Discussion Shifting behavior for a changing climate 2014

Culture Change Needed for Effective Solutions to Global Warming (It’s not like mobilizing for war, but problem solving on a scale most of us have never known before means there is a lot of work to do.) Here are 6 passages from the “Long Version Table of Contents” (27 pages) for “Invitation Package for Possible Board of Advisors” (589 pages)[documents by this writer, for The Community Peacebuilding and Cultural Sustainability (CPCS) Initiative (at www.cpcsc.info)] . (These two documents can be accessed at http://cpcsc.info/invitation-package/ ). The passages are from a 28 point timeline of reports, articles, and other educational materials warning about Global Warming (1988-2013)(see pages 5-8 in the “Long Version Table of Contents”). The page numbers included with these passages refer to locations the “Invitation Package…” document, where there are more selections from that article, etc—and where the complete source reference citation is. My question to readers as they consider these passages: “What segments of communities, societies, and cultures around the world will NOT be affected by either an escalation of the climate change challenge, or effective resolutions to the climate change challenge?” My commentary on these passages is at the end of the 6 passages. f) “Avoiding the unprecedented threats posed by dangerous climate change will require an unparalleled collective exercise in international cooperation.” [“UN Human Development Report 2007/2008 Fighting Climate Change: Human Solidarity in a Divided World” (November 27, 2007)] m) “’The new reality,’ says Brown, ‘is that the world is only one poor harvest away from chaos. It is time to redefine security. The principal threats to our future are no longer armed aggression but instead climate change, population growth, water shortages, spreading hunger, and failing states. What we now need is a mobilization to reverse these trends on the scale and urgency of the U.S. mobilization for World War II.’” (“World on the Edge”—Lester R. Brown; January, 2011) u) “…the energy industry’s ability to boost production of oil, coal, and natural gas in North America is feeding a global surge in demand for these commodities, ensuring ever higher levels of carbon emissions. “ (article “World Energy Report 2012: The Good, The Bad, and The Really, Truly, Ugly” by Michael T. Klare; November 27, 2012) (p.293) w) “…we are still perfectly on track for a temperature increase increase up to 5.3 degrees C” (9.5 FO)…” [video presentation “Redrawing the Energy-Climate Map” by Dr. Fatih Birol (Chief Economist, IEA); June 10, 2013] (p. 295) aa) “Achieving such a deep transformation of the energy, industrial, and agricultural systems over the next few decades will represent one of the greatest technical, organizational, and financing challenges that humanity has faced.” (“An Action Agenda for Sustainable Development: Report for the UN Secretary-General”; October 23, 2013) (p. 299) i) “The world is on the brink of the ‘largest bubble ever’ in finance, because of the undisclosed value of high-carbon assets on companies' balance sheets, and investment managers who fail to take account of the risks are failing in their fiduciary duty to shareholders and investors, Al Gore and his investment partner, David Blood, have said. (“Al Gore: world is on brink of 'carbon bubble': Gore and partner David Blood call on companies to 'do their fiduciary duty' and identify carbon risks in their portfolios” by Fiona Harvey; October 31, 2013) (p. 313) My commentary: Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions to manageable levels in time to neutralize the potential for negative feedback loops, and significantly diminish the possibilities of disastrous global warming, are not problems that will be solved by the experts while the rest of us are doing something else. Everyone will be affected by the decisions being made, so everyone should be invited to participate in the decision making process. And we should not lose sight of the fact that the culture change needed to put in place effective resolutions to global warming will require significant resolutions relating to many other critical challenges (see “A List of Ten Critical Challenges” by this writer). Widespread awareness that we are at a critical point in the evolution of life on Planet Earth has been slow in coming, because the evidence is not quite “coming through the mist as much as it should be.” But there is more than enough evidence. And the evidence will “come through the mist”. [One quick glance reference document to recommend: “Resources, Statistics, and Observations” (20 pages) (another document which summarizes the “Invitation Package for Possible Board of Advisors”). The “Resources..” document can be accessed at the webpage “Press Kit” at http://cpcsc.info/press-kit/ --see the “Introduction” to the Press Kit.] This writer believes we are going to need all the resources, knowledge, and skills each one of us has, and we are going to need to make the best efforts we can at working together, if we are going to succeed at resolving the challenges ahead of us. And thus, he believes there is an urgent need for proposals which integrate solutions being created in many different sectors of society into ways citizens can learn about possible solutions in Neighborhood Learning Centers, and “vote” on prioritizing challenges, and prioritizing solution action plans, in their communities and regions. If the goal is to resolve the unprecedented challenges ahead, then it would seem necessary to exponentially increase the number of actively engaged citizens—citizens who have a much more comprehensive sense of civic duty. It’s not like mobilizing for war, where there will be drill sergeants and basic training, but people should begin to realize: problem solving on a scale most of us have never known before means there is a lot of work to do. His proposal—“Tipping Point Action: Citizen Participation in Times of Unprecedented Challenges”—is in the Contest “Shifting Behavior for a Changing Climate”.

We need to make Ecocide the fifth crime against peace under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. Before we address mitigation efforts, or perhaps at the same time, we have to stop those principally responsible for causing acts of ecocide whether they are hiding in transnational corporations or private businesses, national governments, or those individuals who deliberately finance ecocide. Such a law will redirect corporations to concentrating on producing goods that increase life-value. Dangerous industrial activities that endanger the climate will be reduced because of the supranational criminal sanctions that would flow from the Ecocide Act. The Ecocide Act will protect the climate and mandate remediation and mitigation efforts--all part of the sentencing process.

Laws will not change attitude or behavior. Incentive and real alternatives will. in the case of China's growth if the Chinese feel it will benefit them to go green in the design of cities then they will. Ecocide laws are too broad and allow for abuse by politicians as alexkrotz pointed out in his post. Personal peeves do not make for good law.

Two paths meet, urgency of action by Humans and the arrival of Jesus Christ in modern history teaching prayer and resolution around the principles of the law, offering the vehicle that institutionalizes the exact emotions called into play by the twins, the city and the Storm. We point to the power of the Cross, not to our human potential, and make the third obvious observation that events unfairly claim innocents. Demonstrating the morality of angels.