Friday 12 April 2013
Letter #41
Dear President Obama,
My daughter stopped by today to ask my advice about having the zippers on her winter boots fixed. We took them to the shoe repair shop and decided to spend the money on maintenance. Pipelines also need maintenance – things break, things deteriorate, things leak. There are lots of existing pipelines in the US and they need periodic maintenance. This is way more important than building new ones ! Please say NO to the Keystone XL pipeline and please say YES to pushing for prompt maintenance of existing pipelines. Taking care of existing infrastructure is not fun and exciting, but it is important work.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Household Repair Diva
Sat 13 April, 2013
Letter # 42
Dear President Obama,
I read with dismay the small article in the NY Times that the EPA has delayed issuing the rule that limits permissible emissions of CO2 from new power plants. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/13/science/earth/epa-to-delay-emissions-rule-at-new-power-plants.html?_r=0
This means that new COAL-burning plants can still be constructed. This is a very BAD idea. We should not be building NEW coal-fired plants. We need to replace all our coal burning plants as soon as possible. We must reduce our greenhouse gas emissions very quickly. Delay is unacceptable. Please say NO to the Keystone XL pipeline and show the world that you understand how urgent a problem we face with climate change.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Worried by Delays
Sunday 14 April 2013
Letter # 43
Dear President Obama,
I was very happy to read how generous you and your wife were to charities in 2012, giving about 25% of your income to help others. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/13/us/politics/obama-releases-tax-returns.html
I have always given to charities, and as my investments have been quite profitable, I have increased my donations.
I would happily pay more taxes to help incentivize renewables and move us off fossil fuels as quickly as possible. But current US politics do not make that likely in the short term.So please do what you CAN to turn around our greenhouse gas emissions. Please say NO to the Keystone XL pipeline. You can do it tomorrow and it would send an important message to the world. Please do it.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Taxpayer
Monday 15 April 2013
Letter # 44
Dear President Obama,
A month ago, Justin Gillis wrote an interesting column for the NY Times arguing that we need to address climate change both by searching for new technologies and reducing emissions NOW. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/12/science/in-search-of-energy-miracles.html?pagewanted=all
He is 100% correct. You visited Argonne to highlight your support for research. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/16/us/politics/obamas-2-billion-plan-to-replace-fossil-fuels-in-cars.html
Now you must say NO to the XL Pipeline to show you are serious about reducing carbon emissions. Please show some leadership in this vital area. Show world leadership. Use your charisma and persuasive speaking talents to get behind this urgent global problem. Please please raise your voice and pen for the long term benefit of humanity. Say NO to the Keystone XL.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Technology fan
Tuesday 16 April, 2013
Letter # 45
Dear President Obama,
This is another William Morris design : Seaweed Wallpaper, 1901. Felt a need for some art today after the bombing yesterday at the Boston Marathon – a senseless act of cruelty.
I wonder if mankind’s penchant for competition – to which Darwin attributed some of our success – will eventually lead to our demise ? Competition to earn more, drill more, acquire more is what the big oil companies are all about. And the focus is on NOW or a few years from now. But cooperation is more important in the long term. We must figure out how to live together on the planet and not ruin it. And although this is an urgent problem, it just doesn’t seem as compelling to people as more wealth and status this year. So I ask you once again to ignore the short term interests and say NO to the Keystone XL pipeline. It’s the right decision for the planet !
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Cooperative Collaborator
Wed 17 April, 2013
Letter #46
Dear President Obama,
It was a sad day for Carbon Cap and Trade yesterday. The EU voted down a proposal to cut the number of pollution permits. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/17/business/global/europe-rejects-carbon-plan.html?pagewanted=all
When they started the system in 2007, they created too many permits – so we now have a glut, the price is very low, and provides no incentive to pollute less. Short term economic problems in Europe have clouded the long term vision. 315 voted down the proposal and 62 abstained. Who were these cowards ?
The long term harm to the planet of emitting too much carbon is HUGE. We need to cut back NOW – as quickly as possible. Please say NO to the Keystone XL Pipeline. Say NO today ! It is the moral and just thing to do.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Cap and Trade Advocate
Thursday 18 April 2013
Letter # 47
Dear President Obama,
Yesterday was a beautiful spring day, so I got a Zipcar and went to the garden store. I bought 2 tomato plants and some dirt and planted the tomatoes in large pots on my deck. People say it is too early, but I’m ready to bring them inside if temperatures drop overnight. I’m not a huge gardener, but I love to grow tomatoes. There is nothing so good as a fresh-picked tomato. I’ve never found one at any farmer’s market that was as tasty. And they are easy to grow if you’ve got a sunny spot. So sometimes, yes, I just enjoy the weather, and embrace what nature brings day by day. But that doesn’t stop me from also understanding the dire long-term consequences of man-made carbon emissions on our climate. So I pause, trowel in hand, to ask you to please say NO to the Keystone XL Pipeline ! It is a very bad idea and you can stop it. Please do so !
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Tomato gardener
Friday 19 April 2013
Letter #48
Dear President Obama,
An eerie quiet day in Boston with the whole city shut down. So I’ll branch out to a completely different topic : colors – Bright Colors. I’m a mosaic artist and do abstract mosaics that are all about color. Scientists tell us that colors are related to wavelength of light. But what is fascinating to me is how colors interact. I made a blue and orange patio table with 2 blue plates incorporated into the mosaic.
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When I place 2 orange plates over them, the whole table changes color. How does that happen ? Clearly the wavelengths haven’t changed, but our brain processing has. The world is a complex interwoven web, and a beautiful one. There are thousands of different shades of green in nature, but dollars are only one shade. Please don’t let the power of one shade of green blind us to the critical needs of our entire environment. Please say NO to the Keystone XL pipeline.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Mosaic Artist
Sat 20 April 2013
Letter # 49
Dear President Obama,
I’m really tired of these feel-good articles about cutting emissions. One was a 20 March column by Eduardo Porter. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/20/business/us-example-offers-hope-for-cutting-carbon-emissions.html?pagewanted=all
Using more gas and less coal for electricity generation had cut CO2 emissions from electricity generation 15 percent since 2007. He wonders whether our carbon footprint will continue to shrink. It’s pleasant to read, but does not convey any sense of urgency about the dangers of climate change. That 15% cut is not nearly enough. The corals are bleaching, the oceans acidifying. We have strained the balance that provides a temperate climate for planet Earth. We need to combat complacency. We need our leaders to show us the way. Please stop the Keystone XL Pipeline. Please take the long view and use your charisma and power to stress how urgent the climate-change problem is.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Yearning for leadership
Sunday 21 April 2013
Letter # 50
Dear President Obama,
Here is another Golden Gate Bridge postcard showing the towers and a fragile structure of wires. Men worked out there in the wind over the water month after month to build that bridge. Humans are good at building and engineering their way out of problems – but we shouldn’t assume we can engineer our way out of too much carbon in the atmosphere. Maybe we can, but let’s not count on it – the risks are too high. Please STOP the Keystone XL pipeline to show that the US is serious about reducing our emissions. We need to do some engineering too –but it won’t be enough.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Respect for welders and riveters
