Larry Schweiger reminds me why I do the work that I do
Last night after work, Lisa Wozniak and I took a stroll up to the University of Michigan Law School to listen to a lecture by Larry Schweiger, President of the National Wildlife Federation.
The lecture was a refresher on climate science. We listened to Larry and watched his colorful slides tell the story of just how bad things will get (droughts & fires, melting sea ice & rising sea levels, lightning & storm intensity, loss of biodiversity & increased invasive species, etc.) should we not take swift action. The most important take-home is that we are heading beyond the worst-case scenarios of the IPCC reports.
Larry works very close with our very own Green Guru, Gene Karpinski who heads up the national League of Conservation Voters in Washington, DC.
Larry channeled his mentors, including Rachel Carson (who I blame for my own environmentalism). Incidentally, in attendance were two of my mentors, including President Obama’s appointee as Commissioner of the International Joint Commission, Lana Pollack and Rosina Bierbaum, who, among her many achievements, is on President Obama’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).
Larry, Lisa and I are all motivated by similar things- humans who are a lot shorter than us. For Larry, it’s his new grandson. For Lisa, it’s her two beautiful boys, Ben and Zach. For me, it’s my countless (really, I lost count) nieces and nephews, children of my siblings and cousins. They will grow up in world with fewer monarch butterflies to admire, among other things. They are growing up in a world where the average kid spends 7 hours on the TV or computer and only 7 minutes outside! We need a refreshed generation of stewards, but if they don’t know the outside world – they won’t know that they need to protect it.
I count Lisa and myself as the lucky ones who “get it”, but have our work cut out for us – and need your support.
After listening to Larry’s talk, it dawned on me that you might not know the intricacies of the national environmental movement – even as we approach the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. I’d like to wrap up by letting you know what – exactly – you’re a part of as a Michigan LCV member.
We are just one of over thirty “state leagues” (as we’re known) that do this work – of electing and holding accountable lawmakers on issues of energy and environment – at the state and local level.
Lisa and I like to say that –along with our fellow state leagues across the country – we are growing the “farm team” to send up to higher office. A Michigan case-in-point: In 2008, we replaced two Michigan Congressmen with 9% and 3% lifetime LCV Scores with two new US Representatives, Rep. Gary Peters and Rep. Mark Schauer, both earning 100% on the 2009 National Environmental Scorecard. These new Congressman did not appear out of the blue. Rather, they both served in our state legislature and were champions while in office, earning excellent Michigan LCV scores and thus earning the support of national LCV.
Now that there is one major piece of legislation passed (you may have heard about health care), we have the opportunity, under the leadership of US Senators John Kerry (D-Mass.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) – some forty years since the first Earth Day – to enact comprehensive energy and climate change policy.
In good news, we just learned that 22 Senate Democrats are calling for floor action this year on a comprehensive energy and climate change bill – including our very own Senator Debbie Stabenow! Contact your Senators (at 202-224-3121) today and ask them to pass strong comprehensive energy policy this year!
Posted by Kerry Duggan, Michigan LCV Deputy Director
