This is our fourth Q&A with our esteemed advisor, Bill McKibben. He spoke near my childhood home a few nights ago, and has been almost continuously on the road raising awareness about the importance of the number 350 and building a movement to fight climate change.

If you have a question for Bill, please do send it along to askbill [AT] brighterplanet [DOT] com.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has stressed that the financial crisis should not “weaken our resolve on climate change.” As organizations, companies, and individuals face a blue economy, does “going green” still make sense?

I fear it makes more sense than ever. It’s true it’s going to be harder to raise the money for it. On the other hand, it’s the only plausible big new source of jobs for a depressed economy–you can’t send your house to China to get the solar panel stuck on top–and it’s ultimately the best way to really save some money. i.e., once you’ve got the solar panel, the sun is free.

What is the most urgent environmental message to send to Congress under a new Obama Administration this winter?

Cut our emissions fast–but then also concentrate on building the kind of international program that offers real hope of reaching a global bargain when the world comes together to set a new treaty in December of 2009.
(This is the work Bill and his team are engaged in at 350.org)!

Does carbon pricing affect the price of gasoline?

Yes–it will go up, so people will use less. But we can rebate the money back to people so the price signal remains intact without bankrupting anyone. Here’s a good link that explains the basic idea: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/18/AR2008101801537.html

If you want to read the other Q&As with Bill, click here.

–Carolyn