Month 3, Day 23: Loving Nancy

I was inspired by Nancy Pelosi last night. She’s done a fabulous job. Even though a climate bill has already passed the house, I thought I’d send her a letter letting her know that at least one American Democrat is hoping for more from this Congress on climate issues.

Dear Speaker Pelosi,

Congratulations on your extraordinary efforts and your extraordinary success in bringing the Health Care bill to passage. My wife and I were glued to the screen last night, and as the final vote total reached 216, we both cheered, clapped, wept and embraced. Your advocacy and passion were integral to bringing this about. I look forward to seeing the reconciliation fixes go through the Senate in a few days’ time, and to cheering, clapping, weeping and embracing my wife again!

This letter, though, is not simply a congratulation. I write to urge you: apply similar passion and strength to the passage of meaningful climate legislation in the coming years. Waxman-Markey is an excellent start, but it’s only a start. We are going to need much stronger and more robust approaches to the climate crisis in the next few years, or the consequences to our nation and our planet will be unimaginable.

This is a harder sell, I know. Persuading members of an elected body to support legislation that addresses problems which are only beginning to happen is contrary to the usual practice of American politics, which is to wait until things are at crisis point until doing anything. Unfortunately, that won’t work with the Earth’s climate, which doesn’t care about the exigencies of American politics. By the time things are at a crisis point, it will be too late.

For a century we’ve heard from timid politicians and pundits that “it’s not the right time to fix health care.” Yesterday, you proved them wrong. We’ve also been hearing that it’s not the right time to address climate change, for there are so many other priorities that occupy our political attention. But it will never be “the right time” to address climate change, because the lag between climate action and climate response is greater than the electoral cycle of a U.S. Senator (let alone a member of the House of Representatives).

While it may not be “the right time” to tackle the climate crisis — it’s the only time we’ve got. I’m glad you’re the Speaker of the House right now, for this problem can’t be kicked down the road for a future Congress to handle.

Thank you for all that you have done for our nation.

Yours Sincerely,

Warren Senders