New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Huffington Post, AOL homepage, NPR, my habitual news sources are mute on climate change. Have been for the last week. The elections have taken over, and there is no space left for much else. I no longer see, hear green. Like the rest of my fellow Americans, I have become obsessed with the polls, latest gossips, and predictions. I am an Obama girl, cheering for her man. In the mean time, CO2 is continuing its dirty work. But we are all taking a break from watching. Our minds are too busy keeping track of Hillary, Obama, and Edwards, and Mc Cain, and Romney, and Huckabee. There is a competition going on, and the thrill of not knowing who’s going to win in the end, is too hard to resist. Yesterday Hillary nearly cried, and that was big news. Tonight, it looks as if Obama is winning again. We are addicted. And that’s ok, as long as we make sure to vote for candidates with a sound climate change agenda.
La Marguerite 
“We are addicted. And that’s ok, as long as we make sure to vote for candidates with a sound climate change agenda.”
But… you don’t have any. All you’re getting is some wishy-washy warm fuzzies about everyone working together, or something.
My take on this is that well intentioned candidates’ first priority is to make sure they get elected. The environment, unfortunately is not what will get them to the White House. As we know from the polls, environmental concerns are at the bottom of the list.
Hey Marguerite,
Just for the record, I’d like to extricate myself from the “Like the rest of my fellow Americans, I have become obsessed with the polls, latest gossips, and predictions. ”
Frankly, I’m sick of it and not obsessed with any of it. It’s very much the political rhetoric that once you’ve passed 50 years of age you realize there is no such thing as an original thought: except perhaps for healing this planet, about which we hear nothing except miniscule and generic references. While voting in a conscious candidate who is taking climate change seriously remains a strong priority, I find it difficult to listen to more empty promises from these candidates who have no idea what it means to be without. My focus remains on spending as much time as possible outside, with nature, feeling through my senses what is happening, and attempting to join forces with my local green folks. (there are few sadly)
While the brilliance and academic credentials for many of the above referenced author’s, bloggers, candidates, etc. remain impressive and admirable, they are still existing mostly behind desks in aritificially heated and cooled buildings looking out the window intellectualizing on the climate. The more time all of us spend outside, “feeling” and “seeing” what is happening around us, perhaps then the direness of this man made mess will take on greater urgency.
I’m all for voting in a candidate who will lead us through this climate crisis with courage and creative ingenuity, but where is he/she? (though I will take any of the democratic candidates any day over our current idiot leader!)
Elizabeth Tjader
Once again, if you want anything done, do it yourself. I hope you’re right, when elected they will do something, but I fear it will be too little and too late based on the reports I’m seeing.
Call me an optimist, but I still have faith in several of the candidates. Which does not mean that I believe we should wait and do nothing . . .