I see this as a "several simultaneous" tracks issue, rather that one or two.
There is a track in which the general and established scientific concerns as to the progress of global warming and its somewhat unambiguously detrimental consequences are made more available to the general public. In a variety of forms, only one of which is Gore's film. It just happens to be the political food of choice at the moment.
This involves the increasing number of books on the topics, educational program at a variety of levels, etc.
In its larger guise as political education, if it proves successful, it opens up new avenues for solutions.
A second track involves further research on its progress and its consequences and protecting the funding for such. No easy matter when you get politicians of the Bushian stripe and the present incarnation of the Republican Party in control of the available power leverages. And the purse strings.
A third track involves getting sympathetic politicians elected. Note these politicians don't have to be single issue ones, nor evangelical, just sympathetic to continuing ot fund the research and explore alternative solutions.
A fourth track involves active work toward solutions, both conceptual and practical. There is, of course, as Gore points out, money to be made in ths solutions business. The business climate just needs to move a tad in that direction.
The fifth track is the most visible, but to my mind, the one that lags after the others, the implementation of system wide paradigms of change.
I think that's the level you are talking about. And, as I understood Karen's argument yesterday, the level she is working.
I add the other levels because I think successful work at those levels/tracks alters the possibility at this level.
God, that's abstract. My apologies. My narrative ability has escaped me this morning. |
