Hello all,

 Just letting you know — a little bit late in the day, I know — that the Lexington Global Warming Action Coalition (affectionately known as LGWAC) is sponsoring an appearance by Jim Hansen and myself, tomorrow night, Sunday, June 1, at Cary Hall in Lexington, Massachusetts. It starts at 7:30, but there’s been a lot of publicity, so you might want to get there early — especially considering the Celtics’ victory last night, which means we won’t be competing with a Game 7!

 Here’s the e-mail that Jim sent out to his list the other day, under the title “Dear Governor Greenwash”:

A summary of recent attempts to provide information and interact with governors re actions needed to stem climate change is at
http://columbia.edu/~jeh1/mailings/20080529_DearGovernorGreenwash.pdf.

This Sunday evening (June 1) I will give a talk at Cary Hall in Lexington, Massachusetts a few hundred yards from where the first shots of the American Revolution were fired.  Perhaps there is an analogy between the gap that developed between the best interests of the American people and policies of despotic King George and the gap that has developed between the best interests of the public (and nature) and the policies (mainly those related to energy) that we now live under.

A different sort of revolution, within the democratic framework, is needed, but it won’t be easy.  What makes it a hair-raising drama, with an outcome far from assured, is the combination of climate system inertia and resulting planetary energy imbalance, energy system inertia, and climate system tipping points.

The event … starts with a short talk by Mark Bowen, author of Censoring Science, followed by my talk on the science, and then open discussion.  There is a $5 admission.  I have no financial interest in the book or event (but I probably get in free).

Jim

I guess I should follow Jim’s example and disclose that I do have a financial interest in the book, since I wrote it, but not in the event – and that I believe I also get in free.

By the way, the “Dear Governor Greenwash” essay that Jim links above is very much worth reading.

Hope to see you tomorrow!

Mark

P.S. Beat L.A.!