Sunday 21 July 2013
Letter # 131
Dear President Obama,
Today I heard Bill McKibben speak at the First Parish Church in Cambridge.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_McKibben
I loved it when he said that some people think climate activists are radicals, but actually they are very conservative – wanting to preserve the health of the planet. The radicals are big oil and gas who don’t care if their products RADICALLY change our climate! He’s not a great public speaker, ums and ers quite a bit , but he is certainly sincere and committed.
So I ask you to be cautious and CONSERVATIVE and to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline because of the RADICAL dangers of GH gases to our climate and our planet.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Climate Conservative
Monday 22 July 2013
Letter # 132
Dear President Obama,
Today I am cooking dinner for 8 for a Transportation Working Group meeting at my house. You might wonder what Transportation has to do with climate change, and actually it’s an important piece. Parts of the country with better transportation, that is public transportation, contribute less per capita to the transportation part of our carbon emissions. This is important and city and state governments need to be constantly nudged into funding public transportation.
So please say NO to the Keystone XL pipeline. Do it today! Do your part to make our carbon footprint smaller and to reduce the CO2 we emit.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, More Public Transportation Means less Carbon Emissions
Tuesday 23 July 2013
Letter # 133
Dear President Obama,
On July 11th the NY Times reported on a new report from the Dept. of Energy stating that our energy grid will be severely affected by storms and other weather events driven by climate change. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/11/us/climate-change-will-cause-more-energy-breakdowns-us-warns.html
Jonathan Pershing of the DOE states that we don’t have a robust energy system, and what we do have, we need to strengthen now. These problems are unavoidable because of the amount of GH gases already in the atmosphere. This report focuses on mitigation and asks people to strengthen all parts of the energy infrastructure. I’m glad mitigation is more widely accepted and less controversial, but all the mitigation in the world won’t help us if we don’t stop the increase of CO2 in the atmosphere.
We need to cut back on fossil fuels dramatically and immediately. The science is clear. Please stop toe Keystone XL Pipeline as a small first step.
Thank you.
Susan J Ringler, Mitigation is Not Enough
Wednesday 24 July 2013
Letter # 134
Dear President Obama,
I write today about another power grid article, NY Times 13 July, revealing how our energy grid is made up of hundreds of different owners and stakeholders and how electricity has to be sent somewhere immediately or it is useless. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/13/us/ideas-to-bolster-power-grid-run-up-against-the-systems-many-owners.html
The technology is available, but the grid remains mostly regional, not national, and highly inefficient. It looks to me that we need more collaboration and less competition, and that is going to be difficult to achieve. Unfortunately we may need a few more big weather disasters before people understand that we need to work together. You can help shorten the time it takes people to understand that climate change is a very serious problem, and we need to be cutting back on fossil fuels NOW. Please say NO to the Keystone XL Pipeline and show you seriously want to help lessen the climate changes we will have to endure.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Looking for Climate Leadership
Thursday 25 July 2013
Letter # 135
Dear President Obama,
I was heartened today to read that the SouthEast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority is suing dozens of energy companies for decades of wetlands damage caused by cutting thousands of miles of pipelines and access canals across these under-appreciated ecosystems. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/25/us/louisiana-agency-to-sue-energy-companies-for-wetland-damage.html
The lawsuit was denounced by the Louisiana governor, but may well be a catalyst for other lawsuits. The lesson is, be careful what you undervalue. We called them swamps and thought they were useless, but now we realize that levees alone can’t protect coastal cities. We also have undervalued for years the delicate balance of gases in our atmosphere that allows our climate to be so propitious. We are increasing the amount of CO2 and other greenhouse gases to our great peril. We need to cut back NOW. Please say NO to the Keystone XL pipeline.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Appreciate Wetlands
Friday 26 July 2013
Letter # 136
Dear President Obama,
I was deeply saddened today to read that Major Ashden Fein, prosecutor in Pfc Chelsea Manning’s court martial characterized that young woman as an ‘anarchist” seeking to make a splash.” http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/26/us/politics/closing-arguments-due-in-manning-leaks-case.html
This is clearly not the case. Manning is a deeply ethical person, not a traitor. We would not be having public debates about the morality of drone strikes or the NSA’s invasive electronic surveillance without principled individual whistle-blowers like Manning and Snowden. They are heroes in the fight Against abuse of power. Also chilling is the description of armed Military Police pacing behind the journalists watching the testimony on video feed and looking over their shoulders. I admire whistle-blowers and journalists who stand up to intimidation and continue to shed light on dark corners of our world. Take a lesson from their moral courage and say NO to the Keystone XL Pipeline. Climate change can ruin the planet for future generations, you can help avoid that by taking a stand today. You can blow the whistle on the true cost of fossil fuels. Do it now, please.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Chelsea Manning Admirer
Saturday 27 July 2013
Letter # 137
Dear President Obama,
The San Onofre nuclear plant is San Clemente is being closed and local residents are worrying about ever increasing power rates, and erratic electricity service. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/26/us/californians-consider-a-future-without-a-nuclear-plant-for-a-neighbor.html
One family is planning to put solar panels on their roof to help. Well, I’m glad they are installing solar, but frankly almost every house in San Clemente should have solar panels. How can we get more people behind renewable energy!? The government could definitely be doing more. And jobs – the people losing their jobs at the San Onofre plant should be retrained for jobs in renewable energy.
We really need leadership in our energy policy in this country and you can lead that campaign. Please say NO to the Keystone XL pipeline and lead us away from fossil fuels.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Solar Panel Advocate
Sunday 28 July 2013
Letter # 138
Dear President Obama,
I was gape-mouthed with astonishment to read yesterday in the NYTimes Paul Sullivan’s article about how to find the next hugely profitable energy company. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/27/your-money/asset-allocation/seeking-light-amid-the-heat-of-energy-investments.html
He talked to analysts and some suggested the money was going to be made in drilling equipment, others in pipeline companies. They all agreed the US would be the world’s largest producer of natural gas in 2015, and of oil in 2017. Renewables are portrayed as too risky because they are only profitable when the government supports them. Sullivan compares oil and gas today to the Internet of 1985. He blindly assumes that oil and gas will just go on being hugely profitable for the next 30 years. But the climate change is going to be so great in the next 10 years, that people are going to stop investing in more oil and gas. Sullivan and the industry analysts he quotes, completely ignore climate science to their peril and OURS. The next 30 years will bring big changes to our energy landscape. Please say NO to the Keystone XL pipeline and set us going in the right direction. Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Skeptical of Long Term Energy Profits
Monday 29 July 2013
Letter # 139
Dear President Obama,
Yesterday several hundred people marched at Brayton Point, MA to call for closing the coal-fired electricity plant there. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/29/brayton-point-power-station-protest_n_3670565.html
http://www.wbur.org/2013/07/28/protest-brayton-power-plant
They are right. We need to close coal-fired plants and replace them with renewables. Massachusetts has a lot of shoreline and off-shore wind should be a booming industry. We need to dramatically change our energy mix. We need to emit far less greenhouse gas. Please stop the Keystone XL pipeline today. Put your energy behind clean energy and move our energy uses to ones that don’t jeopardize the health of future generations. Please stop the pipeline today.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Coal is Dirty
Tuesday 30 July 2013
Letter # 140
Dear President Obama,
We talked to 2 city council members today about our Net-Zero Emissions petition for new large buildings in Cambridge. Both were sympathetic in the long run, but neither seemed to think it was a compelling issue right now. They may or may not vote for it. This is perhaps the biggest problem about our inactivity on climate change. Elected officials say they will act when citizens say they really care, and citizens say they will act when the government says it’s important. both are in denial and we continue to burn fossil fuels. Someone needs to break out of the pattern and show leadership. Please say NO to the Keystone XL Pipeline today. It is tremendously important for you to lead us in the right direction to combat climate change.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Trying to Convince City Council Members
