Bill Shireman: Lessons from Jon Stewart and the Green Tea Parties: Recast the Coalition for Climate Protection

By Bill Shireman, Huffington Post

This past weekend, people in 181 countries came together for what may have been the "most widespread day of environmental action in the planet's history." At over 5200 events around the world, people gathered to call for strong action and bold leadership on the climate crisis.

But you wouldn't have known it here in the U.S., in part because the organizers of these "green tea parties" don't have a dedicated network like Fox News to trumpet their actions into every living room.

Young people led the protests here in the U.S., coordinated by groups like Energy Action Coalition and Focus the Nation.

It's good to know these are the people who will be taking political and economic power in the next 20 years. But we need to accelerate their ascension, and help assure that it happens with both wisdom and smart strategy.

John Stewart has become a barometer for the political attitudes of the progressive youth that watch him. As such, The Daily Show's gauge of political sentiment ought to be considered by those in Congress working to find policy solutions for global warming.

Stewart uses humor the way Rush Limbaugh uses anger - to harness the emotional content of our discontent, and focus it on his political aims. More than just a cult hit, Stewart has become a leading source of news for young people, and quite often a newsmaker as well. His famous...

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