This will be a war of inches, won by sheer persistence and creativity

Like many of you, I’ve spent much of the past four days trying to make sense of the repercussions and reverberations of the chaotic and dramatic final hours of COP15 in Copenhagen. How fitting then that Copenhagen concludes as the new year approaches.

The new years season is often one of reflection, a time to look back at the events of the last year and ponder their implications for the course ahead, while setting new intentions for the coming year.

There is much to be said and much to ponder and many emotions to sort out. I hope we all have the time to reflect, plan and renew our resolve in the coming weeks. For now, I only want to share these words with my fellow climate activists. They are not mine, but I find them as apt as any, and a succinct summary of what has been, for me, an increasingly powerful realization:

What came out of Copenhagen is nothing but a faint promise. To make it something real, much less what’s needed, will require intense pressure from civil society, elites, businesses, enlightened governments, and ordinary citizens. And guess what? If there is a robust, legally binding treaty signed in Mexico next year, with sufficient targets and timetables … intense pressure will still be required.

This will be a century-long fight. If the green movement is going to sustain itself over time, it might be wise to try to avoid the emotional roller coaster of “last chances” and “historic failures.” That’s a recipe for burnout. There will be no cathartic moment, no final breakthrough, only a war of inches won by sheer persistence and creativity.

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Persistence and creativity. Those are two traits that are most certainly not in short supply among the many young clean energy and climate leaders I know. That gives me hope. If the right lessons are learned from the past year, the course ahead will ultimately be successful.

Here’s to 2010, and to the long, critical road ahead.

About Jesse

Jesse Jenkins is an energy and climate policy analyst, advocate, and blogger. Jesse is currently the Director of Energy and Climate Policy at the Breakthrough Institute in Oakland, California, where he works to develop and advance new energy solutions to power America's future, secure our energy freedom, and halt global warming. He joined Breakthrough in June 2008 and previously directed the Breakthrough Generation fellowship program for young clean energy leaders. Jesse worked previously as a Research and Policy Associate at the Renewable Northwest Project in Portland, OR, helping to advance the development of the Pacific Northwest's abundant renewable energy potential. A prolific author and blogger on clean energy issues, Jesse is the founder and chief editor of WattHead - Energy News and Commentary, a member of the blogger board at the Energy Collective and policy editor at Its Getting Hot In Here. Jesse is a co-founder of the youth-led Cascade Climate Network, a board member of Focus the Nation and a graduate of the Robert D. Clark Honors College at the University of Oregon.

1 Response to “This will be a war of inches, won by sheer persistence and creativity”

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1 nickengelfried Dec 22nd, 2009 at 9:54 pm

Thanks for the hope, Jesse. More and more I’ve been realizing that maybe we need to stop thinking about this struggle as a fight that’s going to culminate in one big event that defines a “victory” or a “failure.” It seems there will be no single moment when success or failure is acheived, but rather a continuous struggle that stretches out over years or decades. Some of us may be working on this challenge for the rest of our lives. But I for one can’t think of any better way to spend my time on this planet.