Selling Climate Change

Some have criticized this effort by Al Gore to raise awareness on the need to seriously alter our climate policies, on the grounds that it's a big media campaign and that Republicans are involved, blurring the lines on the issue. As for the type of campaign, it's apparently got a online organizing and alternative-media component as well. And I do think that progressives need to use the marketing tools we've seen conservatives use over the years. People still get most of their news and information from television, after all. And as for the partisan issues, I say that if you can bring Republicans around to the right side of an issue, go ahead and do it; Al Gore is not likely to compromise on the issue, he's staking out his ground and demanding everyone comes to him. Plus, I agree that in this case, it's both sides who are being timid:

"This climate crisis is so interwoven with habits and patterns that are so entrenched, the elected officials in both parties are going to be timid about enacting the bold changes that are needed until there is a change in the public's sense of urgency in addressing this crisis," Gore said. "I've tried everything else I know to try. The way to solve this crisis is to change the way the public thinks about it."

Reorganizing the way we live and finding a new energy infrastructure is a big step for any politician to take. The people must lead.

(That's not to say that there's no difference between Democrats and Republicans on this issue, John McCain has an abysmal environmental record punctuated with attempts to blur the issue, and he shouldn't be allowed to get away with that.)