Today, in Berlin, Barack Obama delivered another historic speech, “A Word that Stands as One“.
Obama's Berlin Speech - Credit: Michael Dalder, Reuters
Three times, he shared his sense of urgency about the need for the world to ‘stand as one‘, regarding climate change:
As we speak, cars in Boston and factories in Beijing are melting the ice caps in the Arctic, shrinking coastlines in the Atlantic, and bringing drought to farms from Kansas to Kenya…
In this new world, such dangerous currents have swept along faster than our efforts to contain them. That is why we cannot afford to be divided. No one nation, no matter how large or powerful, can defeat such challenges alone. None of us can deny these threats, or escape responsibility in meeting them…
This is the moment when we must come together to save this planet. Let us resolve that we will not leave our children a world where the oceans rise and famine spreads and terrible storms devastate our lands. Let us resolve that all nations – including my own – will act with the same seriousness of purpose as has your nation, and reduce the carbon we send into our atmosphere. This is the moment to give our children back their future. This is the moment to stand as one…
At this point, just words, but such a welcome relief from the kindergarten squabbles at the last G8 Summit, and on the Senate floor. My heart was touched. And I feel hope again. How about you?
La Marguerite 
Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!
And thanks, Marguerite, for pointing this out.
I do feel more hope after seeing these types of things, and it’s happening more and more. But, of course, there’s still ALOT of work to do. Obama (or Gore, or etc.) can’t do it alone.
On another note, before I get back to the day’s work (speaking of work!), I just thought I’d mention this: I noticed that Robert Plant and Alison Krauss announced another appearance in the Bay Area, this time at Mountain Winery in Saratoga. So, if you and yours like the Krauss-Plant combination, or were Led Zeppelin fans, or simply like outdoor concerts, you’ve got another opportunity. (You could almost ride your bikes to this one.)
I saw them at the Greek Theatre, in Berkeley, and they were wonderful.
Cheers.
I like the speech, but it lacks focus. At the end, I don’t really know what he wants us to do.
“As we speak, cars in Boston and factories in Beijing are melting the ice caps in the Arctic, shrinking coastlines in the Atlantic, and bringing drought to farms from Kansas to Kenya…”
This has some similarities with this part from Gore’s recent speech:
“We’re borrowing money from China to buy oil from the Persian Gulf to burn it in ways that destroy the planet.”
Let’s have more of that, but especially more of “What we’re gonna do?”.
Gore’s speech was critized for lacking on specifics, but Obama’s doesn’t mention anything concrete I believe. I think we need someone both charismatic and not afraid to help us make choices about how we spend our time.
Marguerite, indeed this is long way from the kindergarten squabbles (love that term, btw). I believe I mentioned in that thread that I don’t consider most “world leaders” to be world leaders. I just see them as politicians. Scared, reactive, followers in effect.
Obama shows that politicians still can be leaders, as they have been in the past. That’s what I appreciate him for most.
My feelings have been quite hopeful in the last months, and I consider the phenomena of both Gore and Obama to fit this hope. They are products of our time, and times are indeed changing.
Thanks Jeff. It is great to see you let your enthusiasm for music spill out, as evidenced in your latest stream of mails. Maybe you should have an audio blog/vlog featuring inspiring songs and music videos?
Meryn, for me, Obama’s speech is not about specifics – given the breadth of the speech it couldn’t anyway – , but rather about leadership, and vision, and inspiration, and touching people’s hearts. Once people are moved as I was today, a lot of energy gets freed up for change, including taking some hard steps. I am convinced grabbing people by the heart, is even more important than appealing to their sense of reason. And you are right, time are changing. The question is of, are they changing fast enough? Also, I would not underestimate the power of the few white men at the helm of special fossil fuel interests.
“Once people are moved as I was today, a lot of energy gets freed up for change, including taking some hard steps.”
Exactly! That’s why I’m for the all-in-one killer-move. Call for specific action directly after you have freed up that energy. People will commit to anything reasonable a leader says at this point.
I don’t think you can hold this heightened receptivity for new ideas for long, you have to take that opportunity directly, or it fades.
Actually, I must admit the above is entirely speculative. I don’t really know if I’ve seen prove of this somewhere. Maybe it’s an element of some historical speeches, maybe it isn’t.
It’s a great speech, and believe me, I’ve listened and read many… (last year was election year in France, and I went to meetings) But, well, it is only a speech.
We heard so many speeches last year in France and the Grenelle on so on…
But nearly a year later, almost nothing has changed here.
So, I know Obama has a great plan and so on… but will he be able to do what it wants ? As fast as he wants ? Wait and see ! 😉
Yes, Edouard, I am especially disappointed with Grenelle, as they had a great plan with all the right ingredients. But execution and getting all stakeholders to cooperate is another thing. This is where I think Obama has an advantage, as he is awesome at gathering and mobilizing people. For the kind of challenge facing us, only exceptional leadership will do.
More warm fuzzies. As Meryn said, what does he want to do? It’s not like he hasn’t had a chance to say that yet.
“Change we can believe in!” says one campaign slogan of his. What change is that, precisely?
“Um, that a half-black man can be elected President.”
“You mean you, Barack?”
“Um… yes.”
“So the change we can believe in just means, vote for me?”
“Yes, we can!” says another.
“Can what?”
“Well, get me elected, and -”
Those who begin with warm fuzzies and no concrete plans continue that way. Trust me on this – we got the same here Down Under with our new PM. Okay, that’s an improvement on the last guy: we went from harm being done to nothing being done, it’d be nice to go to good being done, but “nothing” is better than harm.
Kyle, I understand your cynicism, and I – respectfully – beg to differ. Call me naive, but I do believe in this man, and his ability to mobilize the people, in doing things they would not find the heart to accomplish otherwise. This is not to minimize the obstacles ahead. At a minimum, as you pointed, we will have moved away from active acts of evil, as currently perpetrated by the Bush administration – latest being news of commercial oil shale production, as reported in yesterday’s post –
Oh, and this is saucier than any of those peak oil girls!
Do you think Obama can deliver the alternatives we need. Can he manage to move us off dependence on oil. What is his planning for doing this?
Karla Bell
It is so great to read this! I’ll have to come back and listen before. Can Obama deliver? We’ll find out but at least he is talking the talk which is more than most have done.
> Marguerite : time will tell. Nice to see you share my views on the Grenelle.
For me and my father – I “converted” him to environmentalism, something that I am quite proud of – this is a huge disappointment…
Well, I could say that Sarkozy is (was?) great at gathering and mobilizing people, after all he has some of his opponents working for him as ministers… which is seldom seen in France to my knowledge of politics.
Anyway, time will tell and I really want to believe that Obama will make all our dreams come true. so wait and see !
“I do believe in this man, and his ability to mobilize the people, in doing things they would not find the heart to accomplish otherwise.”
I do too, Marguerite.
[…] I was so pleased yesterday. Not only was Obama visiting France, my home country, but he also made more exciting declarations regarding his vision of American climate […]
Edouard, I have not given up on Sarkozy 🙂
Green Bean, agree with you that talking the talk is a HUGE step.
Karla, I am an optimist, and taking all positive news I get at this point. Obama is doing exactly what he is supposed to be doing at this point. Let us give him some much needed encouragement.