By Maurice Carter, Sustainable Newton President

“It ought to be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things. Because the innovator has for enemies all those who have done well under the old conditions, and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new."

Niccolò Machiavelli's words from his 1532 work, The Prince, have never rang more true than now.  Just ask President Joe Biden, whose climate agenda and proposed clean energy policies are the largest "new order of things" we've seen in America in our lifetimes.  For the world, decarbonizing economies to respond to the climate crisis -- as agreed via the Paris Climate Agreement -- is likely the largest single undertaking in human history.

Stop in the Name of Love (of Money)

By opposing President Biden's Clean Electricity Performance Program (CEPP), Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) casts himself as the visible face of the enemies Machiavelli noted.  Manchin is doing very well under the current order of things through the backing of the coal, oil, and gas interests who have done extremely well themselves for decades.

Scientists tell us everyday:  there have never been times such as these:

• Raging wildfires in California, Siberia, and Turkey.
• Unprecedented flooding claiming lives across Europe.
• Reservoirs drained by drought to historic lows.
• Hypoxic "Dead Zones" in super-heated oceans around the world.
• Signs of collapsing currents, including the Gulf Stream, that could bring dramatic changes to weather patterns and threaten marine life.

The dots aren't hard to connect.  But, a new report out today from the United Nations International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) puts these extreme weather events into sharper focus and an even more disturbing context.  The message is clear:  "A code red for humanity," said UN Secretary General Antonio Gutteres.

By Sustainable Newton

Even as a climate activist and leader of a sustainability organization, I'm still conflicted over President-Elect Joe Biden's commitment to sign an executive order on his first day in office to rejoin the US in the Paris Climate Agreement.  I'm convinced we have years -- not decades -- to reverse climate change or face dire consequences, and I accept the urgent need for coordinated global action.  The crisis is real.  But, as a political pragmatist, I also know this back-and-forth reliance on executive action without congressional approval is ultimately getting us nowhere.

If you're reading this, climate change is probably already on your mind.  And, if your experience is like mine, chances are good you've had difficulty discussing it with some folks.   Our current climate crisis has been an unwelcome topic in some circles.

Moving past resistance to honest dialog is what tomorrow night's "24 Hours of Reality - Truth in Action"  event is all about.  But, thankfully, the tide is already turning.  I hear it in conversations, and we see it in the very positive response to our Sustainable Newton message. 

But, I was still pleasantly surprised by a report published this week by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication declaring:  "Georgia voters broadly support policies to address climate impacts and expand renewable energy in the state, and they want their elected officials to support those policies as well."