The other day, I was addressing a package in the post office minutes before closing time, my old friend Stephen Silha and a co-founder of the Backbone Campaign startled me with a burst of enthusiasm. "Solutionary Rail has to happen!" I spun around as he reiterated, "Bill, the time is NOW for Solutionary Rail!"
I was both encouraged and troubled. I knew Stephen was right. The formulation of the Solutionary Rail approach, the book, the video and the campaign are extremely timely and hugely valuable. Solutionary Rail ought to be an essential component of any Green New Deal, to give it substance, immediacy, and broad appeal. And the Green New Deal needs that content and broader appeal, because forces are already marshaling to diminish and marginalize it.
Solutionary Rail is the antidote to those attacks because it offers tangible benefits to all sectors of society in ways that cannot be pigeon-holed by partisan politics. Solutionary Rail isn't a Democrat or Republican proposal. Solutionary Rail is a doable, affordable, reboot of an existing system and something we can start on immediately.
But there's a problem. How can a scrappy group like Backbone move the idea into the political dialog fast enough to make it count at this pivotal moment? As Stephen was pulling out of the parking lot I approached him with my own burst of enthusiasm. "I've got it! Tomorrow we'll send an email to all our members inviting them to help us get the word out."
Luckily, we just did a third printing of the Solutionary Rail book and have almost 800 new books in the warehouse. But they do no one any good sitting on a pallet. So, we are asking - pleading - inviting your help and collaboration to get these books into the hands of policy makers, potential allies, agency and elected officials.
Here's how:
Step #1 - Fill out the form HERE (or use button below) with the contact information of anyone you think should know about and have a copy of Solutionary Rail. Then, as soon as you take Step #2, we'll get the book in the mail.
Step #2 - (Our only prerequisites are that you...)
- Send the intended recipient an email letting them know that a Solutionary Rail book is on its way.
-
Include in your email a request that they watch and share the link to our 3 minute introductory video.
Here's the link - http://SolutionaryRail.org/srvideo
(People far more likely to check out the book if we've whetted their appetite with this easy to digest video.)
-
PLEASE CC or BCC [email protected] in your email to the recipient.
When you do this we will ship the book ASAP and you'll receive a coupon code for a free download of a PDF of the SR book. Feel free to submit as many suggestions as you think appropriate.
Cool? If you'd like to pitch in for shipping and printing - or want to support Solutionary Rail organizing, we'll give you an opportunity to do that, but it is in no way required. Of course, you can always make a secure, tax-deductible donation at: SolutionaryRail.org/donate_sr
Our priority is to collaborate with you to accelerate spreading the visibility of and familiarity with Solutionary Rail's just transition strategy for a decarbonized transportation and energy infrastructure. Together, we can help the Green New Deal and this country with a solid strategy to get off fossil fuels in the next 12 years.*
In collaboration and gratitude!
Bill Moyer & the SR Team
*Solutionary Rail is an approach to transportation and energy that uses the vast, existing infrastructure to deliver benefits to all Americans. Most of us know little about railroads so when someone says "bullet train" we just nod enthusiastically, blurting out something about Europe or Japan or China. But bullet trains only solve some problems, they cost an immense amount, and without upgrades to our current tracks they require new rights of way and trigger battles that could take decades to win. We don't have time for that. The climate catastrophe that swiftly approaches demands we do better. Solutionary Rail does much better.
