Sox Win World Series! Mike Lowell Wins... 2 Hybrids?

How far we've come Since 2004 & How Far We'll Go by 2010

Mike Lowell - the often-times unsung work-horse for the Red Sox, a throw in for the trade for Josh Beckett, and a man who nearly killed himself diving face-first into the Fenway seats last year - wakes up today as the winner of the World Series, the MVP...and 2 hybrids?

Wait, can you read that last part back to me? Two hybrids? Seriously? Are you telling me MLB, Fox, and Chevrolet - long-time (and still to many) environmental bad-guys - got together and decided the reward for the MVP was two new hybrid vehicles? Ah, how times have changed.

FROM UNDERDOG TO DYNASTY & UTOPIAN DREAM TO MOVEMENT

Back in September, 2004, the Red Sox where the perennial underdog and classic baseball sob story. They snuck into the playoffs through a Wild Card spot and proceeded to the brink of elimination against the dominant Yankees. But, somehow, they clawed back, sweeping the rest of the series against all odds before sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals to take their first world series in nearly a century.

And in October, 2004, the US environmental/climate movement was also the perennial, marginalized, underdog of the United States and the world. Back then, the Kyoto Protocol was not yet in effect, only six rebellious US states had Renewable Portfolio Standards, the Senate had "no Sense" that climate change was a danger, few candidates other than Kerry had serious plans to reduce GHG emissions if elected, no cities had committed to Kyoto, and no US college campuses had identified "climate neutrality" as their long-term goal.

There were no movies about global warming, no global concerts, no Energy Action, no online Stop Global Warming marches, no Oscars, and no Nobel Peace Prizes

But today?! Forget about it.

Just one month after Manny and the Red Sox took the Series in 2004, Russia ratified Kyoto . On February 16, 2005, the treaty came into force and today more than 150 countries have signed on. That same day, Mayor Greg Nickels launched the Mayors Climate Protection Initiative, committing his city to Kyoto 's reduction targets. His movement has now grown to more than 600 US cities.

In 2006, UC Santa Barbara students made the outrageous claim that their campus could meet Kyoto and beyond while saving money, eventually moving to climate neutrality. Today 422 University and College Presidents have signed the President's Climate Commitment, committing to aggressive GHG reductions and long-term climate neutrality.

And at the state level. an impressive twenty-seven state governments, serving more than 200 million people, have now committed to renewable energy targets.

Even more ambitious groups of states - led by us radical New Englanders and those West Coast hippies - have committed to long-term GHG reduction targets.

Not enough, but still progress. Talk about a Tipping Point!

MAKING THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE & CELEBRATING SUCCESSES

With all of this baseball and climate success come some lessons about how we, as a human race, adapt to change, and why, even as we push towards a bright future, we should take a moment to appreciate how far we've come and remember to celebrate!

In 2004, I doubted the Sox would make the playoffs until near the end of the season, was convinced they would lose to the Yanks again, was actually still biting my fingernails as Foulke pitched the 9th inning of Game 4 against the Cards up 3-0, and partied long into the Boston evening with high school friends once they won it.

This year, I knew we'd win the Division, kept hope alive despite being down 3-0 to Cleveland , knew that once we beat Cleveland we'd pummel the Rockies, and embarrassingly watched/slept through much of the Series from bed.

Within the short span of 1000 days, then, what was impossible has become possible, even expected, in my mind. So what is impossible today that will be possible in 2010?

2010: ELLSBURY AND HIS ZEV?

Now, many people are talking about the impending Red Sox dynasty! With young talent like Ellsbury, Pedroia, Papelbon, Lester, and others, who knows how good this team can be in 2010 and beyond. I sure hope they're right!

And maybe, by then, when Sox Terry Francona holds the World Series trophy over his head at Fenway yet again, and future MVP Jacoby Ellsbury holds the MVP trophy over his, he will receive the keys to a brand new zero emissions vehicle or fully-charged plug-in hybrid - charged with the solar energy from new panels on Fenway's roof, of course.

And maybe he'll hit the road after the celebrating stops - and head straight on vacation - driving down the now thriving "green-tech" Emerald Necklace that has empowered and connected the Caucasian, Asian, Latino, and African-American residents of Southie, Jamaica Plain, Dorchester, and Roxbury.

And maybe he'll turn onto I-93, past the Hull wind turbines, and ferry over to a nice little spot on Martha's Vineyard, where he will look at Cape Wind's revolutionary new turbines going up on the horizon. And maybe he'll rent a totally energy self-sufficient house and be low/no impact for the length of his stay.

And maybe he'll pick up a Globe and read about how the new Beyond Kyoto global plan, that incorporates India and China, is led by aggressive new GHG reduction commitments in the United States, and offers new hope to a world that just 3 years earlier seemed in crisis.

And again, the impossible will have become possible, even mundane. And we, here in Boston and the United States, will again celebrate how much we can change in a short period of time.

So here's to the Sox - for making the impossible possible.

And here's to all of us in the United States - yes, I said all of us - for moving forward on addressing climate change.

And here's to the brave new world we could have in 2010, 2012, 2020, and 2050, if we keep working hard and dreaming big!

Go Sox!

Comments

[MrLion]

As a former Chevy owner, my first thought was, "how big a pain in the ass will it be when something goes wrong and he has to take it back to the dealership?"

[JimR]

DOH!

Well, supposedly the new Malibu has been completely redesigned, top to bottom.

[Overd0g]

Personally, I'd rather have an Aston Martin Volante, but to each his own.