I feel that the way accountability is often depicted in political organizing can be risky. Accountability is often brought up in terms of “others,” meaning the scope of people we work with including politicians and volunteers and also the general public. It is true that there is a need for accountability with those people, but if our sole focus becomes holding others accountable what does that mean for us? I have often found myself feeling absolved from the need for immediate action that creates a sustainable and just future after a lobby visit. I think this is because I feel I have shifted that sense of accountability onto the person just I lobbied. I am starting to feel there is a loss that moves beyond accountability in this exchange. By relying on others to create the world I want I am also giving them my power, or maybe focusing it through them. Either way, my own power/sense of empowerment seems to take a hit. Especially when the person I lobby just shrugs me off and goes the other way. All I am left with is hope, which, for me, can be a self justifying respite or a place of power and action. Do I demand change or create it myself? Sometimes both I think.

In terms of our argument for sustainability, its nature seems to be contributed to by this shifting of accountability and power. If we look at the bare-bones of this argument I feel like I begin to understand a bit of why there seems to be so much hesitation in some sectors of our community (politics). On one hand, existing industries like coal are saying “Hey, we have been serving you for about 200 years, you wouldn’t be able to live like you do right now without us. Sure there are some bad things about what we are doing, but we will clean up. We will get better. Stick with us, it has worked so far.” On the other hand we are often arguing in favor of things that have never been done. In addition, we don’t really know what it will look like. We have a couple innovative and magnificent ideas, and some goals around emissions. This is a far cry from being on the ground everywhere and functioning. So do you fix what is there or go for the virtually unknown? Can we prove that what exists is bad enough for us to go with the unknown?

Fortunately it looks like we can, or (less-fortunately) nature will do it for us soon, and there are new solutions popping up around the world all the time. Each solution that goes into effect is proof that the world we are demanding actually can exist, and shifts the political landscape. Imagine a congress once there are people who have green jobs in every district. Obama said we can create change, not that he alone can. If he did then it would all be top-down and perpetuate the type of socio-governmental hierarchy that seems to be undermining our democracy. “We, the people,” must lead this, and not just by asking our elected officials to act.

Anyway, those are my thoughts. Kinda long… maybe I should have just written a blog =)

And for those who fear a resurgent right-wing led by Sarah Palin, just read Levi Johnston’s essay in Vanity Fair. Palin’s political career is over but it seems no one has told her that yet – the constant trainwreck spectacle is too appealing to the media. Not saying that US electoral politics have been successful recently on climate change, but the issue is not going to leave the public policy radar (pretty much no matter what).