The climate and energy community in the United States has recently been consumed by the American Clean Energy and Security Act. This bill, better known by the names of its cosponsors Representatives Waxman and Markey, represents our country’s first decent chance at putting a price on carbon emissions and probably our only chance of showing up at the Copenhagen climate negotiations later this year with something tangible to show the international community. For those reasons alone, it is of utmost importance to the US and the world. Yet, for all its pioneering spirit, this policy once again falls far short of what climate scientists tell us we must actually do.

Specifically, previous IPCC reports have said that the industrialized world needs to reduce its emissions 25-40 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, assuming that 450-ppm is a “safe” level of carbon in the atmosphere. Yet a 450-ppm target offers only a 50/50 chance of avoiding climate crisis “tipping points.”

A truly safer path was recently offered by climate scientists led by James Hansen who declared 350-ppm the target to use if we wish to “preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted.” By 2020 the Waxman Markey legislation would likely provide only about a 4 percent reduction towards the coin-flip goal of 450-ppm, to say nothing of the safer 350-ppm scenario. You read that right, 4 percent towards a 50/50 shot.

Frustrated by these numbers, my mind has mashed up the name of this legislation to think of it instead as “Wacky Merman.” It is like a mythic half/man, half/sea creature: the head has the science that tells us what is necessary yet the lower half of the body is the slimy political part that can’t seem to walk the talk.

Don’t get me wrong, working to strengthen and pass this bill as it moves to the US Senate is of vital and immediate interest for the US and the world. But in the longer-term we must continue to build power as a global climate movement if we are ever going to have safe targets guide policies. A great opportunity to help do this is coming up on October 24th.  On that day I’ll be joining with thousands around the world for a day of climate action being organized by 350.org. Check out their website and organize or join an action to make the most important number in the world – 350 – the most known number in the world. Maybe then we’ll be able to make science a guide for politics rather than the other way around.