By 2006, a powerful climate movement was itching to be born. Awareness was growing, state and local action was accelerating, students were mobilizing, businesses were engaging, investors and entrepreneurs were pioneering solutions. Momentum was building rapidly, but the physical reality of the problem was accelerating at a frightening pace. Despite an extraordinary outpouring of support and commitment, the climate movement still lacked the coherence and moral power to drive solutions as big as the problem. The tinder was dry, but we needed a match.
So, late that year, a small group of diverse leaders [1] gathered and asked themselves: What would it take? How could we support the emergence of a bold, powerful, coherent climate movement? How could we unify the growing public demand for climate solutions that deliver broadly shared economic opportunity? How could we transcend the many institutional and political limitations that divide our efforts and prevent us from developing the collective power and public will we need?
Beginning in April of 2007, these leaders and others met with leaders of environmental, faith, human rights, anti-poverty, business and youth groups as well as policy analysts, communications experts, climate scientists, and many others. We determined that what we needed more than anything was not another new institution, but a place to stand together – above the level of our separate institutional imperatives and political alignments. We needed a platform on which we could converge to create irresistible public demand for a clear, simple, specific national policy platform that would set America on the road to real solutions.
That place, that platform, became 1Sky—not a new organization, but a campaign aimed at bringing hundreds of diverse organizations together in support of a unified platform for transformative change. In a few short months, 1Sky hit the ground running. We raised more than 2.5 million dollars in 501c3 funding, assembled a talented initial staff and board of directors, and secured in-kind services from numerous companies and allies. With a philosophy of “launch by doing, and grow from the existing movement,” we have engaged in several high-profile activities with prominent partner organizations.
Today, the 1Sky campaign is in full gear. Our non-partisan campaign is focused on raising the climate issue in the context of the 2008 elections and with the next Administration and Congress. We're calling for the bold federal solutions that are scientifically necessary [2] rather than marginally effective proposals that are politically expedient. We're investing 40% of our resources in existing organizations to avoid duplication of work. And we're collaborating with local, state and national environmental groups while enlisting new constituencies.
In all of its diversity, a powerful climate movement is beginning to converge. The movement will never fly a single flag, or narrow itself to a single brand or institution, nor should it. Unity, not uniformity, is our goal. We are many; we are diverse; we are growing. And we need to stand together. In the end, we have only 1 sky.
2007 Garrison Institute Retreat Attendees
Links:
[1] http://www.1sky.org/about/our-story#attendees
[2] http://www.1sky.org/about/solutions