The Climate Minute

The unfolding events at Standing Rock are headed for some kind of resolution on December 5th. Between the violence done to Native Americans, and the commitment to ever more carbon pollution, the situation is a tragedy. The police are militarized, the media is asleep, and Obama seems uninterested. We discuss.

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Have you heard about #GivingTuesday? It is the antidote to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and is a time to support the non-profits and the causes you care about. We had the chance to catch up with MCAN’s Executive Director Carol Oldham. Listen in!

Please support our work fighting climate change and helping cities and towns be more sustainable with a one time or monthly gift. With your help, in 2016 we were able to:

• Host the Local Environmental Action Conference, with 450 attendees, 28 workshops, Jane Kleeb (the "keystone killer") as the keynote speaker, with our partners at the Toxics Action Center.

• Lead three Clean Energy tours of the Deer Island Anaerobic Digester facility, with attendees from a total of 36 towns.

• Produce webinars on the Paris climate accords, Acadia Center’s EnergyVision, and the Energy Omnibus bill.

• Run four Climate Change Movie Nights, showing “Merchants of Doubt” and inspiring short films by Lynne Cherry about kids and climate change.

• Work with many of you to submit letters to the editor in your local papers. You can find some of them here.

• Hold three educational carbon pricing forums.

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist that the United States put a price on carbon.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

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As part of the collection of horribles Trump is assembling to staff his regime, Myron Ebell stands out. He is slated to control the EPA and will likely destroy the President Obama’s Clean Power Plan- if not worse. This raises questions of the ethical arguments for and against serving in a Trump administration. On the other hand, one prospect that seems to be rising from the fog of Trumps decision-making is that the clean revolution may not longer be stoppable and that China will assume a global leadership role in fighting climate change. The Donald’s biggest legacy may be to make China great again.

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist that the United States put a price on carbon.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

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We discuss the unfolding ugliness of a Trump Presidency, and how Climate Hawks should act in the face of denial and hate. The short answer, don’t accept our new politics as ‘normal’, fight like crazy on climate issues and be sure to make alliances with other progressive groups. Listen in

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The unfortunate choice of a climate denier to be our next president will force the climate movement into alternate paths. In some ways, this is good, since local action to increase green energy will drive state level programs as well. Carol Oldham, the Executive Director of MCAN, put it this way:

The great news is that we have groups like MCAN and our partners working here in MA to make sure we stay on track.... and there are groups like MCAN in every state across this nation. Grassroots, effective, informed, and not giving up. We are all focused on making sure we don't lose what we have gained so far, and there are countless activists across America who, like you, are committed to continue our forward movement as a nation in the fight against climate change (and many other fights, too). State and local action will be the proving ground, now more than ever. So I commit to continuing to move us forward on solutions to climate change, and I hope you do too. To sign up to volunteer with us, go here and click on "volunteer". You can take action, you can help, and you can make your community and the world a better place.

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist that the United States put a price on carbon.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

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Donald’s recent election to the presidency is a blow to climate progress. What is to be done? Just remember, we are right, we are powerful and we are not going anywhere.

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The ongoing confrontation on the Standing Rock Reservation gives us an interesting perspective. How should we look at the acquittal of the Malheur Wildlife occupiers? Is it fair to look at the Native American opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline as a climate issue? Isn’t it one of the historical oppression consistent with our long sad history? Listen in!

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist that the United States put a price on carbon.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

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The historic Paris Agreement finally “comes into force” today- November 4, 2016. That is good news, but comes with the caveat that much more work needs to be done! Leonard DiCaprio released his movie Before the Flood. It is an important call for the world to address global warming. We discuss.

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist that the United States put a price on carbon.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

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Climate news this week contained progress and tension.  Grassroots opposition has slowed pipeline progress in MA, RI and NH, so CT decided to pull out of the whole concept. On the other hand, in North Dakota the confrontation keeps spiraling, it seems due to a militarized response from the police. Listen in as we discuss.

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Ross Gelbspan is a climate hero, having written some of the first books highlighting the immediacy of global warming during the 1990’s. Recently, he posted a blog calling for climate activist to stop being ‘experts’ and begin a new role as the ‘catalyst’ of common work with other groups to pressure world governments to take action. Speaking of catalysts, researchers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory seem to have found a convenient way to take CO2 out of the air and make ethanol. How should this technology be used? We discuss.

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist that the United States put a price on carbon.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

Download Enhanced Podcast