Denying a threat doesn't mitigate the reality of that threat

I’m sick of starting with what can we get through the Senate; let’s start with what solves the damn problem. Until the Senate gets its head out of its rear end and starts to see the crisis we’re in, our country is literally at risk. Our economy is at risk, because these jobs are being created overseas. It should have the same urgency with this problem that it had bailing out Wall Street. We are swearing an oath to do what’s necessary to protect this country, not do what’s necessary to get a bill through the Senate…. This is the challenge of our time—the jobs opportunity, the national security challenge, the scientific challenge of our era. Any plan that uses market forces to signal a carbon-constrained environment is going to move us in the right direction. People who don’t support this kind of aggressive energy independence are just selling Americans short.

Outside of health care reform, perhaps the biggest issue being routinely soft-pedaled is global climate change. At a time when one could make the argument the Rome is burning, Congress is fiddling…and there are damn few voices being raised to demand that this change. Tom Perriello has been one of the most courageous Democrats in this regard, a politician willing to stand up and demand that Congress take the lead and actually do something. Unfortunately, Perriello is at this point little more than an obscure, plaintive voice in the wilderness…and nothing appears likely to change any time soon.

With deniers like Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) sucking the air out of the room in this “debate” (and with Democrats lacking cojones), little in the way of real action appears destined to emerge from this Congress. At a time when we should all be demanding concrete, decisive action and leadership from our elected representatives, what we’re getting instead is the dull roar of silence…as if Congress is collectively hoping that if they ignore global climate change it will eventually just go away.

Except that it’s not going away. We live on a planet whose ecology and climate system appears to be dangerously out of whack. Congress has an historic opportunity in front of it, the chance to show leadership in demonstrating to the world that we’re willing to take on this problem and find a way to minimize the damage we’ve already done. Even the most decisive action may not be able to undo what has come before…but doing nothing will only ensure that we’ll continue on the path we’re currently traveling on. And Perriello will continue to be the little boy crying “FIRE!!” in a crowded theater. Too bad no one’s listening.