Saturday 7 March 2015
Letter #511
Dear President Obama,
There have been a lot of articles about the TPP trade pact recently, but the one that gives me the most hope is the report that Tea Party members have joined with Democrats to oppose “fast track” permission.
NAFTA and other recent large trade pacts do NOT help ordinary workers either here OR abroad, but instead make large businesses more profitable. Tea Party members oppose “fast-track” because it gives too much power to the President, you, and for once I agree with them. They have a philosophical problem with giving the President too much power. I just think this trade pact is morally reprehensible! I’ve written before against TPP (letters #240, and #268) and repeat that it gives corporations way too much power, allowing them, for example, to sue to weaken environmental laws. Why don’t you use your considerable power to further the cause of climate justice? All workers on the planet need a hospitable climate to thrive! Please stop the Keystone XL Pipeline TODAY! and then make huge rapid strides towards reducing carbon pollution. Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, TPP is Morally Reprehensible
Sat 7 March 2015
Letter #512 (2nd letter today)
Dear President Obama,
My son asked me the other day why you were pushing the TPP trade pact when so many Democrats in Congress oppose it.
I told him that it really is about trying to lessen China’s growing power in the Pacific Rim. US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Brunei: these are all countries that think they can get better prices from TPP countries than from China. This is really about super-powers jockeying for position. It is NOT about improving labor standards for workers. And the cost to workers and the environment is TOO HIGH. Fear mongers are telling you that you must rein in China, and TPP is the means to that end. But the much larger threat facing us all is climate change! That’s where your energy should go. Please stop the Keystone XL Pipeline as the first small step to quitting fossil fuels. Nothing else on your agenda is anywhere near as urgent as the climate. Don’t be distracted by the clamoring of big business for more trade rules to make them richer. Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Ignore Fearmongers
Sunday 8 March 2015
Letter #513
Dear President Obama,
I am glad you are marching in Selma AL today. It renews hope that we can continue to make progress on social justice for ALL. But I also want to advocate for trade unions and remind you that the systematic gutting of trade unions in America has widened income inequality hugely. Eduardo Porter reminds us that the US has “some of the weakest labor protections IN THE ADVANCED WORLD” for which I am ashamed, as you should be too.
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/25/business/free-trade-that-american-workers-can-live-with.html
All those civil rights marches in the 1960’s were collaborations of social and UNION leaders. Nicholas Kristof tells us that at least 20% and perhaps 33% of the increase in economic inequality in the US among men is the result of the decline of UNIONS.
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/19/opinion/nicholas-kristof-the-cost-of-a-decline-in-unions.html
And if you really want social justice, you must fight for climate justice, for income inequality and worse will SOAR as climate disruption spreads across the world. Please stop the Keystone XL Pipeline today. Do not let Big Oil business put profits ahead of people. Let’s strengthen our labor unions and march together towards a better world with less carbon pollution and more social justice.
Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Support Strong Labor Unions
Monday 9 March 2015
Letter #514
Dear President Obama,
I write today in support of Timothy Searchinger and 78 other scientists who recently wrote to the EPA director against the recent EPA policy memo encouraging cutting trees to produce power as “carbon-neutral.”
https://www.wri.org/blog/2015/01/why-dedicating-land-bioenergy-wont-curb-climate-change
Of course the scientists are correct! Planting huge amounts of biomass to use to create electricity is not carbon free! The “surplus forest growth” is already storing carbon. Shame on the EPA for caving to the corn/ethanol wing of agribusiness and their spin doctors telling us how “green” ethanol is. Why is ethanol production outstripping wind energy? Duh! Because no one owns the wind and farmers grow and own corn. So once again the profit motive skews the scientific discussion and the EPA allows themselves to accept BAD SCIENCE. This is not some idle philosophical debate. The future of our planet is at stake – or at least the human dominance of the planet. Science tells us we MUST abandon fossil fuels. Please stop the Keystone XL Pipeline to point the way towards renewable carbon-free energy. Do not let science be co-opted by the bio-fuel juggernaut. Time’s a wasting. Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Biofuel Solution VASTLY Overstated
Monday 9 March 2015
Letter #515 (2nd letter today)
Dear President Obama,
Syngenta is a Swiss chemical company that makes atrazine – the most popular pesticide in the US – used on most sorghum, corn, and sugar cane.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atrazine
Atrazine has been banned in Europe for more than 10 years!
Well, “banned as a pesticide” not “banned” outright! This is semantics the Swiss company tries to hide behind. The basic problem is that in Europe, companies have to prove a new chemical is SAFE before it can be used. In the US, regulators have to prove it is UNSAFE to stop it being used!
[This chart from the 24 Feb 2015 print version of this article, is no longer available on the NYTimes website. So I scanned it and include it here]
So which approach would you use for your own family? Probably the cautious European one! Why does profit trump health and safety in the US? And why does oil company profit trump the known disastrous global hazards of CARBON POLLUTION? Please stop the Keystone XL Pipeline TODAY. Do not let short-term profit outrank all other concerns. Syngenta keeps Swiss children safe and profits from our lax laws, but carbon pollution affects the whole planet. If we wait to limit carbon emissions until we PROVE they are very dangerous, it will be too late to stop the juggernaut of climate change! Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Don’t Delay Global Safety
Tuesday 10 March 2015
Letter #516
Dear President Obama,
Corn/Ethanol Bandit
I am delighted to read the Robert Bryce op-ed piece on Ethanol and the hidden taxes we pay because the Renewable Fuel Standard (created in 2005) mandates blending ethanol into our gasoline.
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/10/opinion/end-the-ethanol-rip-off.html
The goals in 2005 were: energy security (import less oil), rural economic development (pay farmers to plant corn), and some supposed environmental protections. This10 year experiment needs to be ENDED because: 1. Bakken crude means we import less oil, 2. corn subsidies are outdated and only help big-ag, and 3. growing the extra corn and processing it into ethanol has caused significant environmental COSTS with no benefit. The ethanol tax is bad policy and needs to stop. Let’s get rid of ethanol, raise the gas tax an equivalent amount, and pour that $10 Billion per year into renewable energy: WIND and SOLAR!! We need REAL environmental solutions to carbon pollution, not fake ethanol boondoggles. Please stop the Keystone XL Pipeline Right Now. Show you are serious about quickly reducing our carbon footprint. We don’t have time to waste on bad policy. Serious carbon reduction goals are what we need, not more ethanol production. Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, End Ethanol Rip-off
Wednesday 11 March 2015
Letter #517
Dear President Obama,
On Monday I saw a preview of the new documentary film “Merchants of Doubt,” http://sonyclassics.com/merchantsofdoubt/
an excellent exposé of lobbying efforts to cast doubt on the science of climate change. Strong parallels are made with the 50 year tobacco industry campaign to delay regulation of cigarettes. Many of the lobbyists are even the same! The terrifying difference is that carbon pollution affects everyone on the planet and we don’t have 50 years to stall before regulating CARBON!! I hope millions of people see this movie and clamor for rapid curbs on carbon emissions! Please use the full power of your authority to quickly reduce carbon pollution. Please stop the Keystone XL Pipeline TODAY to show how important a problem carbon pollution IS! And make sure you see the movie! It’s really fun too! The card-trick magician is incredible to watch – just wish he had as much money as the climate-change denial guys. Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Fan of “Merchants of Doubt”
Thurs 12 March 2015
Letter #518
Dear President Obama,
These last few letters I’ve been using these “Kids Care” stamps from 1994. That was over 20 years ago and we’ve done NOTHING about carbon emissions. In 2013 global carbon dioxide emissions were 61% HIGHER than they were in 1990. All those international negotiations, climate summits and we’ve just been speeding up the problem. We have totally failed those kids – and they are MY kids and YOUR kids! So show you really care about the environment. Start by stopping the Keystone XL Pipeline! Please! Right NOW! Then do everything you can to support renewable energy, begin taxing carbon, and stop new fossil fuel infrastructure. Move swiftly because we’ve wasted 20 years. Show the kids YOU CARE. Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Show Kids You Care
Friday 13 March 2015
Letter #519
Dear President Obama,
A recent headline proclaimed “Europe Unlikely to Meet Climate Goal.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/03/world/europe-unlikely-to-meet-climate-goal-study-finds.html
What a downer! or was it supposed to make US feel good and excuse our feeble climate goals? The article reports that Europe is ON TRACK to meet its goal of reducing GHG 20% below 1990 levels by 2020.
It’s their far more aggressive 2050 goal they are having trouble with (reducing emissions 80% by 2050). HOORAY for Europe! Their goal for 2020 was WAY greater than ours and they are meeting it! WE ARE NOT!! The only thing China and the US have agreed to is for China to stop raising emissions by 2030, and for the US to cut emissions a little faster (but nowhere near as fast as Europe)!
Look, in 1990, United States CO2 emissions were just over 5000 million metric tons. In 2005 they were over 6000 million tons,
For the USA to equal Europe’s reduction of 20% below their 1990 levels, we would have to get to 4000 million tons !!! We can’t even get back to 5000 million tons. US carbon emissions ROSE 2 % in 2013!
So Please Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline NOW!
The USA has been shirking its responsibility in the climate crisis and we need to quickly change our ways. Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Europe Reducing Carbon FASTER
Saturday 14 March 2015
3-14-15
Letter #520
Dear President Obama,
Happy Pi Day! This only happens every 100 years (1915, 2015, 2115, …) What will the world be like on the next super jumbo Pi Day in 2115? That’s a scary thought! The amount of carbon in our atmosphere continues to rise. Pi is a small but important number. So please, today, do something small but important:
Please Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline. Who knows, by doing that, the benefits may go on and on, infinitely, like the digits in Pi! Let’s bring our carbon emissions DOWN. Way DOWN. Let’s start small – but important. Thank you.
Susan J. Ringler, Celebrate Pi Day
