By Alicia Cooke On October 26th, six people attempted to enter the New Orleans offices of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), the entity responsible for auctioning off parcels of the Gulf of Mexico and other public waters to the fossil fuel industry. Seventy million acres are on the auction block for the next 5 years, many exceeding a mile in depth—well beyond the depth of Deepwater Horizon.

Sure some games have overtime, extra shots and whatnot. Some can even go on forever. But we need to win this. It’s the biggest game yet. The biggest of the big! Us versus Them! NOW! Baseball: It’s top of the eighth, tied up, on rain delay. Things have already been historic, with two batters from both teams reaching base after striking out in the same inning for the first time since 1939!

I’ve been watching for 30 years how politicians around the globe either do nothing about climate change or do too little, while climate scientists grow increasingly desperate at what they observe. What we experience today surpasses even the most pessimistic predictions from yesterday. Global temperatures have already risen by 1 degree Celsius with catastrophic consequences, especially for communities in the global South.

As you’re likely aware, something is happening in Paris. Well, just outside Paris. And it has arguably little to do with bombing civilians or revoking privacies. Indeed, the 21st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) is underway in Le Bourget! Global officials and decision-makers are convening here, to set enforceable limits on carbon pollutants.

On December 12th, the world will be a little bit different than it is now.  That sounds a bit dramatic but I can say that with confidence (if for no other reason than that our lovely world goes through twists and turns to make it a little different every day, even without our help).