homes, businesses and iconic landmarks to make a statement: they are committed as individuals to changing the choices they make, and committed as a global community to pressing for worldwide action.

Earth Hour is built on the participation of those who, together, are part of a global movement to address climate change and save the planet before it’s too late. Turn out your lights, spark action in your community, write to your elected representatives—you’ll be part of a global movement taking action for the future of our planet.

Carter S. Roberts