OPINION: Reflections on the Marches for Science and Climate

May 08, 2017

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by Joanne Ivancic* (Advanced Biofuels USA) 200,000 people joined the People's Climate March in Washington, DC on April 29, 2017; with another 100,000 at sister marches around the country. 40,000 Marched for Science on Earth Day in the rain in Washington, DC, and 40,000 also in Chicago, with another 20,000 in New York.* Extensive media coverage reflected the vast interest in environmental issues which seems to have spiked to levels not seen since the first Earth Day. And Advanced Biofuels USA was there, too.

As marches go, these earned their success in making it clear that many people care about the environment in many ways; a wide range of issues, perspectives and concerns achieved airtime. The feelings and general aspirations and goals that united predominated.

But what was missing were the things that make it hard to achieve those outcomes; because these are the things that divide. I saw few signs that spoke to solutions among the many that identified the problem.

"Carbon Tax!" Now there's a solution. But just a handful of signs.

"Build Wind Farms, Not Walls!" Another concrete solution.

Keep the oil under the soil! Numerous signs with this slogan. But the only signs that identified how to do that -- now -- as a practical matter, were those held by Advanced Biofuels USA marchers. From the glares that we got as we stood along the march route, many people still don't seem to understand that most of our petroleum use goes to transportation; and if we are going to keep that oil in storage, we have to find something else to fuel transport. And if we want to do that TODAY, then we need biofuels.

I'd love to have electric cars if they were as sustainable as sustainable, renewable biofuels can be. If the power for the electricity was 85% renewable; if the people mining the cobalt, lithium and other rare metals had worker safety and benefits at least equal to unionized coal mine workers or farm and biorefinery employees. But we are not there NOW.

Today, you can feed a flex fuel car or truck 85% renewable ethanol fuel, and, as the resisters in South Dakota has demonstrated, you can feed just about any vehicle 30% renewable ethanol fuel; and 100% renewable diesel for compression ignition engines.

I want to march for choice, I told some who stopped to chat. I don't want to be forced to buy 90% fossil fuel when alternatives exist. I should at least have the choice. And that made them think in ways they didn't think before.

But there weren't enough of us standing in front of the audience that needs to hear us; an audience that tells others what to believe and what to think; whose opinions are respected; and who share their thoughts and feelings. At the top of their lungs.

I want to hear them yell "Recyle Carbon! Use Biofuels!" Or More Biofuel, Less GHG! Or "Keep the oil under the soil; Use the crops from the farmers' toil." And, please, better slogans, too.

The march organizers are now looking to the future. My suggestion is to follow the lead of the Black Lives Matter movement. We have made the statements, earned attention and respect for the cause, and now it is time for the hard work, the serious and sometimes divisive work.

We can come together on the aspirations and goals; and may need to work separately achieving a wide variety of outcomes. Because all those people are not going to agree all the time on science priorities or on the best ways to limit or manage climate change.

When asked, my concrete suggestion for next steps for the Peoples Climate Movement organizers was to list some activities that they should support and give as much exposure to as they do marches and protests.

Here are some ideas:

Facilitate Congressional office visits at home and on The Hill by people implementing climate-friendly actions, businesses and policies.
Finance campaigns or candidate training for people with climate consciousness wanting to run for office at all levels from school board and city council to regional, state and federal positions.
Publish online pages of articles and resource contacts of companies and organizations actually implementing climate change mitigating policies:
Writing legislation and regulations to mitigate and adapt to climate change,
Running for office at all levels with a climate change platform,
Implementing climate-friendly policy,
Pursuing environmental law suits,
Educating, developing curriculum,
Distributing water collection barrels,
Installing solar, wind, geothermal and architectural elements to conserve and gather energy,
Developing processes and products to minimize fertilizer use not only in agriculture, but on golf courses and yards,
Selling high ethanol blends, E85, biodiesel or renewable diesel, Bioheat, etc.,
Moving people away from sea level rise zones, prohibiting government buildings in such zones and denying permits for new construction in such zones,
Promoting the understanding, development and use of advanced biofuels,
Listing the jobs and careers open and available for students, graduates, fossil-fuel career-changers, investors, philanthropists, policy-makers, media, educators, business operators, bankers, farmers, scientists, truck drivers, energy equipment designers, builders and installers, biorefinery staff, computer programmers, ethicists, shopkeepers, fishing fleet operators, architects, law development and enforcement, and just about everyone.

You get the picture. Not everyone will agree with the value of every effort, but if they are implemented in pursuit of avoiding, mitigating or adapting to climate change, they should be recognized. If this results in protests, maybe that will result in improvements.

If march sites give these real life climate conscientious actions as much exposure as they give to walks and marches, they will be doing a great service and achieveing their goals of making this a movement, not just a moment.

Because people will see this as an essential part of their lives, not just changing light bulbs or eating vegetarian or organic, or fueling with sustainable renewable fuels, but as a way to have a long career with good paying jobs that benefit the economic health, as well as the climate health, of communities, cities, states, the world.

Then next time instead of just a march, we can have a big expo that showcases the innovative, generous, far-sighted people putting the talk and the feelings and the relationships into practical action.

More photos of the March for Science

More photos of the Climate March

READ MORE (Climate Generation #teachclimate)

*Latest numbers regarding March for Science from Politico's Morning Energy:

THAT'S A LOTTA MARCHERS: Approximately 1.07 million people worldwide participated in various events around the March for Science on Earth Day, according to figures the organization released Monday. Those include 100,000 estimated marchers in Washington, 70,000 people in Boston, 60,000 attendees in Chicago and 50,000 participants in both San Francisco and Los Angeles. READ MORE and MORE (March for Science)