Year in Review
SUMMARY
The science, the public opinion, the media coverage, the economics and even some of the politics on climate change all seem to have been coming into considerable alignment this past year. We may not be entering the Age of Aquarius quite yet, but we do seem to have created a sense of urgency, and it’s a truly global phenomenon, that climate change needs to be addressed and that we have the tools to do it.
We’ve been hearing about “sustainability” since at least 1987, but it appears that people everywhere are beginning to “get it.” Politicians (left and right), corporate leadership, unions, consumers, activists, scientists, engineers, architects, financiers, entrepreneurs, farmers, the media are all making enormous strides in envisioning and developing a sustainable post-industrial world. “Zero-carbon” is a concept gaining traction by the day.
This burgeoning of awareness and activity is remarkable – and heartening.
Come, my friends.
‘T is not too late to seek a newer world.
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Here are my top picks for the year:
Most critical event – This was actually a series of events, namely the issuing of four reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The IPCC broke new ground in all the critical areas in which it was charged. The blog covered a good bit of this vital activity but the reports themselves and the background are critical information to be studied in depth.
Most influential person – That’s a fat pitch: Al Gore. He won the Academy Award, the Nobel Prize (shared with the IPCC), and spoke all over the world. His influence, eloquence, and drive have been instrumental in raising the salience of global warming.
Most influential company – There is no single company that can claim to have taken the lead on climate change, but there are two important corporate partnerships that have been furthering the cause immensely: the United States Climate Action Partnership (USCAP) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
Most influential organization – The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change should claim this distinction. Its parent, the United Nations, the UN Secretary General, and many of its sister agencies have all also covered a lot of ground in promoting concern about the climate change crisis and formulating viable solutions.
Most unexpected development – I would venture the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to the IPCC and Al Gore would be, if not a shock, a very pleasant surprise. See The Envelope, Please … and Nobel Peace Prize.
Best photo of 2007 – I’ve got to go back to 1967 for the best photo: Earthrise, courtesy of NASA. This was the shot that made millions of people all over the world realize the beauty and the fragility of our home thereby giving birth to the consciousness that is driving our push toward sustainability. Making peace with the planet is an honest and valuable undertaking.
Best reporting – I’d have to go with the extraordinary Betsy Kolbert here. Her Field Notes from a Catastrophe: Man, Nature, and Climate Change was first a series in “The New Yorker,” as was Silent Spring by Rachel Carson. Kolbert has continued to produce consistently important, passionate and eminently intelligent articles for “The New Yorker.”
Best quote – In referring to the White House talks on climate change in September, the highly respected and influential Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense, said: “It was a lost opportunity. America needs to lead, and we can lead, but now the spotlight shifts to the Congress because the president has refused to accept the only path that’s ever solved an air pollution problem — and that’s mandatory legal limits.”
Best book – Field Notes from a Catastrophe, published in 2006, is likely the best book going on climate change, but for 2007, I’d guess a tie between Big Coal: The Dirty Secret Behind America’s Energy Future (see my post, King Coal, from November) and Cape Wind: Money, Celebrity, Class, Politics, and the Battle for Our Energy Future on Nantucket Sound (see my reference here from May).
Prediction for 2008 – Hillary Clinton or John Edwards will win the presidential election (with Bill Richardson as the Vice President-elect) and they will start gearing up, before the inauguration on January 20, 2009, for serious, robust, progressive American policy leadership on climate change, the outlines of which we have already seen in all three of their campaigns.