… until the election.

With people like Pombo and Inhofe chairing the most important environment-related committees in Congress, there has never been a more urgent time for change since, well, since the last time we had a chance to throw the bums out.

Reader support helps sustain our work. Donate today to keep our climate news free. All donations DOUBLED!

Seriously, if this were a movie, you’d pan it for being too over the top. “C’mon,” you’d say. “Just as time is running out in the fight against apocalyptic global warming, the most important committee chairpersonships are given to anti-science flat-earthers in the pocket of big oil? You expect me to believe that? The situation was too unrealistic for me to emotionally identify with the crisis. Hollywood … ” a rueful shake of the head, “Thumbs down.”

It’s not essential to defeat them individually, though that would add welcome schadenfraude. We just need to change the balance of power in Congress, and let someone else take the reins. You know the score. We need a net of 15 seats in the House, and 30 plus are well in play. We need 6 in the Senate — that’s a tougher fight. I don’t give a flying flip if you want to save the whales, kill the whales, or just use alternative interrogation methods on them — my idea of an environmentalist is someone who doesn’t wake up November 8 thinking: I coulda done more.

Grist thanks its sponsors. Become one.