Spotlight on Green News & Views (previously known as the Green Diary Rescue) appears twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Here is the most recent previous Green Spotlight. More than 25,680 environmentally oriented stories have been rescued to appear in this series since 2006. Inclusion of a story in the Spotlight does not necessarily indicate my agreement with or endorsement of it.
OUTSTANDING GREEN STORIES
joelado writes—200-mile Electric Vehicle Paradigm - This Changes Every Thing: “In 2007 Tesla's visionary CEO, Elon Musk put in its business plan that it would make an affordable electric vehicle. Typical for Tesla, this vehicle, which was later named the Model 3, would have a range of more than 200 miles. Two hundred miles! This summer Tesla began taking orders for this vehicle and took around 400,000 $1,000 deposits for it. As excited about this vehicle as I am, this isn't the point of this article. The point of this article is that with Tesla's announcement of a 200-mile range, affordable EV, the reality of the EV world has changed. In particular the 200-mile range EV has changed the infrastructure question for EVs. You see, ever since Elon Musk tweeted out to the world the idea of the Model 3 on July 16, 2014, major automakers have been making plans for their own versions of a 200-mile range electric vehicle. [...] The problem is that the current model for EV charging infrastructure is based on low range vehicles of less than 100 miles range. The charging behavior of EV drivers under that model is based on long time periods of charging typically at home, work and other places. Both home and work charging allow for long stretches of charging, which allows for charging at 240 volts, also called level 2 charging. This level 2 charging or the SAE j1772 standard is a standard all electric vehicles being manufactured today are compatible with. Outside of home and work the charging model strategy is to develop convenience charging opportunities at places like businesses, shopping centers and public parking. Typically this type of charging uses level 2 charging, which depending on the amperage can take a vehicle like mine with 75 mile range between 4 to 8 hours to charge.”
Besame writes—Daily Bucket: first flight of first wild condor hatched at Pinnacles NP in 120 years: “For the first time since the 1890’s a California condor chick hatched in Pinnacles National Park and fledged, leaping off the cliffside to fly from treetop to treetop amidst the dramatic rock formations. Condor #828, who hatched in April, wasn’t the first of the re-introduced condor population to hatch at Pinnacles in central California’s Coast Range, but she is the first to survive without harm. Condor #828 signals another move forward in the condors’ recovery from near-extinction and re-establishment of a self-sustaining population. Condors mate for life. Every other year following a fancy courtship flight, they lay only one egg because rearing a chick demands a huge amount of their energy and time. Both parents incubate the egg until it hatches after about 56 days and both feed the chick. Their baby finally flies (fledges) at about five or six months old, although she may be not fully independent for another year. The condor parents tend their chick for up to two years. If she survives, condor #828 will reach maturity when she’s six or seven years old and be ready to find her life mate.”
CRITTERS AND THE GREAT OUTDOORS
Apprenticegeezer writes—Clinton wipeout of metaphorical elephants likely but she also acts to save the real thing: “I have never explored what the Clinton foundations do, but a feature in today’sGuardian (the online Green Light material, focused on environmental issues) has a story titled ‘Clinton’s little known crusade to save African elephants.’ I found it intriguing and it really is a story that should be more widely known.According to the Guardian, as Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton brought global illegal wildlife trafficking to world attention. The trade is quite large, although estimates vary. Wikipedia cites estimates of the illegal trade in wildlife from $10 billion to $20 billion per year. The Clinton Global Initiative in 2013 organized a program to fight the poaching of African elephants. Hillary and Chelsea are particularly interested in elephants. Here’s a piece from the CGI website (by Chelsea Clinton) on elephants.”
OceanDiver writes—The Daily Bucket - storm approaching PNW: “Currently we have a light breeze, thick cloud cover and 52º in the Salish Sea. After a stormy day yesterday with 40mph winds, it quieted down — the calm before the Big? Storm. Windytv’s depiction of wind speed and direction over the area as shown in the screenshot above says it’s reached the coast, where waves are 30-40 feet. With sea level ~ 2 feet higher than normal due to the deep low pressure, the ocean is washing over LaPush and other coastal areas. Cliff Mass’ updated forecast calls for the center of the very small but very energetic low to pass right through the Strait of Juan de Fuca and over the San Juan Islands where I live.”
owktree writes—Daily Bucket: John Heinz NWR at Tinicum (early autumn): “October 8, 2016.Documenting a late morning visit to the National Wildlife Reserve located in the city of Philadelphia. Overcast, and then it started to rain in the latter parts of the visit. Lots of pictures as we look at how the place looks different from a visit in the summer, what is still growing, what creatures are still about, and what creatures might be passing through following their seasonal migratory patterns. The reserve essentially consists of three main areas; a tidal creek, an non-tidal pond, and a small wooded area with a mix of hardwoods and pines. The western part of the reserve is tidal marsh with the creek flowing through and a few trails I have not been on yet. My usual loop is to go on the trail between the creek and the pond and then loop around the southern end of the pond to come back along the pond and through the woods. The woods is the best place to look for warblers and other small birds that migrate through. First, a quick observation about the pond — it’s at a much lower water level than my previous visits.”
CLIMATE CHAOS
Progressivewishlist writes—What to Do to Mitigate Looming Climate Change: 10 Specific Policies: “Implement low-carbon energy base that promotes conservation, conversion into renewal energy sources and fusion technology, providing a fair transition from fossil fuels and a ‘global treaty’ to block the export of fossil fuels. How to do these? [...](E) Keep it in the Ground Act. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders, have introduced in Nov 2015 the bill Keep It In The Ground Act, that would bar new leases on coal, gas, oil, and tar sands extraction on federal lands in the U.S. The bill, would likewise, preclude offshore drilling in the Arctic and the Atlantic Ocean and forbid the renewal of leases that haven’t yet produced fossil fills. ‘This bill is about recognizing that the fossil fuel reserves that are on our public lands should be managed in the public interest, and the public interest is for us to help drive a transition from fossil fuels to a clean energy future,’ Merkley said. ‘We don’t have a lot of time to do this, so there’s an urgency to it, and a place that’s readily available for us to act is on the fossil fuels that are on our public lands.’”
The Climate Mobilization writes—Hillary Takes a Stand on the Climate Crisis — Will She Go All the Way? ”Most importantly, she made this statement: ‘Climate change is real, it is urgent, and America can take the lead in the world in addressing it. We here in America can develop new clean energy solutions, we can transform our economy, we can rally the world to cut carbon pollution, and above all, we can fulfill our moral obligation to protect our planet for our children and grandchildren.” Putting this issue front and center is a welcome relief in Florida, where Governor Rick Scott has banned state employees from even using the words ‘climate change.’ [...] Clinton has a unique opportunity to lead much more boldly toward climate reality. The Democratic Party’s national platform now calls for a national and global mobilization against the threat on a scale not seen since World War II, which is precisely what is now needed to save civilization. If Clinton is to rise to the challenge of our time, and fulfill the promise of the party’s platform, she will need to win the election with a broad mandate for a WWII-scale climate mobilization. That means addressing the climate emergency head-on before election day. The threat isn’t just ‘urgent.’ As the Democratic platform recognizes, it’s an acute emergency. The earth is already dangerously hot; we have already passed above 400 parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.”
Pakalolo writes—Great Barrier Reef passed away in 2016 after a long illness. It was 25 million years old: “Rowan Jacobson has a must read piece in Outside Magazine titled — Obituary: Great Barrier Reef (25 Million BC-2016). [...] Almost a quarter of the coral on the Great Barrier Reef of Australia, which is 1,400 miles long, with 2,900 individual reefs and 1,050 islands, is now dead. 93% of the reef is damaged. Because of our relentless burning of fossil fuels, corals throughout the world are experiencing a deadly event called bleaching. Hot ocean water causes the coral to vomit out the algae which gives the coral it’s color and which provides it’s sustenance. For most of its life, the reef was the world’s largest living structure, and the only one visible from space. It was 1,400 miles long, with 2,900 individual reefs and 1,050 islands. In total area, it was larger than the United Kingdom, and it contained more biodiversity than all of Europe combined. It harbored 1,625 species of fish, 3,000 species of mollusk, 450 species of coral, 220 species of birds, and 30 species of whales and dolphins. Among its many other achievements, the reef was home to one of the world’s largest populations of dugong and the largest breeding ground of green turtles. No one knows if a serious effort could have saved the reef, but it is clear that no such effort was made. On the contrary, attempts to call attention to the reef’s plight were thwarted by the government of Australia itself, which in 2016, shortly after approving the largest coal mine in its history, successfully pressured the United Nations to remove a chapter about the reef from a report on the impact of climate change on World Heritage sites.”
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Delingpole’s Nonsense “Debunking” of Hottest Year Story: “The UK columnist in desperate need of an editor to tell him to tone it down, James Delingpole, has a new post at Breitbart UK. It claims to have debunked the latest hottest-year-ever story by Tom Chivers at Buzzfeed. After about a dozen rambling paragraphs about the two gentlemen’s history at The Telegraph, Delingpole simply cribs from a blog post of already-debunked arguments that claims the fact that it’s the hottest year ever is ‘nonsense.’ In the past, Delingpole has admitted that he doesn’t have the scientific expertise to read peer-reviewed papers, calling himself an ‘interpreter of interpretations.’ But he does have an English degree from Oxford, something he mentions every chance he gets. His most recent post notes that Chivers does have a relevant science degree, and obviously so do the climate scientists quoted for the story. By Delingpole’s own criteria, then, he should defer to those with the scientific expertise. Instead, he turns to the ‘nonsense’ post of Paul Homewood, a blogger with the same amount of scientific expertise as himself: none.”
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Denial Hits the Silver Screen, Remains on our Computer Screens: “If nothing else, do yourself the favor of watching the short featurette with Professor Lipstadt, Rachel Wiesz and the rest of the top-notch cast. Many of the lines spoken by the Holocaust denier can also be found on climate denial blogs, from catchy but false slogans to accusations of avoiding debate. And some of the lines Wiesz delivers are also oft-heard in the climate conversation, for example describing how deniers ‘often have an agenda, which they won’t admit to.’ She goes as far as to say: ‘The Earth is round, the ice caps are melting and Elvis is not alive.’ The real Professor Lipstadt, in the interview, cuts to the bottom line: ‘You can lie, and be held accountable. But you can’t say ‘My opinion is equal to fact.’ Not that they’ll stop trying.”
pistolSO writes—Kigali Amendment to Montreal Protocol is another Obama BFD: “From Engadget, Today, more than 170 nations have settled on a plan to cut the use of hydrofluorocarbons (or HFCs), a refrigerant that causes warming in the Earth's atmosphere. Called the Kigali Amendment for the location of negotiations in Rwanda, it's the result of seven years of work to expand the Montreal Protocol reached in 1987. That deal phased out the use of ozone-depleting chemicals, and by adding to it, this agreement carries its legally binding weight as a treaty, without needing to wait for ratification like last year's Paris Agreement. The New York Times notes that the Kigali Amendment was partially helped by President Obama’s making the effort to amend the Montreal Protocol(which was ratified by Congress during the Reagan Administration) a top White House priority to further the President’s goal of tackling climate change in a meaningful way. It also helps that he doesn’t need to take this through Congress.”
MissAlissa writes—The Ken Bone Blues: “Either Ken is continuing to play the undecided voter to be on TV — to get some exposure and make some money or do what he is thinking is helpful to publicly show the process of weighing your decision - OR he is genuinely weighing his decision. It's hard to read how crafty he is under that sweater. It seems he is totally intelligent and affable. But wait — the character he is presenting, or his true self, don't seem to care whatsoever about the kind of man Trump is. He has seemingly not been thrown off course by Trump’s disordered, inappropriate & erratic behavior, or lack of experience. Ultimately, nothing Trump has said or done for over a year - or his life preceding that - has deterred Ken Bone from considering Trump for president. Keep the accusations rolling, keep the conspiracy theory world salads coming — they are not a big problem.”
OCEANS, WATER, DROUGHT
Dan Bacher writes—Water contractors lobby for salmon-killing drought legislation in Congress: “Just days after Governor Jerry Brown’s administration applied for a ‘take’ permit to kill Delta smelt, winter-run Chinook salmon and other endangered species in order to build and operate the Delta Tunnels, agribusiness interests accelerated their lobbying campaign to pass drought legislation in Congress that will further endanger San Francisco Bay-Delta fisheries. Tim Quinn and the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) have stepped up their lobbying in advance of the lame duck Congressional session urging Congress to pass controversial drought legislation, according to Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Executive Director of Restore the Delta (RTD), in an action alert. Quinn, the Executive Director of ACWA, sent a new letter on October 12 to the entire California Congressional delegation blaming the state’s water supply predicament almost entirely on protections for Bay-Delta fisheries and wildlife, and actions by federal officials to avoid species extinction.”
Dan Bacher writes—Action Alert: Protect Salmon, Dump the Current Drought Bills! “Want to take action to protect Sacramento River Chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead, Delta smelt and other species threatened by new proposed dams, the Delta Tunnels and massive water exports for corporate agribusiness? Well, here’s your chance — and it will take only a couple of minutes. According to the latest action alert from Restore the Delta (RTD).’ ‘Congress is considering two bills, H.R. 2898 (Valadao) and S. 2533 (Feinstein), that are supposed to relieve the effects of the drought for all Californians, but that really direct water away from where salmon need it most.”
CANDIDATES, STATE AND DC ECO-RELATED POLITICS
martinincalifornia writes—What are the Candidates’ Positions on Climate Change? “This is the number one issue for the PLANET and it has received scant attention in the debate. HRC managed to mention it in the second debate but America (and the world) needs to here from the candidates. Here is what I could get from the main candidate websites and statements made by the candidates.”
ENERGY
Nuclear & Fossil Fuels
Arnold Roth writes—Young Democratic activist in PA stands up for citizen's health and the environment on FOX News!: “Philadelphia has a very high asthma rate mostly due to pollution. And a big source of this pollution is from a coal power plant in southeastern Pennsylvania that has taken advantage of a loophole in the law to not have environmentally safe emissions. Lindy Li, a young immigrant and Democratic activist has been fighting this issue for a long time. She went into the ‘belly of the beast,’ as it were - Fox News, to talk about this very issue. She quickly showed that the fundamentally dishonest nature of the talking points put out by the Koch Brothers and others on pollution is nonsense. Pollution is a negative externality. It is not ‘free.’ In fact, Pennsylvania is shipping this negative externality to other states like Delaware because the wind carries the pollution, and it doesn’t stop at state lines. Taxpayers are in fact subsidizing these polluters by absorbing the cost of pollution. The coal plant is simply shifting it. This is quite a serious issue, because as Lindy states 25 days of this year have been unsafe for children and seniors to be outside in the vicinity of the plant.”
Mary Anne Hitt writes—Two of the Nation’s Dirtiest Coal Plants to Retire; NJ Residents Cheer for Clean Air and Water: “New Jersey residents are still cheering last week’s announcement by utility PSEG that it will close the Hudson and Mercer coal-fired power plants on June 1, 2017. The two plants are the largest remaining coal plants in the Garden State, and one of them - Hudson in Jersey City - ranked as one of the dirtiest plants in the entire country. These are coal plants #241 and 242 be announced for retirement since 2009, a major shift that has allowed the US to significantly reduce levels of mercury, carbon, sulfur dioxide, and toxic water pollution. ‘The toxic mercury and air pollution from Hudson, as well as its location near a heavily populated and already polluted area had led the NAACP to cite it as the third worst environmental justice offender in the country in its ‘Coal Blooded’ report,’ said Jeff Tittel, director of Sierra Club New Jersey. ‘Closing these plants will help the people in the region, especially New Jersey, be healthier, save money on health care costs and breathe a little easier.’ The Hudson and Mercer coal plants are also some of the largest generators of air pollution and greenhouse gasses in the entire state.”
Hydraulic Fracturing
Leslie Salzillo writes—Mark Ruffalo respectfully asks President Obama to meet with victims of fracking: “In an open letter, award-winning actor and activist Mark Ruffalo and filmmaker John Bowermaster respectfully ask President Obama to give immediate attention to the hazards of fracking and the millions of people affected by it. The Commander in Chief has only days left in office and could make a profound environmental difference. The letter by Ruffalo and Bowermaster was published in Scribd on Tuesday. Their message begins forthright. ‘We are writing to ask you to take action addressing fracking in your last 100 days in office. Over the course of your Administration, oil and gas drilling and fracking have dramatically increased across the nation. As a result, over 17 million Americans now live within one mile of a well pad. While we are grateful for your leadership in acknowledging climate change, the expansion of drilling and fracking for oil and gas during your presidency and its disastrous impact on the climate threaten to undermine the legacy of this significant work ...This extreme form of fossil fuel extraction that you have supported is contaminating people’s drinking water, polluting the air, and making more and more families sick.’”
Emissions Controls & Carbon Pricing
Eclectablog writes—Republicans set to pass law defining the burning of wood for energy as “carbon neutral”: “A new law called the Energy Policy Modernization Act is on the fast track to being sent to President Obama to sign into law. Inside this bill is a small provision that could have wide ranging impacts. An amendment introduced by Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski would designate the burning of wood and wood products for energy as ‘carbon neutral.’ The specific part of the amendment, No. 3140, involved is actually just one sentence: ‘To support the key role that forests in the United States can play in addressing the energy needs of the United States, the Secretary, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall, consistent with their missions, jointly … reflect the carbon-neutrality of forest bioenergy and recognize biomass as a renewable energy source, provided the use of forest biomass for energy production does not cause conversion of forests to non-forest use.’ While wood is certainly a renewable energy source, burning it is anything but ‘carbon neutral.’ Last February, 65 scientists at the Woods Hole Research Center all called BS on this idea. They sent a letter to the 10 U.S. senators who are working on the Energy Policy Modernization Act.”
Renewables, Efficiency & Conservation
Walter Einenkel writes—Modern art trees in Paris can harness smaller wind currents for energy: “A company called New Wind has begun to put up renewable wind energy ‘trees’ around Paris. The trees are made for urban centers, and while they do not produce the level of energy that large wind turbines can, they are able to generate energy in areas with lower wind currents as low as 4.5 MPH. The Tree Vent itself takes advantage of lower air flow, says NewWind, but can make use of all ‘types of wind, 360-degree turbulent or laminar.’ (Turbulent wind is swirling and chaotic; laminar is streamlined and layered). Importantly, unlike regular wind turbines, these have towns and cities in mind too. Because they're made to look ‘organic,’ they can be installed in urban environments and actually brighten places up.”
Pipelines & Other Oil and Gas Transport
Dan Bacher writes—Davis CA City Council passes resolution in solidarity with Standing Rock struggle: “On October 4, the City of Davis California passed a resolution declaring their solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline. Carol Standing Elk, Francisco Dominguez, Juliette Beck and Lynn Nettler led the successful campaign to pressure the City Council to approve the resolution. The resolution declares: ‘WHEREAS, the City of Davis has worked diligently for many years to secure and protect our own sustainable clean water supply and supports the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in opposing the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline that passes under the Missouri River and other water water sources with the recognized threat of contamination of existing clean water supplies with potential future oil spills. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Davis, stands in support of the opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline process and project and calls on all residents of Davis to raise awareness about this important struggle for Indigenous sovereignty and environmental justice and to support the Sacred Stones Camp efforts.’”
Dan Bacher writes—Official Red Warrior Camp Communique: “As we fulfill our responsibility to protect this land and water for future generations we are constantly met with heavy-handed responses and state sanctioned repression from militarized government forces. Police harassment in the form of daily helicopter and drone surveillance of our home encampment, the threatened use of military grade weapons, illegal road blockades, and racial profiling are all fear tactics of intimidation intended to break our warrior spirits. Yet we still stand strong in prayer, always united in our collective vision to defeat this Black Snake.”
dyna writes—MN Democrats Back Standing Rock Water Protectors! “Last night the Outreach and Inclusion Committee of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labor Party passes this resolution of support for the Standing Rock Tribe and water protectors: ‘The DFL Outreach and Inclusion Committee supports the Standing Rock Sioux and over 100 allied tribal nations in their struggle to defend sacred burial sites and protect the Missouri River from pollution by the Dakota Access Pipeline.’ Now the disclaimer, ‘case they read this at the state party office on the other side of the state and get all offended that this amateur scribe has usurped their PR operation, even here at sliver market share DKos: ‘This action represents only the views of the Outreach and Inclusion Committee.’ However, at least two members of the party’s top leadership were present and made no complaint, and I’m sure our 7th congressional district Central Committee will add their approval when they meet next week, as will the statewide Central Committee when they meet later this year.”
6412093 writes—Anti-DAPL Protesters Tamper With Five Oil Pipelines as Demonstrations Turn Aggressive: “Protesters from Climate Direct Action,who claim solidarity with the anti-DAPL protesters, broke into pipeline facilities in Washington, Minnesota, North Dakota and Montana earlier this week. They trespassed, cut locks to enter the facilities, ratcheted through chains, twisted the valves, and locked them shut. They claim they notified emergency responders 15 minutes in advance of closing the valves. This time, no oil spilled. But abruptly closing a valve on a oil pipeline has caused pipelines to burst on at least nine other occasions, according to a Government Accounting Office report, causing spills as large as 160,000 gallons.The protesters filmed their actions and nine of them including the filmmaker, face felony and misdemeanor charges that include conspiracy, criminal mischief, and trespass. This sudden escalation of tactics comes after the Federal Court refused to block already-authorized construction of the Dakota Access (DAPL) crude oil pipeline, which could carry oil from the Bakken oil fields of North Dakota to a refinery in Illinois. Two federal agencies renewed their request that DAPL voluntarily refrain from construction within 20 miles of the Missouri River while they continue their after-the-fact review of the project.”
EarthquakeWeather writes—ND Law Enforcement Steps Up Arrests as DAPL Construction Resumes: “On October 10, dozens of local, state, and federal law enforcement officers, clad in riot gear, descended on a peaceful prayer ceremony held by hundreds protesting the Dakota Access pipeline (DAPL). They arrested 27 protesters, including Divergent actress Shailene Woodley, who livestreamed her arrest. It is the latest incident in the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s months-long struggle to stop construction of the 1,168-mile-long pipeline owned by Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners. The protesters, who call themselves “water protectors,” were charged with engaging in a riot, criminal trespass, and reckless endangerment, Red Warrior Camp tells DeSmog. Two protesters were charged with felonies for locking themselves to DAPL machinery. The Red Warrior Camp, one of the frontline, Indigenous-led resistance groups supporting the Standing Rock Sioux, wrote about the Columbus Day actions in a Facebook statement, refuting law enforcement claims of violence.”
randallt writes—DKos Asheville Open Thread: Standing with Standing Rock, 9 Days to Meet up, Rev Barber, Early Voting: “On Sept. 15, local business owner Rosetta Star Buan and a vanful of youth volunteers struck out for the Red Warrior Camp on the Standing Rock Sioux reservation with a trailer of outdoor kitchen equipment in tow. On Facebook, she explained the mission: ‘I have been tasked to deliver a trove of industrial-sized restaurant equipment that has previously been used to feed people on the ground during [Hurricanes] Katrina and Sandy, and many other smaller events. … We have equipment to prepare food for over 1,000 at a meal.’ Buan and her crew arrived at Standing Rock in the early morning hours on Sept. 17. Several days later, on Sept. 23, she took to Facebook once more, this time posting a video of a young Dakotas local, Herman Singh, expressing his protest of the oil pipeline. Her video went viral, garnering over half a million views by press time.”
miarson59 writes—Senators urge President Obama to stop Dakota Access Pipeline construction: “After a federal appeals court on Sunday night denied a request to halt constructionof the Dakota Access Pipeline, which Standing Rock Sioux leaders say threatens their water supply and traverses culturally sacred sites, Senators Bernie Sanders, Patrick Leahy, Dianne Feinstein, Ben Cardin and Ed Markey have asked President Obama to bring construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline to a halt “until a complete environmental and cultural review has been completed for the entire project.’ ‘There must be a serious consideration of the full potential climate impacts of this pipeline prior to the Army Corps of Engineers approving any permits or easements for the Dakota Access pipeline,’ the senators wrote.”
Dancing Bears writes—Does the Dakota Access Pipeline represent a national security threat? “As a supporter of environmental conservation and a person of indigenous descent, I was first drawn to these forums by an article about this pipeline and the Water Protectors’ efforts to stop it. Their efforts are well documented and the struggle continues. I am an advocate of indigenous rights and hope that at the very least, treaties are honored and people’s right to hold peaceful protest upheld. I am not convinced; however, that in our country these things mean more to the average American than a lower price at the pump. So I feel an even stronger argument must be put forth, one that should concern us all. As a veteran of the first Gulf War, I would like to remind the public of how that war ended. Saddam Hussein ordered the oil wells that were drilling diagonally into Iraqi oil fields set ablaze. I know someone who fought those fires. It was not an easy task putting them out. Water cannot be used to extinguish an oil fire, it only makes it worse. Check out this link. I also remember a man named Timothy McVeigh. Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) are the preferred weapon of terrorists. Do we want an unsecured pressurized oil pipeline running down the center of our country?”
ECO-ACTION & ECO JUSTICE
SusanCStrong writes—Re Climate Action: "Protect & Prevent" or Make War & Control? “Now many of my readers will have read Bill McKibben’s article from the August 2016 NewRepublic, entitled ‘A World at War.’ In it he argues that we need a rapid ‘war’ style mobilization of all our resources to make our society emission-free. The rest of his piece is directed at a President Hillary Clinton, spelling out how she could do what’s required by executive order, just as FDR did in the 30s. Of course, he admits that FDR had a Congress he could work with and a war that everybody could see was indeed a war, and no mere metaphor. Of course McKibben is right that the crisis is real and radical steps are needed. The question is: what story and what framing of this issue will help Madam President get it done, in a situation very different from the one FDR faced? No president can move forward very far or fast without deep popular support. Much as I deeply respect and admire Bill McKibben, his expertise lies in areas other than framing for the merely persuadable.”