Why is climate change the most important issue facing the environmental community today?
JR: Climate change is the most important issue because we are talking about the preservation of humanity. Climate change is not a one dimensional issue – it impacts on the environment, and quality of life, of every person, and every living thing, on this planet. It is an issue that demands a sense of urgency because we are experiencing the impacts on a daily basis, right before our eyes. It is an issue that affects the lives of everyone, and therefore this requires the support and activism of everybody to resolve. TH: Polls are showing that environmentalism has faded as a concern for most Americans. What can we do to reinvigorate support for environmentalism and get across this state of urgency? JR: I think that it is a question of definition. Membership of traditional environmental groups may have fallen, but I think that increasing numbers of people are really concerned about the issues that are associated with global warming such as energy, for example. I think that those issues can
