Big Greens: Our Last Hope!

Oct 9, 20244 min read

Copied from an email I received…

Sad Greetings - As I watch my home state of Florida be destroyed over and over again, the frustration with Big Green inaction grows. So below's a diatribe to focus our efforts. If we don't get BIG GREENS to LEAD we are DOOMED. Todd Fernandez

DISASTER EARTH. The fact is that ALL OF US burn fossil fuels heating the planet every day. Our electricity, cars, and food are all making climate heating pollution.

The obligation to stop this is on all of us. But it's the JOB of CONGRESS, which is captured by Big OIL & BIg AG (both parties).

And it's the RESPONSIBILITY of the BIG ENVIRO GROUPS to demand it. However - insanely - the BIG ENVIRO groups have FAILED TO EVEN TRY TO BAN FOSSIL FUELS for decades now. And still - today in 2024 - they are refusing to support FEDERAL POLLUTION POLICY that would mandate industry transitions away from fossil fuels.

BIG GREENS (as they're called) are the GATEKEEPERS with all the key relationships, and they are BLOCKING & REFUSING TO ADVOCATE for THE EARTH BILL, or anything like it.

This is shocking beyond words to me. But having worked deeply with them for several years, it is beyond clear to me that the BIG GREEN GROUPS are subservient to Congress. The Legislative Directors at these groups are all required by their job description to have "positive relationships" with Congressional staff. This means BUTT KISSING, which is core to D.C. professions. When it's your job to have "friends in Congress" you can not push or demand, and they don't.

I have recently reached the point that I am surrendering to this reality and giving up (mostly) on my quest to get Enviro Groups to fight for REAL POLLUTION POLICY. It's been exhausting to get them to even take a POSITION. In our meetings on The Earth Bill they have said outright - that they may one day endorse the Bill - BUT THEY WILL NOT ADVOCATE FOR IT.

They all have other projects and campaigns - NONE OF WHICH INVOLVE MAKING CONGRESS TAKE ACTION. The Enviro Groups do not even have a FEDERAL POLICY AGENDA they push other than what the Congressional Leadership decides is "viable". They bow to the Democratic Party which is itself captured by the Political Status Quo. The Republicans and opposition thus WIN BY DEFAULT.

But CIVIL SOCIETY's job and fiduciary duty is to FIGHT FOR THE CAUSE they raise money from. Yet they stand down. They justify this "collaboration with politicians" as being "political pragmatism". But this is just an acquiescence to FAILURE - and worse yet - a rationalization for FAILING TO EVEN TRY.

The history books will write about this reality - that the Big Green Enviro Groups - NEVER EVEN TRIED TO PUSH FEDERAL GHG POLLUTION LEGISLATION or to LEAD A PUBLIC-UNITED-MOVEMENT. That THEY TOO KNEW (for 40 years) AND DIDN'T EVEN TRY FIGHT FOR LAWS TO STOP OUR USE OF FOSSIL FUELS TO AVERT PLANETARY DISASTER. Think about that.

It's thus sadly up to THE PEOPLE to make BIG GREENS mobilize which COULD ignite a public passion that COULD change the political power in Congress, that CAN MAKE CONGRESS ACT. But that is VERY UNLIKELY. People don't rise up without leadership, and the BIG GREENS have NO INTENTION TO LEAD A REAL MOVEMENT, hiding safely in their comfort zones.

The fact now is that we have heated Earth by 1.2 degrees celsius, and are headed to 3.0 global heating (5.4 degrees F). THREE DEGREES IS A DISASTER SCENARIO. And this is FAR MORE LIKELY than us stopping the pollution to avoid it, as the window closes this decade. Again, think about that.

What we see today in storms IS JUST THE BEGINNING. HUMANITY will have a DISASTER EARTH as the NORM. We will all suffer the consequences. We are now living in the opening salvo. Our "Love of Money" has destroyed Paradise.

Below are TWO MAIN COALITIONS with the clout and capacity to RISE UP & LEAD A MOVEMENT to STOP CLIMATE POLLUTION. Their resistance has made me want to give up. Hopefully, someone else will heed this message and pick up the fight.

We don't have to convince the opponents. We just have to convince OUR SIDE TO UNITE & FIGHT FOR POLLUTION POLICY. Should be easier, but it's not.

CLIMATE ACTION CAMPAIGN https://www.actonclimate.com/the-coalition

Leadership

Center for American Progress https://www.americanprogress.org/

Earth Justice -- ENDORSED Earth Bill! https://earthjustice.org/staff/abigail-dillen

Environmental Defense Fund https://www.edf.org/contact

Environment America https://environmentamerica.org/about/

National Hispanic Medical Foundation https://www.nhmafoundation.org/about-us

League of Conservation Voters https://www.lcv.org/contact/

National Wildlife Federation https://www.nwf.org/About-Us/Leadership

National Resource Defense Counsel https://www.nrdc.org/bio/manish-bapna

Sierra Club https://www.sierraclub.org/contact-us