Tuesday, December 31, 2019

The Year 2019

Thursday, January 2, 2020, 10am to 11:30 in the Meeting Room (behind the fireplace)

Last week, we spoke mostly of the past decade. So for the next meeting, we will talk about just the past year. We will be using a series of video from ABC news which spans a broad range of topics.



Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Year and Decade in Review

Thursday, December 26, 2019, 10am to 11:30 in the Meeting Room (behind the fireplace)

Yes, the Bain Center will be open on the day after Christmas and we will hold our meeting at the usual time. Since this will be the last meeting of the year, and of the 2010s, we will discuss the top stories for the year and decade. So bring your ideas. I will have some videos, but I will only use them if necessary to kick off discussions.

Here are some worthy news stories:



Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Impeachment, Necessity or Distraction

Thursday, December 19, 2019, 10am to 11:30 in the Meeting Room (behind the fireplace)

We know how the impeachment and Senate trial will go. But there is still an argument if it was a necessity or a distraction. Will this hurt the Democrats in the election, or would they have been hurt more if they had not impeached Trump.

Here is a video which summarizes the arguments for both sides:
----------------------------------------- Updated 12/19/19 ---------------------------------------------------

Here are the videos shown at the meeting:


Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Can Fossil Fuel Companies Help Fight Climate Change?

Thursday, December 5, 2019, 10am to 11:30 in the Meeting Room (behind the fireplace)

COP 25 is now in progress in Madrid and the it looks like we are losing the battle against climate change. So why do so many climate activists oppose the development of technology to pull CO2 directly out of the air?

For our next meeting, we will discuss the recent rise of direct air carbon capture and the bipartisan support it is getting in Congress.
---------------------------------------- Updated 12/5/19 --------------------------------------

Here are the other videos shown at the meeting:






Friday, November 22, 2019

A Real Solution to Climate Change

No meeting on 11/28/19 due to Thanksgiving

Sixteen year old Greta Thunberg avoids air travel as part of her personal fight against Climate Change. So it was a big deal for her to sail across the Atlantic to give a speech at the UN Climate Summit in NYC, on September 23. She planned to stay in the Americas until the nations of the world met at COP 25 in Santiago, Chile, December 2-13, to form international climate policy. Because of the media attention she attracted, climate change would finally get a serious public discussion in the weeks leading to COP 25.  

Greta's speech at the Climate Summit attacked the older generation for doing nothing to abate Climate, dooming the younger generation to the horrors of climate change. She made a big impact, but before it had a chance to sink in, the Trump Ukrainian scandal broke and has dominated the news ever since. As the Ukrainian scandal evolved into the impeachment hearings, Greta's climate rallies across America went unnoticed. Barely covered was Greta's need to sail back to Europe because COP 25 had to be moved to Madrid, Spain, because of the riots in Santiago.

Now, in the week before Thanksgiving, the open impeachment hearings have paused to give American families time to discuss the seriousness of the upcoming impeachment in the House and the trial in the Senate. Impeachment is important but it is hardly existential. So if you get tired of talking about Trump, maybe you can use your valuable family time to discuss Climate Change, especially since COP 25 starts right after Thanksgiving. But rather than repeating the expected horrors of climate chaos, or blaming the deniers and fossil energy companies, or promoting incremental steps in the right direction, maybe you could focus on what a real solution to Climate Change would look like.

Here is an example of a real Climate Change solution plan:
The speaker started his research only two years ago, so his plan is still in development. You see by the size of his audience that his ideas have yet to attract the attention of the media. Yet his arguments are convincing.

You can find more information on the speaker's website https://www.energyimpactcenter.org. If you have any questions or suggestions, please summit them to this blog as a comment. If you know of a better plan that offers a complete solution to Climate Change, instead of just a partial one, please tell us. I am not aware of any other plan.


Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Trump Trumps the Debates

Thursday, November 21, 2019, 10am to 11:30 in the Meeting Room (behind the fireplace)

The next meeting was supposed to be about the 5th Democrats Presidential debates, but the past week has been all about Trump and tomorrow, the same day as the debates, Gordon Sondland testimony could directly implicate Trump.

There has been so much news about Trump, that I needed three late night hosts to cover it all:

So for our next meeting, we will talk about Trump again. We may cover the debate if anything good happens.

------------------------------------------ Updated 11/21/19 ------------------------------------------

Here are the other videos shown at the meeting: