Thursday morning, the Cambridge team woke up bright and early to meet with a special guest--Santa Claus! We were teaming up with this special person to bring an important message to Senator Kerry's Boston office: The polar ice caps are melting, the planet is warming, and Santa's home could be gone in the summer in as few as 5 years, making Santa Claus the most famous of the world's climate refugees. We know that Senator Kerry is concerned about the climate as well--he was, after all, the co-sponsor of the first climate hearings in Congress, and he's worked to pass environmental legislation for years. And, lucky for us, he represents Massachusetts! But even more importantly, Senator Kerry will go to Copenhagen this winter as the top congressional representative of the US at the international climate summit, where new global carbon emissions targets will be determined through the negotiation of an international climate treaty to replace (if you can call it that) the Kyoto Protocol.
Santa heard that Senator Kerry will be going to this negotiation this December, so he told us that he wanted to bring him his Christmas present a little bit early this year. The present was a box of lightbulbs, incandescent ones which have been traded out by Massachusetts residents for more efficient CFL's. The lightbulbs were painted black to represent all of the coal and dirty fuel that won't be burned as we increase our efficiency and switch over to clean sources of power. They were also decorated with the number 350. This gift, explained Santa, was to show Senator Kerry that the people of Massachusetts are ready for a change and are already leading the country to a clean energy economy. We want our senator to keep this in mind when he goes to Copenhagen. His state and his country are ready. It's time to lead the world to a climate treaty that gets us back to a CO2 concentration of 350 parts per million, and fast. This winter's negotiations may be the only chance we have to get it right, to set off down the path towards emissions reductions and a clean future or continue on the path to destruction.We know that Senator Kerry knows about 350. He's friends with James Hansen of NASA; he's even mentioned the target in speeches without committing to it as a goal. But the political pressures out there can be tough; his staffers told us that Senator Kerry would be looking to President Obama for guidance and leadership on what goals to set. But if Senator Kerry really understands the severity of the situation, then he should know that the US needs to take a strong lead to ensure a sustainable future for the world. What's the point of understanding the science if you don't follow it to create strong policy? What's the point of funding NASA and the top climatologists in the world if you don't listen to their advice?
I trust that Senator Kerry has every intention of coming back from Copenhagen with a strong climate treaty that enumerates clear steps for getting us out of the mess that we're in. We hope that he takes one of our lightbulbs with him to that negotiation to remind himself of exactly what that climate treaty should say: 350 ppm. And quickly. Otherwise, Santa may have to fill his stocking with another kind of coal this Christmas.
Check out the Article on the Globe's Green Blog about the event, and keep an eye out next week for one on the Weekly Dig.
And don't forget, you can add your voice to those calling for a stop to the destruction of Santa's home by throwing your own Christmas in July house party! As John Kerry's constituents it's especially important to make our voices heard calling for 350 ppm on October 24th's international day of climate action, and holding a party is the perfect opportunity for you to get together with friends and family to brainstorm how we can get this message across. For more information and to register your party, go to www.masspowershift.org.
Sally
Totally Sweet!!!!!
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