In 2008, Tim DeChristopher—who speaks today at 4 p.m. in Exley 58—outbid oil companies for millions of dollars worth of land in a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) oil and gas auction. Clearly no oil tycoon, the University of Utah graduate student was arrested and convicted of two felony counts in February 2011. DeChristopher first pleaded innocent under the “necessity defense,” claiming that climate change is an imminent threat, and that he had no choice but to break the law. His choices were rooted in a mantra very familiar when it comes to civil disobedience: “be the change.”
The climate crisis is commonly compared to the civil rights movement. Both fight for causes considered by their proponents to be intrinsic and universal. More importantly, they rely heavily on civil disobedience.
I feel conflicted about approaching environmental change through civil disobedience because this action is often limited and ends up being purely symbolic or disregarded as “radical hippie nonsense.”
I suppose I hold some fantastical notion of presenting a dignified, logical front, utilizing the democratic process for authoritative change. But the fact is that in the current state of affairs, politics simply are not going to get anywhere. With Republicans in control of the House and on the rise in state governments, there is already a pushback against greenhouse gas regulations and in favor of more oil and gas exploration.
Why is it, then, that civil disobedience has not been as successful of a tactic for climate change as it had been for civil rights? One difference is that the latter involved people exercising a tangible right that was denied to them, thereby highlighting blatant injustice to the human condition. Climate change does not have an immediately human face, nor does it have a direct just versus unjust dichotomy to highlight. DeChristopher’s acts were not directly a defense of human dignity. Can we be expected to touch upon an issue that does not openly disrupt our rights, and could even upset human life economically?
If civil disobedience is not the best option, then education is the remaining means. “Being the change” should start with each individual who is educated about climate change and the threat it poses acting upon this knowledge. Unfortunately, this is not a flawless approach. I would consider myself an educated individual. Although this education has changed my life considerably, individuals can only accomplish so much. Even those who know and care enough cannot necessarily afford to make the changes required, both financially and otherwise. My disdain for gas does not make a hybrid cheaper, my commute shorter, or the public transportation in San Diego any better. For those who can afford it, other factors of life simply get in the way. People will cling to their peace of mind and the pleasure they take in activities that are harmful to the environment as long as it has not yet collapsed.
To be honest, I have no solution. This mess of thought leaves me as one stereotype of student activists—full of passion and words, but acting mechanically and only when the steps are clearly visible.
But DeChristopher’s case does cause me to reevaluate some of my biases. It’s hard to deny that his actions were effective. He drew attention to the auction’s illegitimacy (the auction thereafter was invalidated by the incoming Obama administration). The parcels were evaluated and divided, conserving much of what was to be sold. But most importantly, he was able to send a rallying cry and spread a message. His case gives him the authority for him to speak today. He has since started a foundation, in an effort to continue “being the change.”
Perhaps what changes my mind is that DeChristopher did not show up to the auction intending to bid. Even after doing so, he raised the money to pay BLM, which they did not accept. DeChristopher’s case reminds us that civil disobedience is not necessarily about breaking a law, but about civilly confronting what is wrong and doing what is right. He showed up with the notion that the auction was wrong, and with the drive to do something. That he achieved this by breaking a law is not what is important.
Of course, DeChristopher’s opportunity is not available to everyone, nor was his choice one that everyone should make. However, the power of the individual exemplified by his case demonstrates that civil disobedience is quite relevant in the fight against climate change.
Van Kan is a member of the class of 2012.