Bill McKibben: Climate Protest Movement, Not COP21, Key to Preventing "Uninhabitable World"

Climate activists take part in a march in Ottawa on Nov. 29, 2015. (Photo: Mike Gifford/flickr/cc)

Bill McKibben: Climate Protest Movement, Not COP21, Key to Preventing "Uninhabitable World"

Bill McKibben, co-founder of 350.org, says the U.N. Climate Summit reveals the "scoreboard" for activists pushing governments to take action on global warming, and shows "how much more work we have to do." He argues whatever agreement comes out of the meeting "won't be enough" to avoid putting the world on a path to higher temperatures and an "uninhabitable world." As France continues to ban protests at the summit, McKibben says he was moved to tears by the the outpouring of solidarity actions this weekend in 2,200 places around the world.

Bill McKibben, co-founder of 350.org, says the U.N. Climate Summit reveals the "scoreboard" for activists pushing governments to take action on global warming, and shows "how much more work we have to do." He argues whatever agreement comes out of the meeting "won't be enough" to avoid putting the world on a path to higher temperatures and an "uninhabitable world." As France continues to ban protests at the summit, McKibben says he was moved to tears by the the outpouring of solidarity actions this weekend in 2,200 places around the world.

"It always seems to me like this event is not the game, it is the scoreboard. What it reflects is what's happened over the last five years when we've built a movement all over the world. Before Copenhagen, there was no climate movement, so there was no pressure on anyone there. Barack Obama could come home from Copenhagen with a no agreement, Hillary Clinton, no agreement, and pay no price. But that's no longer true for them or almost anybody else. So, we'll get something out of here, but it won't be enough."--350.org co-founder Bill McKibben

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