the Sam Jackson College Experience

Liveblogging of the 2008 Yale Climate Change Conference, Woolsey Hall (Press Release here). For complete liveblogging coverage, click “read more” as updates will continue to be pushed downwards as new ones are added. Newest updates are at the top.

Friday’s gathering will also celebrate the centennial of President Theodore Roosevelt’s landmark 1908 Conference of Governors, which launched the modern conservation movement, planted the seed for the National Parks System, and inspired significant state efforts to protect land. The event will celebrate 100 years of state leadership on critical environmental issues, confront the present climate challenge, and set out a vision of a federal-state partnership for future action.

3:05 : MYTHBUSTERS! Crazy guys. Talk about how mythbusters is cool on discovery channel. Buster should go into politics. They should invest in the myth that businesses and republicans are obstacle to progress on environment, greenhouse gases. I say this is a myth. [bla bla bla] Democrats are obstacle as well, even if rhetorically they are trying to slow down the approval process-schizophrenic. People don’t want to let solar plants go up in Mojave desert because of the transmission lines; it’s not just businesses, it’s also environmentalists and environmental agencies. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of possible. We need transmission lines, battery cars need batteries and electricity, hydrogen cars need fuel, nuclear power has waste, biofuels can lead to deforestation–no silver bullets, only silver buckshot.

Engangered squirrel–which MIGHT like to live in the area near a power plant–stops solar plant, hypothetical squirrel is stopping up environmental progress. Environmental regulation can hold up environmental progress.

Relax, exhale, let things move forward. Good that there are young people here.

I am optimistic, despite obstacles. Very optimistic. young people have new ideas. Movement must reach critical mass. You can feel the big things moving and coming together. You can feel the momentum. Don’t be downhearted. Every day I see in CA what is happening, and say things are about to move our way. Thanks! APPLAUSE, OVATION.

3 : CA is giving the nation and world a push, UN wanted to have CA keynote to give the world a push! CA is at the leading edge of the environment economy of green, clean technology. Even besides global warming,incentives for new energy sources–environmental cause would be unwinnable without capitalism! Shift is happening all over the world. Leading german consulting firm says that german clean green industry will be greater than auto industry before next decade is out there. Time for environmental revolution.

2:50: Worked out with President Levin earlier, he is very buff–benchpressed a sophomore. There is a connection between bodybuilders and environmentalists. A long time ago people were embarrassed to talk about weight lifting–Kirk Douglas and others did not want to be associated with weird people in spandex dungeons. When asked how they got their bodies, “we were born like this.” A book, Pumping Iron came out, and then a movie : ) and this changed things (dir. George Butler is here). Sport became more and more popular, and the perception of bodybuilding changes, and now there are gymnasiums everywhere and people talking about abs and delts and six packs.

Like bodybuilders, environmentalists are thought to be weird fanatics. For too long, environmental movement has been powered by guilt. Smokestacks powering out hot tubs and big screen TVs. If only we could live like monks on straw mats. People are not going to give up plasma TVs. Ladies and gentlemen, movements don’t make progress based on passive guilt. Successful movements are built on passion, critical mass, an element of alarm to galvanize action. Environmental movement is switching from guilt-power to some newer and more dynamic. Image is also changing from one of hand-wringing and whining to something hip, cutting edge–even sexy!

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