Friday 30 Aug 2013
Letter # 161
Dear President Obama,
Palazzo Contarini, Venice
What is so interesting about this beautiful renaissance staircase in Venice, is that it is hidden down a narrow path to an inner courtyard. All the front doors of Venice are on canals, so this gem was hidden away. What a glorious and unexpected pleasure to come upon it. Some art is made for the social advancement of a patron, other is to put beauty into our lives every day. Here is some beauty for your life and mine! And I hope Venice doesn’t sink. Please Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline. Stop it today.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Love Unexpected Pleasures
Saturday 31 Aug 2013
Letter # 162
Dear President Obama,
I just spent 2 weeks at the beach in France – toured some Medoc back roads today – had lunch in Pauillac – fly home tomorrow from Bordeaux. Please Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline. It’s a bad idea!
I saw a lot of solar panels on house roofs today. That’s a GOOD idea.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Visitor to Medoc
Tuesday 3 Sept 2013
Letter # 163
Dear President Obama,
I stored the belongings of 5 college students at my house over the summer, and now they have all come and picked up their things. My basement seems a bit empty.
These are wonderful energetic socially-conscious optimistic young people. but what is sad is that they will suffer more from global warming and the resulting climate instability than I will.
When I was their age I had no idea that just burning fossil fuel would cause huge problems. I knew about air pollution, but not greenhouse gases. So I’m part of the problem and therefore would like to rein in our GHG emissions as rapidly as possible. Please Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline. It’s important to take this small step away from digging up more dirty oil. Do it for them.
I know you are focused on how to punish Assad in Syria for using chemical weapons, but this is important too. It would only take a few minutes.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Youth Advocate
Wednesday 4 Sept 2013
Letter # 164
Dear President Obama,
I’m still thinking about my 2 weeks in France at the beach on the Atlantic coast. They pay $8 a gallon for gas for their cars and the economy does not grind to a halt. So they pay more up front for the carbon they emit. The US really needs to get active about cutting GHG (greenhouse gases). We just dawdle along and emit more,way more than we could. Let’s get serious about carbon emissions – it’s really important for a healthy planet. Please say NO to the Keystone XL Pipeline. Please, please, please.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Need bigger gas tax, smaller cars.
Thursday 5 Sept 2013
Letter # 165
Dear President Obama,
Surfing is more interesting than you would think, because the ocean is always changing. In addition to balance and timing, you need respect for the power of the waves, and patience to wait for the right conditions.
Please stop the Keystone XL Pipeline – as a sign of respect for nature and our wonderful climate. And remember, I will patiently ask you again and again until you do!
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Fan of Surfers
Friday 6 Sept 2013
Letter # 166
Dear President Obama,
Hokusai, Boats in the Waves, 1832
Musee Guimet, Paris
This is a Hokusai print from 1832 in the Guimet Museum in Paris. Although the waves are momentous, one feels that the humans will make it through. This, like many other 19th century images of man in nature, depicts man as resourceful, persistent, even wily. There is not yet any sense that we could do irreparable harm to nature. But we know NOW that we have done great harm and can only hope that we slow the emission of greenhouse gases sufficiently to avoid irreparable harm. Please stop the Keystone XL Pipeline. It can only add to the environmental damage of water, land, and air. Please stop it now. I feel certain Hokusai would agree with me.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Hokusai Admirer
Sat 7 Sept 2013
Letter # 167
Dear President Obama,
I was proud to see that an article on the campus fossil-fuel divestment movement appeared on the first page of the Business section yesterday. http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2013/09/05/a-new-divestment-focus-fossil-fuels/?
Harvard admits that it could easily divest from its directly-owned oil stocks – which account for a mere $30 million of its portfolio. But cleaning up its mutual funds, hedge funds, and other funds is more difficult. I suggest they take the easy first step – it sends a message, an important message from an important leader.
So I ask you again to Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline. That too sends an important message from an important leader. Our money won’t do us much good if we cause great harm to the balanced climate on Earth. The time is NOW for bold steps.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Urge Bold Steps
Sunday 8 Sept 2013
Letter # 168
Dear President Obama,
David Hockney, Swimming Pool Fire Island, photo 1978
I had this postcard hung upside-down on my cubicle wall for years. I love the two geometric shapes that hover close to each other, yet seem unrelated. It reminds us that seeing and finding meaning are two different brain activities. The red float is greenhouse gases, the shadow is disastrous climate change (shadowy because we’re not certain what form the changes will take!). We need to get that float out of the water! Please stop the Keystone XL Pipeline. Please help reduce carbon emissions now.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, David Hockney Fan
Monday 9 Sept 2013
Letter # 169 (written on a London note card)
Dear President Obama,
The moon was a startlingly fragile crescent last night in the evening sky. I hope you saw it. That thin curved sliver of light in the sky holds so much promise and optimism – one can almost feel it growing. So please stop the Keystone XL Pipeline – before the next new moon! We need to stop emitting carbon, so that many more generations can enjoy a healthy climate. What will the moon look down on in 50 years? The choice is ours! Please help curb climate change.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Crescent Moon Lover
Tuesday 10 Sept 2013
Letter # 170
Dear President Obama,
Kandinsky, untitled, 1941
Months ago there was an article about a British village Balcombe that is protesting nearby exploratory drilling for fracking.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/27/opinion/roger-cohen-britains-furor-over-fracking.html?
I hope they were successful.
[looks like they were! at least for now!]
We let oil companies make their own rules for new technologies – at our peril. Please say NO to the Keystone XL Pipeline. It is a very bad idea.
Can we ever get back to the level of CO2 in the atmosphere in 1941 when Kandinsky painted this harlequin-inspired work ? I’m not sure we can. But we must try very hard to do so.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Support Balcombe Village
