Obama: Forget About Wall Street -- We're the Ones Who Are Screwed

On Earth Day, Forget About the Planet -- We're the Ones Who Are Screwed

By Joseph Romm, Climate Progress. Posted April 22, 2009.

I don’t worry about the earth. I’m pretty certain the earth will survive the worst we can do to it. I’m very certain the earth doesn’t worry about us. I’m not alone. People got more riled up when scientists removed Pluto from the list of planets than they do when scientists warn that our greenhouse gas emissions are poised to turn the earth into a barely habitable planet.

Arguably, concern over the earth is elitist, something people can afford to spend their time on when every other need is met. But elitism is out these days. Only bitter environmentalists cling to Earth Day. We need a new way to make people care about the nasty things we’re doing with our cars and power plants. At the very least, we need a new name.

Nearly everything we're doing politically, economically and in the scientific community hastens our demise. Even our best intentions are no longer enough.