Saturday, June 28, 2014

Global warming activism / (the dream)


(This poem is meant to be read as two simultaneous voices.)


Global warming activism      (the dream)
     
Michael Stipe didn't quite get it     
With the lead and feathers     
They only fall the same in vacuum     
Air makes them fall differently     
Air is always falling on you     
Light, air, all needs to fall just right     
For you to keep on going     
     
1995     
     
There's a problem     
Bouncing light, re-radiation     
Infrared hits ground again     
Before it leaves the air     (Cue R.E.M.)
     
They said it's not real at all     Buy the sky and
And it's really better for us all     sell the sky and
And we can't fix it at all     tell the sky and
And fixing it would cost it all     tell the sky
     
I thought the denialists would fall     
The brand new "Web" site     
Got a scientist     
In with Congressional staff     
I didn't think they could last     
     
2000     
     There's the progress
We have found a way     We have found a way
To talk about the problem     to talk around the problem
The call from Munich Re     
They insure insurance     
     
They were helpful     
Got numbers from them about     
Costs of great weather disasters     
We ran ads we ran lots of ads     
It turned out not to matter     
Munich didn't help     
Foresight isn't worth anything at all     Foresight isn't anything at all
     
2005     
     Well I would keep it above but then it
Bodies floating by in New Orleans     wouldn't be sky any more
     
2009     
     
Can we agree on cap and trade?     Buy the sky and
We can make a scheme for trade     sell the sky and
They say they believe in trade     lift your arms
They don't believe in trade     up to the sky
     
They built on trading in racism     
Millions will be killed     
They'll say they didn't know     
     
2013     
     
Revealed preferences:     
What people want is what they buy     
American Electric Power is #1     
They want AEP, they don't want power     
Can't buy public goods     
     
2014     
     
What do people actually want to do?     
I heard on the radio, you're happy      
"if you feel like a room without a roof"     
Well yeah! finally a plan we can do     
Hurricanes and floods will do it     
Everyone can have a room without a roof     
     
We can be happy and not down     And ask the sky
CO2 high won't bring me down     and ask the sky
Our system's wrong and will fall down     Fall on me
Ask the sky to pour it down     Fall on me
     
And fall, fall on me     

Lyrics quoted from R.E.M. "Fall on me" 1986, Pharrell Williams "Happy" 2013