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.”

American Opulence Causing Crises?

This motorcade scene in D.C. is posted on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Director’s blog showing a GM Cadillac. The informal definition of cadillac is, “something that is the most luxurious or highest quality of its kind.” The luxury automobile, a symbol of American opulence, is rated to get below 20 mpg in the city and fits the definition of a “gas guzzler,” a term which originally came into use in the US when Congress established Gas Guzzler Tax provisions in the Energy Tax Act of 1978 to discourage the production and purchase of fuel-inefficient vehicles according to Wikipedia.

However, the Gas Guzzler tax got removed in 2016 as can be seen on the EPA website. The current American President is the symbol of opulence who branded his name on many buildings shining in gold. Do you agree that many of his supporters thought (and some still seem to think that) he would make them rich too by cutting taxes, creating manufacturing jobs, kicking out immigrants, and boosting the stock market?

Cadillac Desert: The American West and its Disappearing Water describes how cities built in the desert have grown by converting rivers into hydroelectric dams causing economic and environmental crises. The most cost effective way we can reduce our demand on water resources and lower our utility bills is through conservation.

I lived in the D.C. area working for the federal government during the 9/11 attack on America. Everyone old enough probably remembers where they were on that tragic day. About 3,000 people died in planes crashing into two World Trade Center towers in New York city, at the Pentagon, and in a field in Pennsylvania that was bound for D.C. Why would anyone be willing to plan out a suicide attack to hurt innocent people? According to The Ohio State University history professor Peter Hahn, “after contesting the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s, the Saudi nationalist Osama bin Laden organized a network of unconventional combatants known as Al-Qaida. Bin Laden believed that the stationing of U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War of 1990-91 violated the sacred spaces around Mecca and Medina, and in 1996, he essentially declared war on the United States.”

So the U.S. protecting oil interests in Saudi Arabia as well as our opulent lifestyle, such as needing oil to drive gas guzzlers, were major factors into the 9/11 attacks. I found other reports stating the terrorists spent about a half a million dollars while it cost the U.S. trillions of dollars fighting two wars and over 800,000 people have died in the region according to Brown University.

The climate change crisis is directly related to carbon emissions from fossil fuels and the U.S. emits the largest amount of CO2 per capita according to World Bank data posted on economicshelp.org. We only have a few short years left to avoid cascading tipping points, as described by Yale University, where we cannot reverse the damage caused by global warming. We need radical changes to our opulent lifestyle through boycotts, cutting costs, and conserving more. Climate change is costing lives and property damage despite misinformation from opulent oil companies and politicians.

There are many causes of the Covid-19 pandemic as have been discussed in previous blogs. It’s becoming clear that the U.S. reopened too soon in an attempt to revive the economy and is now tragically leading the world in cases and deaths. Compare this CNN graph of Covid-19 cases US vs EU to see why there is now a travel ban! This is the time to change our ways! Bike sales are booming! People are eating more at home. Working from home is more possible for many people. Wearing a mask in public should become the new normal.

Social change is happening through groups like Black Lives Matter fighting police brutality and injustice. This fight includes environmental justice, racism, and economic disparities that must be corrected. What would Robin Hood do - increase taxes for more social welfare programs? If the US cares so much about the economy, why kick out international students who contribute $41B?

According to Wikiquote, 19th century Italian philosopher George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Things will never return back to “normal” which has not been great for the environment or for many people. Say No to Opulent lifestyles, separate basic needs from wants, appreciate God’s many blessings, and sign up for the Conserve & Pro$per challenge!

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.).

Overcoming Obstacles: A Few People I Admire

Do you agree that overcoming personal and social challenges takes courage and persistence? Our challenge might be a learning disorder, a physical issue, or peer pressure resulting in political correctness. Learning challenges affect 1 in 5 children according to the NCLD. One in 4 adults in America live with a disability according to the CDC.

The novel Covid-19 virus affects 100% of us. Wearing a mask is proven to save lives during the pandemic but many people refuse. Not convinced? Check out the county comparison posted on MasksSaveLives.org. Everyone with or without a preexisting personal challenge needs wear a mask - it could save your life and the lives of other people. I posted a blog on April 1 about mask confusion and many people in the U.S. are still not wearing masks.

I admire my wife and son (shown in the photo) for overcoming many personal challenges and being willing to wear the mask!

We admire Greta for acknowledging how her autism fuels her passion to fight carbon pollution and asking people to listen to scientists.

We admire Governor Gavin for sharing how his learning challenges taught him to solve problems and inspire others. He deserves much credit for his environmental and public health actions.

There are so many more famous people that we admire who overcame adversity including Ben Franklin, Albert Einstein, and Oprah Winfrey. Everyone has something and now we must all join together to fight the virus!

Before we judge or blame others, let’s smile with compassionate eyes and feel our shared humanity and goodwill towards all creatures.

Plastics By Air, By Land, By Sea Accumulating In Lungs and Gills

Visiting India in 1994, I found the clash of modern and ancient cultures fascinating. In Mumbai, BMWs swerved around ox cart vendors. I wondered why there was so much plastic litter on the ground and beaches — one vendor selling street food (which I did not dare consume) told me that for thousands of years until recently people used banana leaves or other natural materials for holding food. Street food came wrapped in leaves - even today if you go to an Asian grocery look for the delicious sticky rice desert wrapped in a banana leaf. The Indian street vendor told me that when they changed to use plastic wrappers to sell food people thought the plastic would biodegrade naturally like banana leaves. He said I should not worry because the plastic wrappers are recycled.

But when I visited an area called New Mumbai for recycling, thinking modern machines did the sorting, I could not believe my eyes- children and families were picking out the trash by separating piles of tires, plastics and other trash. They used polluted water to “clean” plastic wrappers to reuse and sell back to street vendors! I felt so bad for these people trying to survive this way.

According to TheStreet article last year, “Humans have produced about 8 billion tons of plastic since 1950, and more than half of it went straight to landfills. Of all of the plastic that's no longer in use, only about 9% was actually recycled.” Major producers of plastic waste according to the article include China, U.S., and European and South American countries.

I wrote about the plight of overconsumption, especially coming from the U.S. and possible solutions. We’ve seen the tragic consequences of plastics all around us ending up in rivers and oceans and killing wildlife. However, I had no idea until last week that microplastics are getting into our lungs!

Dr. Janice Brahney with the Utah State University and her colleagues made a surprising discovery that microplastics are showing up in air samples of remote locations. She was kind enough to send me the Science article (AAAS) and she is spreading the word like in a New York Times opinion that we are likely breathing microplastics around the world.

For the AAAS article, the authors state, “The finding that microplastics are ubiquitous in the atmosphere and are transported to distant locations has widespread ecological implications…As plastics accumulate in pristine wilderness, we may anticipate shifts in community composition, possibly leading to declines in biodiversity on the basis of the different tolerances to the physical and toxicological consequences of consuming microplastics.”

In the NYT opinion piece Dr. Brahney states, “Airborne microplastics don’t care what ZIP code you live in. Preventing a landfill in your community won’t limit your exposure. And there are still many questions. If dust in the Grand Canyon contains microplastics, how many of these tiny plastic particles are in city dust? How high will airborne concentrations of microplastics get? What effect are they having on the environment? Are microplastics more toxic than other, better-understood sources of air pollution such as natural and industrial dusts?”

GlobalCitizen reports, “there are nearly 500 times more pieces of microplastic in the oceans than there are stars in our galaxy. Each minute, one garbage truck’s worth of plastic is dumped into marine ecosystems. The European Union alone releases six times as much plastic into the oceans as is found in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a roiling web of plastic twice the size of Texas”

So life consuming plastic waste is another example of the law of karma that I learned in India- what we put out in the world comes back to us. Airborne microplastics are another reason to wear a face mask not only during the Covid-19 pandemic. We need to totally change our mindset, such as listening to what scientists can tell us and what we still need to learn, for taking positive actions to restore the world’s health and environment! As academia hits the mainstream, it’s now perish or publish.

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.”

Dividing the Earth

With his divide and conquer, scorched Earth rhetoric, President Donald Trump likely would take credit for plate tectonics if he could. He would boast at how oil and gas companies introduced ideas of continental drift in the 1960’s that made America great. How Big Oil discovered several features of the Earth using evidence like similar fossils found on different sides of the Atlantic Ocean and magnetic changes in basaltic rocks that showed how continents were once together have been moving apart.

However, President Trump would not give much detail to his claims because it’s just a scientific theory that may have begun over three billion years ago as the Earth cools, driven by heat released into the crust, with a similar relative thickness as a peach skin, from the deeper mantle and core (with respective thicknesses of the peach fruit and pit to follow the analogy). But this takes an understanding and trust in the scientific method which obviously is antithetical to Trump and his millions of ignorant supporters who prefer Nazi tactics, as former Trump Defense Secretary General Mattis eloquently stated this week.

To further divide and conquer America, and perhaps as an insult to World Environment Day celebrations by the United Nations since 1974, the lawless Mr. Trump signed an Executive Order three days ago to reverse existing environmental laws and hard fought court battles that have taken place for over 50 years! This is the latest rollback despite Trump claiming to be an Environmental president by using the Covid-19 pandemic and economic disaster, according to the NY Times as reasons to “streamline” environmental laws including Clean Air and Water Acts, NEPA and ESA, Talk about draining the swamp? Do you recall as do I the “Make America Great Again (MAGA)” campaign on caring about clean air and water? Here’s documentation about one year ago from the LA Times that fact-checks Trump’s claim:

“From day one, my administration has made it a top priority to ensure that America has among the very cleanest air and cleanest water on the planet.”

Actions speak louder than words! The list of regulatory changes is being tracked by Harvard Law school’s Environmental and Energy Law Program.

Working in the Trump Administration until 13 months ago, here are a few of the big projects that I heard people talking about inside and outside the government:

Oil and Gas Drilling and Pipelines running through National Parks

Uranium Mining expanded by the Grand Canyon National Park

Uranium Mining on or near Native American lands including former Bears Ears National Monument

Nuclear Power without dealing with Nuclear Waste Spent Fuel

Coal Mining and Power Plants

Burning More Gasoline by reducing fuel economy standards

The list goes on and on. As a student geologist about 40 years ago, we learned a term that when rocks undergo so much change features are not recognizable, such as metamorphic folds in many directions. We called this type of rock: FUBARITE which stands for F***ed Up Beyond Recognition.

Perhaps that can be added to Trump’s Four More Year’s Dictatorial Campaign: The FUBAR President!

Update 6/17/2020

Axios reported yesterday that a Supreme Court ruling is a boon to natural gas pipelines, “At issue was what federal agency controls the land the pipeline would traverse, the U.S. Forest Service or the Interior Department's National Park Service….Justice Clarence Thomas, writing for the majority, said under the lower court ruling that Monday’s decision overturned, any pipeline crossing at similar "footpaths" controlled by the Park Service would need an act of Congress for approval.”

Celebrate World Environment Day!

Today, the United Nations is celebrating World Environment Day! The theme of this year’s annual celebration is protecting Biodiversity and the host country is Columbia. There are great events including podcasts, films, talks by world leaders and celebrities, scientists including Dr. Jane Goodall, videos and more on the features page.

To appreciate our environment means getting outside, setting up the tent for a sleep out, hiking, planting trees, or just sitting in the cool shade!

What To and Not To Spread?

Start the Spread

Love, Light, Peace, Truth, Unity, Health, Kindness, Compassion, Cooperation, Joy, Smiles, Plants, Trees, Walking, Riding Bikes, Clean Air, Clean Water, Conservation and Prosperity!

Stop the Spread

Hate, Darkness, War, Lies, Division, Illnesses, Rudeness, Greed, Selfishness, Pain, Sadness, Death, Decay, Gas Guzzlers, Pollution, Carbon, Plastics, Chemicals, Overconsumption and Debts!

Start the Spread

Love, Light, Peace, Truth, Unity, Health, Kindness, Compassion, Cooperation, Joy, Smiles, Plants, Trees, Walking, Riding Bikes, Clean Air, Clean Water, Conservation and Prosperity!

From Darkness to Light with Courage

Storm Clouds! Such incredible suffering, deceit and Darkness – where is the relief, the Silver Lining, bright Light and emerging Rainbow?

On this Memorial Day 2020, over 5.5 million people worldwide have contracted the coronavirus Covid-19 and about 345,000 people have died. While the animal to human virus began in China and quickly spread around Asia to Europe, those countries have been more proactive in quickly responding and reducing the spread than in the Americas. Wearing masks and contact tracing are leading factors for stopping the spread.

The United States leads the way in cases and deaths by about four times compared to other countries which has nothing to do with numbers of people being tested, as the President claims to hide reality and spread more darkness. We’ve learned from Columbia University that if the Administration took action just one week sooner, then possibly 36,000 Americans would still be living. About 100,000 people have died in the U.S. in just a few short months during an unprecedented lockdown and now the virus is spreading like wildfire in Brazil with over 22,000 dead. There is incredible suffering by individuals, families who cannot visit or mourn for their loved ones, health-care professionals, and close to eight billion of us are all being affected.

This pandemic might be the first time that humanity has ever been on the same level – all because of an invisible, microscopic enemy. The virus is an equal opportunity human invader as no one is immune. Rich and poor, all countries, races, religions, political affiliation, sexes, and ages. There are many disparities within groups as some races are being impacted more than other groups. We don’t yet know why some groups are more impacted than others but it appears the virus does not discriminate. Initially, people thought Covid-19 only affected the elderly but later we found out that children are been affected in multiple, complex ways.

Ammachi says we need to have courage to fight the coronavirus. From a disciple’s book Color of the Rainbow, Compassionate Leadership, Amma is quoted, “Life seems to be unfair only when perceived with our external eyes. Observe it from within and we realize that life is always fair, because life is the totality, the cosmos. People can be unfair, but the cosmos ought to be fair, since it is equally available to everyone, but we should always remain well-rooted in out own deep convictions about the values of life.”

His Holiness the Dalai Lama, “No matter how difficult the situation may be, we should employ science and human ingenuity with determination and courage to overcome the problems that confront us. Faced with threats to our health and well-being, it is natural to feel anxiety and fear. Nevertheless, I take great solace in the following wise advice to examine the problems before us: ‘If there is something to be done—do it, without any need to worry; if there’s nothing to be done, worrying about it further will not help.”

Pope Francis insists that “an emergency like Covid-19 is overcome in the first place by the antibodies of solidarity.” This lesson “breaks all the fatalism in which we have immersed ourselves and allows us to return to be the architects and protagonists of a common history,” he says, and it enables us “to respond together to the many evils that are affecting so many of our brothers and sisters across the globe.”

Have courage to speak the truth as you know it, share compassion and courage with others, pray for everyone to come together to seek Nature’s balance and we can make our world habitable for all life.

Mastering Metrics

The book: Bad Data: Why We Measure the Wrong Things and Often Miss the Metrics That Matter by Peter Schryvers provides many examples and stories where obsession for collecting data has unintended consequences. One of my favorite stories is the Cobra Effect. As background, he describes how public schools so focused on testing to get federal funding led to widespread cheating. In India, the British colonist offered to buy poisonous cobras from locals in an effort to remove them. However, Indian people began growing more cobras to sell and when the British found out and stopped paying money, the Indians then freed their home-grown snakes. That created a bigger cobra problem than in the beginning! That might explain why I saw so many snake charmers during my visit to Mumbai 25 years ago.

Other interesting examples include the New York Police Department’s effort to get precincts competing based on crime statistics leading to under reporting and not listening to citizen complains that led to loss of trust. The author states that TRUST is one of the main reasons metrics are being collected in schools, homes, businesses and more.

More precisely, lack of trust affects everything from health care, environmental solutions, to worker productivity. Doctors rated on performing high-quality procedures leading to positive outcomes may not take on risky patients that could hurt their rating. Environmental trade-offs comparing light bulbs or where to live must consider total costs and not just obvious factors. A real-estate agent may show you less expensive homes far away from your workplace that will cost you more when factoring in transportation costs to work and shopping.

Bad Data was published in early 2020 but I wish it could have covered the Covid-19 pandemic. Schryvers discusses misunderstanding metrics to measure disease effects on a population. He lists three metrics: prevalence, incidence, and mortality. Prevalence is the number of people affected divided by population (usually 100,000 people). Incidence is the number of people contracting the disease over a period of time like in one year. Mortality is the number of people dying from the disease. He states decrease in prevalence of an illness may sound like good news but actually means fewer people are living with the disease as more people are dying quickly. Therefore, we must think critically when people are citing comparisons in these and other metrics. Testing for Covid-19 comes to mind when comparing total numbers of tests given for a country must consider the “per population” to be meaningful.

One of the best examples of a solution for the ills of Metrics is what the author calls Gateways. Khan Academy, is the non-profit that offers free videos online for mastery of education. The book is well worth reading to hear many great examples, including how Salman Khan started making videos to share with his family and became a worldwide sensation. Imagine taking middle school kids for a summer class and start at 1+1 to correct any gaps in knowledge. There is an interesting TED talk by Sal Khan talking about how even an A students scoring anything below 100% will accumulate gaps in understanding subjects that need to be corrected in order to advance to higher learning (like becoming a doctor) and this takes a longer time than offered by traditional academia where tests are timed and classes progress at the same pace. We are enjoying the Khan Academy videos that teach math, history and interviews with famous icons like Bill Gates and Elon Musk.

In summary, it’s all about Lifelong Learning and finding the correct metrics and gateways for learning from our collective experiences which is key to staying alive especially with challenges with Covid-19, Climate Change, Economic Recessions and Depressions, and surviving/overcoming related calamities.

Empowering Moms to Lead!

Celebrating Mother’s Day 2020!

Trust Our Moms to Take Control

Let Them Drive and Tell Us Where to Go.

They Know Love Without Condition

Let’s Vote for Moms Who Are the Real Pros!

Moms Brought Us Into This World

Moms Nursed Us When We Were Young.

They Healed Us Back to Health

Their Love Gave Us the Greatest Wealth!

Moms Showed Us How to Cook and Clean

Taught Us How to Dress to Impress.

Moms Pay the Bills to Make Ends Meet

Taught Us to Read and Write for Us to Progress!

All Moms Deserve More Recognition

Including Last Names Adams, Curie, Gandhi, Gates and King

Remember Abigail, Marie, Indira, Mary Maxwell and Alberta

Treasuring Moms Makes Our Hearts Sing!

Moms Are Teachers and Heads of School

Mom’s A Governors and Also A Wife.

Moms Build Gardens And Write Poetry

We are So Grateful to our Moms for Life!

How Can Air Pollution Increase Covid-19 Illnesses?

In San Francisco, I previously worked for an energy utility provider on construction projects at electrical substations. During the early days one hundred years ago, the City used coal gasification to provide natural gas which left toxic poly-aromatic hydrocarbons (PNAs) in the ground. At one electrical substation, we needed to construct new upgrades so, especially due to an elementary school next door, monitoring and minimizing air pollution became paramount. I was in charge of the environmental site monitoring so made sure we kept the soils wet and stopped work during windy conditions to prevent blowing sand. I also set up air monitors to collect PM10 and PM2.5. As will be explained, particles much smaller than human hair are most dangerous getting deep into our lungs. At the construction site, our precautions and testing ensured we did not spread contamination.

As shown on the EPA diagram and text:

“PM stands for particulate matter (also called particle pollution): the term for a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air. Some particles, such as dust, dirt, soot, or smoke, are large or dark enough to be seen with the naked eye. Others are so small they can only be detected using an electron microscope.

Particle pollution includes:

  • PM10 : inhalable particles, with diameters that are generally 10 micrometers and smaller; and

  • PM2.5 : fine inhalable particles, with diameters that are generally 2.5 micrometers and smaller.

    • How small is 2.5 micrometers? Think about a single hair from your head. The average human hair is about 70 micrometers in diameter – making it 30 times larger than the largest fine particle.

Sources of PM

These particles come in many sizes and shapes and can be made up of hundreds of different chemicals.

Some are emitted directly from a source, such as construction sites, unpaved roads, fields, smokestacks or fires.

Most particles form in the atmosphere as a result of complex reactions of chemicals such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which are pollutants emitted from power plants, industries and automobiles.

What are the Harmful Effects of PM?

Particulate matter contains microscopic solids or liquid droplets that are so small that they can be inhaled and cause serious health problems. Some particles less than 10 micrometers in diameter can get deep into your lungs and some may even get into your bloodstream. Of these, particles less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, also known as fine particles or PM2.5, pose the greatest risk to health.”

What about Covid-19 Particle Size and Links to Air Pollution?

The Coronavirus particles are smaller than PM2.5 by an order of magnitude!

Here is a May 5th updated alert by Harvard University’s School of Public Health linking an increased risk of Covid-19 illness to air pollution:

“People with COVID-19 who live in U.S. regions with high levels of air pollution are more likely to die from the disease than people who live in less polluted areas, according to a new nationwide study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health….The study results underscore the importance of continuing to enforce existing air pollution regulations to protect human health both during and after the COVID-19 crisis.”

Comparing this finding with the current news may explain why New York is reporting 66% of the new hospitalizations are coming from people staying home; why the pandemic is affecting more Black and Hispanic people as they live in more polluted areas, and why it is so important to improve our scientific understanding of the pandemic and not cut existing environmental regulations before we are too quick to return to “normal.”

However, the Administration and industrialists appear to be suppressing news and challenging these results as well as the Center for Disease Control (CDC’s) guidelines for reopening the country which do not take into account the connection of air pollution and Covid-19 which the White House is shelving the CDC guidelines.

Here is a Washington Post article from yesterday:

“An early study from Harvard University linking dirty air to the worst coronavirus outcomes has quickly become a political football in Washington.

Presidential candidates, agency regulators, oil lobbyists and members of Congress from both parties are using the preliminary research to advance their own political priorities — well before it has a chance to be peer-reviewed.

The stakes are high because the study’s tentative findings could prove enormously consequential for both the pandemic's impact and the global debate over curbing air pollution. The researchers found that pollution emanating from everything from industrial smokestacks to household chimneys is making the worst pandemic in a century even more deadly.”

Here is a related article by The Guardian with an excerpt:

“The principal risk of catching Covid-19 is contact with an infected person, and the quality of healthcare is vital in determining the outcome. But air pollution may be important in three ways, studies show. Higher death rates due to lungs and hearts weakened by dirty air is the best understood. Pollutants also inflame lungs, potentially making catching the virus more likely and raising concern about rising pollution levels after lockdowns are lifted. Finally, particles of pollution might even help carry the virus further afield.”

As a practitioner of environmental science, as well as a believer in The Golden Rule and Law of Karma, I cannot help but see the need for us to reduce pollution worldwide. Do you agree this is a global environmental justice issue? Please share your comments below.

Supreme Court Ruling Favors Clean Water

On Thursday, April 23 (my Mother’s Birthday), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6 to 3 that groundwater must be considered in Clean Water Act (CWA) permitting. The case involved a Maui sewage treatment plant that had permits to discharge waste directly into the ocean as point sources (from pipes). University hydrogeologists found high levels of nitrate and warm water in the ocean affecting coral reefs discharging from groundwater that came from the treatment plant indirectly. The court ruled that CWA permits must consider groundwater discharges.

For more details, checkout these articles:

Hydrologists should be happy. Big Supreme Court ruling bolsters groundwater science

Science Magazine

“Tracing the movement of pollutants through groundwater is tricky work, says Thomas Harter, a hydrologist at the University of California, Davis, who helped draft an amicus brief to the court from several scientific associations. Much of what’s happening is underground, obscured except for data gathered from test wells and geologic samples drilled from boreholes. Impacts can take decades to materialize as water and contaminants slowly seep through the earth.

Computer models coupled with direct observations of water flow, pollution levels, and geology can predict how chemicals are likely to flow and interact with the chemistry of surrounding rocks. But, “There are huge uncertainties to this,” says Harter, who studies groundwater pollution from California farms. “It’s not unlike trying to predict the weather.” (During oral argument of the case in November 2019, however, (Justice Stephen) Breyer remarked that briefs laying out the science of tracking groundwater pollution had impressed him. “The scientists really convinced me they’re geniuses and they can trace all kinds of things,” he said.)”

SUPREME COURT LEAVES THE CLEAN WATER ACT INTACT

Victory: Court decision leaves in place vital protections for the nation’s oceans, rivers, lakes

EarthJustice (argued the winning case)

“The following is a statement from David Henkin, Earthjustice attorney who argued the case defending clean water:

“This decision is a huge victory for clean water. The Supreme Court has rejected the Trump administration’s effort to blow a big hole in the Clean Water Act’s protections for rivers, lakes, and oceans.”

COUNTY OF MAUI, HAWAII v. HAWAII WILDLIFE FUND ET AL.

U.S. Supreme Court Syllabus

“The Clean Water Act forbids “any addition” of any pollutant from “any point source” to “navigable waters” without an appropriate permit from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).”

In addition to our science of using tracers to detect movement of groundwater contamination, we will be tracking how this Supreme Court decision affects similar investigations that we are working on!

POWERful ECO-FILM

Michael Moore this Earth Day released a film Planet of the Humans on YouTube. I highly recommend watching the thought-provoking documentary that digs beneath the surface of the Green Energy revolution. I felt the film pays strong homage to the iconic Planet of the Apes series focusing on human behavior of greed and corporate deceit to show we cannot resolve our peril with old or new technologies. Planet of the Humans challenges conventional wisdom of green energy and electric vehicles as well as the promoters of Environmentalism to show that trade offs are not decreasing environmental impacts. Actually, most commercial solar and wind systems and corporations heavily rely on petrochemicals and mining industries as well as promoting biomass as renewable that burns trees and garbage including tires.

The film does not offer many solutions for saving Planet Earth and all species, specifically Primates, realizing that demands on energy, transportation, and natural resources are interconnected and unsustainable. The film briefly mentions the need the do less with what we have, i.e. conservation.

I am a strong advocate of finding a balance and taking a risk cost-benefit approach to all energy sources with assessing environmental impacts. We need local, national, and United Nations energy strategies that decrease impacts to human health (including workers) and the environment.

Here are a few ideas to consider that are not discussed in film and might make a good sequel:

If we must burn coal for decades to come, phase out high sulfur coal in West Virginia in favor of Wyoming coal.

If we must burn nuclear power, phase out unsafe and older power plants in favor of new modular reactor designs.

If we must use biomass and biofuels, ensure adequate local resources and transparent public health protections.

If we must build more wind generators, make sure we have a national supply of materials including rare earth elements.

If we must build more solar electric plants, make sure they will last more than 10 years.

We need to take a stronger look at waste as a resource! Here is a blog I wrote about collecting waste natural gas at the local sewage treatment plant to run biofuel vehicles.

Also, last week nuclear engineering students from the University of Michigan received an award for proposing that waste spent nuclear fuel be used to heat and transform sewage sludge into fertilizer!

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.

Uplifting TV

Last night, we finished watching the NBC five season TV series “Highway to Heaven.” It’s a highly recommended family show focusing more on spirituality than religion. I had previously seen many individual episodes but I’m now a bigger fan after evening watching from start to finish over the past two months. The last episode finished in 1989 and is currently available for streaming including on Netflix which provides the tagline: “Under God's direction, angel Jonathan and ex-cop Mark help troubled souls overcome adversity and embrace honesty, kindness and forgiveness.”

Major themes in the series involved 1) the healing beauty of nature, like in the final two episodes of Season 1 called “Thoroughbreds” with 24-year old Helen Hunt, 2) overcoming and accepting illnesses, disabilities, ageism (youth and elderly), parenting, education, victims of war, death and dying and 3) environmental causes such as in season 2 episode 9 called “Birds of a Feather.” Spoiler alert: Jonathan wears a bird costume and dies trying to protect kids and parents working at a factory that’s polluting the environment.

Watching the final show last night, I wondered if the provocative episode caused the series to get cancelled as they really pushed some huge corporate and political buttons extremely relevant then and today! In “Merry Christmas from Grandpa,” Jonathan warns a tycoon building a nuclear power plant how an accident could destroy his grandchildren and a farmer using to many chemicals polluting drinking water including fertilizers and Malathion (the Latin word for bad or evil is Mal and the pesticide is widely used in agriculture, residential landscaping, public recreation areas, including killing mosquitoes). Going up against the nuclear and chemical industries for the final episode was not enough so the angel also appears in the White House at the bed of President George Bush (a look-alike actor) and the First Lady that his future children to great, great, great grandchildren will disappear if he does not take a stand to protect the environment! Looking back on the life of George Bush, as I did in a blog in December 2018, he was relatively a great environmentalist especially compared to many current disgraceful world leaders.

Well this last episode did not get the show cancelled but apparently it was a combination of lower ratings and the actor Victor French, who played Mark, sadly died at age 54 of lung cancer from smoking.