Union Calls for Climate Control

The United Steel Workers Union held a round table discussion aimed at climate change and what they call unsustainable energy dependence last night. Among the speakers was Anna Pinto of the Indian based Center for Organization Research and Education. (CORE) Pinto says as inhabitants of the world, “we need to change the way we think because if we don’t we may not survive for very long as a species.” She says that starts by changing the way we, “think about production and consumption.” Pinto says CORE is an “indigenous peoples group” representing those who are watching their, “rivers getting contaminated, land getting destroyed, and air getting polluted.” She says the number and severity of floods, droughts, starvation and diseases outbreaks is growing. She blames the crumbling world on the types of policies promoted by the G20. She says, “Policy is not for the welfare of the rich, corporations, or politicians. Nor is it for one country to be the boss of another country. Policy is meant for people’s well-being and welfare.” She says real global development is about human welfare not about the development of wealth.

Pinto says what many are calling progress in the area of climate control policy that will be debated during this week’s meetings is not progress at all. She points to “cap and trade” as an example. She says “Packing up emissions in a box and moving them from point “A” to point “B” is not cutting or curbing emissions.”

Pinto is not pushing another plan. She says just like there is not just one ecosystem in the world there is not just one answer to climate control. Instead she says millions of small solutions will come forward to heal the earth once the, “big monstrous lies pretending to be solutions” are cleared out of the way. She says she has traveled to the United Sates because it is clear it is not enough to act locally and expect the situation to get better globally.