As premature as it may seem, the 2008 Presidential Race is already picking up some serious speed. That means we’re in for 18+ solid months of stump-speeches, fundraising, and relentless media coverage of most mundane developments of these high-profile campaigns. For climate activists, these 18 months are a golden opportunity to create a groundswell of political advocacy.
Way back in 2004, global warming was barely a blip on the radar screen of the Presidential Race. But it’s clear that we’re now in a new era of awareness and empowerment. Recognizing the need for a true “climate president,” a number groups and projects are making it their business to GUARANTEE that on January 20, 2009, America will proudly inaugurate a President with a bold, science-based, comprehensive plan for tackling global warming. One such project is “The Heat is On” which declares that its focus is “Making Global Warming a Presidential Priority.” Targeting voters, donors, and the media, The Heat is On has a savvy plan to shape the debate.
And here’s the good news: thanks to the countless individuals helping out with these collaborative projects (Step It Up, The Heat is On, Climate Summer, What's Your Plan etc), we are already having an effect on the role global warming will play in the 2008 Race. Need proof? Just check out the video below, in which many the major Democratic candidates talk about their plans to take on climate change. Watch it and you’ll see: we’ve got a long way to go and 18 months to get there, but there’s not a doubt in my mind that we can define the terms of this debate—we already are.
It looks like the climate is a vital issue at the upcoming elections. I am willing to support an advocacy campaign that is in support of global warming but I think that the issue has been muddied. Politics has taken our attention off the real issue. The issue is not whether global warming is real or not. Conserving our planet is more important than debating about the genuineness of global warming.
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