Friday 8 Aug 2014
Letter #431
Dear President Obama,
I write to you today about Toledo’s toxic drinking water from Lake Erie. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/05/us/lifting-ban-toledo-says-its-water-is-safe-to-drink-again.html
We cleaned Lake Erie once, but have now let it sink into crisis again and a big part of the problem is industrial agriculture. The Fertilizer Institute has seen to it that there are no federal limits on phosphorus pollution, and in Ohio the Agriculture lobby is so powerful a new law makes pollution control for farmers voluntary. They also saw to it that NO MENTION is made to CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations) in the law at all!! This is way out of balance. I would gladly pay a bit more for food and not have the nation’s water polluted by tons of manure in certain locations. That’s just not fair. Farmers need to clean up their messes just like everyone else – and that includes fertilizer run off and manure. And you need to help us clean up the carbon mess in the atmosphere! Please Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline! We don’t need it and it just will create more carbon pollution. Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Let’s Clean Lake Erie Again!
Sat 9 Aug 2014
Letter #432
Dear President Obama,
I continue the conversation about water pollution today and particularly want to talk about huge animal fed lots that have sprung up in the last 20 to 30 years. They are called CAFO’s. The EPA has recently tried to define them and regulate their manure discharge as pollution. The definitions are here on the EPA website, and their intent was to regulate medium and large CAFOs. https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-08/documents/cafo_permitmanual_chapter2.pdf
This means turkey forms with at least 16,500 birds, and egg producers with over 9000 chickens, and pigs farms with over 750 big pigs, or 3000 piglets. These are huge operations and of course they need to be regulated, because they have a terrible pollution record. Sadly, the EPA wields less power than the Ag lobby. The link to the EPS’s CAFO Rule goes to an error page https://www.epa.gov/npdes/caforule
– and so it has been since 2012. Meanwhile, pollution continues apace.
We are letting short-term commercial profit trump pollution both in agriculture and in the fossil fuel area. Please Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline. You can do it with the stroke of a pen. The other tasks take more cooperation. Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, CAFOs Pollute Too Much
Sunday 10 Aug 2014
Letter #433
Wm Morris, Chrysanthemums, 1877
Dear President Obama,
War is breaking out all over. The Ukraine is still a mess, Syria is horrendous, Israel and Gaza are duking it out, and now ISIS radicals have poured into Iraq and so the US has decided to send air support (bombers) to help the Kurds and Iraqis. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/09/world/middleeast/iraq.html
So much for your summer vacation! So I send you a William Morris design to brighten the tone a bit. But also to remind you that the natural world and an hospitable climate are essential for humans to thrive on Earth. We cannot afford to let the tribal wars of today cloud our understanding of the immediacy of the climate disruption issue! Wars will only get worse as we put more and more carbon in the air! Please Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline today. It’s so important to hurry forward on reducing our use of fossil fuels. Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, We are all Intertwined
Monday 11 Aug 2014
Letter #434
Dear President Obama,
I’m happy to read that NASA has launched a spacecraft to take thousands of measurements of CO2 levels everyday as it circles the globe.
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/30/science/nasa-launching-satellite-to-track-carbon.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/03/science/space/second-try-puts-carbon-observatory-into-orbit.html
This data will be useful to our understanding of what happens to the carbon in the atmosphere in different places. But I was also struck by the letter a few days later from 2 graduate students who highlight the need for better data analysis tools to process this new mountain of data. So please put some DARPA money (or something) into some data tools – but please STOP THE KEYSTONE PIPELINE NOW. Waiting for more data and a clearer picture as we continue to emit 16 tons of carbon per person everyday in the US is suicidal – well maybe more like homicidal to the next generation! We desperately need to start making large cuts to carbon emissions RIGHT NOW! Please take a lead and show us the way. Thank you,
Susan J. Ringler, Fan of Orbiting Carbon Observatory
Monday 11 Aug 2014
Letter #435 (2nd letter today)
Dear President Obama,
Robin Williams is dead and I write today in his honor. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/12/movies/robin-williams-oscar-winning-comedian-dies-at-63.html
He is mostly remembered as a comic, but frankly my 3 favorite of his roles are Dead Poet Society, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Bengal Tiger that I was fortunate to see on Broadway. And so I remind you of his words from Dead Poet – and recently used in an Apple ad: “The powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?| Please let your verse be President for the Planet – and that means carbon-cutting measures 10 times stronger than we have! Please, as a first step, Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline right now, today, with your pen. Big changes happen with bold action grounded in empathy – things Robin Williams always stood for. Do it for us all, do it for the future, stop KXL now. Do it so we can be proud of you. What will your verse be President Obama?…
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Honoring Robin Williams
Tuesday 12 Aug 2014
Letter #436
Dear President Obama,
I was dismayed to read that Colorado Gov. Hickenlooper cut a deal with Democratic Rep. Jared Polis to withdraw two anti fracking measures from the Nov. ballot in exchange for a Taskforce to study fracking and an end to the lawsuit against the town of Longmont. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/05/us/ballot-fight-on-drilling-is-avoided-in-colorado.html
But it is important to see this action not only in the national context of Sen. Udall’s tight re-election race, but also in the state context where Republicans are hoping to take control of the Colorado state senate, and use that power to assist big oil and gas. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/11/us/politics/midterms-give-parties-chance-for-sweeping-control-of-states.html
As Matt Walter says: “The ability to restrain the other side from advancing their agenda very often comes down to a couple of seats in one chamber.” So I understand postponement until after the midterms, but after that, win or lose, environmentalists are going to get louder and more emphatic. Please Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline – as soon as possible – and no later than Thanksgiving! What is really most important here is the world-context. We cannot continue to ignore carbon pollution. We do so at our peril! Other local issues pale in comparison. Thank you.
Susan Ringler, World Context Trumps all others!
Fri 15 Aug 2014
Letter #437
Wm Morris, Lakspur, 1872
Dear President Obama,
Thank you to Brad Plumer for his 25 cards on Vox on global warming (www.vox.com/cards/global-warming). He really explains the science clearly. Card #3 asks: How do we know global warming is really happening?
https://www.vox.com/cards/global-warming/how-do-we-know-global-warming-is-really-happening
He shows a diagram with 10 indicators. It’s very clear and very compelling.
Since I know you are convinced that global warming is happening, I am compelled to ask to act on your knowledge. Please Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline. Right now. We need immediate strong action to keep global warming to a minimum. Thank you.
Susan Ringler, Brad Plumer Fan
Tues 19 Aug 2014
Letter #438 (from France)
Wm Morris, Bower, 1877
Dear President Obama,
Here is Brad Plumer’s Card #4: How do we know humans are responsible for global warming? https://www.vox.com/cards/global-warming/how-do-we-know-humans-are-responsible-for-global-warming
Well, we know greenhouse gases trap heat, and the evidence points to more CO2 and other GHG, and none of the alternate theories stack up: sun spots, volcanoes… the IPCC convened a huge group of scientists to work on this, and decided we are 95% certain that GHG use by humans has caused more than half the global warming since 1951. That’s pretty compelling. And Plumer gives you links to lots and lots details for those who want to dig deeper! So please Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline. Plumer is doing his part educating people, you need to do your part by stopping that DIRTY dirty oil coming across the USA!
Thank you.
Susan Ringler, Climate Change is Caused by Humans
Wed 20 Aug 2014
Letter #439 (from France!)
Wm Morris, Daffodil, 1891
Dear President Obama,
Brad Plumer’s card #5 asks “Where do greenhouse gas emissions come from?” https://www.vox.com/cards/global-warming/where-do-greenhouse-gas-emissions-come-from
65% come from burning fossil fuels and the rest come from changing land use and agriculture. He includes some links to some great charts showing who has contributed most to the emissions since 1850 and the breakdown for different countries. https://www.vox.com/2014/9/22/6805513/un-climate-talks-in-seven-charts
The US is one of the top 5 emitters today and has a long history of emissions. The responsible position for us is to try and cut back rapidly. Please start by stopping the Keystone XL Pipeline right now! Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, We (the US) have put a lot of the GHG up there!
Friday 22 Aug 2014
Letter #440 (from France!)
Wm. Morris, Evenlode, 1883
Dear Preisdent Obama,
Wow, this card is Plumer’s #6 and its pretty powerful. He asks “How has global warming affected us so far?” https://www.vox.com/cards/global-warming/how-has-global-warming-affected-the-world-so-far
And he gives a long list with lots of links to more details on glacier melt and heavier storms and all sorts of things! Wow. We need to get busy and change our ways before it’s too late! Please Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline now! Thank you.
Susan Ringler, Global Warming’s Effects are Already Scary!
