Somebody Actually Doing Something About Global Warming

The media is part of the problem when it comes to Global Warming and other eco catastrophes because it glorifies shallow and sensational symbolism while ignoring those who are really trying to do something.

The shallow and sensational symbolism of the hour is the self-proclaimed “No Impact Man” Colin Beavan. Beavan a New York writer and his family are trying to do their part for the environment by trying to engage in any potentially environmentally destructive activity. They have reduced their electricity use to almost nil, aren’t using sort of fossil burning transportation, are trying not to eat foods grown more than 250 miles from New York City and have even given up toilet paper. They will do all of this for a year and as virtually every Internet pundit has pointed out it’ll have virtually no impact on global warming. I’ll post no links to Colin Beavan here this egomaniac is attracting far too much attention as it is. Where is the department of social services? Why do I have a feeling if a garbage man from the Bronx tried to do that his family he’d get a visit from the social worker rather than publicity in The New York Times?

Predictably the media is lavishing a vast amount of attention on Beavan and his eco fast and ignoring people who are actually making progress against Global Warming. People like Bob Briggs, Briggs is a former state legislator and transit district board member from Arvada, Colorado and for decades Briggs has been trumpeting the cause of rail in Colorado.

Briggs has had quite a bit of success in his efforts to get one of the most auto dependant states in Colorado to switch to rail. Partially as a result of his efforts on the Regional Transportation District board, Denver has a growing light rail system and one of the longest light rail lines in the nation. Thousands of people take the light rail everyday getting thousands of cars and dozens of pollution generating buses off of the Denver area’s crowded highways. See his website http://www.rangerxpress.com for an example of what an average person can do.

Now Briggs has embarked on another equally quixotic crusade and is having some success in efforts to bring commuter rail to Colorado. His Rocky Mountain Rail Authority has raised $350,000 in matching funds needed to get a $1.46 million grant for a commuter rail study along Colorado’s Front Range. Briggs group has united such diverse Colorado communities as Aspen, Colorado Springs, Idaho, Springs and Castle Rock in efforts to bring in rail. He’s even got people in Wyoming talking about high speed rail. If the commuter rail lines Briggs supports get built it’ll take thousands of cars off the road and really reduce global warming.

Just getting people thinking and talking about rail is an uphill battle in Colorado and Wyoming but Briggs has accomplished just that. He’s done more he’s actually got Coloraoans excited about rail, so excited that there is now considerable public pressure to force the Colorado Department of Transportation to change its focus from highway building to rail.

Our local media is beginning to pay a little attention to Briggs and his efforts largely because they have been so successful. The national media doesn’t know that Briggs exists and I have a feeling that a great many of them would be shocked by him.

Briggs doesn’t confirm to their stereotypes he’s an average middle class guy who lives in a gasp suburb. Briggs’ political activism doesn’t involve the kind of colorful grandstanding reporters love he does things like drive around Colorado and make speeches to Rotary Clubs and Chambers of Commerce. Traditional activism that isn’t sexy or grandiose but it actually works.

Briggs succeeds because unlike Beavan he actually has faith in average people and America. Briggs believes that average people are smart enough to make their own decisions about transportation and will make intelligent choices if given the opportunity. Briggs believes, correctly, that we have the technology to maintain our present lifestyle and not destroy the environment.

If Global Warming is going to be prevented it will be by people like Bob Briggs who are trying to make real progress. Not by dim witted publicity hungry luddites like Colan Beavan who have no faith in themselves, their country or their fellow man.