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Showing posts from June, 2017

Remember, no matter how divisive Climate Change is… there’s the heat.

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“A Diſpute once aroſe betwixt the North-Wind and the Sun, about the ſuperiority of their power; and they agreed to try their ſtrength upon a traveller, which ſhould be able to get his cloak off firſt. The North-Wind began, and blew a very cold blaſt, accompanied with a ſharp driving ſhower: But this, and whatever elſe he could do, inſtead of making the man quit his cloak, obliged him to gird it about his body as cloſe as poſſible. Next came the Sun, who, breaking out from a thick watery cloud, drove away the cold vapours from the ſky, and darted his warm ſultry beams upon the head of the poor weather beaten traveller. The man growing faint with the heat, and unable to endure it any longer, firſt throws off his heavy cloak, and then flies for protection to the ſhade of a neighbouring grove.” (Page 68, FABLE XLI. The WIND and the SUN, The Fables of Aesop and Others By Samuel Croxall, D. D.: London: Printed for A. Millar, W. Law, and R. Cater; and for Wilson, Spence, and Mawman, York, M, ...

Pruitt’s EPA trying to adapt to a fantasy world

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The problem of trying to make science political is that a tortuous joining of facts and fantasy only works politically, until it’s exposed as boloney. Then it often creates terrible collateral damage. Social Darwinism and Lysenkoism are two examples where politically motivated pseudoscience crusades ended up in the trash bin of history. Rightly so because both were nonsense on stilts, quite immoral, and wreaked bloody havoc. Pruitt, the new head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has been working furiously to get the EPA “ Back To Basics ”, which is to say turning our environmental protection agency upside down so that it views environmental problems through the lens of businesses’ priorities. This stance is ridiculous because most businesses want good stable environmental regulations from which to operate, not cherry-picked, politically-derived rules that simply remove obstacles to pollute. To accomplish his fantasy objectives, Pruitt seems hell-bent on gutting the EPA b...

Should we thank Trump for galvanizing the US and the world into Climate Change Action?

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Thanking Trump for pulling the US out of the Paris Accord because his administration’s anti-environmental policies have galvanized the US and the world to address Climate Change would be like wheel-chairing over to the guy who ran over you with his truck and giving him a bouquet of flowers because your being crippled by what he did spurred you to write the great American novel. Although the Trump administration’s anti-environmental actions, including ditching the Paris Accord , have crystalized the extremes these people will go to push their insensitive ideology upon the world, there’s absolutely no reason to believe we can, however exercised, overcome the blow of a crippled worldwide agreement. The players in the Trump administration have proven that they will plow through anything to hold on to their power and wealth created from an energy option now proven to be lethal to our life support system. What has not been proven (nor can it) is whether we can overcome the Trump administrati...

Speaking out against US Paris Accord withdrawal in Rochester

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Friday’s (6/2/2017) rally in front of the Federal Building in Rochester to protest Trump pulling out the US from the Paris Accord was an expression of outrage, then determination, and then inspiration. Listen to  Linda  and Abby  describe the Rochester People’s Climate Coalition ’s reaction to Trump’s “ stupid and reckless ” move that has been condemned worldwide . Though thunderstruck by Trump’s recklessness that will have severe consequences to our environment, our economy, and our international relationships, we are more than Trump.  The nations of the world (all but two) that signed on to the Paris Accord must see us not Trump.   Because of Trump’s reckless decision, people from all walks of life are coming together to address Climate Change with more urgency and resolve than ever.  Despite negative actions of The Unwilling , most of humanity recognizes threat Climate Change presents to us and are willing to do what must be done to make our childre...