Yesterday and Today

“Today is the first day of the rest of your life.” That’s an expression I frequently heard while attending Guilford College in the late 1970’s with the goal of keeping in the present moment by letting go of past and future concerns which is a quote made popular by Charles Dederich. Yesterday, I visited my great friend Dave at Guilford for a stroll around campus which I planned to share in the blog today on this auspicious and arduous day. Auspicious for celebrating the birth and life of Martin Luther King, Jr. and arduous for the many changes occurring on this Inauguration Day.

I left home early yesterday morning with dense fog and misty rain in relatively warm 46 degree temperatures as an Arctic air cold front approached. The 1.5 hour drive from the North Carolina Triangle to the Triad required intense focus looking ahead with only about 500 feet of visibility in front of a wall of misty white fog. Eventually, I relaxed into a more peaceful mood while driving the empty road amazingly wondering if entering heaven would look like this.

Along the way on Highway 421 I reached 60,000 miles on our Rav4 Prime passing Liberty, NC where Toyota is building a multi-billion dollar battery factory with plans to begin production this year. Driving north to higher elevations going past Greensboro, the outside air temperature dropped down to 41 degrees with heavier rain and patches of unmelted snow remaining from the week before. First I visited the Belews Creek area to see the current coal-fired power plant where Duke Energy is proposing to upgrade to a nuclear power plant. The project would take about 10 years and currently the company is conducting surveys and preparing an early site (environmental) permit to submit to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. One contingency I heard last month during a public meeting with NRC and Duke Energy is that to convert the coal plant to nuclear they will needed the tax benefits proposed in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 for nuclear power production. These incentives will be uncertain after today as the new administration favors expanding oil, gas and perhaps coal sources/subsides for heating and energy production.

Located only about 20 miles north of Guilford College in Stokes County, I noticed the area around the steam plant is mostly rural agricultural farms growing tobacco, hay, and livestock. Piney Bluff Boat Ramp allows access to Duke Energy’s Belews Lake reservoir which is used as cooling water and part of the Dan River watershed. The kind lady at White’s Grocery (in Forsyth County) on Belews Creek Road, which is the closest store and gas station in the area (with an old Pur sign) to Duke Power only four miles away along Pine Haul Road, didn’t know about their plans and didn’t sell any local newspapers. She said I’d have to go to Stokesdale six miles away for a local paper. I noticed the coal smoke stack emitting steam and various pollutants is barely visible through the dense white clouds. I saw homes beginning just 0.4 miles away from the plant entrance and the Wither’s Chapel filled for the Sunday services. The closest home contains at least a dozen junk cars around the property but it did not seem to be a junk yard. Mountains of coal fly ash are buried around the power plant and Heidelberg Materials is involved with removal operations.

My friend Dave lives close by and we attended Guilford together with him two years ahead of me. We met through his roommate Tom who dated my high school friend and fellow geology major Becca. Meeting on campus at Founders Hall brought back fond memories of my youthful STUDent life where we could ponder our philosophical values and aspirations. We could joke occasionally using grand, highfalutin words like truculent and recall great professors and classes so long ago. The original buildings like Founders Hall, various classrooms and dorms all hold memories of yesterday’s trials and tribulations. I served on a concert committee and operated the spotlights for musicians including Bonnie Raitt, just 30 years old at the time, and annual serendipity celebrations to exchanging macroeconomics information with Professor Robert Williams about four years ago, to more recently hearing the Native American biology professor Robin Wall Kimmerer speak at Dana Auditorium, construction of the Paul and Evelyn Zopf Gazebo and adjacent coffee shop. Paul taught my sociology class so I donated to his project about two years ago and he, at 90 years old, wrote me a hand written thank you card. Learning for life and adapting to change is essential for our sustainability and I thank Guilford College and my friends and professors to instilling in me the curiosity to explore the world.

Our lives will never the same after today. We’ve enjoyed relative domestic peace and tranquility in our lifetimes with only experienced the civil war and guilded ages through text books, movies and experiences including the Guilford Woods which contain 240 acres of old growth forest where the Quakers, who founded the College in 1837, hid slaves in the “underground railroad” as well as “contentious objectors” against fighting previous wars. The Civil Rights movements led by Dr. King occurred when Dave and I were just young children just starting school and we greatly benefited from integration of races.

Today on the last day of the Biden Administration and first day of the Trump 2.0 Administration we in the American middle class are likely to experience a rollercoaster ride of changing priorities. Just like driving through the dense fog, the new President will blow smoke our way, burn more coal and oil and gas, build more walls and obstacles, help the rich get richer, remove ethical constraints of civil servants along with masses of dedicated employees.

Just as the fog limited my visibility making me much more focused and determined to move forward, perhaps more prayerful, not letting obstacles impede my progress, I couldn’t see far ahead but I wasn’t afraid. We do not need to change our values just as many spiritual and religious leaders have shown us the way. We must hold true to our values and know what we care about most such as: family, friends, peace and love, music and nature. We must continue on our journey. To quote Paul McCartney, “Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away…”

Disgusted with Democrats? Repulsed by Republicans? Scared of Socialists? Incensed by Industrialists? Outraged by Oligarchs? What can we do? I suggest we, as the Buddha wisely advised, seek a middle path. No longer taking sides of one political group but to find our own way and identity. What products can we buy that are beneficial to our lives? Can we reduce our consumption of food, energy, water and especially of fake news. Resist temptations and repeat some prayers and mantras. Plan for the best and prepare for the worst. Keep hope alive!

Diverse Unity

The United States of America began marching in the opposite direction yesterday from the past four years. From South to North, from Florida to Delaware! Trump’s efforts to fan the Confederate embers of the Civil War are being extinguished as he returns to hopefully private life perhaps behind bars (Lock Him Up!)

The Biden-Harris administration took power yesterday by emphasizing diversity to represent all Americans as well as coming together in unity. Leaving not minute to waste, President Biden signed 15 Executive Orders (see AP) including fighting the pandemic, ending construction on the Border Wall and Keystone oil pipeline, and rejoining the Paris Climate Accord and the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO). When he gave the oath of office to over 1000 political appointees, President Biden insisted they must treat everyone with decency and respect or be fired on the spot, no if’s, and’s, or buts! As a federal scientist working in the Trump Administration for over one year, that would have been great to feel the President had our back instead of bullying us for corrupt loyalty and suppressing scientific inquiry.

What an amazing turnaround! Vice President Harris, the first woman to become VP fulfilled her duties as President of the Senate to swear in three new Democratic Senators, all three with diverse backgrounds. Now the Senate is divided 50-50 for Democrats and Republicans with Harris providing the tie breaking vote. Can these diverse ideas move forward to make progress that will save America?

What a feeling of relief after the past two months of watching Trump and his supporters spread the Big Lie that he did not lose the election (“Stop the Steal”) which escalated to the explosive, white supremist mob breaking into the Capitol trying to disrupt election certification. The fear of more uprisings resulted in 25,000 National Guards in D.C for the inauguration! I’ve been in a state of shock and vulnerability not felt since 9-11 when I worked in the D.C. metro area witnessing first hand the tragic events by supporting the federal responses to terrorism. I will never understand how 74 million Americans (47%) voted in 2020 for continuing Trump’s delusionary dismantling government institutions, human rights, and environmental protections. If they are so disappointed with the loss of a dictator, maybe they should move to Russia.

Before we can have unity there needs to be accountability for anyone who instigated insurrection to overthrow our democratic government. It’s Time to Heal which requires purging the poison of lies and corruption in all areas of public and private life. We need diversity of cultures, ethnicities and ideas based on scientific evidence and respect for spiritual beliefs. We can all make a difference in the world by making positive changes and demanding honesty and transparency. The past three presidents discussed the peaceful transition of power that defines our democracy!

Joyful expressions of diverse unity came through amazing performances of poetry and music. Here are three that touched our hearts:

Amanda Gorman The Hill We Climb

Tim McGraw and Tyler Hubbard Undivided

Bruce Springsteen Land of Hope and Dreams

Election Day 2020

Finally! Election day in America. About 100 million early mail-in votes can begin getting counted today. People going in person to polls, standing in lines, hoping not to catch Coronavirus. How many people will actually vote? In 2008, about 57% of eligible voters actually voted and the number went down in 2012 and 2016 to about 55%. So slightly more than half of the people take their civic responsibility seriously!

One article I read says the swing state of Pennsylvania may decide the Presidential election. As control of the Senate strongly affects the balance of the Supreme Court and lower court judges, today’s election will also determine all three branches of government - so much for checks and balances! Rather than checks on democracy it appears to be legislators writing outrageous checks on the national debt.

What would the famous American founding father Ben Franklin say if he were alive today? He was a childhood hero of mine growing up learning about his many inventions and writings. I think he would be a strong advocate for Conserve & Prosper and blogging! Recall some of his accomplishments included:

Inventor including the Franklin stove, Lighting Rod, Bifocals, and more

First Postmaster General of the US

Minister to France and Sweden

Publisher of Poor Richard’s Almanac

Signed the Constitution

Pictured on the $100 Bill

Two famous quotes of his come to mind:

“An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure” which he said about preventing fires and rings so true today on many issues including stopping Covid-19. So why wait for a vaccine if a mask can stop the spread of the disease?

“Love your Enemies, for they tell you your Faults.” Rather than taking sides of political parties, looking at the big picture shows there are fundamental problems with money in politics.

I asked my brother Bob as I drafted this blog about the information above on this Election Day and he said, “To me it’s about believing in democracy and citizenship. Obeying the rules, laws, and norms. Our freedoms are not imposed on others.”

We grew up in a very conservative, post-depression era, family that believed in government civil service. Our father survived battles in WWII, returned to grad school on the GI Bill, and worked his career for the Navy Personnel Department. Our Mother supported the war effort through service groups. Journalist Tom Brokaw referred to my parents time as The Greatest Generation. They fought for American freedom against dictators including Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, and Tojo. After the war, we bailed out and rebuilt Europe with the Marshall Plan and created the United Nations and NATO. My parents willingly moved from beautiful southern California to humid and cold Washington, DC with three kids and another (me) on the way to fulfill their American dream.

But American and Allied victories in Europe did not stop the rise of Communism and wars in Korea and Vietnam and a cold nuclear war build up with the USSR. So our family became fractured by political and social changes exemplified by Red States and Blue States. My parents four sons remain politically split half way on both sides.

My son’s conception was inspired by the election of President Obama in 2008 that we felt there would be freedom and equality in the Untied States of America. In my 25-year civil service career I served for six Presidents and saw good times and bad. Some Administrations ran very well and some did not.

For an intriguing view inside the White House based on events that are still very relevant today, check out The West Wing, and an October 25, 2020 article in the BBC. This fantasy based on real life events demonstrates the critical skills of debating issues to arrive at the best solutions given very difficult choices.

What will be next for America and the World? History is being written on this very consequential day!

Colorado U.S. Senate Contest Climate Debate

Colorado mail in ballots have arrived for the June 30th election! Contestants for U.S. Senator are incumbent Republican Cory Gardner and Democrats Andrew Romanoff and John Hickenlooper.

If you register as an Independent you can vote for either party and the winner of the Democratic primary will face Mr. Gardner in November. Colorado is considered a “Purple State” with a mix of urban Democrats and rural Republicans in general. Democratic Senator Michael Bennet became U.S. Senator in 2010 and was reelected in 2016 for six more years. Here’s a short blog on our meeting in February 2020. So the November election could determine the balance of party power!

Former Colorado Governor Hickenlooper is considered center left and Mr. Romanoff served in the Colorado State Senate including as House Speaker representing the progressive wing.

According to News9, Cory Gardner declined a debate while the two Democrats traded jabs last week. The debate was anchored by Kyle Clark of News9.

Regarding Climate Change and the Green New Deal, Colorado Public Radio reports from the debate:

“Hickenlooper laid out a broad, optimistic statement: “We’ve got to go as quickly as we can and recognize that these innovations are going to create jobs.” Romanoff has aired apocalyptically themed ads about climate change and has called for much tighter restrictions on fossil fuels, including a ban on fracking. In the debate, he referred to “runway oil and gas development that John Hickenlooper presided over” as governor, and accused Hickenlooper of siding with Gardner against Green New Deal. In 2019, Hickenlooper wrote in an op-ed that he supported the “concept,” but said the government needed to work with private industry and cushion the financial impact.”

It would be great to see another debate focusing on Sustainability issues. From comparing the two candidate websites, Mr. Romanoff has more ambitious plans to deal with the Climate Crisis as compared to the general mainstream Democratic views offered by Mr. Hickenlooper.

Please Vote!!!

From the Colorado Secretary of State:

Important dates

• Week of June 8th - County clerks will begin mailing ballots for the Primary Election. If you haven't received your ballot by June 17th contact your county clerk's office for a replacement ballot.

• June 22nd - Last day to have a replacement ballot mailed to you.

• June 22nd to June 30th - Voter Service and Polling Center locations and drop boxes open around the state. Where do I drop off my ballot or vote?

• June 30th at 7:00 PM - Your county clerk must receive your ballot by 7:00 PM on Election Day - postmarks do not count. We recommend using a 24-hour drop box within your county to ensure your ballot is received on time.

Update 6/17/2020

Last night as reported by Colorado Public Radio, “Democratic U.S. Senate candidates John Hickenlooper and Andrew Romanoff squared off Tuesday night in a 90-minute debate sponsored by CPR News, Denver 7 and The Denver Post.”

Update 6/20/20

The Colorado Sun reports the debate results on various issues:

On climate change … 

The Green New Deal is a dividing line in the primary. Romanoff supports the plan to address climate change and economic inequality, calling it the heart of his campaign, but Hickenlooper finds it too ambitious for Congress and too difficult to implement. 

Romanoff made climate change a major focus in his campaign and his first video painted a bleak portrait about the impacts of climate change. “In many communities, the threat is here, real and now,” he said in a recent debate.

Hickenlooper has wavered on the Green New Deal, first suggesting he would embrace 99% of the proposal and then coming out against it. He called it socialistic. 

When it comes to the climate, he supports a 100% renewable energy economy and a future of net-zero emissions, but on a slower timeline than Romanoff has proposed. And he’s trying to convince voters that he has “the same fierce urgency that Andrew has” even though he has supported oil and gas development in the past.

The two candidates differ on whether to ban fracking but both oppose the extraction of oil and gas on public lands. While Romanoff supports prohibiting new fossil fuel extraction on public lands and offshore, Hickenlooper supports the curbing of future leases. He believes that pre-existing leases shouldn’t be broken, but says there shouldn’t be additional leases created for the cause.”

The Environmental Legacy of the 41st President

Today, (December 5th, 2018 and reposted in 2020) the nation celebrated the life of President George Herbert Walker Bush with a state funeral at the National Cathedral.

My friend Dave, who works for the U.S. Geological Survey as a Research Hydrologist in Helena, Montana, sent me an article of a 1989 speech by the 41st President at the Montana capitol. Beyond the Clean Air Act Amendments mentioned in my previous blog, I had forgotten that President George H.W. Bush spoke out strongly for the U.S. to lead the world to defend the environment, promote conservation, plant trees, and combat global warming (climate change). He directed EPA to provide training to Peace Corps volunteers.

Here is an excerpt from the speech:

“The single most significant word today in the language of all environmentalists is interdependence. That’s a fact all Montanans should find it easy to appreciate. Not so many miles from where we stand is a spot called the Triple Divide, where the waters begin their separate journeys to the Pacific, to the Gulf of Mexico, to the Hudson Bay and the Arctic beyond — the Earth’s own geography lesson in global interdependence. The plain fact is this: Pollution can’t be contained by lines drawn on a map.

The actions we take can have consequences felt the world over. The destruction of the rain forests in Brazil. The ravages of acid rain that threaten not just our country, but our neighbors to the north and not just the east but the lakes and forests of the west as well. The millions of tons of airborne pollutants carried across the continents and the threat of global warming. We know now that protecting the environment is a global issue. The nations of the world must make common cause in defense of our environment. And I promise you this: This nation, the United States of America, will take the lead internationally. (Applause.)

Here in this great state, you’re already taking the lead with your commitment to the environment, led by every schoolchild in this state who’s planted a Ponderosa Pine to commemorate 100 years of history. In just a few minutes I’ll be planting a tree of my own, and let me say from the heart, there’s no finer symbol of the love each one of us feels for this land than a tree growing up in Montana’s good earth. We’re working hard to clean up America, but we can’t stop there. We’ve got to work with the rest of the world to preserve the planet.

We’re already taking action. To preserve the ozone layer, we’re going to ban all release of CFCs into the atmosphere by the year 2000. To prevent pollution of the world’s oceans we’re going to end virtually all ocean dumping of sewage and industrial wastes by 1991. (Applause.) And after that, anyone who continues to pollute is going to pay for it with stiff fines. And we’re going to join forces with other nations.

In February, the United States will host the plenary meeting of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In July when I visited Poland and Hungary, I pledged America’s help in tackling the increasingly serious pollution problems those two nations face. At the Paris economic summit, we helped the environment achieve the status that it deserves at the top of the agenda for the seven major industrial democracies. And I mean to keep it right there at the top of the agenda. (Applause.)

America spends more than any other nation in the world on environmental research, and we’re going to continue this pioneering effort to protect the environment and put that environmental expertise to work in the developing world as well. We cannot pollute today and postpone the cleanup until tomorrow. We have got to make pollution prevention our aim. And sharing our expertise with the world is one way to do exactly that. Today, I want to announce a new environmental initiative — one that will bring the Environmental Protection Agency and the Peace Corps together in a joint venture in the service of the global environment.

Beginning in 1990, as part of their standard preparation for duty, Peace Corps volunteers will be trained by the EPA to deal with the full range of environmental challenges water pollution, prevention, waste disposal, reforestation, pesticide management. Armed with greater knowledge about our environment, our Peace Corps volunteers are going to help spread the word in the developing world. They’ll work to stop pollution before it starts and ensure that economic development and environmental stewardship go hand in hand. And Montanans know more than most how much that means, how vital it is for us to accept our responsibilities, our stewardship — the environment in Montana, across America, and around the world. We hold this land in trust for the generations that come after. The air and the Earth are riches we simply cannot squander.”

Statement From Former Gov. Scientists & Public Health Officials Calling for Science-based Response to the Serious and Growing COVID-19 Pandemic

I’m honored to join my peers in commending current gov scientists, researchers, and public health officials who are prioritizing the well-being of Americans above politics amid this devastating pandemic. Sign on here. #LetScienceSpeak

We are scientists and public health experts who have dedicated our careers to promoting the health of all Americans. In the past, we have pursued that mission within different components of the federal government, whether in advisory roles to Congress or within the executive branch under both Republican and Democratic administrations. The offices in which we served had different roles but shared a common goal of saving lives and advancing public health through scientific research, public education, and informed policy.

We have gathered with one voice because the clear and present danger of the continued spread of COVID-19 hangs above us. Unless science and expertise guide our preparation and response to the serious and growing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, our nation will again suffer avoidable death and disruption. Together, we commend our fellow scientists and public health experts currently serving in government who are holding steadfast to the principles of scientific integrity and independence. We call on them to continue pursuing their mission to advance public health, regardless of politics.

Having served in these same roles, we understand the immense responsibility of controlling the spread — and potential resurgence — of COVID-19, which has already killed more than 129,000 Americans and 530,000 people worldwide. As our society and economy reopen, the American public, healthcare workers, and state and local officials across the country are looking to the federal government to ensure that we put the worst behind us. The federal government, after all, plays the lead role in pandemic preparedness and response activities, from stockpiling essential medicines and supplies, to coordinating hospital surge capacity, to supporting vaccine development and providing guidelines on mitigating the spread of disease.

For the federal government to fulfill this role, independent and sound science must be the driving force behind its efforts. Research and data must inform production and allocation decisions for vital supplies such as personal protective equipment and ventilators; basic accounting for new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths; and plans to develop vaccines and treatments. Science should steer decision-making and policy, even as our elected leaders weigh competing priorities. Scientists working for the United States government are some of the best in the world, and their work has been vital in combating many of the epidemics in the 20th and 21st centuries, from HIV to SARS, from H1N1 influenza to Ebola. They are working tirelessly right now to save lives in the face of this novel coronavirus.

But at great cost to our country, science and expertise have been marginalized in our government’s response to the pandemic thus far. Far too often, political expediency has won out over scientists’ advice. The federal pandemic response has muzzled key public health experts within the government and pushed them aside in decision-making processes. In short, the independence of our public health institutions has been compromised. If we continue to cast aside the scientific advice of our own experts, the consequences for the nation will be dire. Indeed, sidelining science has already cost lives, imperiled the safety of our loved ones, compromised our ability to safely re-open our businesses, schools, and places of worship, and endangered the health of our democracy itself.

The novel coronavirus has starkly reshaped our global reality. It is highly likely to continue spreading, either through one large, sustained wave, or resurging in multiple waves. To save lives, we must let science guide us and let scientists speak. Congress must more rigorously oversee the pandemic response and any attempts at political inference in scientific decision-making, while federal inspectors general must be allowed to conduct their oversight functions without fear of retaliation. Data from our federal agencies must be more accessible to outside experts, and the processes generating data on the pandemic more transparent. When federal employees speak out about interference in science, the law must better protect them. Finally, this global pandemic demands a global solution. Our scientists must be free to coordinate with their peers around the world to surmount COVID-19.

To the federal employees working on the frontlines of this pandemic, preparing our country for any resurgence of COVID-19, we say: keep speaking out. We support you. You stand as a bulwark against the spread of misinformation and the diversion of public health policies and programs to suit political goals. The health of the American public and the integrity of our august scientific and public health agencies depend on you.

(If you are a former government scientist or public health official and would like to add your name to this statement, please complete this form. Protect Democracy will update this list with new signatories until July 20th.).

Vote and Yell If You Can for America to Survive!

Not only are Republicans and Democrats sharply divided, our American republic and democratic systems are in crisis. In theory, we are a republic by democratically electing officials who represent our views and vote for us on legislation. Being able to freely cast ballots is fundamental to our system. Will the great American experiment survive or implode as is being witnessed in several primary elections?

The reality TV star President, previously famous for casinos and “The Apprentice: You're Fired!” who presides over massive unemployment due to the Covid-19 pandemic, protests against police brutality and stoking the flames of race wars, is creating a Fall Blockbuster Special like the world has never seen before! Much more needs to be revealed about the bogus Russian-backed 2016 election but for now we need to proactively have our eyes wide open for November 2020.

Wisconsin forcing people to vote on April 7 during the Covid-19 pandemic caused voters and poll workers to put their lives in jeopardy. The Center for American Progress.org states:

“Only six states—California, Colorado, Hawaii, Iowa, Utah, and Washington—have infrastructure capabilities and critical election policies, such as no-excuse absentee voting, online and same-day registration, and early voting, that leave them well-positioned to respond to COVID-19. Another three states—Arizona, Montana, and Oregon—are also relatively well-situated for conducting elections during the pandemic, as they have most of the necessary policies and infrastructure to support mass reliance on vote by mail.”

The voting process in America is in turmoil due to lack of preparation of voting options. According to Politico, the Republican National Party is suing the California Democratic Governor for trying to require vote by mail. President Trump is hypocritically condemning vote by mail when many states like Florida which is how Trump voted in the March 17 election. Arizona and Georgia leaders appear to be supportive of vote by mail. What happened in Georgia this Tuesday with some people having to wait in line for five hours?

Luckily, here in Colorado we enjoy vote by mail which is not perfect but has great advantages especially during the pandemic! Mail in ballots just arrived yesterday.

We already know what Mr. Trump and his minions think about our sacred Constitution and one only needs to replay events of last Monday in Lafayette Square to see how he abolishes citizen’s First Amendment Rights of peaceful protests! Now he is remotely trying to do the same thing in Seattle. Listen to Fox New interviewing Trump, which aired this morning, gently pushing back on his statement “when there is looting there will be shooting” as well as the Administration’s walk to historic St. John's Church which Joint Chiefs of Staff General Milley now regrets. Notice how Fox News cut the video of how they cleared out the protesters, ordered by Attorney General Barr - the same person who shut down the 2016 Russian interference report, as can be clearly seen on the USA Today video. There were several shocking statements that Trump told to Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner (a Black mother) that she did not challenge including:

“I think it was a beautiful picture,” Trump told Fox News. “And I’ll tell you, I think Christians think it was a beautiful picture.”

What? Think again as apparently he and many people need to read about the reactions to Trump’s photo op to hold the Bible in Christianity Today!

VOTE and YELL EARLY AND OFTEN for AMERICA TO SURVIVE !!!

Update 6/17/2020

Vote , Pray, Yell for America to Survive!

According to the Christian Post, “a new book consisting of essays by 30 evangelical Christians of different political and professional stripes is calling on white evangelicals to rethink their support for President Donald Trump in 2020 and warns the president is damaging the broader culture’s perception of evangelical Christianity.

The new book, The Spiritual Danger of Donald Trump: 30 Evangelical Christians on Justice, Truth, and Moral Integrity, was released last Monday by Wipf and Stock Publishers.

“Our plea is to white evangelicals to please take another look and ask, ‘Does this person measure up to biblical norms?’” Ron Sider, founder of Evangelicals for Social Action, told The Christian Post. “We are not telling you what to include. But please prayerfully think about that. Even if you think the book will make you mad, given the title, I challenge you to read it and decide for yourself if there are any valid points that we are making there.”

Earth Day: What Would Lincoln Say?

If President Abe Lincoln were alive today on this 50th anniversary of Earth Day, perhaps he would give the following speech (adopted with respect from the Gettysburg Address) in honor of all victims leading up to the 6th Mass Extinction including one million species based on reports by the National Science Foundation and United Nations:

Twelve score and four years ago our founding fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great planetary crisis testing if any nation will survive human destruction of our beloved Mother Earth. Our actions of exploiting God’s treasures and resources is leading to our own destruction. Most recently animal-human contact has unleashed a terrible coronavirus pandemic Covid-19 that has claimed nearly 200,000 lives and 2.5 million illnesses worldwide.

Our actions are causing over one million species to face mass extinction at our own peril. We’ve polluted ocean life and coral reefs with chemicals and plastics, poisoned rivers, land, and air, and now we are altering our climate. Many people ignored the Silent Spring, Population Bomb, and An Inconvenient Truth.

Now humanity must challenge ourselves to quickly work for and not against Nature. We must resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that all United Nations under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that governments of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the Earth.

Asking Questions and Getting Truthful Answers is Critical to Our Survival

I just finished reading Ken Coleman’s book One Question: Life-Changing Answers from Today’s Leading Voices. Published in 2013, the book is very relevant to the challenges we face individually, for families, businesses and society. He shares interviews with one unique question for each of the 36 famous people including Jimmy Carter on reinvention, John McCain on courage, and Ken Blanchard on leading with love.

The book cites a quote from Albert Einstein, “To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks real advance in science.”

The book’s three main themes of succeeding, surviving, and sustaining provide structure to the insightful and inspirational questions and answers.

With thinking of our current global crisis of COVID-19 several of the interviews are relevant on dealing with fear, obstacles, starting over, accountability, gratitude, health, fulfillment, legacy, passing the torch, and more.

One interview with Tony Robbins is particularly relevant in response to Ken Coleman’s question, “How can dream chasers achieve their full potential and find fulfillment in life?”

Tony Robbins response includes the statement, “Whatever we focus on affects our state, and our state then affects the story we have about who we are, what life is about, what’s possible, and what’s not. From that story we often determine whether or not we will maximize our capabilities and the strategies that will help us achieve what we’re truly after in a sustainable way.”

Here Tony Robbins is talking about our state of mind affecting our physiology and opportunities to achieve our potential. Asking the right questions and getting truthful answers from our loved ones to our customers, managers, and government leaders is so very critical especially during a pandemic crisis.

Senator Michael Bennet's TownHall

Thursday 02-20-20 was a very auspicious day! I arrived at the Colorado Mesa University campus by 7:30 am to sit in a class on mine reclamation taught by a colleague; later I met with an environmental science professor to discuss opportunities to support him and his students, and then joined the townhall with Senator Michael Bennet. Approximately 200 people showed up, mostly senior citizens which surprised me that so few students joined the lunchtime meeting. Senator Bennet described his bid running for the Democratic nomination to be President in 2020. He dropped out of the race after hoping to do better in Iowa and especially New Hampshire. He did get numerous endorsements including James Carville and Gary Hart.

Check out the KJCT8 inteview, “Big topics included: climate change, public lands, gun control and getting the younger generation involved in politics.” Stay tuned for more on this space regarding his legislative initiative Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy (CORE) Act!

I felt very lucky to hear him speak and to get to be the last person to meet him for a photo op before he left for other meetings.

Climate Change Discussed by Presidential Hopefuls

Of the 20 Democratic Presidential candidates to debate this week, which ones said climate change was their number one issue? How long did they discuss climate change? Who has the best plan? Did anyone mention a carbon tax (or other incentives)? What are the pros and cons for supporting the Green New Deal?

VOX reports that during the 4 hours of debates on two nights (W and Th) this week, the topic of climate change was discussed for only 15 minutes. This is more than in 2016 but really deserves much more time to discuss threats and actions that are needed. Most of the candidates are following a similar script of supporting the Green New Deal “GND”. See my blog from February 2019 Green New Deal: Inserting Realities into Radical Proposals! As you can see from the title of this blog, I support the aspirational concepts of a GND and it will need significant work and debate to form meaningful legislation.

Axios listed candidates in March who support GND in various connotations.

350 Action is keeping a 2020 Climate Test score card on the Presidential candidates including support for the GND. Their name 350 refers to the CO2 ppm level objective of the organization. As explained in the excellent book The Madhouse Effect: How Climate Change Denial Is Threatening Our Planet, Destroying Our Politics, and Driving Us Crazy (page 16), the pre-industrial age CO2 baseline level was 280 ppm.

NASA reports the May 2019 recorded CO2 of 411 ppm. This increase in CO2 resulted in about 1 degree C (1.5 deg. F) temperature increase. So drastic reductions in heat-trapping gases are urgently needed.

Jay Inslee made it his one and only issue for the campaign and future blogs will discuss what he’s been doing as Washington state governor.

Some good things are happening in Colorado and Michael Bennett said this is a top priority issue for his campaign (although his is being cautious in blind support for GND) while former governor John Hickenlooper is more moderate in his approach citing achievements to reduce methane.

According to a Gallup poll in March 2019, “66% believe global warming is caused by human activity, near all-time high.”

I did not hear anyone mention incentives to promote green energy like a carbon tax, did you?

Green New Deal: Inserting Realities into Radical Proposals

The Green New Deal proposed this month in Congress calls for radical changes to how we get our electricity. The non-binding resolution introduced by two progressive Democrats as reported by NPR suggests the energy sector can be converted to 100% zero-carbon power within 10 years while at the same time eliminating future nuclear power plants.

Can the U.S. realistically eliminate generating electricity from natural gas, coal and possibly nuclear sources in the next decade? According to the Energy Information Agency, here are the present sources of power generated in the U.S.: Natural Gas 33%, Coal 29%, Nuclear 20%, Hydroelectric 7%, Wind 7%, Solar 2%, and Biomass 2%

As you can see, 64% of current power generated releases carbon. Nuclear power does not directly emit carbon into the atmosphere and receives mixed to negative support by environmentalists. Currently, renewable wind and solar only accounts for 9% of power generation.

So it is not realistic to propose converting the entire power fleet in a decade to renewables only. Senator Diane Feinstein from California, which leads the nation in renewable power generation, said the Green New Deal must be modified to be more realistic, provide funding such as a carbon tax, and not have such an ambitious timeline. Most of the news coverage showed her defensively debating with children.

I believe that the Green New Deal is timely for creating the debates needed to move the United States from being the second largest emitter of carbon (China is the largest) to leading the future of green power generation and that rational realism, such as including new nuclear technologies as reported in Forbes, needs to be adopted in future legislation and energy planning.

Momentous Climatic Events Last Week

The day after Thanksgiving, known as Black Friday for shopping deals, heavy rain along coastal California finally ended the tragic fires that spread north and south. The Camp Fire near Chico killed about 88 people, injured dozens, displacing 1000’s of people out of their homes, and impacted millions of people from significant air pollution. That same day the U.S. Government released the fourth national climate assessment that shows burning carbon is causing climate change and impacting our health, environment, and economy. See how these factors are interrelated in chapter 17.

On Monday, November 26, 2018 NASA successfully landed a probe on Mars!  Scientists and engineers beat the odds learning from previous missions for InSight to drill down to see what lies beneath the surface of Mars.

Exploring Mars captures international attention while NASA scientists continue to make important contributions to understanding our Earth. So how does NASA know climate change is occurring due to carbon pollution? See the overwhelming factual evidence for climate change!

On Friday, November 30, President George H.W. Bush passed away at age 94. His dedicated career of public service included environmental accomplishments with the passage of the Clean Air Amendments Act in 1990.  I worked with a colleague in Washington who helped as a Senate staffer and said the original Clean Air Act legislation had many challenges to get through Congress and they needed to show photographs of air pollution affecting national parks like the Smoky Mountains. The amendments had bipartisan support to improve air quality, reduce acid rain, save the protective ozone layer with more bans on CFC’s, and prevent an estimated 230,00 premature deaths and for “Better air quality, better health protection, better economy.”

Where Have All the Conservatives Gone?

Pollster Frank Luntz describes his role in the 1994 Contract With America in his enlightening 2007 book Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear. He states that since the 1980's, "conservatism" has been more popular than the Republican Party. The first mid-term election of the Clinton Presidency resulted in a landslide victory for the Republicans led by Newt Gingrich as Speaker of the House by convincing more than 300 candidates to join the pact. Key elements of the "Contract" included auditing Congress to remove waste, fraud, and abuse as well as  balancing the federal budget just like families must do. The theme of these conservatives was to restore accountability, responsibility, and opportunity. Well the opportunity for fiscal restraint was lost over the past 25 years due to two major wars and responding to other crises while the number of true conservatives who speak out about the national debt greatly diminished. One person who frequently speaks with conservative ideals is outgoing Arizona Senator Jeff Flake who stated nine months ago:

“No budget gimmick or phony spending offset can hide the fact that $20 trillion is the largest debt ever owed by any nation in history. It’s time for Congress to change the way Washington does business. Shutting down the Washington favor factory with a permanent ban on earmarks and eliminating duplicative, wasteful, and unnecessary federal spending would be a good start.”

Let's dream and take action by doing better for our children who will inherit our savings or our debt. This should be our top priority to conserve our world's precious resources before it's too late!

How Do We Measure Progress and What is the Opposite?

Evolution is a theory that explains how living species change by adaptation. Humans evolved from hominids, that arrived about 15 million years ago, to Homo Sapiens roughly 200,000 years ago with tremendous intellectual progress. Earliest life forms began in the ocean over two billion years ago as single-celled organisms created from building blocks (elements) of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. Evolutionary biologists measure progress in species adaptation to changing environments while extinctions are the permanent opposite. I recall seeing in a German museum an extinct Irish Elk that grew antlers so large that eventually they could not lift their heads. Charles Darwin coined the term "survival of the fittest." Making progress for people may include diet and exercise that makes us healthier as well as improving our safety by making peace with our neighbors. Ironically, too much of anything (food, wealth, sunshine) can be detrimental so we must find a balance in everything.  Western society can greatly benefit through efficient and effective conservation.

So what is the opposite of progress? Considering pros and cons, perhaps it is congress! This is not a political statement on any one legislative body but rather reflective of polarizing partisanship which is off balance, no longer seeking common ground.

Labels have emerged for the “Do Nothing Congress, Gridlock, Nuclear Option, and Drain the Swamp.” Perhaps a deeply divided congress cannot function to make bipartisan decisions. By analogy, if two married people cannot work out their problems then they may need to get divorced. Anyone happily married knows it takes a lot of give and take, forgiveness, and compromise by putting the other person first!

I attended Guilford College, a liberal arts school founded by Quakers who strove to achieve consensus in decision making. Guilford’s website states the school provides, “a challenging academic program that fosters critical and creative thinking through the development of essential skills: analysis, inquiry, communication, consensus-building, problem-solving and leadership.”

Maybe all of us can work harder to understand diverse view points and strive towards building consensus by focusing on our commonalities rather than our differences.