Saturday 21 Sept 2013
Letter #181
Dear President Obama,
Congratulations on the new EPA rules for NEW power plants in the USA.Â
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/23/opinion/an-important-step-on-global-warming.htmlÂ
By restricting the amount of carbon emissions allowed you are putting a price on carbon emissions and saying COAL is too DIRTY. This is good, but we need much more. You pledged at Copenhagen in 2009 to reduce emissions 17% below 2005 levels by 2020. We are halfway there. But don’t pat yourself on the back so quickly! This is a tiny reduction – too little too late! Every kilo of carbon that we spew into the air affects our climate for at least 20 years into the future. We are setting ourselves up for lots of climate disruptions and consequences we do not expect. We need to eliminate fossil fuels FASTER and reduce our consumption FASTER. Please say NO to the Keystone XL Pipeline. Show you want a speedy reduction in our fossil fuel use.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Need Faster Reductions of Carbon Emissions
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Sunday 22 Sept 2013
Letter #182
Dear President Obama,
Yesterday I took part in a “Draw the Line” Rally at the Boston Statehouse against the Keystone XL Pipeline. We did a bit of street theater with “villains” in black shirts and name tags of prominent people in Big Oil and “heroes” were everyone else. We performed a tug of war – and the rope slid back and forth across the mid-point of the Freedom Trail depending on the time-line events being read out. We, of course, had the heroes win – win against greed and self-interest. Please make our happy-ending come true. Please cancel the Keystone XL Pipeline. It was important for me – and others – that we tugged back and forth across the Freedom Trail. This country is based on principles of freedom from oppression – life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. There will be no happiness for the common man if power and greed are allowed to destroy the delicate balance of our climate for short-term gain.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Love the Freedom Trail
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Monday 23 Sept 2013
Letter #183
Dear President Obama,
Paul Klee, Two Bell-Towers, private collection
I love many works by Paul Klee. The interplay here of rectangles and splotches, of crisp lines and blurred ones. Is this a landscape or a city scape? Bell towers surrounded by buildings? Or village spires with nature behind? The eye moves zig zag around the canvas, attention drawn first to this, then that. I feel I am being led on a tour. So much more interesting than those awful audio tours of museums. This one is a conversation between me and the artist mediated by his artwork. For a man of action, your legacy, your artwork are what you do! Please stop the Keystone XL Pipeline. It will be an important part of your legacy – helping the US move quickly away from fossil fuels.
Thank you
Susan J. Ringler, Paul Klee Admirerer
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Tuesday 24 Sept 2013
Letter #184
Dear President Obama,
So now some Republicans are trying to force you to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline in order to get a budget approved. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/25/us/republicans-see-keystone-pipeline-as-a-card-to-play-in-last-minute-fiscal-talks.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
They are misguided – but perhaps the silver lining to their ploy is that more Americans may learn that the Keystone XL is not a beer – the name just sounds like a super-strong intoxicant. Most Americans want to protect the environment – they just get mis-informed, scared, and distracted. Please hold your ground! Please say NO to the Keystone XL Pipeline. Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Oppose Scare Tactics
Wed 25 Sept 2013
Letter #185
Dear President Obama,Â
I went to visit a new apartment building in Cambridge today. It is the first LEED platinum apartment building in the city and it has wonderful features. There are lots of solar panels on the roof and the rain water is collected into a cistern to irrigate the landscaping. It’s called the Wyeth at 120 Rindge Ave. We are trying to convince the city to require more buildings like this. The walls are so thick with insulation that it makes window benches – very European. All these features make a building more sustainable – reduce the energy needs, produce some renewable on-site. This means less CARBON!!! We need to emit much less CARBON. Do your part by stopping the Keystone XL Pipeline.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Favor Reducing our Energy Needs
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Thurs 26 Sept 2013
Letter #186
Dear President Obama,
I went to an interesting meeting with my colleagues on the net-zero emissions building petition last evening. Our petition wants new large construction to reduce the building’s needs for energy, to produce some renewable energy on-site, and to purchase local renewable energy for the rest. The “purchase” part is difficult because although you can buy 10% renewable electricity in Massachusetts, it mostly comes from REQs from Texas wind farms – so is not local – and the class 1 REQs that power companies trade are prohibitively expensive. It’s hard to be green! We agreed to allow Green E certified energy (although probably not local) in the hope that increased demand for renewable energy will spur local renewable-energy development. You need to help increase demand for renewables too! Please stop the Keystone XL Pipeline TODAY! It’s urgent. Keep that dirty oil in the ground.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Want More LOCAL Renewable Energy
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Friday 27 Sept 2013
Letter #187
Dear President Obama,
Sinkholes in Louisiana with methane bubbling up – what a mess!
It is another example of dangerous practices by the oil and gas industry that cause untold natural disturbances. Greed – short-term profit – causes so much damage! An industry with such a track-record can not be believed when they say “Fracking is safe” or “PetCoke is safe” or “Tar Sands are safe.” Do not let the Keystone XL Pipeline be built! It will cause damage and the planet cannot afford to burn that oil. We need to dramatically slow our carbon emissions.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Feel Sorry for Bayou Corne Louisiana
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Sat 28 Sept 2013
Letter #188
Dear President Obama,
A dear friend is visiting me. Someone I’ve known for 40 years. I wonder what the climate and weather patterns are going to be in 40 years! We are given long term memory so we can make good decisions – keep glorious friendships and recognize when urgent change is needed!
Please stop the Keystone XL Pipeline. We need urgent immediate reduction in GHG emissions. Our planet has been a very generous host – we need to be good guests!
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Hostess
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Sunday 29 Sep 2013
Letter #189
Dear President Obama,
Catesby, Ilathera Duck, Nat. Hist of Carolina, Florida, vol.1, pl.93.
London 1731-43
Don’t be a sitting duck! Do what is important – say NO to the Keystone XL Pipeline (notice this is the first time I haven’t said please) – I’m getting exasperated!
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Exasperated
Monday 30 Sep 2013
Letter #190
Dear President Obama,
Last week I read about the architects Skidmore and Owings, who build tall buildings and their new structural wood system that can be used to build as tall as 42 stories.
 http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/24/science/appeal-of-timber-high-rises-widens.html?pagewanted=all 70% of the structural system is wood – glulam – and most of the rest is concrete. The CO2 emissions from construction materials is reduced by 70% because there is almost no steel. What they did not discuss is the operational CO2 emissions and how they would differ. That would be interesting as well. We need to quickly cut our carbon emissions and these architects are looking at new ways to build to do this. You need to help us too! Please say NO to the Keystone XL Pipeline. Say NO now!
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Interested in Tall Wooded Buildings
