We need to refocus our minds on the biggest single threat to us all, despite the nuclear horror news. According to the UN, climate change is already killing over 300,000 a year and rising. A greater threat than the nuclear disaster in Japan, by far.

On April 9th I recorded a new speech by Bill McKibben, the founder of 350.org, and one of the premier spokespeople for the American climate movement.

I'm going to presume you know who Bill McKibben is. He wrote the first book about global warming, "The End of Nature" in 1989. His latest book, which I highly recommend, is "Eaarth."

 http://www.billmckibben.com/bio.html

Perhaps you have heard a speech by Bill, on the way the 350.org climate protests were organized, to become what "Foreign Policy magazine called 'the largest ever global coordinated rally of any kind,' with 5,200 simultaneous demonstrations in 181 countries."

But now I want you to hear some new material from Bill McKibben.

We'll start with his update on our climate situation, one year after the publication of the book Eaarth. Then I'm going to skip over his story about forming 350.org, and the first demonstrations.

Don't worry, I'll give you a way to listen to the whole speech, and the Question and Answer period, as a free mp3 download from our web site, ecoshock.org. It will be on our climate change page.

Full 55 minute speech here (shorty, try later if needed)(55 MB)
 http://www.ecoshock.org/downloads/climate2011/ES_McKibben_110409.mp3

24 minute Q and A here:
 http://www.ecoshock.org/downloads/climate2011/ES_McKibben_110409_QnA_LoFi.mp3

To save you time, in the Radio program we skip ahead in the speech, to some some things I haven't heard. The situation in China. Bunjee jumping from dead coal plants. His perspective now on the failure of international negotiations, and the disinformation campaign from the fossil fuel lobby.

McKibben calls for a campaign against the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and against the Canadian Tar Sands.

Bill talks about the theme for this year's big world-wide demo coming September 24th. Why we have to try, even though we may have waited too long.

This speech was recorded by Alex Smith at the University of British Columbia April 9th, courtesy of the Vancouver Institute. I include the short introduction by the Honorable Madam Justice Mary Newbury.

You can download the full speech from April 9th 2011, along with the Q and A, as free mp3 files from our web site at ecoshock.org. Look for our audio on demand menu, right on the main page, and choose "climate change".

This Radio Ecoshock program compares climate change and the nuclear disaster, and presents new material from Bill McKibben, for those more familiar with his existing work. 1 hour, 14 MB.