Sustainability Summit: My Green Epiphanies

Last Thursday I had the honor of serving as moderator for the Cobb County Sierra Club's Sustainability Summit. Being around the hard-working and visionary panelists gave me a much-needed lift.

First of all, the following famous quote ran through my head: 

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead

Two of the themes for the evening where mass transit and clean energy. I am in awe how local activists and groups are working with the City of Atlanta to create green initiatives. Atlanta is the largest city in the Southeast and their sustainability efforts are setting an example for the entire region. This is an example of how the Sierra Club and likeminded organizations can make a difference with far-reaching results.

Jump Into Politics

Modifying corporate behavior was another theme for the evening. The speakers discussed plans for getting our local electrical utility to commit to more solar energy. Of equal importance is the need to campaign for good political candidates and lobby government bodies to push for positive public policies. Regulatory boards like the Public Service Commission hold tremendous power and it's important that their boards have green representation. Wind, solar, and other clean energy sources need to be continually promoted.

After the meeting I was talking to a woman who had been apolitical most of her life, but the election of Trump motivated her to get involved. She recently went door-to-door campaigning for a green candidate, which greatly touched me.

NAACP

We had the president of the local NAACP on the panel and I learned a lot of interesting and exciting things about this organization. I did not know that the organization was founded by white people, that it is nonpartisan, and welcomes all races. Right now the organization is focused on voter registration and has a wonderful campaign going on called the Power of Five: Register 5 new voters. Ensure that 5 people get to the polls. Volunteer – 5 minutes, 5 hours or 5 days — between now and Election Day.

I love this initiative. Already, our local Sierra Club group has been building connections with the NAACP through our participation in the annual Juneteenth festival, which celebrates the freeing of the last slaves in 1865.

Gerrymandering

My greatest takeaway for the night was the importance of getting the right governor in place in the upcoming election. The reason is that after the federal census is conducted each decade states are required to create new congressional districts. Gerrymandering is where the dominant political party draws the boundaries in a way that gives them a political advantage. The most common technique is to "pack" voters of a certain type into a single congressional district, thus they can't influence other races. You can look at a map of nationwide congressional districts and quickly tell which states gerrymander and which states do not. Although in a gray area, right now gerrymandering is legal. I see it as a disgusting attack on our democracy. And, I will be blunt by saying it's mostly an effort by Republicans to pack minorities into single districts, where they can only elect one representative instead of maybe two. 

While the courts may take some action on gerrymandering cases by far the most effective way to stop this practice is to elect a governor that would veto an unfairly developed plan. So, in red state Georgia, campaigning for a Democratic governor is probably the most effective use of my volunteer time.

Conclusion

The overall linking theme for the evening is the importance of getting the right people into political office. I am deeply inspired by Abraham Lincoln and Lyndon Johnson who were able to push massive civil rights initiatives through Congress. Lincoln did it by one-one-meetings and Johnson did it by spending full days on the phone talking to Congressional members. What was their secret? They used their personal connections, they pleaded, they bargained, and they did everything they could to get the votes needed to pass their initiatives. We need more leaders like this who will not only continue the drive for social justice but also for green initiatives. I find that conservatives ALWAY focus on immediate gratification even when that means everything else is slowly sinking. What we need are progressive politicians who emphasize the long-term, even if it means the short-term will be a little less comfortable. Yeah, this means sacrificing for the betterment of our grandchildren and planet. To me, that's the way it should be.

The Iroquois native Americans followed the principle that when a decision is made its impact seven generations into the future should be considered. To survive as a nation and as a global community we need politicians who will do the same.

I strongly applaud all the outstanding panelists, organizers, and the audience at last Thursday's event. Thank you for deeply inspiring and motivating me. 

Panelists and organizers at my local Sierra Club's annual Sustainability Summit.

Photo credit (at top): Noah Silliman