I'd like to direct you to Bill McKibben and the organization Third Act, which I believe he started in collaboration with others. Third Act is for people over 60 to use the multiple means at the disposal of an oft-ignored citizen group to push for real solutions to climate change. You're probably aware of the recent national campaign to close bank accounts in the 4 major U.S. banks who continue to fund fossil fuel companies. It was very successful and the organization is energetic and creative. There's also a lot of financial clout in at least some segments of senior citizens and Third Act is targeting this power to effect change. https://thirdact.org/
Excellent newsletter on all counts. I was very glad to see that you wrote again about the critical issue of climate. I strongly agree that voting for legislators who will take acton on this crisis is extremely important. In my Climate Action Now
app, (which was recommended by Jessica Craven in your newsletter and which I strongly recommend), I read the other day that there are 150 members of our current Congress who deny that human activity causes climate change. That is totally unacceptable!!
It is extremely important for people to vote for candidates who recognize the danger and want to work for solutions.
I was very frustrated to read a letter in our paper on Sunday from a writer who was criticizing a previous writer's letter which I had not seen. The title of the letter on Sunday was, "Expert's view of Future of Solar Energy in New York is far too Sunny". He went on to contradict the first writer's valid claims, which I have seen in many other places, that solar energy could be a very important part of New York's energy future. The Sunday actually called the first writer's position "dangerous" and wrote about the "advantages" of staying with our current sources of electricity which, of course, means fossil fuels. I was immediately moved to write a long letter to the editor supporting the former writer by agreeing that solar can definitely work in New York. We in Central New York have recently experienced hazardous air from Canadian fires, which are also caused by climate change. I won't review my entire letter, but I did conclude by saying that staying with fossil fuels is no longer a real choice and pointed out that even on Google you can read that the primary driver of climate change is the burning of fossil fuels. My concluding statement was, "Our choice is between staying addicted to fossil fuels and believing the misinformation promoting them or making difficult but ultimately better choices which could halt the continuing destruction of the planet"
from a reader: Citizens’ Climate Lobby, a nonpartisan group whose motto is “creating the political will for a livable world.”
Focusing on a carbon fee and cash back dividend, a market approach considered the MOST effective way to reduce carbon, we lobby at the national level with volunteers from 450+ US and international chapters.
CCL has expanded our portfolio of actions to include, healthy forests, clean energy permitting reform and building electrification and efficiency.
From a reader: The Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL) has been working across the aisle to get members of both parties to agree on a carbon fee and dividend measure that would have a far greater impact on carbon reduction than cap and trade and other similar solutions.
My faith community, St Katharine Drexel parish, Environmental Stewardship team which is, collecting batteries for recycling, educating on how to better care for our common home switching our parish culture from disposables to reusable tableware at parish socials, held a community wide recycling event for metal, textiles, styrofoam, and paper, and has moved garden care toward sustainable
MultiFaith Alliance of Climate Stewards, a Frederick Co Maryland organization of faith based climate leaders which "act locally on our moral duty to future generations by protecting the earth and its inhabitants from harmful impacts of climate change. In some traditions, this is known as Creation Care"
We have switched our house to community solar power, which was too easy to be believed and it saves us about 10% on our power bills
We drive a hybrid car now that gets about 60 mpg
I am working on switching our heating system from oil/hot water system to electric heat pump
https://www.norfolksolar.org - my own effort, I install solar via PPAs (power purchase agreements) in low income areas of Virginia, and also hire those residents to be trained as solar installers
Hello, and here I am again from Florida! My official title is VP of the Democratic Environmental Caucus of Florida. Environmental caucuses have been promoted throughout the U.S. by an organization called DNC Council on Environmental and Climate Crisis. Our goal is to do just what your newsletter today encourages. We develop policy and messaging for Democrats in Florida, so that our candidates understand what good environmental policy is, and voters understand who to vote for.
The very human defense of denial is at work here, a survival mechanism we employ, when the reality of our situation is so upsetting that we find ways to deny that reality. The fossil fuel marketing campaign uses our strongly held religious beliefs and worldviews to "fuel" denial. It feels like too massive a pivot when we think about what is necessary to transition to clean energy sufficient to address climate change; it is easier to buy into fossil fuel messaging.
Unfortunately, Democrats are just as susceptible to fossil fuel propaganda; some of our candidates take money from fossil fuel companies and water polluting interests. In past elections, voters have not prioritized environmental issues.
We have a rights of nature ballot initiative in Florida, called The Right to Clean Water. There is another ballot initiative happening now as well, to place access to abortion in the Florida constitution. Democratic organizations are prioritizing the abortion access petition with our voters, rather than prioritizing both. Unfortunately, that reflects the state of our state Democratic Party.
Increasingly, it is impossible for any of us to escape the effects of climate change and water pollution here. If we prioritized climate change and clean water in Florida, I believe that independent voters and communities hit hard by climate change and water pollution would respond.
This weekend is our Florida convention, called Leadership Blue. Our caucus has plans to "message" fellow Democrats at the convention, to show people ways to make environmental and climate change issues ones that can grow the number of people who vote Democratic. We also are working on ways to recruit candidates who will campaign on those issues.
I propose we stop using “Christian” to describe such things as “Christian Nationalism”. To know true Christianity is to know there is nothing Christian about any philosophy or practice that hates, belittles or marginalizes any group or any one…and yes I mean Any One.
Thank you so much for covering climate change so well, Robert! I wanted to chime in that our food choices critically impact the environment. In fact, we actually have to make significant changes to our food system in order to reach climate goals. This paper in Science (https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/science.aba7357) shows that a business-as-usual food system alone will exceed the maximum greenhouse gas emissions allowable from all sectors for a 1.5 degrees C warming. The paper quantifies impacts of five strategies that could actually turn our food system into a net carbon sink, and a move to plant-rich diets is the most effective strategy. The carbon footprint of beef is roughly 26 g CO2 equivalents per gram, while that of beans is about 0.8 g CO2 equivalents per gram. While lower carbon ranching is an active research area, it's not something that is available at this time. Even pasture-raised beef has a hefty footprint due to methane production.
As part of my work as an environmental engineering professor, I crunch numbers for carbon footprints of dietary patterns and individual meals. If you want to see some recipes along with the carbon footprint numbers, please visit:meals4planet.org.
For more recipes to help people shift to a greener diet, please see:
Robert, thank you for this focus on the Climate Crisis. If extinctions, massive suffering and the forced relocation of millions of humans don't have the attention of humans, what does that say about our collective intelligence?
May I humbly recommend that the Climate Crisis have at least one paragraph in every one of your fine letters? After all, if we don't make a difference on this subject, nothing else will matter.
We have such a list of worries and projects. But if our house is burning down or our crops are covered in soot from wild fires, who will have the time to think about the essential issues of gun violence, health care and women's rights? Who will be talking about affirmative action or websites for gay marriages when there are millions and millions of desperate people fleeing their homes? When the ERs are overloaded with people gasping for breath...wishing the gas masks were not stuck in a supply chain debacle.
including their relevant sector(s) and their impact on reducing heat-trapping gases. This list is extensive but not exhaustive, and we continue to add to it as a living project. Drawdown Scenario 1 is roughly in line with 2˚C temperature rise by 2100, while Drawdown Scenario 2 is roughly in-line with 1.5˚C temperature rise at century’s end. The results shown here are based on projected emissions impact globally. The relative importance of a given solution can differ significantly depending on context and particular ecological, economic, political, or social conditions. The Top Priority actions to achieve 1.5 degree C drawdown of 93 actions analyzed include:
SOLUTION SCENARIO 2 * (to keep at 1.5 C)
3. Plant-Rich Diets 103.11
4. Reduced Food Waste 102.20
7. Family Planning and Education 68.90
8. Distributed Solar Photovoltaics 64.86
11. Silvopasture 42.31
14. Perennial Staple Crops 32.87
19. Regenerative Annual Cropping 23.21
22. Abandoned Farmland Restoration 20.32
All these action areas are being addressed or implemented at Massaro Community Farm in Woodbridge, CT. View our 5th solar installation at our model organic farm and
As a resident of Massachusetts I feel proud of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. It has been a remarkable institution and I would encourage any visitor to Boston to visit the court. As an emigrant from South Africa, I feel so proud of former Chief Justice Margaret Marshall who wrote the Gay Marriage opinion in 2003. She too, came from South Africa, where she was politically active at a time when doing so was dangerous. Writing that opinion took great courage. Her intellectual rigor in interpreting the constitution puts the Reactionary Supreme Court to shame!
Homegrown National Park is a way we can all help address climate change. If you have a yard planting natives and using less chemicals can contribute to supporting a better environment for all.
From a reader:
I'd like to direct you to Bill McKibben and the organization Third Act, which I believe he started in collaboration with others. Third Act is for people over 60 to use the multiple means at the disposal of an oft-ignored citizen group to push for real solutions to climate change. You're probably aware of the recent national campaign to close bank accounts in the 4 major U.S. banks who continue to fund fossil fuel companies. It was very successful and the organization is energetic and creative. There's also a lot of financial clout in at least some segments of senior citizens and Third Act is targeting this power to effect change. https://thirdact.org/
Excellent newsletter on all counts. I was very glad to see that you wrote again about the critical issue of climate. I strongly agree that voting for legislators who will take acton on this crisis is extremely important. In my Climate Action Now
app, (which was recommended by Jessica Craven in your newsletter and which I strongly recommend), I read the other day that there are 150 members of our current Congress who deny that human activity causes climate change. That is totally unacceptable!!
It is extremely important for people to vote for candidates who recognize the danger and want to work for solutions.
I was very frustrated to read a letter in our paper on Sunday from a writer who was criticizing a previous writer's letter which I had not seen. The title of the letter on Sunday was, "Expert's view of Future of Solar Energy in New York is far too Sunny". He went on to contradict the first writer's valid claims, which I have seen in many other places, that solar energy could be a very important part of New York's energy future. The Sunday actually called the first writer's position "dangerous" and wrote about the "advantages" of staying with our current sources of electricity which, of course, means fossil fuels. I was immediately moved to write a long letter to the editor supporting the former writer by agreeing that solar can definitely work in New York. We in Central New York have recently experienced hazardous air from Canadian fires, which are also caused by climate change. I won't review my entire letter, but I did conclude by saying that staying with fossil fuels is no longer a real choice and pointed out that even on Google you can read that the primary driver of climate change is the burning of fossil fuels. My concluding statement was, "Our choice is between staying addicted to fossil fuels and believing the misinformation promoting them or making difficult but ultimately better choices which could halt the continuing destruction of the planet"
from a reader: Citizens’ Climate Lobby, a nonpartisan group whose motto is “creating the political will for a livable world.”
Focusing on a carbon fee and cash back dividend, a market approach considered the MOST effective way to reduce carbon, we lobby at the national level with volunteers from 450+ US and international chapters.
CCL has expanded our portfolio of actions to include, healthy forests, clean energy permitting reform and building electrification and efficiency.
Check us out on https://citizensclimatelobby.org/
From a reader: The Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL) has been working across the aisle to get members of both parties to agree on a carbon fee and dividend measure that would have a far greater impact on carbon reduction than cap and trade and other similar solutions.
From a reader:
My faith community, St Katharine Drexel parish, Environmental Stewardship team which is, collecting batteries for recycling, educating on how to better care for our common home switching our parish culture from disposables to reusable tableware at parish socials, held a community wide recycling event for metal, textiles, styrofoam, and paper, and has moved garden care toward sustainable
MultiFaith Alliance of Climate Stewards, a Frederick Co Maryland organization of faith based climate leaders which "act locally on our moral duty to future generations by protecting the earth and its inhabitants from harmful impacts of climate change. In some traditions, this is known as Creation Care"
We have switched our house to community solar power, which was too easy to be believed and it saves us about 10% on our power bills
We drive a hybrid car now that gets about 60 mpg
I am working on switching our heating system from oil/hot water system to electric heat pump
https://solarvillageproject.org - a non-profit that installs solar in rural india
https://www.norfolksolar.org - my own effort, I install solar via PPAs (power purchase agreements) in low income areas of Virginia, and also hire those residents to be trained as solar installers
https://regeneration.org - a great compendium of ideas
Hello, and here I am again from Florida! My official title is VP of the Democratic Environmental Caucus of Florida. Environmental caucuses have been promoted throughout the U.S. by an organization called DNC Council on Environmental and Climate Crisis. Our goal is to do just what your newsletter today encourages. We develop policy and messaging for Democrats in Florida, so that our candidates understand what good environmental policy is, and voters understand who to vote for.
The very human defense of denial is at work here, a survival mechanism we employ, when the reality of our situation is so upsetting that we find ways to deny that reality. The fossil fuel marketing campaign uses our strongly held religious beliefs and worldviews to "fuel" denial. It feels like too massive a pivot when we think about what is necessary to transition to clean energy sufficient to address climate change; it is easier to buy into fossil fuel messaging.
Unfortunately, Democrats are just as susceptible to fossil fuel propaganda; some of our candidates take money from fossil fuel companies and water polluting interests. In past elections, voters have not prioritized environmental issues.
We have a rights of nature ballot initiative in Florida, called The Right to Clean Water. There is another ballot initiative happening now as well, to place access to abortion in the Florida constitution. Democratic organizations are prioritizing the abortion access petition with our voters, rather than prioritizing both. Unfortunately, that reflects the state of our state Democratic Party.
Increasingly, it is impossible for any of us to escape the effects of climate change and water pollution here. If we prioritized climate change and clean water in Florida, I believe that independent voters and communities hit hard by climate change and water pollution would respond.
This weekend is our Florida convention, called Leadership Blue. Our caucus has plans to "message" fellow Democrats at the convention, to show people ways to make environmental and climate change issues ones that can grow the number of people who vote Democratic. We also are working on ways to recruit candidates who will campaign on those issues.
If there are Floridians reading this who want to help, we certainly need you. If you want to help in any way, go to: https://www.environmentalcaucus.com/, or send me an email at decfvp@gmail.com.
Thank you, Robert. I am excited about the prospect of "propping up" our state supreme courts. Sounds like a fine idea!
I propose we stop using “Christian” to describe such things as “Christian Nationalism”. To know true Christianity is to know there is nothing Christian about any philosophy or practice that hates, belittles or marginalizes any group or any one…and yes I mean Any One.
Thank you so much for covering climate change so well, Robert! I wanted to chime in that our food choices critically impact the environment. In fact, we actually have to make significant changes to our food system in order to reach climate goals. This paper in Science (https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/science.aba7357) shows that a business-as-usual food system alone will exceed the maximum greenhouse gas emissions allowable from all sectors for a 1.5 degrees C warming. The paper quantifies impacts of five strategies that could actually turn our food system into a net carbon sink, and a move to plant-rich diets is the most effective strategy. The carbon footprint of beef is roughly 26 g CO2 equivalents per gram, while that of beans is about 0.8 g CO2 equivalents per gram. While lower carbon ranching is an active research area, it's not something that is available at this time. Even pasture-raised beef has a hefty footprint due to methane production.
Here are some useful links:
https://ffacoalition.org/learn/facts/
https://www.wri.org/events/2022/5/cool-food-growing-movement-delicious-climate-action
https://www.farmsanctuary.org
https://betterfoodfoundation.org
As part of my work as an environmental engineering professor, I crunch numbers for carbon footprints of dietary patterns and individual meals. If you want to see some recipes along with the carbon footprint numbers, please visit:meals4planet.org.
For more recipes to help people shift to a greener diet, please see:
https://plantbasedonabudget.com
https://minimalistbaker.com
Thanks so much for all of your great work!
Robert, thank you for this focus on the Climate Crisis. If extinctions, massive suffering and the forced relocation of millions of humans don't have the attention of humans, what does that say about our collective intelligence?
May I humbly recommend that the Climate Crisis have at least one paragraph in every one of your fine letters? After all, if we don't make a difference on this subject, nothing else will matter.
We have such a list of worries and projects. But if our house is burning down or our crops are covered in soot from wild fires, who will have the time to think about the essential issues of gun violence, health care and women's rights? Who will be talking about affirmative action or websites for gay marriages when there are millions and millions of desperate people fleeing their homes? When the ERs are overloaded with people gasping for breath...wishing the gas masks were not stuck in a supply chain debacle.
And now, I'm off to Jessica's latest.
Gerrymandering, The Federalist Society, Citizens United, FOX News. These are the 4 horses of the democratic apocalypse in the US.
Project Drawdown
Here are the individual solutions reviewed and assessed by Project Drawdown,
Gigatons CO2 Equivalent Reduced / Sequestered (2020–2050)
See: https://drawdown.org/solutions/table-of-solutions
including their relevant sector(s) and their impact on reducing heat-trapping gases. This list is extensive but not exhaustive, and we continue to add to it as a living project. Drawdown Scenario 1 is roughly in line with 2˚C temperature rise by 2100, while Drawdown Scenario 2 is roughly in-line with 1.5˚C temperature rise at century’s end. The results shown here are based on projected emissions impact globally. The relative importance of a given solution can differ significantly depending on context and particular ecological, economic, political, or social conditions. The Top Priority actions to achieve 1.5 degree C drawdown of 93 actions analyzed include:
SOLUTION SCENARIO 2 * (to keep at 1.5 C)
3. Plant-Rich Diets 103.11
4. Reduced Food Waste 102.20
7. Family Planning and Education 68.90
8. Distributed Solar Photovoltaics 64.86
11. Silvopasture 42.31
14. Perennial Staple Crops 32.87
19. Regenerative Annual Cropping 23.21
22. Abandoned Farmland Restoration 20.32
All these action areas are being addressed or implemented at Massaro Community Farm in Woodbridge, CT. View our 5th solar installation at our model organic farm and
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) project:
https://massarofarm.org/june-27-2023-newsletter-transform-our-learning-garden-with-a-solar-pavilion/
As a resident of Massachusetts I feel proud of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. It has been a remarkable institution and I would encourage any visitor to Boston to visit the court. As an emigrant from South Africa, I feel so proud of former Chief Justice Margaret Marshall who wrote the Gay Marriage opinion in 2003. She too, came from South Africa, where she was politically active at a time when doing so was dangerous. Writing that opinion took great courage. Her intellectual rigor in interpreting the constitution puts the Reactionary Supreme Court to shame!
Homegrown National Park is a way we can all help address climate change. If you have a yard planting natives and using less chemicals can contribute to supporting a better environment for all.
Jess Craven shares many ways to help. Who knew about Super Soft toilet paper ?
Chop Wood, Save The Earth ! 🔥
⬇️
https://open.substack.com/pub/chopwoodcarrywaterdailyactions/p/chop-wood-save-the-earth?r=fqsxl&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email