A royal push for climate change action

What better way to close out one year and begin a new one than with a bit of good news? Our friend Keith has kindly provided us with just the thing to let us believe that perhaps there is hope for humans after all. Thank you, Keith!

musingsofanoldfart

Strong on the heels of Greta Thunberg’s visit to the United States and United Nations climate change conference in Spain, a royal member of the UK family is making a very public statement backed with funds to match. In an article by Simon Perry in People Magazine, of all places, a very important global mission was revealed in an article called: Prince William Unveils Ambitious New Environmental Mission: ‘The Earth Is at a Tipping Point and We Face a Stark Choice’.

The first three paragraphs from the article (see link below) are as follows:

“On Tuesday, the royal unveiled a multimillion-dollar international award to harness the best ideas for tackling the biggest environmental challenges in the world.

William, 37, has set his sights on spending the next decade rewarding visionaries and innovation. Called Earthshot, it will be awarded to five winners a year for the next decade, generating what…

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A Few Snarky Snippets To End The Year

Posted on December 31, 2019 by jilldennison under Environmental Issues, Global Issues, Law and justice, Political commentary, Social commentary

One might think that Filosofa would run out of snark eventually, mightn’t one? But nooooo … it seems to reproduce itself. Well, in truth I mostly blame the idiots in Washington and the fools who sent the idiots to Washington, but you already knew that, didn’t you? So, here we are … on the cusp of entering a new year and a new decade, and do you think they could give us a little break? No, of course not …

Say WHAT???

The headline read …

Trump, Obama tie for Americans’ most-admired man

Surely you jest? NOBODY in their right mind admires Donald Trump!!! According to the pollster Gallup …

Barack Obama and Donald Trump are tied this year as the most admired man. It is Obama’s 12th time in the top spot versus the first for Trump. Michelle Obama is the most admired woman for the second year in a row.

After Obama and Trump, no other man was mentioned by more than 2% of respondents. The remainder of the top 10 for men this year includes former President Jimmy Carter, businessman Elon Musk, philanthropist and Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Pope Francis, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, California Rep. Adam Schiff, the Dalai Lama, and investor Warren Buffett.

Trump is more popular now than he was in the past two years, with a 45% job approval rating, among his best as president. Coincident with the rise in his job approval rating, the 18% of Americans currently naming Trump as the most admired man is also up, from 13% in 2018 and 14% in 2017.

I’m thoroughly confused how a president who was just impeached can have an increase in his approval rating and be named “most admired man”. It becomes apparent that there is a disconnect in this nation, that either people have come to like being shafted, or they are really not smart enough to understand the things that Trump has done. Sigh. I give up trying to figure this out.

Van Who?

United States Representative Jeff Van Drew from New Jersey decided with a snap of his fingers to switch parties in the middle of his term. The once-democrat is now a republican, presumably the catalyst having been the impeachment of Donald Trump. Now, it happens sometimes, but frankly I think Van Drew needed his head examined.

Has nobody ever told him that plaid and stripes don’t go together?

First of all, he is a freshman in the House of Representatives … this is his first term. His district, as most of the rest of his state, is predominantly democratic. He had few qualifications for a seat in Congress, as his only formal education was a degree in dentistry, and for most of his career, he was … a dentist.

When Van Drew announced his intention to vote against impeachment, most of his staff resigned and he saw his support immediately begin to plummet into the 20 percent range. Best I can figure, this was the sole reason for his party switch, which makes no sense. The theory behind the party system is that one joins either party based on shared values and ideology. Now, is Van Drew a democrat at heart, or a republican? Or, as my instinct says, an opportunist who has no core beliefs, no values, and will go to whichever side seems most profitable. Since there are three other republicans running for the seat in his district next year, my best guess is he shot himself in the foot by changing parties. At least, I certainly hope so, for he is a man without values … we don’t need any more of those.

Kudos to Greta … once again!

Yesterday, Greta Thunberg was interviewed on BBC Radio 4’s Today program, where she was asked what she thinks of the criticism she has come under from the likes of Donald Trump. Her response is so much more mature than anything that has ever come out of Trump’s mouth …

“Those attacks are just funny. Because I mean they obviously don’t mean anything. Well I guess of course it means something. It means that they are terrified of young people bringing change, which they don’t want. But that is just a proof that we are actually doing something. And that they see us as some kind of threat.”

Thunberg did not meet with Trump when she was in the U.S., but when the BBC Radio interviewer asked her what she would have said to him if she had met with him, she responded …

“Honestly, I don’t think I would have said anything because obviously he’s not listening to scientists and experts, so why would he listen to me? So I probably wouldn’t have said anything, I wouldn’t have wasted my time.”

👍👍

And, while I still have plenty of snark left to impart, I have other things I must attend to, and I’m sure you do too! I shall return later today with some introspective musings to close the year. Have a wonderful day!

Snarky Snippets To Kick Off The Weekend!

Posted on December 13, 2019 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, Environmental Issues, Global Issues, Law and justice, Political commentary

I am filled with snarky today … it is flowing from my ears, my very pores. The republicans have gone beyond ridiculous in their objections to the impeachment process, are doing their level best to make it seem like a three-ring circus, and the low growl in my throat is a constant these days. So, to take our minds off the buffoons like Matt Gaetz, Jim Jordan, Devin Nunes, et al, here are a few snippets unrelated to impeachment

Pardon pen over-inked!

Matt Bevin

In the Kentucky governor’s race last month, the incumbent, republican Matt Bevin, was defeated by Andy Beshear, a democrat. Bevin did not go gently into that good night, for he claimed there were voting ‘irregularities’, and for a time it appeared he would force a vote in the State Legislature. He ultimately conceded when he realized that there was absolutely no evidence of any ‘irregularities’.

But still, Bevin was determined to go out with a bang, and that he did. From the time that Bevin conceded the election to Beshear on November 14^th until the date of Beshear’s inauguration on December 10^th, Bevin issued pardons for some 428 people. The list includes a man convicted of reckless homicide, a convicted child rapist, a man who murdered his parents at age 16 and a woman who threw her newborn in the trash after giving birth in a flea market outhouse.It is not unusual for governors to issue pardons as they leave office, but pardoning murderers and child rapists is definitely outside the norm.

Among those pardoned was Brett Whittaker, a man who was convicted on two counts of murder for killing a pastor and his wife while driving under the influence in 2011, and Dayton Jones, who was convicted in the sexual assault of a 15-year-old boy at a party. And there was Patrick Brian Baker, who was convicted in 2017 of reckless homicide, robbery, impersonating a peace officer and tampering with evidence for his role in a 2014 home invasion that resulted in the death of Donald Mills. It’s almost as if Bevin sought the worst of the worst to pardon, his way of giving a middle finger to the people of Kentucky.

Congratulations to Greta, another black mark for Trump

A 16-year-old girl with Asperger’s Syndrome from Sweden is this years’ Time Magazine Person of the Year! That’s right, Time Magazine chose Greta Thunberg, the young climate activist who has brought awareness to the ongoing climate crisis to so many people, for their coveted Person of the Year award. She is the youngest person to earn the title in the magazine’s 92-year history.But, apparently Donald Trump thought that he should be ‘person of the year’, and he couldn’t keep his mouth shut, or rather, his thumbs still.

What kind of ‘man’ denigrates a 16-year-old girl who is trying to raise awareness about a serious problem affecting the whole world? Certainly, this is not the sign of a ‘man’ who ought to hold a position of power, if he cannot even treat people like Greta with a bit of decency and respect. To her credit, Greta altered her Twitter bio …For my part, I congratulate Ms. Thunberg and thank her for doing more than her share to bring awareness to people around the globe, and apologize to her for the poor manners of the person sitting in the Oval Office.

They are “devastated”?

One week ago today, three U.S. servicemen lost their lives and eight were wounded by a Saudi wielding a 9mm Glock 45 pistol in a killing rampage in Pensacola, Florida, that the FBI says is being investigated as terrorism.There are many unanswered questions, but the fact is that three are dead at the hands of a Saudi national. We remember the killing of Washington Post journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, killed on orders by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. We remember that 15 of the 19 hijackers who changed our lives on 11 September 2001 were from Saudi Arabia. And then, we hear the ‘president’ of the United States respond …

“I spoke with the King of Saudi Arabia. They are devastated in Saudi Arabia. We’re finding out what took place, whether it’s one person or a number of people. And the King will be involved in taking care of families and loved ones. He feels very strongly. He’s very, very devastated by what happened and what took place. Likewise, the Crown Prince. They are devastated by what took place in Pensacola. And I think they’re going to help out the families very greatly. But, right now, they send their condolences.”

I imagine they are about as devastated as they were by Mr. Khashoggi’s murder. But to the point, does he expect us to feel sorry for the poor, ‘devastated’ Saudi dictators? Not a word from Trump about the threat of terrorism, or a shred of curiosity about motives and whether the Saudi officer was radicalized and by whom, or a thought about what Saudi Arabia could do to help investigate the shooter, or perhaps a lament that the killer, a guest of the United States, would carry out such a horrific assault on his hosts, or even a worry about where the 21-year-old officer got the weapon. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. It seems that he is more concerned with the Saudis than with the people he was hired to protect and represent.

Trump’s love affair with the likes of Vladimir Putin, Mohammed bin Salman, Jair Bolsonaro and other strongmen dictators is appalling … and dangerous … and disgusting.

Well, folks, it’s Friday afternoon … so, have a great weekend … if you can.

Disenfranchising Young Voters …

Posted on October 29, 2019 by jilldennison under Election 2018, Election 2020, Environmental Issues, Global Issues, Law and justice, Political commentary, Social commentary

The percentage of college students who cast votes in 2018 was more than double that of 2014, the last mid-term election prior to 2018. Why? Two major reasons: school shootings and the environment. The February 2018 shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, was a turning point for young people around the nation. They were tired of seeing their friends die needlessly because of reckless, largely unregulated gun laws, or rather lack of laws. A few activists from Parkland took the lead and motivated many more.

And then came a young girl in Sweden, Greta Thunberg, and she gained a voice that would be heard ‘round the world, and what she said with that voice was that we, the adults around the globe, have done a lousy job taking care of our planet, and that we have jeopardized hers and other young people’s futures and … she wasn’t going to take it lying down! And her voice carried, touching the hearts and minds of young people in every nation, including the U.S.

Because of these two things, young people today are far more invested in the political process, far more aware of what is being done, who will do things to improve the situation, and they are, most importantly, voting in numbers never seen before among their age group. My hat is off to all those who are using their voice and their vote to do what we oldsters should have been doing for decades now. But …

Not everybody is pleased by this new wave of political enthusiasm among the youth of the country. Young people, concerned about the proliferation of guns and the destruction of the environment, are typically more likely to vote for a democratic candidate, which has thrown the Republican Party into a tailspin and led them to find new ways to disenfranchise the young voters.

The Texas Legislature has outlawed polling places that do not stay open for the entire 12-day early-voting period. Many college campuses set up temporary early-voting sites for the convenience of the students. However, they have neither the funding nor the need to keep those sites open for the entire 12 days, and therefore will not be allowed to have them this year. Many students who live in campus housing do not have their own transportation and may well find it difficult to get to the polls in order to vote. In Texas, this will affect nine of the eleven campuses of Austin Community College, as well as six campus polling places at colleges in Fort Worth, two in Brownsville, on the Mexico border, and other polling places at schools statewide.

It isn’t only Texas … Republican politicians around the country are throwing up roadblocks between students and voting booths. In New Hampshire, a Republican-backed law took effect this fall requiring newly registered voters who drive to establish “domicile” in the state by securing New Hampshire driver’s licenses and auto registrations, which can cost hundreds of dollars annually. Six in 10 New Hampshire college students come from outside the state, a rate among the nation’s highest. As early as 2011, the state’s Republican House speaker at the time, William O’Brien, promised to clamp down on unrestricted voting by students, calling them “kids voting liberal, voting their feelings, with no life experience.” Say WHAT???

Florida’s State Legislature reinstated a 2014 law that the Courts struck down at the time, outlawing early voting sites at state universities, with an additional caveat that all early voting sites must offer “sufficient non-permitted parking” – something that is in short supply at most universities.

North Carolina Republicans enacted a voter ID law last year that recognized student identification cards as valid — but its requirements proved so cumbersome that major state universities were unable to comply. A later revision relaxed the rules, but much confusion remains, and fewer than half the state’s 180-plus accredited schools have sought to certify their IDs for voting.

Wisconsin Republicans also have imposed tough restrictions on using student IDs for voting purposes. The state requires poll workers to check signatures only on student IDs, although some schools issuing modern IDs that serve as debit cards and dorm room keys have removed signatures, which they consider a security risk. The law also requires that IDs used for voting expire within two years, while most college ID cards have four-year expiration dates. And even students with acceptable IDs must show proof of enrollment before being allowed to vote.

Tennessee does not recognize student ID cards as valid for voting, and legislators have removed out-of-state driver’s licenses from the list of valid identifications. Tennessee ranks 50th in voter turnout among the states and the District of Columbia. Only Texas’ turnout is worse.

In almost all of these cases, the excuse given for the tougher restrictions is that they are trying to cut down on voter fraud, but that argument lacks teeth, since widescale voter fraud has been proven to be virtually non-existent. It is simple common sense that making voting convenient improves turnout. When polling places are closed, hours restricted, photo IDs required, turnout will suffer. What a message we are sending to our youth when we make it so hard for them to vote that many will throw their hands up in frustration and become lifelong non-voters!

One final thought. The states where the barriers are rising fastest are in political battlegrounds and places like Texas where one-party control is eroding. My thought is that if the Republicans have, as they claim to, the best ideas, the best platforms … then why do they need to cheat in order to win?

The young people in this country today are our hope for the future, for a future with clean air, potable water, arable land for growing food, and fewer guns in the hands of the wrong people. If we discourage them today, what is the message we are sending? Think about it.

‘Toons … Just ‘Toons

Posted on September 29, 2019 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, cartoons, Election 2020, Environmental Issues, Global Issues, Humour, Law and justice, Political commentary

It’s Sunday … I think we’re all exhausted after a week of one ‘breaking news’ story after another … so I think we should sit back and let those talented cartoonists entertain us this afternoon, don’t you? No doubt they’ve had plenty of material to work with this week.

This is one I can certainly relate to … can you?

On Monday, young Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg gave a show-stopping speech at the United Nations Climate Summit. Trump chose to attend some other function instead, mostly in order to thumb his nose at the planet and the 7+ billion people living on it. Overall, the summit did not produce the commitments from nations that we had hoped, and was rather a disappointment, but there have been increasing numbers of people turning out for the climate strikes, as Wolf Boy showed us yesterday. Some people are taking climate change seriously, just not the world leaders who need to.

In 2016, the Russians influenced the presidential election in favour of Donald Trump and clearly with his knowledge and approval. Now, Trump apparently felt that his buddy Vlad (Putin) wasn’t doing enough to help him, so he attempted to blackmail and bully the newly-elected President Zelenskyy of the Ukraine to dig up dirt on one of his opponents for the upcoming 2020 election.

But, of course Trump still has a ‘healthy’ relationship with Russia …

And … the topic I know you’ve been waiting for … impeachment! The phone call between Trump and President Zelenskyy was the straw that broke ~~Nancy Pelosi’s~~ the camel’s back, and finally Speaker Pelosi was convinced that impeachment is necessary, despite her misgivings.

Many, including myself, have likened Trump to a mobster, and these two speak volumes …

The gun crisis … and yes, it is a crisis … in this country is never out of the news for very long …

And finally, a few random ‘toons …

Enjoy your Sunday afternoon, friends!

Attention: Global Climate Strikes! Attend One, Save the Planet

Posted on September 28, 2019 by jilldennison under Environmental Issues, Global Issues, Law and justice, Political commentary, Re-blogs, Social commentary

You all remember the interview I did with Wolf Boy a month or so ago? Well, today he has written a post that I simply must re-blog. It wasn’t too long ago that he was only vaguely aware of Greta Thunberg, but today she is a hero in his book, as she is in mine. Mat even attended a Climate Strike in Waterloo, Ontario this past Friday. Thumbs up to you, Wolf Boy! 👍

Snarkier Than Usual Snippets …

Posted on September 24, 2019 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, Environmental Issues, Global Issues, Political commentary

Snarky. I’m feeling very snarky today. Come to think of it … I don’t think there has been a day in the last three years that I haven’t felt snarky! Care to join me?

We don’t arrest children!!!

Last Thursday, two six-year-old children were arrested in Florida. That’s right … six years old … arrested … taken to jail. Their crimes? Being kids. One, we know, was a little girl named Kaia, who had a bit of a temper tantrum while in class. Her grandmother says she is dealing with some health issues and had not slept the night before. It is unclear what ‘crimes’ were committed by the other child, a little boy. The children were handcuffed, put in the back of a police car, and taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center. Handcuffs. Police car.

The arresting officer, Dennis Turner, was a retired police officer serving as a “school resource officer”. Let me tell you just a bit about Turner’s past record. Turner was charged with aggravated child abuse in 1998 in connection with his 7-year-old son. In 2016, he was reprimanded for using excessive force after stunning a man five times with a Taser during an arrest. And these are only the incidents that were reported last week after he arrested the two children. Aggravated child abuse. And yet, he was allowed to work as a resource office in a school.

Turner has since been terminated and the parents of the children have received an apology from Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolón. But, the question remains … how could this have been allowed to happen? Who in their right mind thinks it is okay to treat children as young as six-years-old in this manner??? School resource officers came into being after the Columbine shootings in 1999, but it seems to me that arresting a six-year-old child for throwing a temper tantrum has literally nothing … nothing … to do with keeping children safe from guns!

Yes, Turner is gone, but the fact that school resource officers are able to arrest children is simply wrong. Is this an isolated incident, or have there been others that simply didn’t make it to the news? This story likely wouldn’t have received national attention but for the fact that Kaia’s grandmother, justifiably outraged, spoke on camera of the incident to a local television station, and from there it exploded.

Y’know … if these are the extremes we must go to in order to protect our children from gun violence in schools, then maybe … just maybe … it’s time we address the real problem … the largely unchecked flow of guns into the hands of any who want them? Think about it … but think quietly … wouldn’t want to upset the NRA and the legislators who are in their pockets now, would we? Nah, far better to keep on traumatizing children than to upset Uncle Wayne!

Da Fox has a conscience?

Well … Fox News seems to have a conscience, but a very limited one. Yesterday, after young climate activist Greta Thunberg gave a blistering speech (more about that in a later post), Fox News invited right-wing commentator Michael Knowles of the Daily Wire to discuss Thunberg’s speech and the climate crisis. Here’s what he said …

“If it were about science it would be led by scientists rather than by politicians and a mentally ill Swedish child who is being exploited by her parents and by the international left.”

GASP! Fortunately, I did not see this interview (I have never once turned on Fox News), or I would likely have thrown something through the television screen! What a grade-A jackass!

Fox News actually issued an apology …

“The comment made by Michael Knowles who was a guest on The Story tonight was disgraceful. We apologize to Greta Thunberg and to our viewers.”

So, you might think that perhaps Fox isn’t so bad after all, that maybe they have a heart and a conscience, yes? Don’t be fooled. For on the same day, Fox’ own Laura Ingraham, she of the poisonous tongue and zero values, used her program to criticize Greta Thunberg, saying …

“Greta Thunberg didn’t have to read her address, she actually memorized it. The implication is, of course, that to ensure the future, everyone must sign on to these globalist solutions. Cede control of our economy, our way of life, our way of transport, how many children you want to have, and if we don’t go along, we will be punished by our own children. Does anyone else find that chilling? I can’t wait for Stephen King’s sequel, Children of the Climate.”

Fox News has not commented on Ingraham’s nastiness. Her own brother, however, apparently got the conscience and the brains in the family, for he did take her to task, saying …

“Clearly my sister’s paycheck is more important than the world her three adopted kids will inherit. I can no longer apologize for a sibling who I no longer recognize. I can and will continue to call out the monstrous behavior and the bully commentary born out of anger.”

Thumbs up to Curtis Ingraham … at least somebody recognizes that his sister is a grade-A b**ch.

Oh, the IRONY!!!

Breaking news just in … “Trump officials threaten to withhold highway funds from California for its ‘chronic air quality problems’”

SAY WHAT???

Was it not just last week that Trump announced he would not allow California to set state emission standards that were stricter than the federal standards??? Does this ‘man’ carry a brain around with him at any point? Oh wait … yeah, we all know where he carries his brain, and it damn sure ain’t in his head! This is akin to a parent not allowing their child to eat healthy vegetables, but instead shoving cookies and candy into them, then punishing them for being fat!!!

And speaking of the Witless Wonder …

Yesterday, Trump popped into the UN briefly, though he did not participate in the Climate Summit that was taking place. It appeared he only popped in to get his name in the news, to make a number of inane comments … to be the “center of attention” as he seems to feel a need to be. One of his comments, though, is beyond belief:

“I would get a Nobel prize for a lot of things, if they give it out fairly, which they don’t. They gave one to Obama immediately upon his ascent to the presidency and he had no idea why he got it.”

And now that I have unleashed my snark, I must go clean something … take my hostilities out on dirt and dust! But, I shall leave you with a bit of humour …

Global Climate Strike Is Today!

Posted on September 20, 2019 by jilldennison under Environmental Issues, Global Issues, Political commentary, Social commentary

Today is The Day. Thousands of people, young and old, have taken to the streets to make their message heard. The message? SAVE OUR PLANET!

In Melbourne, Australia, 100,000 protested in what was the largest climate action in Australia’s history. Banners in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, ranged from serious to humorous. One read, “Climate Emergency Now.” Another said, “This planet is getting hotter than my imaginary boyfriend.” In Mumbai, children in oversize raincoats marched in the rain. Thousands turned out in Warsaw, the capital of coal-reliant Poland.Roughly 100,000 demonstrators showed around the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, holding signs reading: “Stop the Global Pyromania,” “Short-Haul Flights Only for Insects,” and “Make the World Greta Again.” Across Britain, there were large protests from Brighton to Edinburgh. The turnout in London especially large, with organizers estimating more than 100,000 participants.In the U.S., largest emitter of carbon dioxide per capita in the world, and the country whose government is doing the least of any to help stop the devastation brought about by climate change, protests are planned in every city. As I write this, it is too early yet to know how many people took the day off school and work to make their voices heard, but I believe it will be many and their voices will be heard loud and clear.Possibly the biggest ‘mover and shaker’ in the area of addressing climate change is a 16-year-old young woman from Sweden about whom I’ve written a number of times before, Greta Thunberg. It was Greta who inspired the Fridays for Future movement — kids who have been skipping school every Friday to demand more aggressive steps from world leaders.Today, I share with you this video by Greta and British writer and environmentalist, George Monbiot. Please take a few minutes to watch … I promise it will be worth your time!

It Started With A Letter …

Posted on August 29, 2019 by jilldennison under Election 2020, Environmental Issues, Global Issues, Law and justice, Political commentary, Social commentary

In my personal email this morning, I received one that floored me …

Dear Jill,

Sorry to see you have promoted little Greta… the most incredible and complete shill to hit the news in some time…. Just as ‘Climate change’ is one of the the biggest hoaxes to ever be perpetrated on this planet…. just pay Al Gore your carbon tax and we can all breathe a little easier. PLEASE…For God’s sakes do some research on this issue.

IT’S ALL A GIANT CON GAME… JUST LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE THE LEFT IS PROMOTING. THEY WANT WORLD GOV’T ( A NEW WORLD ORDER) AND WILL LET NOTHING STAND IN THEIR WAY.

BE WELL

BJ

He included a link I could follow, presumably so that I could do that “research on this issue” that he recommended. The link was to a site called “anticorruptionsociety” — sounds like a fact-based, scientific site, doesn’t it? I did not click on the link, not because I’m so close-minded that I don’t read opposing opinions – I actually do. But, I have no idea who this person is and the source seemed questionable.

My initial reaction was … I wanted to strike back … I wanted to reply to his email and ask him when he escaped from the mental hospital. I wanted to tell him that in fact Donald Trump is the most complete “shill” to hit the news. But, sigh, I know that the best response is no response, so I have not and will not respond. Still, this letter, first thing this morning, set the mood for my day, and I have found it impossible to focus, to settle in to finish any of the posts I have started. And so, I shall ramble for a bit, if it’s alright with you guys.

It isn’t that I’m thin-skinned and can’t take criticism … if that were the case, I wouldn’t write this blog! I can fight fire with fire and have often fought rhetoric with facts. But … the denial of climate change is something else altogether, for the deniers are not reasonable people and they bend or ignore facts to suit their purposes.

All the talk about the economy, Trump claims the economy is strong, but still wants the Federal Reserve Board to lower interest rates yet again. Hopefully, Jerome Powell will stand his ground, for it would be very foolish to lower the rates at this time. But, the fact is that if we continue to ignore the environment, the economy is not going to make one damn bit of difference to anybody. Which would you rather have: a million dollars, or fresh air to breathe, water to drink, and food to eat?

The United States, since Trump took office, has done less than any other western nation to address environmental issues. In fact … it has done nothing. Under President Obama, we were on the right track, though we still had a long way to go. But, Trump has undone almost every environmental regulation that was put into place under the Obama administration. Just yesterday, he announced that he is planning to roll back rules on methane emissions, a major contributor to climate change. It’s the 84th environmental rule to be targeted by President Trump. Why would he do that? A number of reasons …

He is so jealous of President Obama that he is hellbent and determined to undo everything he did
He is deeply indebted to his campaign donors who mainly asked for two things: tax cuts, and a rollback of environmental regulations
He is a fool

I see a couple of possible outcomes to this perfidy.

The first, and best-case scenario is that in just over 14 months, this nation elects a new president and replaces enough republican senators that environmental issues will once again be placed at the top of the priority list. We re-join the Paris Climate Accord and work cooperatively with the rest of the world to try to solve the problems, largely eliminating fossil fuel use, expanding renewable energy sources, promoting improvements for electric vehicles, banning toxic chemicals, finding alternatives to single-use plastics, protecting wildlife, and more.

Another scenario, however, is if Trump is re-elected and continues to hasten the demise of the planet. Think about it this way. Say you live in a neighborhood where everybody tries to keep their yards tidy, most have flowers, shrubbery, and green grass. A new neighbor moves in and every single day he throws his trash in everybody else’s yard. How long will it be before the neighbors take action against this one slovenly neighbor? Not long, I think. If Trump continues to disregard the environment while other nations are working to try to bring it back into balance, don’t you think that eventually they will take action against the U.S.? Think about that one for a minute.

Those who truly believe that climate change is a hoax are delusional, most fall in line with the conspiracy theory of the day and are largely irrelevant. It is, rather, those who do understand that there is a problem, but refuse to address it that are complicit in the destruction of the earth. For some, they “live for today” and to hell with tomorrow. For them, greed has overtaken caring. For others, they believe that one morning they will awaken and find that their god has miraculously cleared the air, removed all the plastic from the oceans, removed the chemicals from our water and soil, re-forested the rain forests, and put everything back to rights.

We talk about the economy, about health care, about infrastructure and building walls, but in truth, there is only one issue on the docket, for if we do not take drastic action to address climate change, none of the rest will matter … not one bit.

Climate Snippets

Posted on August 29, 2019 by jilldennison under Environmental Issues, Global Issues, Political commentary

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the environment, about climate change and the way we’ve ignored it for so long that we are now in a crisis, and the way so many are still ignoring it, placing their convenience, their profit before the future of life on the planet. People buy the best locks, outfit their homes with security systems, alarms, cameras, keep a gun in the nightstand … all in the name of protecting their family. But yet … those things … they cannot protect against the impending climate crisis, and they refuse to do a single thing to protect the air we breathe, the water we drink, the land and sea from whence comes our food supply. Why is that, I wonder? Arrogance? Lack of foresight? Greed? Ignorance? Religion? I don’t know, but I think we need to figure it out and act now, or it will soon be too late.

So, with that said, I thought it was time for a few environmental snippets. I have notably not included the fires in the Amazon rainforest, for I am working on a separate post about that, probably for tomorrow.

She’s HERE!!! And She’s Speaking Out!!!

Greta Thunberg arrived in New York City yesterday. Crowds had gathered for hours beforehand, ready to welcome Thunberg’s arrival on the unconventional solar-powered craft.She spoke briefly with the press before moving on … a few snippets from that speech …

“We need to stand together and take action because otherwise it might be too late. Let’s not wait any longer. Let’s do it now. It is insane that a 16-year-old would have to cross the Atlantic to take a stand … [against] the climate and ecological crisis is a global crisis and the biggest humanity has ever faced.”

When asked if she had a message for Trump, she said …

“I say, ‘Listen to the science’. And he obviously does not do that. If no one has been able to convince him about the climate crisis and the urgency, why would I be able to?”

Ms. Thunberg will be participating in UN climate summits in New York City (September) and Chile (December). And while she is here, she also is expected to participate in protests slated to start Sept. 20 as part of a Week of Action to pressure U.N. member states to make systemic changes that will reduce their planet-heating emissions, such as transitioning to renewable energy.

And speaking of the Global Climate Strike …

At least four major U.S. companies will close their doors on September 20 to encourage employees to take part in the Global Climate Strike in order to send a clear message that they will not conduct “business as usual” while the world’s children are demanding action to stop the climate crisis.Ben & Jerry’s, Lush Cosmetics, Patagonia, and Seventh Generation all pledged support Wednesday for the strike, which millions of people of all ages are expected to take part in next month as part of a Week of Action before the UN Climate Summit.

“The climate crisis is a human issue—affecting all of us. We are inspired by the youth activists who have led a global movement, and Patagonia is calling for urgent and decisive action for people and our home planet. We invite the business community and all those concerned about the fate of our planet and humankind to answer with action and join us.” – Rose Marcario, President & CEO, Patagonia

Slowly but surely, some are actually getting it. Not, of course, the fool on the hill …

The fool on the hill, the forest he will kill …

The Tongass National Forest covers 16.7 million acres of Alaska. Not quite the size of the Amazon rainforest at 1.359 billion acres, but nonetheless relevant, as together with British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest in Canada, it is the planet’s largest intact temperate¹ rainforest. Well, guess what, folks? Ol’ Donnie has ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture to open Alaska’s 16.7 million-acre Tongass National Forest to logging, mining and other corporate development projects.Under the Clinton-era “roadless rule,” construction of roads were barred in the forest, thereby restricting commercial logging, energy, and mining projects (only certain road projects approved by the Forest Service were allowed).

The rule has faced challenges over the years, including by President George W. Bush who tried unsuccessfully to reverse it. Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy and Senator Lisa Murkowski, both republicans, have also called for Trump to exempt the state from the rule.The pristine forest includes thousands of islands along with glacial fjords and old-growth cedar, spruce, and hemlock trees — old-growth trees are those that have generally grown undisturbed for at least 120 years. The area supports countless wildlife, including all five species of Pacific salmon, brown bears, wolves, and Bald Eagles.

Listen up, people! There are not enough trees to meet the oxygen requirements to sustain life on earth into the future as it is, and you want to chop and burn them down??? Where the Sam Hell are your brains, in your back pockets???

Give me trees over ugly buildings any day of the week. The folks we have sent to Washington seem not to understand that the economy is not going to amount to a hill of beans if they don’t aggressively protect the environment. Stupid people.

¹ Temperate rainforests are cool, as opposed to tropical rainforests like the Amazon that are warm and moist.

Last night, my friend Herb sent me a video clip by the Parody Project. I had never heard of this, but according to the website …

The Parody Project was founded in August of 2017 by Film-maker/composer Don Caron, as a means of surviving the current political and social mire by laughing and helping others to do the same.

Others are more humorous, but this one is most relevant to the topic of the day Please take just 3 minutes to watch it … you won’t regret it, I promise!

Filosofa's Word

Cogito Ergo Sum

Tag Archives: Greta Thunberg

Snarky Snippets To Kick Off The Weekend!

‘Toons … Just ‘Toons

Snarkier Than Usual Snippets …

Climate Snippets