Tues 11 June 2013
Letter #101
Dear President Obama,
I was pleased to read last week that the Northern Gateway pipeline from Alberta to British Columbia is in trouble. The province of BC has urged the Canadian government to reject it.
This pipeline is the backup plan to the Keystone pipeline and BC environmentalists oppose it citing pollution and environmental damage from spills. They are right to oppose it ! Neither pipeline should be built. If Canadians don’t want tar sands in BC, then we certainly shouldn’t let Canada pipe tar sands across the US. Sensible citizens of Canada and the US oppose these pipelines. Listen to them. Please say NO to the Keystone XL pipeline. Do not let Canada dump its dirty tar sands and pet-coke on us.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Solidarity with British Columbia
Wed 12 June 2013
Letter #102
Dear President Obama,
On Monday I read that the Senate had passed this year’s farm bill, finally.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/11/us/politics/senate-passes-farm-bill-house-vote-is-less-sure.html
The last farm bill passed by both houses was in 2008 – that’s 5 years ago – so we’ll see what the House of Reps. does with this one. The good news is $5 billion cuts to crop subsidies (paying farmers to not plant). The bad news is $4 billion cuts to food stamps and no change to food aid and crop insurance programs. I am embarrassed to be an American. This bill is all about big-agri-business and their control of politics. None of these people seem to understand that climate change is urgent – that we are facing bigger and bigger floods and droughts and we need to seriously rethink our carbon life style. Please say NO to the Keystone XL pipeline. Show that you understand the urgency of climate change. Stop the subsidies to huge businesses – they are stuck in the past. We need to move forward on climate change.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Oppose Farm Subsidies
Thurs 13 June 2013
Letter #103
Dear President Obama,
This is from a postcard of a Paracas textile that I bought in Peru in 1984. I love the colors, the zany flowing arms and legs, the sense of movement. Paracas textiles are very old, very complex, and not well understood. Piles of new clothes in all sizes from doll-size to giant have been found in tombs. They seem to come from a culture where weaving and embroidery were valued for themselves – an art, a process, not a means of production.
We could learn from them. We could value art more – not as objects – but the process of creating, of weaving, of dancing, of musicians. These should be our heroes, not the titans of wealth and commodities who continue to cause huge environmental damage. We are standing on the brink of climate disaster – we must very quickly reverse the global warming. But so many people are caught up in the dazzle of short term wealth, they fail to see the enormity of the environmental toll.
Please say NO to the Keystone XL pipeline. We don’t need the Tar Sands oil – it is dirty – the environmental costs are way too high.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Textiles, NOT Tar Sands
Fri 14 June 2013
Letter #104
Dear President Obama,
A small article in the NY Times today tells us that the EPA is suing Exxon Mobil over a spill of Canadian crude oil in Arkansas on March 29th.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/14/us/arkansas-exxon-is-sued-over-march-pipeline-spill.html
The spill continues to pollute rivers and streams. This is unconscionable. This ongoing spill from the Pegasus pipeline demonstrates the environmental damage of all pipelines and also demonstrates the oil industry’s cavalier attitude towards repairs. As long as the spill is not too big and doesn’t attract too much attention, then the cleanup can be ignored. This just proves why we need to regulate the oil industry – and regulate them more than we have so far. For every barrel of oil piped through a pipeline in the US, the EPA and Justice Dept. should receive a use-fee from the oil industry that they can spend on swift and effective ENFORCEMENT. NO more pipelines until we stop all existing leaks quickly. Please say NO to the Keystone XL pipeline, another disaster waiting to happen.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Oil Companies Need to Clean Up their Messes
Sat 15 June 2013
Letter #105
Dear President Obama,
I was happy to read yesterday in the NY Times about the DOE’s recent work to stop leaks of greenhouse gases, especially SF6 at their research facilities. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/14/us/department-of-energys-crusade-against-leaks-of-a-potent-greenhouse-gas-yields-results.html
This is important work and I commend them for their painstaking pursuit of many many small leaks. Chipping away at a problem is not dramatic and so is not often given sufficient press coverage. Grass roots movements are similar. I would like to take this moment to commend ALL the others who write to you asking you to STOP the Keystone XL pipeline. They are trying to chip away at the problem of greenhouse gases too ! Please pay attention to the ever-growing movement asking urgently for a swift reduction in CO2 and other emissions.
Please say NO to the Keystone XL Pipeline. Say NO to dirty Tar Sands and Pet Coke. Please do your part to chip away at our climate problem. Please pick up that pen !
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, One of Many Climate Activists
Sun16 June 2013
Letter #106
Dear President Obama,
I read with sadness the article yesterday about coal mining on the Crow Reservation in Montana. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/15/business/energy-environment/a-fight-over-coal-exports-and-the-industrys-future.html?pagewanted=all
The solution for these native Americans is NOT coal. Instead someone ought to help them invest in renewable energy, wind, solar, geothermal. This is where the future lies. The US government should be providing all sorts of incentives to the development of allsorts of renewable energy. The Crow Nation deserves a decent income, but it should be based on clean technology. We should not export coal because the greenhouse gases emitted from coal affect us all, no matter where in the world it is burned ! Let’s invest in clean energy with the Crow Nation. and meanwhile, do what you can for the climate : Please STOP the Keystone XL Pipeline.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Crow Nation Sympathizer
Monday 17 June 2013
Letter #107
Dear President Obama,
The big news last week was the extent of NSA spying on Americans, exposed by Edward Snowden, and assisted by Macarthur-winner Laura Poitras and The Guardian.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yB3n9fu-rM
Snowden is young and unknown and the government is trying to portray him as a traitor. But the status of The Guardian http://www.policymic.com/articles/47355/edward-snowden-interview-transcript-full-text-read-the-guardian-s-entire-interview-with-the-man-who-leaked-prism
and the decorated film-maker Poitras support Snowden as an ethical idealist. I thank Snowden for his courage revealing our over-zealous spying programs. We need more like him and Poitras. Why don’t we spend more government money on renewable energy and less on the NSA ?
Please lead the government to be less paranoid about terrorists and more realistic about climate change. By dragging our feet on climate change, we encourage more people in the world to hate us. If America goes really green, we’ll have fewer international enemies. So please say NO to the Keystone XL Pipeline. Sah NO for the planet and for the spread of participatory democracies in the world.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Snowden Admirer
Tuesday 18 June 2013
Letter #108
Dear President Obama,
On 8 June I read in the NY Times about San Onofre Nuclear plant deciding to close. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/08/business/san-onofre-nuclear-plant-in-california-to-close.html
On 12 June I read about a new pro-nuclear documentary film « Pandora’s Promise. » http://movies.nytimes.com/2013/06/12/movies/pandoras-promise-advocates-nuclear-energy.html
Stone is right. To combat global warming we need to use all the green fuels available, including nuclear. The French have been doing nuclear energy safely for about 60 years. We should follow their lead. Climate change is a huge urgent problem. There are many political hurdles including fear. What you can do NOW for the climate change problem is say NO to the Keystone XL Pipeline. Please say NO today.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Pro-Nuclear Power
Wed 19 June 2013
Letter #109
Dear President Obama,
Today is my brother’s birthday. He lived from 1951 to 2011 and suffered for almost 40 years from schizophrenia. He was paranoid most of the time. But throughout his ordeal, he remained respectful of poor people and of the planet. His disease took much of his personality and his ability to experience joy, but he remained convinced that we are all connected and need to protect Planet Earth. Even mental illness did not disrupt certain core values. And so, in his honor, I ask you to honor your core values of protecting our climate and to say NO to the Keystone XL Pipeline. It is the moral and urgent thing that YOU CAN DO. Please do it now.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, sister
Thurs 20 June 2013
Letter #110
Dear President Obama,
A few days ago I read a NY Times editorial urging the EPA to quickly and forcefully start regulating the toxic runoff from factory farms. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/15/opinion/the-epa-backs-off-on-factory-farms.html
This concentration of tens of millions of tons of manure in specific locations poses an enormous hazard to our waterways. It is unconscionable that the EPA retreats before this powerful industry – even from fact collection. Factory farms should not be able to hide their mega-polluting from the public, nor should the oil industry. If more people watched the documentary film Petropolis, www.petropolis–film.com fewer people would favor oil from tar sands. It’s a filthy process with environmental costs that are way too high. While you are waiting for Senate confirmation of your EPA nominee, please say NO to the Keystone XL Pipeline. It is an important small step.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Petropolis film Fan
