Do The Math
Bill McKibben is a lot taller in person.
But what should I expect from the man who is trying to take down the oil industry, the wealthiest and most powerful industry in the world?
Of course he is not alone in this incredibly difficult task. Members of his Do The Math movement, including mothers, fathers, students, teachers, scientists, business people, and maybe your next door neighbor, have had quite a few accomplishments, such as shutting down the Salem Power Plant, and participating in protests against tar sands and the oil industry. These people and their united efforts have given me hope that we can actually accomplish our goals.
When I got home, I tried to convince my dad that we should divest from oil companies like Exxon. He didn’t agree. He would spit out one statistic and I’d spit back another, he of course was not amused in the slightest by the whole thing, but I, on the other hand, could barely hold back a smile. I really wanted to have the whole “Not under my roof!” argument and I would have gladly slept outside for sake of the Do The Math movement. I think that this rebellious side to the movement will definitely help it gain followers.
It’s not that my dad is not a fan of oil companies; I know for a fact that he was one of the few who had climate change on his mind when he went to polls. He believes that companies like Exxon are the only companies with enough money to develop alternative energy sources. It’s just too bad that the CEOs and CFOs at Exxon don’t seem to be that interested averting their preoccupation with oil or giving up their $100,000 per day salary. During the presentation, my mind drifted off for a brief moment, missing the analogy with beer completely, to a scenario where the CEO of Exxon had came anonymously to the Do The Math presentation. If only people could just sit down and listen, really listen, maybe Bill McKibben could have changed his mind and changed the course of history in one night. It’s a little far fetched, but if Bill McKibben can inspire people from all over the world, who’s to say he wouldn’t be able to do the same to one stubborn person?
I know that this movement is just taking off, but I can’t help but fear that, like the environmental movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s which happened in the midst of the Vietnam War, this will be but a fad or a fleeting moment in history drowned out by war in the Middle East. I hope that people come to realize how important an issue climate change is. It is so much bigger than the economy and most other issues our nation is preoccupied with.
Bill McKibben is a lot taller in person.
But what should I expect from the man who is trying to take down the oil industry, the wealthiest and most powerful industry in the world?
Of course he is not alone in this incredibly difficult task. Members of his Do The Math movement, including mothers, fathers, students, teachers, scientists, business people, and maybe your next door neighbor, have had quite a few accomplishments, such as shutting down the Salem Power Plant, and participating in protests against tar sands and the oil industry. These people and their united efforts have given me hope that we can actually accomplish our goals.
When I got home, I tried to convince my dad that we should divest from oil companies like Exxon. He didn’t agree. He would spit out one statistic and I’d spit back another, he of course was not amused in the slightest by the whole thing, but I, on the other hand, could barely hold back a smile. I really wanted to have the whole “Not under my roof!” argument and I would have gladly slept outside for sake of the Do The Math movement. I think that this rebellious side to the movement will definitely help it gain followers.
It’s not that my dad is not a fan of oil companies; I know for a fact that he was one of the few who had climate change on his mind when he went to polls. He believes that companies like Exxon are the only companies with enough money to develop alternative energy sources. It’s just too bad that the CEOs and CFOs at Exxon don’t seem to be that interested averting their preoccupation with oil or giving up their $100,000 per day salary. During the presentation, my mind drifted off for a brief moment, missing the analogy with beer completely, to a scenario where the CEO of Exxon had came anonymously to the Do The Math presentation. If only people could just sit down and listen, really listen, maybe Bill McKibben could have changed his mind and changed the course of history in one night. It’s a little far fetched, but if Bill McKibben can inspire people from all over the world, who’s to say he wouldn’t be able to do the same to one stubborn person?
I know that this movement is just taking off, but I can’t help but fear that, like the environmental movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s which happened in the midst of the Vietnam War, this will be but a fad or a fleeting moment in history drowned out by war in the Middle East. I hope that people come to realize how important an issue climate change is. It is so much bigger than the economy and most other issues our nation is preoccupied with.
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