Tues 11 Feb 2014
Letter # 311
Dear President Obama,
Frick Museum,
Years ago I sent this card to my mother on her birthday, saying “May your years sit as lightly as those on this rug.” Your legacy will only sit lightly on future generations if you stop the Keystone XL Pipeline! Please do it today! So the world can still be beautiful in another 300 years. Thank you.
Susan Ringler, Oriental Rug Lover
Fri 14 Feb 2014
Letter # 312
Dear President Obama,
I was pleased to read recently that a Federal Appeals Court upheld the recent multi-billion dollar settlement against British Petroleum for damages in the 2010 Horizon Gulf oil spill.
Judge Carl Barbier made the settlement ruling in 2012, and the 5th circuit court upheld it, 2 to 1. “Today’s ruling is an enormous victory for the Gulf” and class-action claimants. The ruling comes despite a slew of ads by BP recently claiming that the ruling was completely unfair. Hooray for Judge Barbier and hooray to the courts who can’t be bought off by Big Oil! Big Oil needs to stop pushing their weight around. The tide is turning against them. Please stop the Keystone XL Pipeline NOW! Show your concern for impending worldwide climate disruption. Thank you.
Susan Ringler, Judge Barbier Stands Up to BP
BP grossly negligent, Transocean and Halliburton negligent]
Sat 15 Feb 2014
Letter # 313
Dear President Obama,
Van Gogh, Pere Tanguy, Musee Rodin
I brought my cousin to Paris with me for a vacation and I have been very busy showing her around and translating for her. We did not see this painting because the Musée Rodin is closed for a few weeks. But just because this beautiful painting is out of sight, that doesn’t mean I don’t remember it and think of it from another visit. So must you also keep in mind things that may not be clearly in front of you! Please stop the Keystone XL Pipeline!
Climate change is very important, even if it doesn’t seem to be the most obvious problem in front of your eyes. Pere Tanguy sits quietly, patiently asking you to stop KXL! Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler. Van Gogh Lover
Mon 17 Feb 2014
Letter # 314
Dear President Obama,
I loved the story of the villagers of Imider, Morocco who have been occupying a hilltop where they closed off some of the water supply to the Imider Mettalurgic Silvermine below. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/24/world/africa/on-moroccan-hill-villagers-make-stand-against-a-mine.html
They say the mine takes the silver and leaves them the waste, that it uses too much water and provides very few jobs. Congratulations to them for regaining a portion of this water supply for their crops, their fruit trees. The meet regularly and after each meeting walk home “holding up 3 fingers, one for the Berber language, one for the land, and one for mankind.” In honor of these Berbers and their land stewardship, please stop the Keystone XL Pipeline. Climate disruption will cause huge damage across the world. Please show you understand how quickly we need to stop using fossil fuels. Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Honoring the Berbers of Imider
Tues 18 Feb 2014
Letter # 315
Dear President Obama,
I’ve just spent 10 days in Paris at friends’ and now am in the airport bus on my way home. There are puffy clouds in the sky and the buildings are magnificent, the doorways, the balconies, the view down little side streets. The French are good at balance, big and small, grand and less grand, serious and playful. This Picasso postcard captures this ability, this capacity for joy and multitasking. I know that you are busy with many things, but I still ask you to think of the health of the planet and to please stop the Keystone XL Pipeline. It is really important to start reducing carbon emissions RAPIDLY! So please do it today. Maybe you will have denied the pipeline permit before I step off the plane. That would be great!
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Passionée de Picasso (Picasso fan)
Fri 21 Feb 2014
Letter # 316
Dear President Obama,
I was very happy to read about Tom Steyer’s Super PAC Next Gen Climate and his efforts to get more climate realists elected. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/18/us/politics/financier-plans-big-ad-campaign-on-environment.html
As he so clearly states, “ climate change is the generational challenge of the world.” If we get this wrong, the world will be a far less hospitable place for humans. Mr. Steyer is a realist. His timeline for reducing carbon emissions is much shorter than yours. Please stop the Keystone XL Pipeline today! We need to immediately change our dependence on fossil fuels. It is unfortunate that climate change has become so politicized, as it will affect us all, across all lines of parties, races, religions. Please show your leadership and your concern for the Next Generation and reinvigorate your actions to protect the climate. Your new guidelines for truck emissions are too little too late. Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Admire Tom Steyer
Fri 21 Feb 2014
Letter # 317 (2nd letter today)
Dear President Obama,
I was happy to read recently of the 17 foundations controlling $1.8 billion in investments who have decided to divest their portfolios from fossil fuels because it makes economic sense. http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/01/29/foundations-band-together-to-get-rid-of-fossil-fuel-investments/
They are forward-thinking and savvy. Less admirable is Drew Faust, Pres. of Harvard, who talks out of both sides of her mouth! On the one hand she insists that universities own so little, that selling the fossil fuel investments would have “negligible financial impact” on the companies. On the other, she wants to keep shares so as not to diminish Harvard’s voice! You can’t have it both ways. Pres. Faust is misguided. Harvard should divest. They can make plenty of money elsewhere. You too are misguided if you think the Keystone XL Pipeline doesn’t matter. It does! Please deny it today. Make it harder for Canada to swamp Asia with its dirty oil. Take the moral high ground. Your descendants will thank you. I thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Admire Divestment of Park Fdn, John Merck Fdn, and others
Sat 22 Feb 2014
Letter # 318
Dear President Obama,
Hooray to Judge Stephanie F. Stacy of the Third Judicial District Court of Nebraska. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/20/us/nebraska-judge-blocks-pipeline-route.html
This principled judge blocked the Keystone XL Pipeline’s traversal of Nebraska, ruling that Gov. Dave Heineman’s approval of the pipeline was unconstitutional. Nebraska is not a state known for extremist firebrands. Judge Stacy is the voice of reason. The governor does not have the right to inflict this environmental calamity on Nebraska. You could end this mess right now, by denying the Keystone XL Pipeline. Please do so immediately. We must discourage Canada from pumping their dirty oil. The carbon emissions are detrimental to the entire world. Thank you to Judge Stacy. Please follow her excellent and commendable action. Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Kudos to Nebraska Judge Stephanie F. Stacy
Sat 22 Feb 2014
Letter # 319 (2nd letter today)
Dear President Obama,
I am very glad you welcomed the Dalai Lama at the White House yesterday. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/22/world/asia/us-brushes-off-chinese-rebuke-as-obama-meets-with-dalai-lama.html
And I am happy that he does most of the talking at these meetings. He is a wise and humble man with a broad view of human issues from whom we could all learn a lot. I’ve only seen him speak once and his quiet energy and heartfelt joyous laugh made a profound impact. I am sure you felt reinvigorated and hopeful after seeing him, as I did only seeing him from a crowd. I cannot think of a more universal value than protecting the climate of our beautiful and hospitable planet for all humanity and future generations. But these tiny baby steps of gradual reductions will prove disastrous and will gravely tarnish your legacy as President. Fresh from your meeting with the Dalai Lama, please act decisively with hope and conviction to start the US on a much steeper reduction of carbon emissions. Please say NO to the Keystone XL Pipeline to start us on our way. We will continue to experience climate disruptions for decades after we wean ourselves from fossil fuels. Please act quickly now to minimize the damage. Thank you.
Susan Ringler, Inspired by the Dalai Lama
Sun 23 Feb 2014
Letter # 320
Dear President Obama,
Today is my 50-something-th birthday. The last 10 years have been mostly good to me. I am healthy, wealthy, and if not wise, well a bit less hampered by anger and mind-numbing stresses. I am largely happy with who I am and just wish my sphere of influence were larger, so that I could personally do more to combat and avert the worst effects of climate disruption that are bearing down on us all. Most of the country is still locked in a drowsy slumber – pushing that snooze button on the alarm clock and snuggling into the pillows again before having to face reality.
But the reality of climate disruption will be grim, and the next 10 years will not be nearly as pleasant as the last. The time for quick and urgent action is NOW (or yesterday would have been even better!) Please stop the Keystone XL Pipeline Right NOW. Pick up that pen! Switching from coal to gas over the next 35 years is not nearly enough! We need to dramatically reduce carbon emissions over the next 10 years! Even that is too slow.
At least I can tell my children that I am doing what I can. Can you say the same? Please stop that KXL Pipeline as a first small step. Thank you.
Susan Ringler, Birthday Girl
