Balance in Thailand

We returned to America about one month ago after spending the past eight months in Thailand. During this time, I learned much more about the balance of nature and imbalance being caused by our humanity.

When we first arrived to Bangkok in November 2020, the most obvious environmental issue was air pollution caused by burning agricultural fields in several countries to the north. The most beautiful season of the year for moderate temperatures and dry weather has now been replaced by choking smog across much of Asia.

At that time, Thailand was doing a great job to control the Covid-19 pandemic; but by the springtime, all the preventative measures when out with the Thai New Year celebrations and lack of vaccines causing uncontrolled spread of disease..

As the air quality improved in early 2021, I took daily walks in our area of Bangkok taking photographs - many pics are shown on the gallery. So many beautiful flowering trees, diverse sounds of birds chirping, and low hanging fruit. My connection with nature increased during these daily walks and I began to feel a love and longing to be outdoors in the early mornings at sunrise and evening sunsets.

We got a dog for our son - a Pomeranian who shows us unconditional love! He is a great companion for the entire family and luckily does not choose favorites and is very calm for a small dog. His presence brings us more into balance.

Monsoon rains arrived during late spring and early summer in Thailand and much of Asia. The warming of the ocean water created conditions for intense rainfall that usually lasted about an hour every afternoon. We welcomed the rain that cooled and cleaned the air and restores nature’s balance.

As I think of more examples I will continue to add to this blog post.

Today's Longest Or Shortest Daylight?

Growing up about 38.8 degrees north of the equator, in northern Virginia, we always referred the first day of summer as the Summer Solstice- the longest day of sunlight in the year - which occurs today on June 21st. With roughly 85% of the land mass and 90% of the world’s population in the Northern Hemisphere, it is understandable we might forget about the people living south of the equator. Sorry folks living Down Under including in Australia and New Zealand. They are experiencing their shortest day of the year known as the Winter Solstice.

According to NOAA SciJinks, “You may have noticed two special lines of latitude on a globe of the world: One in the Northern Hemisphere called the Tropic of Cancer at +23.5° latitude and one in the Southern Hemisphere called the Tropic of Capricorn at − 23.5° latitude. These are the latitudes where the Sun is directly overhead at noon once a year. In the Northern hemisphere, on the Tropic of Cancer, that is the Summer Solstice, usually June 21. In the Southern Hemisphere, on the Tropic of Capricorn, that is the Winter Solstice, usually December 21. These solstice days are the days with the most (for Summer) or fewest (for Winter) hours of sunlight during the whole year.”

So if June 21st is the longest day of sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere why isn’t it usually the hottest day of the year? Well it takes some time for the oceans to absorb the heat and release it back into the atmosphere. The heat wave exceeding 100 degrees F. in many areas including the Western Untied States occurred during the spring so we cannot expect this summer to get any cooler.

Memorial Day 2021

I took this photo about three years ago on Independence Day at the US Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Virginia. Growing up in the D.C. area we called this statue the Iwo Jima memorial to commemorate the World War II battle on a Japanese island. Today we celebrate all the people in the military who sacrificed their lives fighting for our freedom!

This weekend completes the sixth year of this website blog for Conserve & Pro$per that began on Memorial Day 2015. In that initial blog, I posed the question, “is our freedom truly sustainable if we lack the basic necessities of water, food, and shelter?” I provided the website purpose, "to share my 30+ years of experience working in the environmental science field. I aspire to inform and share ideas on how we can all live on planet Earth by conserving precious resources, eating healthier food, breathing cleaner air, and creating a smaller footprint.”

It’s estimated that about 2 million Americans do not have access to running water and basic plumbing. Over 34 million Americans live in poverty and one in four people experienced food insecurity during the Covid-19 pandemic. The fight against the virus during the first year claimed an estimated 3600 health care workers in America. We need to have a memorial for their sacrifices too.

On Memorial Day 2016, I shared some of my parents experiences living through World War II including how the government wanted everyone to ration goods to help the soldiers and created messages like, "Do with less so they'll have enough."

After the Second World War, America helped rebuild Europe with the Marshall Plan and we've enjoyed sustainable freedom for over 70 years through the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as I discussed in 2018.

My parents experience living through past wars and the Great Depression taught my family to be frugal, save and find ways to reuse items as described in 2019. My Dad reused plastic gallon jugs by opening the tops to turn them into tool holders or for storing hardware and magazines.

Last year in 2020, I discussed the pandemic and how we need to have courage to speak the truth as we know it, share compassion and courage with others, pray for everyone to come together to seek Nature’s balance and make our world habitable for all life.

The rapid spread of coronavirus continues to show us how interconnected and interdependent the world is on each other and on Nature. I am grateful to all the people who have made sacrifices in wars and health care battles so we may continue to survive and thrive.

Nature Walks

I met Jim Hood when we attended Guilford College, located in Greensboro, North Carolina as students in the late 1970’s. Jim was one year ahead of me so he became an important guide and mentor. Guilford was founded by the Quakers, Society of Friends, and Jim majored in Religious Studies. We did not share classes together as I recall but we both shared a love for nature. Seems I ran into Jim a lot outside. We both treasured the beautiful campus including the Guilford woods. Sometimes we’d also see each other at the Quaker meetings - traditional unprogrammed meetings where people would feel compelled to speak up in the congregation as well as programmed meetings led by a minister.

I recall coming back to campus after a week with friends camping in the Smoky Mountains when I went to an umprogrammed meeting and after some period of silence I began shaking, like an earthquake (hence the name Quakers), feeling so compelled to speak about my experience in the woods one day. I shared my experience of a full day of hiking and siting in the beautiful mountain woods with friends and by myself where I had long nap (like Rip Van Winkle, but I had not been drinking alcohol or doing any drugs) where I had a vision of a future world like in Tokyo where the air pollution got so thick that people had to walk outside with gas masks. I felt so connected to nature, grateful for the North Carolina woods and determined to work hard to protect nature. Jim gave me positive affirmations after the meeting.

After Jim graduated from Guilford, he continued his studies at Yale and UNC Chapel Hill majoring in English. He returned to Guilford to become an English Professor in 1999 where he took on several related assignments including directing the Studies Abroad international program. My taking a semester in Munich, Germany was a life changing experience that will be the subject of a future blog. Now Jim is the Interim President of Guilford College. The school is facing difficult times financially with declining student enrollment during the pandemic. I trust Jim and many others with strong faith are doing everything they can to survive this crisis.

Another important fact about the Guilford woods is that about two hundred years ago the Quakers actively helped to free slaves by hiding them in the woods to move them out of North Carolina up to New York as part of the Underground Railroad. So nature is always giving and healing and saving lives.

Here is a beautiful video that Jim recorded one year ago at the start of the pandemic to share his meditative connection with nature and going for a walk in the woods!

Eco Videos

We’ve been making and posting fun, educational photos and videos of animals, nature, wildlife, a ghost town, people, travel and water topics for over 15 years. Here is a list of some of my videos available on YouTube:

Rocky Mountain National Park in July, 2007 at sunrise with birds, geology, a water fall and beaver dam

Home on the Range in July 2007, Wyoming

Silverton, Colorado in July, 2007 Ghost Town

Elephant Encounters in December, 2014 in Hua Hin, Thailand

Jumping on trampoline getting wet in July, 2015 in Grand Junction, Colorado

Wasting Water in July, 2015 at Grand Junction, Colorado mortuary

Jenny Lake in Yellowstone National Park in September, 2019

Colorado National Monument waterfall and pool feeds groundwater recharge in May, 2019

Grand Mesa, Colorado Spring Snowmelt in March, 2020

My trip to IAEA in Vienna, Austria in March, 2020

Wakeboarding in July, 2020 in Grand Junction, Colorado

Please LIKE and SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube videos and channel!

Earth Day 2021 Outcomes

There were many interesting events and outcomes on Earth Day 2021. A Google search yields 208 million results! I cannot imaging any other event like Earth Day currently happening that brings the world together for a common cause. Here are a few of my favorites:

The 2-day White House Climate Summit involving 40+ World Leaders and many other participants. Who would have guessed a live broadcast involving Biden, Putin, Xi Jinping, and others!

Jane Goodall’s waking dream of our Earth’s crisis and hope.

House Oversight Committee on Environment, Fossil Fuel Industry and Climate Change on C-Span including Greta Thunberg

Here’s a short list from the first five pages of Google search video results with the keywords “Earth Day 2021”

About 208,000,000 results (0.30 seconds)

Earth Day 2021 | Restore Our Earth™ | EARTHDAY.ORG

www.earthday.org › earth-day-2021

7:11:47

Get info on Earth Day Live 2021 events on April 20-22, when the world will come together for 3 days of ...

Earth Day 2021 Doodle - YouTube

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This year's annual Earth Day Doodle highlights how everyone can plant the seed to a brighter future—one ...

The History of Earth Day | Earth Day

www.earthday.org › history

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Learn the history behind the Earth Day movement, which engages a billion people worldwide on April 22 of

Earth Day 2021: Change Starts Here | The Nature Conservancy

www.nature.org › en-us › get-involved › how-to-help › e...

2:08:29

Earth Day 2021 · Our individual voices are powerful. · This Earth Day, we celebrated the people speaking up

Earth Day 2021: Road to Recovery - YouTube

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Does the coronavirus pandemic hold lessons for the fight against climate change ? With travel, manufacturing

4 days ago · Uploaded by American Museum of Natural History

Earth Day | US EPA

www.epa.gov › earthday

1:38

On the first Earth Day in 1970, 22 million Americans celebrated clean air, land, and ... President Biden's ...

Earth Day Eve 2021 | National Geographic - YouTube

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Hosted by Jessica Nabongo, the Earth Day Eve 2021 celebration will span the globe with visually stunning ...

Earth Day 2021 | City of Fremont Official Website

www.fremont.gov › Earth-Day-2021

2:07

Earth Day 2021 is Thursday, April 22, but you can celebrate all month long! The City would like to share all of

BTS x Earth Day 2021 | Brand – Hyundai Worldwide

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FOR TOMORROW. All together for Earth Day 2021. 4 minute read · Our Responsibility, Our Commitment ...

United - Earth Day 2021 | Facebook

th-th.facebook.com › United › videos

· Translate this page

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We have the privilege of seeing our big, beautiful world from 35000 feet every day, so the responsibility to ...

Google Doodle celebrates Earth Day 2021 highlighting the ...

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The theme for this year's Earth Day is "Restore Our Earth" which focuses on natural processes and emerging

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Earth Day 2021: How can you help the planet? ... (WWLP) – Thursday, April 22nd is Earth Day, a day where

Earthday 2021 - California Natural Resources Agency - CA.gov

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EARTH DAY 2021 ... Join us April 19-23 for online events celebrating the 51st anniversary of Earth Day!

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Happy Earth Day: Traders share top environmentally friendly investments. Published Thu, Apr 22 2021

Earth Day 2021: Restoring the planet in times of crisis | In ...

timesofindia.indiatimes.com › in-depth › videoshow

6:42

Celebrated annually on April 22, the day demonstrated support for environmental protection and conservation

EARTH DAY - Unesco

en.unesco.org › news › earth-day

2:42

Together, we can make 2021 a year to secure the well-being of people and our planet. Thank you!

EGLE Earth Day 2021 - State of Michigan

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Michigan Earth Day 2021 Student Webinar - Protecting and Restoring Our Environment

Earth Day 2021 - Sustainability - NYC.gov

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NASA Earth Science & Remote Sensing Unit. “Look again at that dot. ... This Earth Day we invite you to join us

Earth Day 2021 - Event Info and Resources - Twinkl

www.twinkl.com › event › earth-day-2021

1:44

Earth Day 2021 is on April 22nd with the purpose to show that all people have a moral right to a healthy
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0:00. 0:54. 0:00 / 0:54. Live. •. Scroll for details. Happy Earth Day 2021. 18,175 views18K views. • Apr 22, 2021

Pope on Earth Day: “It is time to act!” - Vatican News

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Pope Francis calls for urgency in joint efforts on the path towards protecting our planet, in two separate video

Mother Earth Day 2021 - António Guterres (UN Secretary ...

1:08

Video Message by António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, on For International Mother Earth

Earth Day 2021: Facts, history about first Earth Day - ABC7 ...

abc7.com › science › earth-day-2021-facts-history-about-...

National Geographic is kicking off Earth Day early with Nat Geo's Earth DayEve 2021, a virtual concert

Great Lakes Now Earth Day 2021: What can you do and where?

www.greatlakesnow.org › 2021/04 › earth-day-2021-eve...

26:47

Earth Day is Thursday, April 22, but the related activities you can do aren't limited to that day alone.

Google's Doodle for Earth Day 2021 leaves us thinking of ...

www.cnet.com › news › googles-doodle-for-earth-day-20...

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Thursday is Earth Day, when people around the world gather to celebrate the planet's environment and raise

2021 Earth Day Resources - Catholic Health Association

www.chausa.org › environment › 2021-earth-day-resources

1:27

2021 Earth Day Resources. Earth Day is annually commemorated on April 22. For Catholic health ministries

Earth Day | UN News

news.un.org › tags › earth-day

2:15

News in Brief 22 April 2021 · 'Rising hunger and desperation' in Myanmar, warns WFP · COVID jabs from ...

Apr 21, 2563 BE · Uploaded by United Nations

Earth Day 2021: See the conservation projects working to ...

edition.cnn.com › 2021/04/22 › world › earth-day-2021-...

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On Earth Day, we highlight some incredible changemakers who are working to save and restore our planet's

Celebrate Earth Day 2021 with this 'beau-tree-ful' Google ...

www.space.com › earth-day-2021-trees-google-doodle-nasa

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Earth Day 2021 is here and the folks at Google hope it plants a tree in your heart with this adorable Google doodle

Earth Day 2021 » April 22 » Earth Day Canada - Jour de la ...

earthday.ca › april-22 › campaign

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Media campaign 2021 · DISCOVER EARTH DAY CANADA'S CAMPAIGN FOR 2021 · JourdelaTerreCa

Earth Day Live: Debating Planet Earth's Urgent Issues | Earth ...

www.earthday.org › earth-day-live-webinars

1:01:06

Join webinars from EARTHDAY.ORG on the latest issues, the greatest

Earth Day 2021 - TN.gov

www.tn.gov › state-government-and-institutions › earth-d...

2:01

Earth Day 2021. On April 22nd, the whole world will join together to celebrate Earth Day. This year's official ...

Apr 11, 2564 BE · Uploaded by TDEC Office of Policy and Sustainable Practices

Earth Day 2021 | U.S. Embassy in Georgia

ge.usembassy.gov › News & Events

Earth Day 2021 ... April 22 was established as Earth Day in 1970 by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson to

Earth Day Every day | Happy Earth Day 2021 - YouTube

1:31

EarthDay #nature #earth #COVID19 #corona #DrivingChange #saveourplanet # savetheplanet #loveearth

Celebrate Earth Day 2021! | Smithsonian Tropical Research ...

stri.si.edu › story › celebrate-earth-day-2021

6:16

Earth Day 2021! New bilingual videos feature tropical landscape management for a sustainable future.

Earth Day 2021: History, significance and all you need to ...

www.wionews.com › world › earth-day-2021-history-sig...

7:11:47

Every year on April 22, Earth Day marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement
Earth Day 2021: This year's theme, significance and origin of ...

www.financialexpress.com › LIFESTYLE › SCIENCE

0:31

The whole world celebrates Earth Day today on April 22 and is taking efforts to defeat the Covid-19 pandemic

Earth Day - Washington State Department of Ecology

ecology.wa.gov › Get-involved › What-you-can-do › Ear...

1:32

Earth Day 2021. It's time to take action! Logo of Earth with arrows surrounding it, with text reads #EarthDay2021

Earth Day 2021 - Take Care Of The Planet - YouTube

0:31

Discover here the 2021 campaign for Earth Day Canada.

International Mother Earth Day 2021 Quotes, Images & Save ...

1:16

So, check out these Earth Day 2021 quotes, slogans and images and send them to your close ones to inspire

Earth Day 2021 – Restore Our Earth | Voice of America - English

www.voanews.com › episode › earth-day-2021-restore-o...

April 22nd was the 51st celebration of Earth Day. Kathleen Rogers, from Earthday.org, Tim Christophersen

Celebrate Earth Day 2021 with these deals and offers from ...

www.fox43.com › article › life › holidays › earth-day-20...

Celebrate Earth Day 2021 with these deals and offers from sustainable brands · Anthropologie: Customers

Earth Day 2021: 'We can build back greener' - Boris Johnson ...

5:05

The Prime Minister has told the virtual climate summit that the world can bounce back from the pandemic by

Dr. Jane Goodall's Message for Earth Day 2021 - YouTube

9:04

Join us this Earth Day 2021 as Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN

Earth Day Eve 2021: National Geographic kicking off Earth ...

abc7.com › earth-day-eve-2021-national-geographic-natg...

1:39

National Geographic is kicking off Earth Day early with Nat Geo's Earth DayEve 2021, a virtual concert

Earth Day 2021 | World Resources Institute

www.wri.org › events › 2021 › earth-day

1:46

Earth Day 2021. If we work together, we can improve the lives of people, address inequities in our society and

Earth Day 2021: Restoring Earth for Survival | WION - YouTube

2:21

The theme for Earth Day 2021 is "Restore Our Earth and it ''focuses on natural processes and emerging

Google celebrates Earth Day with doodle, encourages people ...

economictimes.indiatimes.com › News › Science

1:26

Celebrated annually on April 22, the day demonstrated support for environmental protection and conservation

Earth Day 2021 - YouTube

3:09

It's Earth day today! While we are all living on this amazing planet, we need to do more to stop the ...

Earth Day 2021: Facts, history about first Earth Day - ABC7 ...

abc7chicago.com › earth-day-2021-when-is-what-earthday

Earth Day 2021

A Thai boy riding a motorcycle waits patiently to cross the street. After a minute he sees an opening and very slowly makes his way across even with having a powerful motorcycle. Waiting for him on the other side is a police officer who says, “What are you doing crossing the road with an elephant?” The boy replies, “What elephant?”

This variation of the ‘Elephant in the Room’ joke comes from a 1935 Broadway musical with Jimmy Durante according to Wikipedia. The metaphor pertains to something, usually a problem or situation, so big and controversial that no one wants to discuss it.

An American Senator running for President (Vox) proposes spending $16 trillion on green energy while eliminating nuclear power and natural gas electric generation. Do you see the elephant?

Yesterday, a dozen governors wrote President Biden to demand only ‘zero-emission vehicles’ by 2035. NPR reports the letter states, "Moving quickly towards a zero-emission transportation future will protect the health of all communities.” Do you see an elephant (that produces no waste byproducts)?

On this Earth Day 2021, we can appreciate all the elephants, wildlife and other endangered species on our planet. We can also insist on getting the truth as to where we get our electricity and how globally interdependent we are on energy. I have provided many blogs on energy topics including the nuclear fuel cycle, electrical grid and the Green New Deal which can be found on the home page search bar.

A discussion of energy and transportation infrastructure must begin with where the power comes from to keep the lights on, run the AC, power the TVs, computers, cell phones, hospital ventilators, etc. While solar and wind power are awesome technologies we cannot ignore the elephant in the room and pretend anything is ‘zero emissions.’ How much electric power do we need now and how much more will be needed in the future as we decarbonize fuel sources? How many coal fired power plants will be converted to natural gas? What do we do with the spent nuclear fuel radioactive waste sitting at dozens of reactor sites around the country? Apparently there is more than one elephant in the room as there’s now an entire herd!

The Sustainable Investing Paradox

How can we find investments that are going to last, make money and do good things for the planet? When I started learning about investing in mutual funds holding a diversified collection of stocks it became apparent that many funds held companies I did not like including makers of tobacco or guns. These mutual funds made good returns. However, when I looked for mutual funds that advertised being socially conscious many performed below market expectations.

I make no claims of providing advice beyond sharing my personal experience. One of the first sustainability mutual funds that I heard about was Pax World. Their website states:

“Established in 1971, Pax World is a recognized leader in sustainable investing. The Pax World sustainable investing approach fully integrates analysis of macroeconomic and market trends, fundamental security-specific financial data, environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors, and disciplined portfolio strategies.”

There is a trend for many corporations to consider sustainability but there is a paradox. Cambridge Dictionary defines a paradox as, “a situation or statement that seems impossible or is difficult to understand because it contains two opposite facts or characteristics.” Will investing in ESG funds make good returns and be an incentive for the non-ESG companies to go out of business? In 2018, I wrote a blog on ESG investing when BlackRock endorsed the trend to be more competitive.

As consumers and investors we can vote with our money to choose companies that do more good than harm. Most importantly, we need transparency and experience to be informed in what we are buying. I like to checkout each stock’s fundamentals held in the mutual fund or ETF with information available on the internet such as in Yahoo Finance.

Checking out the top 10 holdings for several mutual funds listed as being “sustainable” they include many of the same S&P 500 tech companies, home builders, and banks. So sustainability is focused on the company’s behavior more than saying it is immune to bubbles and crashes.

Embedded in my DNA is a fear of another stock market crash like my parents lived through in 1929. I wonder how many people have this phobia as well? Fear, consumer confidence, and Fed intervention have a big influence on stock and bond markets.

What caused the crash? According to Economics.help:

“The 1929 stock market crash was a result of an unsustainable boom in share prices in the preceding years. The boom in share prices was caused by the irrational exuberance of investors, buying shares on the margin, and over-confidence in the sustainability of economic growth. Some economists argue the boom was also facilitated by ‘loose money’ with US interest rates kept low in the mid-1920s.”

The current U.S. stock market boom over the past decade is being compared to the 1920’s and 1960’s by many experts. Will ESG green investments survive a market meltdown? Probably not. According to a former Blackrock executive in charge of sustainable investments as interviewed in The Guardian, corporations are focused on maximizing shareholder value. Unless there are economic incentives such as a carbon tax imposed by the government, it is unlikely ESG funds will be successful. So consider carefully the “green-washing” of ESG and sustainable investing to realize there is a lot of slick marketing, maybe even smoke and mirrors, with the mutual fund industry. Please comment below to share your opinion.

GOVEROSITY! Say What?

Government Generosity. GOVEROSITY! Doesn’t this violate Say’s Law? Before I get into classical economic theory that has split government parties for decades, let me discuss my “coining” this new word and the import for the world: GOVEROSITY!

With the passage of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, the Democrats (except 1 and 0 Republicans) are helping the hardest hit, most impoverished Americans, recover from the health and economic impacts after one year of the Covid-19 pandemic. Recall the Trump Administration gave about $1.9 trillion mostly to the wealthy people and companies in tax cuts. As we prepare our IRS taxes, check out the changes in tax rates contained in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 according to the Tax Policy Center.

After Covid hit the United States, Congress and the Trump Administration provided about $2 trillion to help families, airlines, hotels, and other businesses through the Paycheck Protection Plan as reported by CNBC. In December 2020, the government gave out $900 Billion for Covid relief.

When I was a Guilford College stud (uh, student), one of my favorite classes was MacroEconomics, Econ 221. I loved this class mostly because of the brilliance and enthusiasm of Professor Robert Williams, fresh out of Stanford University. Here is his bio from Fernwood Publishing:

“Robert graduated Valedictorian from Shades Valley High School in Birmingham, Alabama in 1968. He received a B.A. in Economics from Princeton University in 1971 and a Ph.D. in Economics from Stanford University in 1978. His work experience includes research economist for the Brookings Institution (1973-75), Guilford College Economics Department (1978-present), and Voehringer Professor of Economics (1993-present).”

Checkout his book: The Money Changers: A Guided Tour Through Currency Markets

Professor Williams contrasted supply side economics known as Say’s Law where supply creates demand (like Field of Dreams: Built It and They Will Come) versus from Keynes’ law, that demand creates its own supply (e.g. Necessity is the Mother of Invention). To compare these ideas, see this article in Lumen. As a result of the 1970’s stagnant American economy with high unemployment and double-digit inflation, the rise of the Reaganomics “trickle down” experiment began in 1980.

My first job in the oil fields and then in the federal government as an environmental scientist were during the Reagan administration. Many loved the tax and regulatory cuts and anti-union fights. Recall the 11,000+ air traffic controllers (fired, i.e. History) who lost government jobs next time you fly anywhere and especially to Reagan National Airport). There should be a memorial!

Here is a great article about these changing political economic forces by E.J. Dionne, Jr. in the Washington Post where Reagan (and his predecessors) made “big” government the problem and Biden is showing that government can be the solution.

Increasingly, I’ve been impressed by the generosity by current billionaires including Buffett, Gates, Bezos and others who can afford millions and even billions towards important health and environmental causes. Maybe we need GOVEROSITY to become contagious, even in the corporate sector to have some CORPORSITY. This would be a radical departure from the selfish approach some ultra-rich people have taken, especially recently. Advertising could be done with reality TV (not just on YouTube) actually helping others!

So for all the people who are receiving free government handouts who do not really need to increase their wealth, please consider following Say’s Law and share with others in need. We needn’t look very far to help needy causes around the world! On this website I have pointed to a few environmental charities and here would like to encourage us all do more to give back or pay it forward.

To quote Mother Teresa from Goodreads:

“Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.”

Update March 19, 2021

Thanks for several comments that I received by email. Professor Williams wrote:

“Bill Dam,
It's terrific to see a former student who is actively engaging the world using tools of analysis developed back in the day. I like how you've included not-for-profit & non-profit organizations in the solutions to our big problems. Government structures can't do it all. Nor can the for-profit sector. Good leadership that brings the three together-- for-profit, non-profit, & government (international organizations, federal, state & local)-- in positive synergies to find solutions may be our only hope.
Thanks for remembering my class.
Robert G. Williams, Economics, Guilford College”

It felt wonderful to reconnect with Professor Williams after 43 years and to receive his great feedback!

I also received a comment from my brother Bob:

“So Bill I have read your latest blog. All good until I get to the government "handout. " Yes people like us don't really need it and I get what you are saying about generosity. Promise ours will go into the economy. Do you feel its really a handout or maybe a hand up to the majority of Americans making less than $75 k? So many people work in the service industry for example. Hotels and restaurants shut down by the pandemic haven't worked in a year. Handout or needed help. My masseuse a true entrepreneur had just bought her little building up the street. I was going once a month, haven't gone in over a year she has seen her work fade. She is self employed not eligible for unemployment. What is a couple thousand dollars from the government. Looks cheap to me Trump gave a big handout to the rich. So many people need more stimulus they didn't choose this pandemic shut down. Sorry to go on but I think you know what I'm saying.”

I agree with him that the majority of people receiving benefits from the American Rescue Plan really need the help! This week President Biden said most of the $1.9 trillion law will help 60% of Americans while the benefits of the Trump tax cuts only helped a small percentage of already wealthy Americans.

So the goal of this Conserve-Prosper blog is to promote sustainability principles with an attitude of gratitude and exemplify how we can improve our world through awareness, education, and generosity. Thanks again to everyone making a positive difference in the world including the participants of this blog and other social media that are enriching our collective consciousness!

Unprepared for the Big Chill

An extreme polar vortex set up stratospheric warming above the Artic pushing colder air south into North America all the way to south Texas. Millions of people are going days without power, water and heat trying to survive the winter blast. The electrical grid that connects most of the United States is deregulated and independent in Texas so the Lone Star State cannot obtain power from plants located in other states. Most of their energy comes from natural gas and lesser amounts from nuclear, coal, wind and solar. News reports indicate the natural gas pipelines were constructed too shallow and not insulated from extreme freezing temperatures.

Updated February 19, 2021:

Obviously our hearts go out to all the people suffering from the catastrophic winter storm across many areas of North America. The crisis continues to get worse. After four days with no power or heat, many people in Texas and other states are now in a food and water crisis. Frozen water pipes are breaking causing flooding as well as loss of water supply. This is a national emergency and it appears a federal response is occurring. Ramifications are felt worldwide as OPEC increases oil supply to compensate for the decreased Texas supply as well as profiting from the increasing oil and gas prices.

Today, I attended a Clean Energy webinar for Southeast Asia where concern was expressed that wind and solar were being blamed by some Texas politicians including the governor. Renewable sources provide less than a quarter of the supply in Texas so this does not hold true to blame green energy for the crisis. Listen to the Dallas, Texas county official Judge Clay Jenkins say he raised the concern several times over the past decade (WFAA). Maybe the people who blame the wind turbines in Texas freezing over is because Texas produces the most wind energy of any US state! So they should be embracing wind power and rather than denigrating renewable energy.

This issue is very important in Asia as well where many countries have set ambitious goals to have a quarter of the total supply coming from renewable energy sources within three years.

Here are more interesting new media reports focusing on the grid, energy supply, and lack of clean water:

Bloomberg: Texas Crisis Shows Need for More Balanced Grid, Analyst Says (interview with Amrita Sen)

NBC News Now: Texas’ Underregulated Energy Grid Responsible for Millions Without Heat, Energy

CBS News: Over 13 million Texans Facing Water Crisis After Brutal Winter Storm

When demand increases and supplies are short, no matter if it’s heating oil and gas, food or water, people are forced in an emergency to conserve what few resources are available. Having lived in Texas for over a year where everything is super sized and Don’t Mess with Texas, I hope people will demand change to come together to rejoin the national grid as well as energy efficiency and renewables. I wonder if this storm will change the mind of Elon Musk to move his Tesla factory from Oakland to Austin?

Learning with Others

Our attitude about learning makes all the difference for individuals to nations globally. A child may develop a strong ego thinking they know everything yet as we get older we discover there is so much more to understand about the world that is critical for our survival. Our attitude determines if we are willing to try and fail then learn from our mistakes. If we avoid trying to learn to protect our pride from getting hurt then we are not open to learning. Some experiences are harder than others like touching a hot stove or side swiping a bridge in a car which I did one time, lucky to survive, and learned to intently focus when driving. Or if we chase after what we like all the time, such as demanding sweets or our freedom, then we may try to avoid what we do not like which is good for us. How many kids really like doing homework?

In the era of Covid-19, we are seeing how essential in person learning is for a child’s healthy development. Our son had to be home for 9 of the past 12 months. Monday this week was the first day he returned to school instead of online learning after which he said was the best day of his life! I I enjoyed my day off but had to hide by hurt pride. Kids are learning how much they love school rather than staying home and sitting in front of a computer with perpetual homework.

As part of this free, non-commercial website Conserve-Prosper.com, I have provided many educational blogs about sustainability in an effort to improve our lives and our health. I wanted to learn and share our experiences and those of others more knowledgeable than me. One year ago we learned coronavirus escaped China; the first country hit was Thailand during Chinese New Year. My wife’s relatives gave us frequent updates as they developed the response that was not shared in mainstream media in the US. We started making then wearing masks sent to us from Thailand due to the rapid shortage in America. Many people did not want to wear masks in public places as individual “freedom” trumped the Golden Rule. Even now with a new US President calling for everyone to wear a mask there are many people who refuse. Refuse is another name for garbage!

Thailand now ranks fourth best response in the world to Covid-19! People wear a mask not only to protect from the virus but from air pollution which is bad throughout Asia due to factories, vehicles, and farmers burning fields. The country enforces people getting Covid testing before entering the country with strict 14-day quarantine requirements for people coming into Thailand as well as traveling to any region within the country that has an outbreak. Going into stores, you are required to get your temperature checked and provide your name and phone number to get contacted if tracing is needed.

Thailand’s economy depends on tourism that has been decimated with entire towns shut down. However, people’s health took precedence over greed based on my observations. That seems to be the ultimate lesson that everyone from individuals to countries needs to learn from the virus. We need to be humble, remove our egos, be open to new ways of learning and living, use less, conserve more, be caring, loving and gracious, and realize that no one has freedom when we are causing others to suffer.

How's Your Climate?

How’s the weather and climate where you live? Perhaps if you’re not a winter skier you may have not noticed and even enjoyed the lack of snow this winter. However, there is a price to be paid in the coming months.

The southwestern United States is currently experiencing an exceptional drought (D4) as shown by the US Drought Monitor which states, “With large sections of the central and southern parts of the West Region already in D3 to D4, not much more deterioration can be introduced, but a few small areas deteriorated enough to be reflected on the map, specifically north-central Utah (to D2), interior northeastern Utah (to D4), and southeasternmost New Mexico along the Mexican border (to D4).” Severe drought is D2 and extreme drought is D3. So obviously D4 is really bad and now our local water supplier is calling for voluntary water conservation.

So how’s the climate where you live and how severe, extreme, or exceptional might it become in your and your children’s lifetime? In many places we see a direct connection between less winter snowpack, faster spring melts, declining water supplies, larger summer wildfires, more air pollution and less farm production. This is the situation in the western US, much of Australia, Africa, and other arid regions. More severe weather makes climate change bad news for most everyone as we share global food distribution as one example.

Coastal flooding will become more severe affecting hundreds of millions of people. Here are some projections from a recent article in Nature. Other reports discuss affecting our ocean circulation and increased severe hurricanes or monsoons around the world.

Finally, the new American President only one week in office is taking bold action. Yesterday, he held a climate day signing executive orders that address responding to the climate crisis as described in the White House fact sheet. There will be a climate summit during Earth Day in April and UN climate meeting in Scotland in November. See BBC news about special envoy John Kerry, who negotiated the Paris agreement, says time is running out for taking action!

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

Contagious Consumption

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, one of the leading illnesses was consumption, also known as the lung disease tuberculosis (TB). The mycobacteria infection caused about 1.5 million deaths in 2018. An article in USA Today four months ago examines the history of TB consumption stating, “the disease was eradicated through elimination of poverty, improvement of nutrition and through improvement in living conditions." TB remains prevalent mostly in the developing world. Ironically, another type of consumption is afflicting the entire world by the actions of the most developed nations.

Consumption of natural resources in a consumer economy includes use of energy, food, and water. As the chart shows, people living in the United States led the world in consuming natural resources. If everyone in the world consumed resources at the rate of people in the U.S., it would take 5 Earth’s to support all the people. Obviously this is not sustainable! The World Economic Forum stated in 2019, “the extraction and processing of natural resources alone cause 90% of global biodiversity loss and water stress, and more than half of global climate change impacts.”

The U.S. has only about 4% of the world’s population yet consumes about 20% of the world’s resources. Coal-fired power plants will continue to be phased out in favor of cheaper natural gas, solar photovoltaics, wind, hydroelectric and new designs including small-modular nuclear power generation. A green energy revolution is just beginning but sustainable consumption must be considered for all industries. Powering electric car batteries with lithium oxide places demands on this metal and other rare earth elements, which are also needed for computers and wind generators. Leading producers of these raw materials are in Australia, Chile, and China. However, the U.S. will quickly be a leading importer and consumer of green energy materials and therefore continue to be dependent on imports of natural resources.

As the Covid-19 pandemic becomes even more contagious (as well as TB and other diseases), we need to carefully reassess holistic connections among health care, dependency on natural resources, and consumerism to develop global actions that preserves and protects the planet and essential biodiversity.

Some of the personal and societal solutions are quite obvious: wearing a mask, washing hands, taking vaccines, 3R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle), walking, ride a bicycle, live near your work or telecommute, carry reusable water bottles and shopping bags, and buy products that promote sustainable living.

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!

Fall Camping

Last night we slept in a tent outside for two reasons. Despite fall temperatures reaching 46 degrees at night, we are motivated to get outdoors. One reason for sleeping on the ground, actually initially on our deck out back, is due to getting a new kitchen tile floor. Our home is only eight years old built on a cement slab, which settled right down the middle of the kitchen, leaving a large crack! So we have sealed off the kitchen to the rest of the house to keep the concrete dust from circulating.

The second reason for fall camping is for a geology tour of Utah and Arizona. I’m leading a consulting project to study the water quality of San Juan County in southwestern Utah that will take us south of Moab, past Arches National Park, down to the San Juan River. We will be looking at geologic features like rock outcrops that dip below the ground surface combined with precipitation (infiltrating rain and snow melt that can be tens of thousands of years old) forming springs and underground aquifers. In some areas the water is naturally clean but in other areas the water is polluted from extensive uranium mining and milling. This is especially a concern to Native American tribes living in the area and we are working together with federal government scientists to compile information and collect new data on the regional water quality. I gave a presentation on this topic last month at the San Juan Mining and Reclamation Conference and here are the video presentations. Depending on our camping experience, including my 11 year old son, we may get all the way to the Grand Canyon.

Many camping experiences in my past have ranged from calm to calamity. My first memories as a Boy Scout were not fun being away from home (it’s lonely being a Momma’s boy), long 10-mile hikes along the C&O Canal, and we even camped out in the winter snow in icy Virginia. I did not start liking camping until going on Guilford College geology field trips to North Carolina mountains and beaches that were a blast.

In grad school at the University of Wyoming, I tried camping by myself in the Snowy Range west of Laramie by getting dropped off in the mountains. It was a beautiful summer’s day and after hiking several hours and not seeing anyone I found a place to camp by a lake. But before I could even unpack and get out the tent, an afternoon cloudburst rained and hailed. I tried to use my backpack for shelter but cold water collected beneath me and I got soaking wet. So I hiked out and hitch hiked a ride back home. Also, I was lucky there was no lightening in that storm.

Stay tuned to this blog for updates on our adventures and with God’s Grace we will reconnect with nature, be inspired by the Great Outdoors, or at least be more appreciative of a warm, soft bed!

Mother Earth

The Lalita Sahasranama (1,000 Names of the Divine Mother) is a prayer to Devi, the Divine Mother, mother of all. Number 955 is Om dharayai namah meaning “I bow down to Her who is Mother Earth.”

Feminine qualities like compassion and love should become stronger in men and masculine qualities like steadiness and courage should grow in women.  – Amma

If we could respect the Earth the way we feel love for our own Mother, the world would be a much better place to live!

Updated 9/18/2020

Here is an excellent talk about the benefits of reciting the names of the Divine Mother!