Increasingly, people in the USA are getting it. A poll in July, 2005 by the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland reported that �an overwhelming majority of Americans supports the US agreeing to limit greenhouse gas emissions in concert with other members of the G8 Summit. The new PIPA-Knowledge Networks poll asked, if, at the G8 Summit, �the leaders of these other countries are willing to act to limit the greenhouse gases that cause climate change, President Bush should or should not be willing to act to limit such gases in the US?� Eighty-six percent said that he should. Eighty-one percent of Republicans supported this as well as 89% of Democrats. Virtually all respondents�94%�said the US should limit its greenhouse gases at least as much as the other developed countries do on average. Nearly half�44%�think the US should do more than average.�
All of this has happened without a visible movement taking action in the streets. Is it unrealistic to believe that with such a movement many things would be possible that right now seem impossible?
We must act as if we have it in our power to bring into being a new world, a desirable world, a world grounded upon justice where we are at peace with one another and the earth which gives us life. Because we do.
Ted Glick is the coordinator of Climate Crisis: USA Join the World! (www.climatecrisis.us), which is building support for the Kyoto and Beyond petition campaign (www.kyotoandbeyond.org) leading up to actions around the country and the world on December 3rd. He can be reached at [email protected] or 973-338-5398.
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