Thursday, September 12, 2019, 10am to 11:30 in the Meeting Room (behind the fireplace)
Our next meeting will occur on the mourning before the third Democrat debate. With Trump's showing signs of mental decline, as exemplified by Sharpie-Gate, a Democratic victory in 2020 should be assured. But at last week's CNN Climate Town Hall, the top ten Democratic candidates proposed climate change solutions that may be too radical for the average voter. Furthermore, the Democrats are proposing to do away with the filibuster to insure that their climate policies will be enacted. Even if the voters find Trump unacceptable, they may want the Republicans to keep control of the Senate.
Here are some of the videos for our meeting:
Here are some of the videos for our meeting:
------------------------------------ Updated 9/12/19 ---------------------------------
Here is the other video shown at the meeting:
Here is the other video shown at the meeting:
The US is not the only entity discussing major bold initiatives on climate change solutions. The next president of the European Commission Von de Leyen has put climate change at the top of her agenda. Von de Leyen announced her 3 nominees for executive vice president status today and tasked "Dutch social democrat Frans Timmerman with developing the European green deal over the next 5 years. He is to directly manage the climate change directorate and coordinate efforts across agriculture, health, transport, energy, cohesion and environment."
ReplyDeletehttps://www.climatechangenews.com/2019/09/10european-green-deal-portfolio-handed-eu-vice-president-major-elevation
Her green new deal includes some 20-odd proposals whose details will be flushed out by the new executive vice-president. Von der Leyen's green deal has included a law to make Europe carbon neutral by 2050, a short-term goal increase from 40% to 50% greenhouse gas reduction by 2030, a biodiversity strategy for Europe, an extended emissions-trading system, a tax to avoid carbon leakage when companies transfer the production of goods to countries with more relaxed emission limits, a 1 trillion euro pledge over the next decade for climate investment, and a pledge to turn parts of the European Investment Bank into a dedicated climate bank, which would channel private investment to climate and clean energy projects in every corner of the EU. It is the opinion of some experts that all of that will create huge economic opportunities by opening up new markets and avoiding climate damage.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02204-4
One trillion Euros is a lot of money, but money well spent can be worth the investment. A report by the Global Commission on Adaptation (a commission led by Ban Ki-moon, former UN general secretary, Bill Gates, and Kristalina Georgieva of the World Bank) released today stated that preparing for the impacts of climate change can pay back the initial investment as much as 10X over, saving trillions of dollars by 2030. A summary of the report with very concrete examples of what can be done can be found below.
https://www.climatechangenews.com/2019/09/10/preparations-climate-crisis-will-save-trillions-commission-finds/
Why am I writing all of that? Climate is a big problem that will require big, comprehensive initiatives.
In spite of all of the dire warnings about the future of the planet, we continue to belch carbon into the atmosphere like there’s no tomorrow, and deniers – whether motivated by financial profit like those in the oil industry, or motivated by spiritual profit such as those who believe in a literal interpretation of the Scripture – ironically use these warnings to reinforce their own narrative. All predictions leave room for those who wish to sew doubt. Perhaps then the most effective arguments, though certainly not air tight, are those based on what we already know from observation. A relentless stream of known facts leaves less room for naysayers to raise doubt, and thus may be a more effective motivator for us all.
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