Down to the wire : confronting climate collapse / David - Index of
Down to the wire : confronting climate collapse / David - Index of
Down to the wire : confronting climate collapse / David - Index of
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108 politics and governance<br />
But <strong>the</strong> dicho<strong>to</strong>my <strong>of</strong> leaders versus mobilized publics is a false<br />
one; both are necessary, ei<strong>the</strong>r alone is not enough. We will need<br />
both because <strong>the</strong> relation between <strong>the</strong>m is reciprocal. No wouldbe<br />
leader anywhere can get <strong>to</strong>o far out in front <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> public. “An<br />
activated citizenry,” in Robert Kuttner’s words, “is not just a passive<br />
army <strong>of</strong> political supporters who will cheer and vote on cue”<br />
(2008, p. 109). Movements, however, can be formless and ineffective<br />
without <strong>the</strong> focusing effect <strong>of</strong> visionary leadership. It would<br />
be diffi cult <strong>to</strong> imagine <strong>the</strong> movement <strong>to</strong> liberate India without<br />
Gandhi, or Gandhi without <strong>the</strong> force <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> people behind him.<br />
We do not yet know whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> Internet will amplify and accelerate<br />
progressive social movements more than those pushing in<br />
<strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r direction. Nei<strong>the</strong>r do we know whe<strong>the</strong>r advancing<br />
communications technology will be immune <strong>to</strong> various corruptions<br />
characteristic <strong>of</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r forms <strong>of</strong> communication.<br />
We do know, however, that addressing <strong>climate</strong> destabilization<br />
will require presidential leadership <strong>of</strong> a high order and a massive<br />
amount <strong>of</strong> what Paul Hawken calls “blessed unrest,” and<br />
lots <strong>of</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r things as well. But presidential leadership on any<br />
issue <strong>of</strong> human survival has been rare. One exception was John<br />
F. Kennedy’s speech at American University in June <strong>of</strong> 1963, which<br />
led <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Ano<strong>the</strong>r was Ronald Reagan’s<br />
attempt with Mikhail Gorbachev at <strong>the</strong> Reykjavík Summit in<br />
Oc<strong>to</strong>ber 1986 <strong>to</strong> abolish nuclear weapons. By some accounts, <strong>the</strong>y<br />
came close. But on issues <strong>of</strong> sustainability in general and <strong>climate</strong><br />
change in particular, no president until Obama has yet <strong>of</strong>fered<br />
vision and leadership, or used <strong>the</strong> White House as a “bully pulpit”<br />
in <strong>the</strong> manner <strong>of</strong> Theodore Roosevelt. Instead, presidents have<br />
mostly ignored, evaded, and, most recently, actively denied <strong>the</strong><br />
reality <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> issue. If we are <strong>to</strong> avoid <strong>the</strong> worst that could happen,<br />
however, <strong>the</strong> United States must rejoin <strong>the</strong> world community in<br />
<strong>the</strong> effort <strong>to</strong> stabilize and reduce greenhouse gases, and that will<br />
require, in turn, active, creative, and transformational leadership by<br />
this president and all <strong>the</strong>reafter.