Tag: Climate Crisis

Opinion

Climate Crash and our politics

We live in important times that will either inspire our progeny or seal their doom. The Republicans deny elections, the climate crisis, the January 6 insurrection, Women’s rights to choose, and the truth; but they still have enough support to perhaps win the house and/or the senate. Americans seem to be confused or avoiding the horrible truth of our times. The desire for, and belief in strongmen signals a cowardice or child-like desire for a protector from thinking about the issues. Vladimir Putin has proven that giving power to one person is not a solution but creates more problems and disaster. I am hopeful that our country has enough people of character to make the best decisions about our leaders and our future. The eternal battle that continues today remains: It is a battle between those who want something for nothing versus those willing to work together for success. Between those who believe in themselves versus those who don’t. Insecurity can appear as racism, anti-semitism, nativism, or sexism, etc. but it is really about true confidence. Don’t let the cowardly Republicans fool you; desiring a strong man is not about strength. Research, communicate, and vote for a better future.

Opinion

Climate Crisis Sprint time is here

We live in a time that demands action. Joe Biden and the Democrats have been pushing to address climate change for a long time (since Jimmy Carter) while Republicans have been pretending nothing is going on. It is abundantly clear to rational people that Earth’s climate is turning hostile to human civilization. Most scientist tell us that we have not been responsible in the last few decades and time is running out to avoid catastrophe in coming decades. Republicans want to play games and fool people into spying on their neighbors while never holding politicians accountable. A nightmare in our society, our climate, and in our economy is a real possibility for us if we do not act decisively in the 2022 elections. There are many reasons to vote Democrat in 2022. If you don’t like fascism and lies; vote Democrat. If you believe in women controlling their own bodies; vote Democrat. If you want to live in a world with any hope of a decent future; vote Democrat.

Opinion

Climate Emergency

The issue of our time is making its presence felt. Heat waves due to Climate Change are killing people in “first world” countries as well as the rest of humanity. There is no escape from the damage caused by fossil fuels. Joe Biden has taken on the challenge and is working to do all that he can. He needs help. It is up to the rest of us to vote for the survival of ourselves and our posterity. Republicans have made it clear they do not see fossil fuels or climate as major priorities; meanwhile the window for civilization (as we know it) surviving is closing. Vote and act to support Democrats and President Biden moving quickly to shift our country to less fossil fuel dependence.

Opinion

Pro-Life?

America has a problem. We love to destroy one another. We take issues and divide ourselves over them with a lot of lies thrown in to rationalize our positions; meanwhile reality tells us to stop lying. Deaths due to cigarette smoking continued for years while politicians and corporations lied. Pollution and Climate Crisis kill thousands in America and we still avoid the truth about the depth of knowingly caused destruction. QAnon and White Supremacist lie in a systemic way to point the heavily armed mentally ill at minorities or people they don’t like. Republicans claim to be pro-life but don’t support health care for all, or gun control to stop mentally ill 18 year olds with assault rifles. America is big into death and personal destruction. It is said that courtesy is the lubricant of society, but the “Pro Life” party uses personal attack on any who disagree with them. The January 6 coup attempt should have been enough. The children murdered in Uvalde, Texas are an atrocity that happens because we value the ability to kill and destroy more than the lives of children.

Opinion

Joe Biden is doing a good job

President Joe Biden is doing a good job (not great yet) in leading America to it’s traditional world leadership roles in economic, military, cultural, and geo-political affairs. Donald Trump and the Republicans root against America and democracy in their craven lust for power. President Biden looks out for average Americans in areas from healthcare, to student loans, to baby formula. Republicans talk about inflation and invaders from south of the border; real problems that require thoughtful solutions not victimization. Our problem is that we have a party that is good at attacking others, but has no solutions for anyone but themselves and their rich donors. American are at a sink or swim series of elections in 2022 and 2024. Voting for Republican talking points and anger will mean autocracy and rapid decline as climate change accelerates negative pressure on our civilization. We can approach existential challenges as the best version of ourselves, or a rats blindly eating one another alive. From all appearances President Biden believes in America, while Trump and the Republicans believe in controlling and fleecing the public. Research and vote like your life depended on it; it likely does.

Opinion

Republicans and White Replacement Theory

The Republican Party has abandoned democracy and gone all in on White Nationalism using White Replacement Theory as their tool of choice. The murderer at the Tops supermarket in Buffalo, New York was radicalized by White Replacement Theory like many others. White Nationalist propaganda is using the Climate Crisis as a recruiting tool; appealing to selfishness and ego-centrism to bring out the rat in it’s targets. the idea is that whites will eliminate other people for access to land and food in a diminished world. A percentage of whites has always quietly supported terrorism aimed at Blacks and other minorities. Research shows that while racism costs everyone, it does have some beneficiaries. Too many people are okay with being vampires to their fellow citizens. Every decent person must push for Republicans to stop their overtly racist lies about Critical Race Theory, Blacks and other minorities. Every politician should cite sources for their stances and policy choices; and the burden of proof should be higher when pitting Americans against each other. I have never met a person who wanted to replace other Americans; they just want to be Americans. In America we talk a lot about “getting ahead”, but rarely about working together for a better world. Time is a resource that we can no longer waste if we want a future worthy of our potential. Will we end up in a race to the bottom, or a triumph of humanity? The future looks dark for many reasons today, but hope is still alive.

Opinion

Republican assault on America

The assault on America and it’s values by Republicans who have always falsely sold themselves as super patriots is increasingly dangerous. Republicans lie and cheat at levels far above Democrats, but still regularly claim “both sides do it”, America has become so unbalanced by ethnic-centric self-deception and absorption that we may lose our republic. Conspiracies of lies and criminal acts are supported by the Republican establishment, media groups, and a sizable percentage of Americans. Voltaire said “if they can make you believe absurdities, they can make you commit atrocities”. Darkness and evil are a gathering threat to America and the world. Putin has his cult in Russia, and Trump has his in the United States. Every believer in truth and decency must be prepared to spread truth and counter evil. Climate change and other threats are accelerating the challenge to humanity; our behaviors in this time will define us going forward. Will we act as spiritual beings in this time of challenge, or fleshly creatures absorbed with our own power and survival? Research and plan your communications and your vote to stop attacks on truth and decency in our country and our world.

Opinion

Has World War III already started?

Putin says that World War III has started. What does he mean by this? He chose to invade Ukraine and murder innocents. Was the Russian invasion part of something larger? One theory is that Putin wanted to seize control of Ukraine’s grain production in preparation for worsening climate chaos. Putin would control both Ukraine and Russia’s grain which is a significant portion of the world supply. Control of a basic resource like grain would give Russia a new power source, and heightened ability to threaten wealthy countries. Putin has support from China and India which could be a source of stamina in his fight for global dominance over the US and NATO. As an autocrat Putin has more knowledge of his goals than anyone else. We live in a time of autocrats and fascism in the middle of reduced resources due to climate change. We could be headed toward nuclear destruction or the collapse of civilization due to climate chaos. With a little luck democracy will strengthen globally and civilization will march to an amazing planet harmonious future. Right now no one can guarantee that the US will be a republic in five years. Research and act to support democracy in America and around the world.

Opinion

Lost Opportunities

We are living in a time when good leadership is critical to avoid disaster. Former Trump administration official Miles Taylor said that Trump has responsibility for the invasion of Ukraine because he showed consistent reverence for Putin over NATO, or his own intelligence agencies. Joe Biden now has to respond to the horror of a dictator lying to his people to justify needless death and destruction on a large scale. The leaders of coming decades will face a FAR WORSE scenario if we do not confront climate change as a society. The worst case scenarios of the climate crisis (read or listen to “The Uninhabitable Earth” by David Walllace-Wells) are a vision of hell for all of human civilization; and yet we do nothing as time runs out (estimates about the window to avoid the worst-case climate scenarios are in the next 5 -10 year range). “The Uninhabitable Earth” lays out that the worst damage to our climate has been done in the last 30 years, a time we have known about the impact of carbon in our atmosphere. Trump did nothing to combat climate change, and Biden is being hampered by Republicans (with Joe Manchin and Kirsten Sinema). America will not be able to solve the climate crisis alone, but we are doing too little towards improvement as things get noticeably worse. We watch in horror as the citizens of Ukraine deal with needless death and destruction due to human cruelty and delusion; far worse is coming for all humankind if we do not act to reduce carbon released into our atmosphere.

Books, Review

Book Review: “The Uninhabitable Earth” by David Wallace-Wells

It takes courage and an analytical mind to read “The Uninhabitable Earth; Life after Warming” by David Wallace-Wells. The book is not for the emotional or easily frightened reader or listener. I listened to the audiobook narrated by the author and found myself needing to stop after the first ten minutes to digest the damning string of facts I had heard. “The Uninhabitable Earth” is hard hitting because the author has done a masterful job of gathering research and facts to share a narrative that is troubling to the highest possible level. The stakes of the climate crisis are existential for humanity and will reach a point where there are no off-ramps on the road to annihilation. The author drives home the reality of a potential (probable?) end to human civilization and ultimately our species. This book was not enjoyable but it was riveting to me because I share the author’s optimistic belief that if we know we have caused a problem we can fix it. I strongly advise every adult who cares about human life and the future to read this book, but to be ready for unsettling truth that will rock you. “The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace-Wells could easily be the most important book of our time. We have a choice as human beings; you will not hear that choice more clearly defined. Take the time to prepare yourself for this book and the reality it describes; it will be time well-spent.