This Makes Me Sick

999922_619252368141411_1083645899_n (1)This week 5 activist judges on the U.S. Supreme Court delayed implementation of President Obama’s Clean Power Plan. A delay that could throw clean air into years of litigation.  This also gives China, India and other countries an excuse to delay their own clean-air plans to reduce dangerous carbon emissions.

This past December 195 nations came together in Paris for an incredible historic agreement. They agreed to work together to reduce carbon emissions.  A corner-stone of this agreement in the United States was to require states to reduce their carbon emissions by 30 percent by 2030. To accomplish this states need to switch from dirty coal and oil to the renewables of solar and wind, or however the state chooses to get to a 30% reduction.  Twenty-seven states are protesting these new rules, and the Supreme Court says these lawsuits need to finalized before the Clean Power Plan is implemented. My rural electric cooperative does not support clean air initiatives because they don’t want to pay for it. This is a lack of vision for the future. I think that switching to renewables will be cheaper for consumers in years to come!

What these climate deniers don’t understand is the cost of doing nothing about air pollution is much more expensive. The oceans will continue to warm and rise, storms intensify, and the clean up and health issues will continue to cost billions of dollars a year. Many lives will be lost because of this lack of vision for the future.

This makes me sick! Cough Cough!

http://phys.org/news/2016-02-poor-air-quality-million-worldwide.html

“We can no longer continue treating out addiction to fossil fuels as if there is no tomorrow, or there will be no tomorrow!” Desmond Tu Tu

Clear Skies, Healthy People!

Blue Marble Image
Blue Marble Image

With a Great Planet, Comes Great Responsibility!

Video from the White House on our warming climate:

What can we all do?

  • Always turn off lights and unplug electronics when not in use.
  • Drive less: Walk, bike, ride share, Carpool, combine errands, and take public transport.
  • Reduce two-cycle engine pollution:  Add more garden and pollinator friendly plants to reduce your lawn mowing, shovel snow by hand, and choose silent sports. Polluting our air is not cool!!
  • Reduce or eliminate your use of pesticides, and all chemicals. Your family, your pets, birds and butterflies will be much healthier.
  • Reduce or eliminate beef from your diet.  Producing beef uses lots of energy!
  • Recycle all plastics, glass and metal cans, and of course paper.  According to TerraCycle 84% of household waste can be recycled
  • Purchase products made from recycled materials.  This saves energy, trees, water and natural resources. Recycled paper products are the easiest to find.
  • Turn down the thermostat in the winter and reduce air conditioning in the summer. Schedule an energy audit from your local power company for ways your home can be more efficient.
  • Finally, work to elect leaders that believe in Climate Change, and support 970832_10153091136195497_1060532036_nclean renewable energy solutions.