JK Talks to the Netroots about the New Environmentalists
[Editor’s note: JK is reaching out to the netroots today on Daily Kos. Welcome to our new visitors.]
A quick note this morning, and I’ll be back this afternoon to read and respond – we’ve got a Foreign Relations Committee business meeting that will keep me away for a few hours.
But before I go—netroots, we need you to meet the ‘new environmentalists.’
Over the last two years, I thought a lot about the political process – about how to make issues voting issues. It’s been a ‘back to basics’ approach for me. I came into politics as an activist – Earth Day 1970 and then full time in the movement to end the Vietnam War.
And when I thought of the environment, it hit me that even more dangerous about this administration’s assault on the environment is the assumption on which that assault relies: they think people don’t care. They’ve gotten away with dismissing the environmental movement as “elitist” – -or do-gooder “tree-hugging.”
That’s why Teresa and I spent the last year working on our new book. We want to show the true face of the new environmentalism. We talked to a ton of people who are fighting for a clean, safe, healthy environment. They may not label themselves environmentalists or activists but labels aren’t important. What ís important is that we’re all fighting for the same thing: a clean, safe healthy environment.
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Their stories moved us. And so we decided to collect them, along with our own reflections, in a book: This Moment on Earth. More Americans than ever before are realizing that we now face a crisis, a crisis that links ranchers and biologists, mothers and chemists, city planners, fishermen and even late-night talk show hosts.
No doubt, we in politics must work to solve the problems at 30,000 feet—with bold new ideas for energy independence—but this movement will only succeed if it’s more about you than us – if Americans get out there to protect the ground beneath their own two feet.
No doubt the right wing is going to pile on. We’ve seen what they‘ve done to our friend Al Gore, and as an old friend of mine used to say “it is what it is.” But I hope you’ll step in and fight their cynicism. This book isn’t about us.
I hope you’ll go online and write a review. Don’t defend us. Defend the ranchers out West who are tired of watching their cows die. Defend the evangelicals who are partnering with others to make “creation care” their great cause. Defend people you know who are the every-day environmentalists making changes in their lives to make a bigger change in the world. Defend yourself, the every-day activist and tell your own story. All of you are the heroes of This Moment on Earth. They and you are the face of the new environmentalism and it’s going to take all of us to get the job done.
Cross-posted at Daily Kos
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Well, I think everyone is over at Dkos in a lively discussion on this important issue.
Thank you Senator Kerry and Teresa for this book and your activism and inspiration. I have purchased 3 copies for 3 important people in my life, my kids. The young people get this and this book will help them realize that they can do something and bring it to dicussions, as one is a teacher another a college student and the other a writer and musician. I see this topic coming up in all their career minded goals.
This is such a perfect gift for this moment on earth. :-)
It’s true, there are a lot of comments piling up over on the dKos thread mentioned in this blog entry. And Mr. Kerry has popped in to answer a question or two there himself from time to time, in the short gaps between his other pressing obligations.(Well, the guy does have a day job, y’know…)
It’s always a good thing when a politician can make time to post to the web in his own voice, rather than having a staffer write something for him and post it over his electronic signature instead—it really helps the people feel like he is connected to them and vice versa. Here’s hoping that Mr. Kerry (and Mrs. Kerry, for that matter) will be doing more of the same in the future, too.
It was great to see JK back over at dKos! Lots of good discussion today. Thanks, Senator!
I just watched the video your appearance on The Daily Show. You did a good job—and this is coming from someone who voted anti-Bush rather than pro-Kerry in 2004. Will have to put that book on my reading list.
It is such a great idea to share stories on how individuals were moved to action to improve or protect the environment in their communties. More people will find that they have shared values, and feel like they can make a difference. Looking forward to reading This Moment on Earth this weekend.
What a great thread Sen. Kerry’s diary has become. Nearly EVERY comment is insightful, interesting, or heartfelt. I also thought that was fantastic that Sen. Kerry replied to so many comments, all of them very substantive ones about the environment. It seems he understands that blogging is about interactivity, and the people over there seem to appreciate it.
Thanks, Senator Kerry, for taking the time out for the bloggers on dailykos!
Senator Kerry, I take your environmental commitment seriously - not least of which because I am a resident of Cape Cod - in favor of the Cape Wind project. I reject the idea of the wealthy’s views being interrupted versus us going to war in order to gain control over a diminishing resource.
Not to mention the fact that we are attempting to control peoples of nations not our own, not only the resources that they rightly possess.
To that end I wish to call attention to this series by
Jim Puplava of the greatly respected site FinancialSense.com. His on-going series do much to enlighted the naive novice and financially astute, regardless of their political position. This latest series has to do with real world choices and real world debts.
http://www.financialsense.com/series3/part2.html
I would hope that we can encourage solar, wind and other renewable resources - even though it has become clear that the corporate efforts are against that aim. Apparently power trumps the ideas of democracy: We the People has been turned into We the Corporate Power-Brokers.
I am sure that American ingenuity and dedication could solve many of our energy issues, without killing the citizens of other nations. I am sure that endless war - and ultimate retaliation - is not the answer. And, I am equally sure that God provides a door.
I am looking to you and your wonderful wife for leadership in finding that door and sheparding us through it.
Thank you for your attention.
Liah.
Although you have lost the elections, I think you are the “president of hearts” all over the world and lots of people thank you so much also outside of America for your engagement.
There is a tame polar bear cub in Berlin! Some people think, he is a very nice symbol and could be a important, because the press likes him. I don´t think, that “Cute Knut”, will be able to do something for the environment without lots of help. This is the adress from his blogroll:
http://blog.rbb-online.de/roller/knut/
Knut is adorable, Cybermaus, and I hope he brings some attention to the climate crisis. Thanks for the link.
A new report out of Belgium, due out this Friday, looks pretty dire, but there is some agreement that there’s still time if we act.
According to one scientist:
“The worst stuff is not going to happen because we can’t be that stupid,” said Harvard University oceanographer James McCarthy, who was a top author of the 2001 version of this report. “Not that I think the projections aren’t that good, but because we can’t be that stupid.”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17889856/
Let’s hope he’s right.
Just dropped by to see what’s going on.
Senator, as you well know, Dkos is the best place to post (sorry Dem Daily) for airing views to the progressive net roots on a particular point.
Good job!