About 800 people flooded the EMU Ballroom Tuesday night to hear noted author and environmentalist Bill McKibben’s lecture about the eminent threat posed to the planet by global warming.
McKibben spoke about his early days in the global warming movement, where the movement stands today, and what people can do to enact real change. He emphasized the subtext of his remarks, which, as he put it, was, “If I can do this, anyone can do this.”
“This needs to become our equivalent to the civil rights movement,” McKibben said. “It needs to be just as passionate, just as strong, and just as powerful.”
The presentation, titled “Building the Climate Movement,” was brought to campus by the Oregon Humanities Center as part of the Luther S. Cressman Lecture Series. The series was named after Luther Cressman, who was known as the Father of Oregon Archaeology for his research questioning the standing theories about the prehistoric Northwest, said Julia Heydon, the associate director of the humanities center.
“I heard an interview with Bill McKibben on Alternative Radio about his book, ‘Deep Economy,’ a few months ago, and I was impressed by how thoughtful and well-spoken he was,” Heydon said. “I wanted to bring to campus someone who was actively working on the problem of global warming and its underlying causes, and after consulting with a number of environmental studies faculty on campus I decided that McKibben would be a good choice.”
The purpose of the Cressman lectures is to “present and illuminate fundamental humanities issues that confront societies centrally occupied with science, technology, and business,” according to the humanities center’s Web site. Global warming seems like a natural subject for the humanities center to choose.
The humanities center will also be hosting Stanford biologist Stephen Schneider on March 4, 2008 as the Robert D. Clark Lecturer in the Humanities. This program, which will be co-sponsored by the Environmental Studies Program, will also focus on global warming.
“I’d say that the issues we are facing now with global warming are about as fundamental as it gets,” Heydon said. “That isn’t to say that other issues such as human rights and human expression through art, religion and culture aren’t also very important topics. But many of those things could be at stake now as we are inexorably altering the planet on which we live.”
McKibben, who wrote his first book on global warming, titled “The End of Nature,” in 1989, also spoke about the “Step It Up” campaign that he started as a simple Web site in January. On April 14, Step It Up was able to organize the largest single day of global warming protest in American history. McKibben hopes to eclipse that mark on Nov. 3, which is the next Step It Up Day of Action.
“Instead of marching on Washington,” McKibben said, “we want people to demonstrate in their own communities with their own neighbors.”
Forty-five senators and congressmen have pledged to attend Step It Up events, along with Republican presidential hopeful John McCain and every Democratic presidential nominee.
The University will also be participating in the Day of Action. Jesse Hough, a junior psychology major, is in charge of the event, which will take place on Saturday starting at noon in the EMU Amphitheater.
“This speech was great for us,” said Hough, who is volunteering his own time to head the event. “It got people jazzed up and ready to get involved on Saturday.”
The event will feature speakers, including Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy, an open mic, poster making and food. It will culminate with a march to Autzen Stadium at 1 p.m., where the campaign will make its voice heard at the nationally televised football game.
Hough said his original goal was to draw 100 people to the march, but after McKibben’s presentation, he is optimistic that the organizers will eclipse that goal.
Following his speech, McKibben took questions from the audience and signed copies of his books, which were on sale at the presentation. Eugene native Dale Dudeck was so impressed by what McKibben had to say that he bought all of the books available and was first in line to get them signed.
“It was really inspiring,” Dudeck said. “We hear about this stuff all the time, but when you hear it in person it really opens your eyes.”
McKibben concluded his speech to a rousing standing ovation. He said he couldn’t be certain if Step It Up is going to win, but as long as there is a reason to fight, the movement must press on.
“I have given up trying to be optimistic or pessimistic,” McKibben said. “I just work hard. Until the scientists say there is no point in continuing, that’s what I am going to keep doing. We’ll see if it pays off or not.”