The End of 2010

And here we are, on December 31st, 2010. Time has been ticking, the climate keeps in changing, and we human beings have started to do something about it. The UN talks in Cancun at the end of this year may not have done anything concrete or tangible, but they did succeed in demonstrating a new climate (excuse my pun) of climate change negotiations. For the first time, the world seemed to agree that we are going to have to pull up our bootstraps and do something about this problem, in a way that is just and fair to developing countries who need our help. For the first time, it feels like the world, in some way, shape, or form, "gets it."

A movement is rising.

The purpose of this blog has been to serve as my outlet to weigh in on the environmental movement and its present-day challenges, in a personal way. Even if no one reads this blog, it still allows me to reach outside that college bubble and stay present, stay a part of this movement. I am proud to be a part of this; it is rising. Thanks to, in my opinion, Bill McKibben, "green" is starting to be more than a color or a policy in Washington DC, and is looking more and more like a successful social movement. The 350.org campaign published this beautiful collage of the best moments of 2010 in the 350 campaign, which you can view here: http://www.350.org/2010/index.html

2010 has had its ups and downs, of course, from the BP oil spill to the Republican take-over of congress. But it's nice to know that the people who are the grassroots, the people who understand and who care, aren't going to give up. In fact, we're getting stronger.

So what would I like to see next?

I believe that environmentalism is a broad movement that encompasses all people- all ages, all classes, all races, all ethnicities, etc. It encompasses social and civil justice issues. The more we can embrace these characteristics, the more powerful and stronger we will become. I want to see a full-on social justice movement, complete with spiritual and empowering music, and marches. While this may seem old-fashioned, and out of date, we can't win this fight on the internet. It's got to feel like a living, breathing movement, grabbing people in from all walks of life. The past has proved that the grassroots are an effective force for change. The bottom-up strategy works.

Hopefully, this time next year, I will be even more proud of my movement. Because time will be ticking, and the climate will still be changing. Hopefully so will we.