Green Group discussion

The Peace of Wild Things

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

-- Wendell Berry

Thank you, Jimmy. I can use all the gentle comfort i can get.
Jan

Sigh... it's hard not to be depressed.

Donald Trump Could Put Climate Change on Course for ‘Danger Zone’

"President-elect Donald J. Trump, who has called human-caused climate change a “hoax” perpetuated by the Chinese, will have the power next year to water down President Obama’s climate change regulations and ignore the United States’ commitments under last year’s Paris climate agreement.

If he does, experts in climate change policy say, the world may have no way to avoid the most devastating consequences of global warming, including rising sea levels, extreme droughts and food shortages, and more powerful floods and storms."

I fear that the only green issues on the agenda for the new administration revolve around paper with pictures of dead presidents on them.

I was trying to avoid going into what a disaster Trump will be for the environment. But it was in the Republican platform. Burn coal. Eliminate all of Obama's agreements on climate. It's time to make our voices heard.

So get this: Trump signed this full-page ad in the New York Times in 2009 calling for strong climate action. “We support your effort,” the ad said to the Obama administration, “to ensure meaningful and effective measures to control climate change, an immediate challenge facing the United States and the world today. Please don’t postpone the earth. If we fail to act now, it is scientifically irrefutable that there will be catastrophic and irreversible consequences for humanity and our planet.” The signatories also included his children, Donald, Jr., Eric, and Ivanka. I pray to God they all take this seriously.

I don't think you can believe a word he says. He made more promises to more people than can be realistically kept. You expect politicians to make promises they can't keep but he probably set the all time world's record. Which is good and bad, depending on what he decides to do. For all we know he will continue making promises he can't or won't keep for the next 4 years.

Jan wrote: "So get this: Trump signed this full-page ad in the New York Times in 2009 calling for strong climate action. “We support your effort,” the ad said to the Obama administration, “to ensure meaningful..."

Wow. Just... wow. Maybe we have a shot, by applying enough political pressure on President Trump, to get him to flip-flop on this crucial issue one more time?

Is the real issue: Global Warming Vs Modifying Capitalism? And all of the fear associated with each of these two polarized position?

And the unknown changes to our "Life Styles?"

Capitalism can be well involved in making and selling products from recycled materials; also in making and fitting alternative energy sources like solar panels and wave power turbines. So it's not one or the other. It's a matter of turning from one polluting method of generating power to more eco-friendly ones.

I agree, & your suggestion & the need for many more suggestions on using capitalism to solve
our environmental problems is what I mean by "Modifying Capitalism."

Clare wrote: "Capitalism can be well involved in making and selling products from recycled materials; also in making and fitting alternative energy sources like solar panels and wave power turbines. So it's not ..."

I agree wholeheartedly! Along those lines: I've been hearing radio ads for Wunder Capital frequently on our local NPR station ("Do well and do good"). Does anybody have experience with Wunder Capital or more info on their business model? On the face of it, it seems like a cool way to encourage investment in solar energy... but I'm always a bit leery of these "socially conscious investing" choices without knowing more.