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Is new climate action contest worth the time?

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Erica Etelson

May 13, 2015
04:18

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I'm tempted to get involved in the regional climate action contest, but here's what's stopping me: I don't think we lack ideas and solutions. I think we lack the political will to implement them. Does anyone have thoughts on how the end result of this competition could lead to the realized of actual climate initiatives that wouldn't have otherwise happened? Or should the contest, instead, address how to restore functional fairness to our democracy so that the Koch Bros et al can't obstruct every great idea we could ever come up with?

Alison Halderman

May 16, 2015
06:14

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You should go for the solutions that YOU feel most effective addressing, because you are passionate about them, AND you see at least some small or possible effect YOUR skills and energy can have. RE regional action networks, check your local 350.org group for starters...and there are others working hard on democracy and strategizing how to block the Koch brothers. My point is that if we all do this, we will have energy to move forward because we have passion (love) and hope, at least that we are doing our own personal best, and together we will cover the many points of the ecoweb of solutions we need. One of the insidious ideas we have all absorbed is that there is one BIG (probably) solution....or a heirarchy of solutions. Yes, some "solutions" have obstacles to becoming effective and that should be noted...meanwhile, people all over are inventing and implementing and spreading solutions via businesses and NGO's and legal actions and even through government.

Michal Williams

May 16, 2015
07:25

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These are proposals to be implemented by the City of Somerville. The political will allegedly exists, according to Mayor Joe. The Koch brothers can't be bothered with developments at this level.

Mark Altgelt

Aug 8, 2015
01:51

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Citizens' Climate Lobby is working the create the political will for a livable world through 330 groups working to gain support from their Congressional and Senate representatives for passage of The Little Engine that Could proposal. Check the website www.citizensclimatelobby.org

Bill Ferree

Aug 14, 2015
08:22

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You have identified the essence of the problem in 2015. The science and even the economics parts of the puzzle are clear. The piece we don't have yet is the politics. Our challenge is to solve this remaining, most difficult part. The Little Engine That Could is a very plausible strategy. My proposal, Sweeten the Carbon Deal is similar but I think maybe more promising because of its simplicity. Please check it out, and especially look at what I call Alt 1, a possibly quicker-results-parallel-track that leverages already existing regional economic interests. https://www.climatecolab.org/web/guest/plans/-/plans/contestId/1301419/phaseId/1309168/planId/1319612