The Moral Urgency of Climate Action
By Lynne Nittler
In a flood of extinctions and on-rushing global warming, what can one person do to change the course of the river? Why should anyone try?
Cool Davis invites the public to a feisty talk on Friday, March 6, that also will touch hearts and renew commitments to slow climate change. In a talk that is equal parts anger and love, writer/philosopher Kathleen Dean Moore will speak about the nature of change and call participants to radical truth-telling and courageous citizenship.
Her talk will be at the Veterans’ Memorial Theater, 203 E. 14th St., and advance registration is recommended. Moore also will speak the following morning at the Interfaith Climate Conference at University Covenant Church.  The two talks are different, and the public is invited to both.  Register here.
Reception at 6:30
At a 6:30 p.m. reception March 6, guests can meet Moore, enjoy the live music of local group Five Three Oh! and munch on snacks. They also can take climate actions by signing up to be a Cool Home or consider the Citizens’ Climate Lobby strategy of a carbon fee and dividend.
Program at 7:15
At 7:15 p.m., Larry Greene, executive director of the Sacramento Metro Air Quality Management District and a board member of Cool Davis, will take the stage as emcee. A Cool Davis update will be followed by California Energy Commissioner Andrew McAllister, who said emphatically, “Indeed, there is a lot happening on energy in California today, and I will be happy to help get folks fired up about it!”
Moore’s impact
Says Elizabeth Lasensky, a newcomer to Davis who already has registered for the talk, “As a political and environmental activist with MoveOn, I am always looking for synergistic groups to partner with, to learn from and to expand our progressive voice. The extended Cool Davis community is ideal; we share a passion for climate justice as well as a mission to save our planet.”
“Talking with folks at the reception, hearing from a California energy commissioner and then listening deeply to philosopher Kathleen Dean Moore will be invigorating.”
Having read Moore’s book “Moral Ground: Ethical Action for a Planet in Peril,” Ed Clemens is relieved that so many world leaders believe we have a moral imperative to act to preserve our imperiled planet. But he wants to know, “How do we translate this obligation into policies?” March 6 is his chance to ask.
Moore’s work brings together the written word, the wisdom of the natural world, and the moral clarity of philosophy to explore our place on the planet and our responsibilities for its thriving.
About Kathleen Dean Moore
Moore is a philosopher, nature writer, public speaker and defender of all that is wet and wild. Her work brings together the written word, the wisdom of the natural world, and the moral clarity of philosophy to explore our place on the planet and our responsibilities for its thriving.
Moore’s nature books have won the Oregon Book Award, the Pacific Northwest Booksellers’ Award, and the Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award. Her work is published in magazines such as Audubon, Discover, The Sun, and the New York Times Magazine. She serves on the Boards of Directors for the Orion Society, the Oregon Humanities Magazine, and the Island Institute in Sitka, Alaska.
She is a professor emerita of philosophy at Oregon State University and teaches writing workshops in beautiful places, from wilderness Alaska to the Apostle Islands. Recently, she has become a much sought-after speaker on how to address climate change and meet our moral obligations to the future. In fact, Cool Davis booked her a year and a half ago for this occasion.
A link to Moore’s books, website and talks can be found at www.cooldavis.org/events.
Moore is one of my environmental heroes. Her book, Wild Comfort, triggered long-forgotten memories, times in quiet places in nature where I have found extraordinary peace and experienced beauty. …
The Urgency of Moore’s message
Jacqueline Clemens has read Moore’s writing. She wrote, “Moore is one of my environmental heroes. Her book, Wild Comfort, triggered long-forgotten memories, times in quiet places in nature where I have found extraordinary peace and experienced beauty.  In those moments of hiking in the deep woods and floating on crystalline lakes, internal reflection fueled inspiration and spawned an essential personal retuning, the most human of experiences.
The rapid degradation of our planet, the assault on the environment due to climate change, should be lighting a fire under us all.
“The threat is no longer a lifetime away. It is now; it is our future and the future of our children and grandchildren. The need for action is urgent. Moore’s message is clear. She reminds us of what we are losing. I can’t wait to hear her on March 6th.”
Her words cut through the denial and pessimism that pervade mainstream political discourse, and inspire us to reaffirm our deepest values.
Lorenzo Kristov took the time to listen to several of Moore’s talks on YouTube and concluded, “Kathleen Dean Moore eloquently and passionately reminds us that we are morally responsible to revere and safeguard the Earth and its current and future residents, not exploit them as mere resources for consumption and accumulation of private wealth.
“Her words cut through the denial and pessimism that pervade mainstream political discourse, and inspire us to reaffirm our deepest values and use them as the basis for fully engaged citizenship to drastically alter the destructive path our society is on.”
Learn more:
Who: Kathleen Dean Moore, speaking about the moral urgency of climate action
When: 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 6
Where: Veterans’ Memorial Theater, 203 E. 14th St., Davis
Donation: $10 participant, $20 supporter; free to students in grades 7-12 and college
info@cooldavis.org
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