On this President's Day let's help him out! .
I just read the entire speech that Secretary of State Kerry delivered in Indonesia. It is posted
here and I highly recommend reading it in it's entirety.
In the speech he says all the right things and hits all the right bases. He's asking for a groundswell of concern from the public regarding climate change. He's asking for us to raise our voices. Although he never mentioned Keystone XL , after reading the speech I'm convinced he is sending out an appeal to us to weigh in big time on KXL approval soon to be decided by President Obama.
Take for instance this one paragraph:
Today I call on all of you in Indonesia and concerned citizens around the world to demand the resolve that is necessary from your leaders. Speak out. Make climate change an issue that no public official can ignore for another day. Make a transition towards clean energy the only plan that you are willing to accept.
This is our Secretary of State folks. He's saying the right things and is doing his part. He's making a big push on the issue right before the upcoming decision on KXL.
This is not a time, on our part, for cynicism or complacency. There is a window of opportunity open to us right now. That window is the public comment period on whether KXL is in this nation's national interest. That window ends March 7th.
Please go below the whatever you want to call it thingy for more detail.
I like his message of hope and optimism but couched in the realism of the urgency that is needed.
Notwithstanding the stark choices that we face, here’s the good thing: there is still time. The window of time is still open for us to be able to manage this threat. But the window is closing. And so I wanted to come to Jakarta to talk to you because we need people all over the world to raise their voices and to be heard. There is still time for us to significantly cut greenhouse emissions and prevent the very worst consequences of climate change from ever happening at all. But we need to move on this, and we need to move together now. We just don’t have time to let a few loud interests groups hijack the climate conversation. And when I say that, you know what I’m talking about? I’m talking about big companies that like it the way it is that don’t want to change, and spend a lot of money to keep you and me and everybody from doing what we know we need to do.
I like his bottom line. The way he states so clearly how climate change imperils our national security.
The bottom line is this: ... in a sense, climate change can now be considered another weapon of mass destruction, perhaps the world’s most fearsome weapon of mass destruction.
I like how he doesn't affix blame to certain parties.
Nobody set out to make this happen. This is the consequence of the industrial revolution and the transformation of the world, and many of the advances that we made that have changed the world for the better came from these steps. But now we do know the attendant consequences that are linked to these actions.
I like the way he makes it global.
Because today, if even one or two economies neglects to respond to this threat, it can counter, erase all of the good work that the rest of the world has done. When I say we need a global solution, I mean we need a global solution
I like the way he makes the issue his top priority.
This week I will be instructing all of the chiefs of our missions at American embassies all over the world to make climate change a top priority and to use all the tools of diplomacy that they have at their disposal in order to help address this threat.
(emphasis mine)
One young person speaking out. Let's help our youth.
I like the way he appeals to the world's youth.
Now I tell you, I’m looking out at a young audience here. All of you are the leaders of the future. And what we’re talking about is what kind of world are we going to leave you. I know that some of what I’m talking about here today, it seems awful big, and some of it may even like it’s out of reach to you. But I have to tell you it’s not. One person in one place can make a difference – by talking about how they manage a building, how they heat a school, what kind of things you do for recycling, transportation you use. What you don’t – I think what you don’t hear enough about today, unfortunately, and I’ve saved it for the end, because I want you to leave here feeling, wow, we can get something done. There’s a big set of opportunities in front of us. And that’s because the most important news of all: that climate change isn’t only a challenge. It’s not only a burden. It also presents one of the greatest economic opportunities of all time. (emphasis mine)
I like the way he talks about the economic opportunity and appeals to business interests.
The global energy market is the future. The solution to climate change is energy policy. And this market is poised to be the largest market the world has ever known. Between now and 2035, investment in the energy sector is expected to reach nearly $17 trillion. That’s more than the entire GDP of China and India combined.
I like the way he compares it to the last boom business sector.
The great technology – many of you have your smart phones or your iPads, et cetera, here today – all of this technology that we use so much today was a $1 trillion market in the 1990s with 1 billion users. The energy market is a $6 trillion market with, today, 6 billion users, and it’s going to grow to maybe 9 billion users over the course of the next 20, 30, 40 years. The solution to climate change is as clear as the problem. The solution is making the right choices on energy policy. It’s as simple as that. And with a few smart choices, we can ensure that clean energy is the most attractive investment in the global energy sector. (emphasis mine)
Sure seems to be referring to Keystone here.
To do this, governments and international financial institutions need to stop providing incentives for the use of energy sources like coal and oil. Instead, we have to make the most of the innovative energy technology that entrepreneurs are developing all over the world – including here in Indonesia, where innovative companies like Sky Energy are building solar and battery storage and projects that can help power entire villages. (emphasis mine)
Kerry: "When you hear from the people, when the people make it clear what they want and what they think they need, then people in politics respond."
And just in case you didn't get his message loud and clear how important it is for us to speak up at this critical juncture.
Human ingenuity has long proven its ability to solve seemingly insurmountable challenges. It is not a lack of ability that is a problem. It is a lack of political resolve that is standing in our way. And I will tell you as somebody who ran for elected office, when you hear from the people, when the people make it clear what they want and what they think they need, then people in politics respond.
Today I call on all of you in Indonesia and concerned citizens around the world to demand the resolve that is necessary from your leaders. Speak out. Make climate change an issue that no public official can ignore for another day. Make a transition towards clean energy the only plan that you are willing to accept.
And if we come together now, we can not only meet the challenge, we can create jobs and economic growth in every corner of the globe. We can clean up the air, we can improve the health of people, we can have greater security; we can make our neighborhoods healthier places to live; we can help ensure that farmers and fishers can still make a sustainable living and feed our communities; and we can avoid disputes and even entire wars over oil, water, and other limited resources. We can make good on the moral responsibility we all have to leave future generations with a planet that is clean and healthy and sustainable for the future. (emphasis mine)
We Drew the Line before. Let's Drop a Line Now!
Let's send a clarion call! No KXL
A 30-day public comment period began on February 5, 2014 and will close on March 7, 2014. During this period, members of the public and other interested parties are encouraged to submit comments on the national interest determination to http://www.regulations.gov/... . Comments are not private and will be made public.
Comments may also be mailed directly to:
U.S. Department of State
Bureau of Energy Resources, Room 4843
Attn: Keystone XL Public Comments
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520
For guidance on writing comments please refer to the excellent
diary by Patriotic Daily News Clearinghouse.
This is no time to be lazy!
As of 3:00 pm today there were 4,913 comments received. I'm one of them!
cross posted at Holy Shitters.com