Environmentalist and author Bill McKibben sat down with David Letterman on the Late Show to discuss climate change and the actions desperately needed to confront it.
McKibben says that the dire environmental problems we face aren't entirely unmanageable, and we have the capabilities to provide some solutions, but there are certain groups -- like the oil and gas industry -- that don't want that kind of progress to be made. "Until we build a movement big enough to challenge them, we won't solve it," McKibben tells Letterman.
McKibben describes the environmental grassroots organization he started last year with 7 colleges kids, 350.org, and how it exploded into a worldwide movement when their "International Day Of Climate Action" succeeded with 5,200 demonstrations in 181 countries.
This year, they expect to make an even larger impact on 10/10/10 for what McKibben describes as a "global work party." The organization is putting pressure on President Obama to restore solar panels to the roof of the White House, and is calling on people across the world do their part in addressing climate change in their local communities.
"If I can go to work and do something, then I damn well expect my political leaders to do something," McKibben says.
Watch the clip below, and view the full video on 350.org's YouTube page.