jamesboyce

2010 has been a year of missed opportunities for the environment. From no progress or worse on the international climate action stage, to a clean energy bill in the U.S. Senate that is still on ice despite the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history, it’s enough to make you want to throw up your hands and buy beach-front property on the Bering Sea.

Enough is enough. Enough with the bigotry and the hate. Enough with the race-baiting and the fake debate about the Ground Zero Mosque. Enough of white Americans putting up fences to keep their fellow humans out. Enough of the birthers.

I will keep this brief. Today, in honor of The World Cup, Yahoo has turned their special Penalty Shootout Game (RED) in order to help raise money for AIDS In Africa.

Last Thursday was the one-month anniversary of the Gulf oil disaster and every day, we see more and more evidence that collectively we have failed to not only act, but also we have failed to organize and express our anger about the disaster, and its truly shocking long-term consequences.

Let’s not miss the opportunity for these environmental tragedies to serve as a call of action to both our country, and the global community, towards a focus on a safer, healthier, and stronger planet.

As BP pumps thousands of barrels of toxic oil into the Gulf of Mexico every day, the threat our dependence on fossil fuels holds should be clearer now than ever before. In the wake of this great tragedy, individual senators have the tremendous opportunity to break the gridlock, and step up to pass a comprehensive clean energy and climate policy. In particular, there are a few Senators who have a record of talking the talk on this issue, and the time has come for them to walk the walk.

This week in Washington, debate was supposed to begin on a bill to address climate change and clean energy. The effort led by Senators Kerry, Graham and Lieberman is one of, if not the most important effort, underway in Washington right now. If done correctly, and of course, the final bill has not been seen and much of what is in it is still up for debate, this single bill could be one of the most important legislative events of our lifetime.

Working towards a sustainable future is a responsibility that will require dedication all 365 days of the year.

I believe that this clean energy bill is the most important fight of our generation and Senator Reid knows it too.

You should definitely see Lawrence Bender’s shocking new documentary, “Countdown To Zero,” about nuclear weapons.