Letters 261-270

Tues 24 Dec 2013

Letter #261

Dear President Obama,

There are many bad ideas in the news these days in the energy sector. Just another is a new joint venture between BP and Oman to develop FRACKING in Oman! http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/17/business/international/bp-and-oman-agree-to-develop-gas-field.html 

There is lots of natural gas underground in the middle East, and lots of oil too. They haven’t gone after the gas until now because they don’t need it! They pump oil, refine it, get some gas, use it locally, use some of the oil, and export the rest. Oil is liquid, so much easier to export than gas. Now that we have the technology to make LNG, BP has convinced Oman there is an export market. Long term, the world will have to abandon fossil fuels. The sooner we do so the better. Oman should be developing solar energy and leave the gas underground. All BP cares about is profit, buy low from Oman, sell high to others. It is up to government to look beyond short term profit and consider the dangers of carbon emissions to us all. Please stop the Keystone XL Pipeline TODAY! to send the message that you understand the danger of carbon emissions and want rapid change!

Thank you.

Susan J. Ringler, Don’t Frack OMAN

Wed 25 Dec 2013

Letter #262

Dear President Obama,

Merry Christmas!  here is a photo so you can put a face to all these letters! Please STOP the Keystone XL Pipeline. Do it really soon. It is URGENT that we cut back rapidly on our carbon emissions. Please stop the Keystone XL and send an important message that you understand how huge a problem climate change will pose to future generations!

Thank you.

Susan J. Ringler, Christmas Wreath Maker

4 Jan 2014

Letter #263

Dear President Obama,

After a little break, I am back to writing you letters. On 28 Dec I was dismayed at an article on how difficult it is for nuclear and renewables to compete in the current electricity market where natural gas is “so cheap.” 

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/28/us/new-energy-struggles-on-its-way-to-markets.html 

In 2012 “production of electricity from natural gas rose 10 times as fast as production from wind.” This is catastrophic for the climate and many millions of people. It is unconscionable that you and other leaders stand by and allow the oil and gas multinationals to cause such long term damage without doing everything you can. You can stop the Keystone XL Pipeline today. Please do it! Do it now! We urgently need to put an appropriate very high price on carbon emissions. Waiting for the markets to regulate themselves is not acceptable.

Thank you.

Susan J. Ringler, Natural Gas is Priced Way Too Low

4 Jan 2014

Letter #264 (2nd letter today)

Dear President Obama,

On 27 Nov there was an interesting opinion piece by Debora Cramer on horseshoe crabs and red knot birds. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/27/opinion/a-bird-whose-life-depends-on-a-crab.html

The birds eat the crab eggs and we use horseshoe crab blood to test for bacterial contamination in a range of drugs and medical devices. We also catch crabs to use as bait, and have harvested too many – so now the number of spring red knots in Delaware Bay is down 70 percent. The red knots breed in the Arctic – their breeding grounds are changing – the increased CO2 in the oceans is stunting the growth of tiny clams and mussels that crabs and shore birds eat. The problems of the red knots are primarily caused by climate change. Here is just one more scientist calling for aggressive 

reduction in greenhouse gases. Please listen to these scientists. Please stop the Keystone XL Pipeline today. Make it a first step along an urgent decrease in our use of fossil fuels.

Thank you.

Susan J. Ringler, Value Red Knots

4 Jan 2014

Letter #265 (3rd letter today)

Dear President Obama,

Because the Federal government and the Canadian government are so woefully sluggish and timid in addressing greenhouse gas emissions, British Columbia, California, Oregon, and Washington have joined together to form the Pacific Coast Action Plan on Climate and Energy. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/14/opinion/a-new-alliance-on-climate-change.html 

They are trying to speed up use of renewable energy and link their carbon-pricing plans (putting pressure on Oregon and Washington to pass carbon-pricing as California and BC have done). These 4 entities have a population of more than 50 million and a huge economy. They see climate change as an economic opportunity and I wish them well in getting out in front of the issues. Please stop the Keystone XL Pipeline. Stop it today. Show you too are serious about reducing GHG emissions.

Thank you.

Susan J. Ringler, Fan of Pacific Coast Action Plan on Climate and Energy

5 Jan 2014

Letter #266

Dear President Obama,

I wrote yesterday praising the Pacific Coast Action Plan. I must say, part of the reason they drew up that plan is the completely wimpy executive order in early Nov encouraging greater attention to climate change, and the White House “task force” to offer advice” The NY Times article (1 Nov) describing those steps reminds us that YOU have said you will use your administrative powers “to take the strongest actions [you] can on climate change.” http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/01/science/earth/white-house-will-focus-on-climate-shifts-while-trying-to-cut-greenhouse-gases.html?_r=0 

So please stop the Keystone XL Pipeline today. Every day we put off reducing carbon emissions, we create more dangerous conditions for future generations. Please act now and show the world how urgent a problem climate change is!

Thank you.

Susan J. Ringler, Do More NOW Please

6 Jan 2014

Letter #267

Dear President Obama,

I just received a note from a 96 year old friend whose handwriting is still firm – telling me of her recent visit to the pueblos at Taos, New Mexico to see some native American celebrations.

These simple and beautiful ceremonies have been performed by countless generations with a spirit of unity with the natural world. We need to learn from them and curb our fossil fuel use before we wreak irreversible damage on the climate of the entire planet. When the Europeans arrived on this continent they were certain they were more civilized – but I wonder if that is true. Please stop the Keystone XL Pipeline – we don’t need the dirty oil – so should just leave it in the ground.

Thank you.

Susan J. Ringler, Respect Native Americans

6 Jan 2014

Letter #268 (2nd letter today)

Dear President Obama,

I’m pleased that the TPP – Trans-Pacific Partnership has stalled. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/11/business/international/no-pacific-rim-accord-by-end-of-year-target-trade-negotiators-say.html?pagewanted=all 

It is a poorly constructed agreement that gives all together too much power to corporations. If you are serious about closing the opportunity-gap in America, then you recognize how corporations have hugely prospered in the last couple of decades at the expense of workers. This is one cause of the huge income disparity between rich and poor. Corporations need less power, not more! When corporations have too much power, they make decisions based solely on short-term profit. Another example of this is the Keystone XL Pipeline – which does not provide North America with oil it needs, but only facilitates exporting oil to Asia for profit. Please stop the Keystone XL Pipeline. Stop it NOW. We must curb GHG emissions very quickly.

Thank you.

Susan J. Ringler, Against TPP Trade Pact

7 Jan 2014

Letter #269

Dear President Obama,

It is very cold today, it was quite warm yesterday – about a 40 degree difference in temperature. This kind of polar vortex is more common in the midwest than the east. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/07/nyregion/in-new-york-temperatures-fall-far-fast.html

Dr. James Overland of NOAA has noticed that these shifts in very cold air have become more common in the last five years, and suggest they have something to do with the melting arctic sea ice. Others disagree, but we cannot wait for definitive answers on climate change before acting. That’s because the planet will continue to warm for 20 years after we stop spewing carbon into the air at greater and greater rates! Please stop the Keystone XL Pipeline. Stop it today. It’s completely unnecessary and that oil needs to stay in the ground. Dr. Overland is yet another scientist who is warning us to take dramatic action NOW. Wild temperature surges will get more common. These winter ones are manageable, but wild swings in spring can cause great crop loss.

Please stop the KXL.

Thank you.

Susan J. Ringler, Expecting More Large Temperature Swings

7 Jan 2014

Letter #270 (2nd letter today)

Dear President Obama,

Thank you for your 12 Dec 2013 letter and your assurances that you hear my concerns and are working to leave our children a healthier planet. Please stop the Keystone XL Pipeline. That would be an excellent step to cutting our GHG emissions, and improving the health of the climate.

May we find more allies in this important task in 2014.

Thank you.

Susan J. Ringler, Working for a Healthier Planet