As the nation marks the 50th anniversary of MLK's "I have a
dream" speech, investor Tom Steyer sees lessons for climate activism.
By Tom Steyer in The
Daily Climate
SAN FRANCISCO –
According to a fascinating poll that came out last
week, 13 percent of Americans claim that they would commit some form of
non-violent civil disobedience to get action on climate change.
To me, this is a
dramatic number. Americans are not willing to put up with denial any longer.
Opinions are shifting – hard and fast. People understand the risks as they
begin to see and feel the impacts, and they are tired of the dysfunction that
is preventing change. All that these individuals need is a clear, direct action
to take.
August 28 marked the
50th anniversary of the March on Washington and Martin Luther King, Jr.'s
"I have a Dream" speech. There has been much focus on Dr. King's
speech – but it caused me to re-read another King work, his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail."
When you consider the
impact climate change will have on our collective future, it is instructive to
remember what Martin Luther King had to say about the power of non-violent
civil disobedience in that letter in 1958.
Preparation needed
The first was his
outline of the preparation needed for mass, non-violent protest. He advocated a
four-step process of analysis, negotiation, self-purification, and, finally,
confrontation. The ordering here was crucial; only after the first three stages
did he advocate the last.
Dr. King's second
observation was that even after the deliberate execution of those careful
steps, confrontation was always "untimely" for the so-called
moderates, arriving too soon for their comfort.
Dr. King's key insight
is not just that outright oppressors never give up their advantages willingly,
but also that moderates never advocate any direct, non-violent, attack on the
status quo because they are actually satisfied with it.
What about the moderates?
For the sake of our
own struggle, this point is worth keeping in mind. Because of self-interest,
the dirty energy industry will always engage in fierce, intense opposition. But
what about the moderates of our era? Are they still satisfied with the status
quo? I think not.
Returning, then, to
the 13 percent who would personally engage in civil disobedience, how should we
interpret this level of commitment?
Interestingly, Thomas
Jefferson thought that 15 percent of the general population was the number
needed for accomplishing significant transformation. If he was correct, this
may represent a tipping point. We may be on the precipice of major
change.
Let's hope we
are.
Activist and investor Tom Steyer is president of NextGen
Climate Action
The Daily
Climate is an independent, foundation-funded news service that
covers climate change. Opinions are those of the author and not The Daily
Climate. Find us on Twitter @TheDailyClimate or email editor
Douglas Fischer at dfischer@DailyClimate.org