An Opportunity to Act

I was stirred to respond to Hurricane Katrina and Rita, in the days after watching the horrors unfold on August 29, 2005 in New Orleans on CNN. I thought what could we do? These events were in part made worse by human action and inaction - global warming had caused the sea levels to rise making storm surge worse, and rising sea temperature likely fueled the intensity of the storm, but neglect of the levees, and the human condition made bare by the storm: poverty, classism, racism, and much more, also contributed.

The hurricanes exposed inaction - inaction by our government. We decided we could adopt a nonprofit, then decided to try to adopt a neighborhood, green thousands of homes and a handful of schools, and take other measures to help make the Gulf Coast a shining example of the solutions to global warming and a response to its ravages. I wrote this article with Leonardo DiCaprio a month after the storm, it ran in major papers around the world. Imbedded in this opportunity is how we can make New Orleans the first true green city and the power of cities period to march against global warming - Mayors are taking action and pledging to do more. We must join together to help our Mayors, push them, encourage them, help them be accountable in their pledges to fight global warming. In the absence of leadership in Washington DC - from Republicans AND Democrats - we must have our cities and states lead the way. And that's only possible if each of us take action in our cities to get municipal programs to reduce our impact on the environment, green our schools and affordable housing, and call for solar power and renewable energy on our roof tops.

And why not start with solar city halls? Let's use the 11th Hour as a way to wake up all parts of our communities that care about our neighborhoods, our cities - PTA members, anti-poverty activists, domestic violence support organizations, all of our community that care about the human condition. Improving our environment not only improves the world, it improves our human condition, our sense of self, and is critical for future generations to enjoy some of the best of the world we have now (hopefully not the worst).