But Washingtonian Lawrence McDonald has launched a project that all Baby Boomers should consider joining. He advocates that we engage in civil disobedience to promote action on climate change. Why Boomers? Because we allowed this huge catastrophe to happen, people. Look at what we've done to our beautiful Earth. We messed up bad! And we haven't "retired" from messing up.
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| A "small number" would be nice, but a huge number would be nicer. |
McDonald's "50 over 50 x 50" movement is important "because we believe that boomers and others over 50
years old have the means and the responsibility to get organized, and
that a few dozen of us in each of the 50 states (50×50) can tip public
opinion in favor of action if we are prepared to speak out, risk arrest
and occasionally spend some time in jail," he says.
"We have the responsibility because we are the beneficiaries of an unprecedented explosion of affluence made possible by cheap fossil fuels," Mr. McDonald continues persuasively. "Most of the excess atmospheric carbon now cooking the planet was emitted during our lifetimes by residents of a handful of high-income countries, most notably the United States. While none of us individually is to blame for global warming, collectively we Boomers are responsible for a bigger chunk of emissions than any other group of people on the planet, or indeed any generation that came before us."
"We have the responsibility because we are the beneficiaries of an unprecedented explosion of affluence made possible by cheap fossil fuels," Mr. McDonald continues persuasively. "Most of the excess atmospheric carbon now cooking the planet was emitted during our lifetimes by residents of a handful of high-income countries, most notably the United States. While none of us individually is to blame for global warming, collectively we Boomers are responsible for a bigger chunk of emissions than any other group of people on the planet, or indeed any generation that came before us."
The New York Times featured an article about "Fifty over Fifty" on February 13 (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/13/booming/recruiting-boomers-to-protest-climate-change.html?ref=booming&_r=0).
Elderly Girl doesn't advocate getting arrested merely for the exhilaration of being handcuffed, manhandled and interrogated, although it's a thrill that will keep you rosy and aglow for days. But these added benefits of being socially responsible may help propel some of you fence-sitters into doing the right thing.
Many of us had hoped that Obama would use all that love and hope and conviction he inspired during his first election to do this very sort of mass mobilization. People were ready and willing to leap into action if he had just stood up and said, "Let's do this."
He never did. He is a limp man. Elderly Girl enjoys her limp male friends thoroughly, but they do not belong in the presidency.
So now we must look elsewhere for some forceful leadership. Mr. McDonald's effort is well-conceived and well-intentioned.
Check out his website at http://fiftyoverfifty.org/, and let's jump back into the activism we were so privileged to engage in decades ago.
We have sinned. Let's do what we can to minimize the toxic dystopia that we're leaving to our children.
