“You’re gonna play climatologist tonight?” – Kellyanne Conway
With a quick response, Senior Presidential Advisor Kellyanne Conway stopped CNN’s questions on the climate breakdown during an update on Harvey. “We’re trying to help the people whose lives are literally underwater, and you want to have a conversation about climate change?”
Kellyanne, this is the time to discuss what people in power ignore. The cause and effect relationship between burning fuels and raging floods and wildfires is clear. Harvey and the Los Angeles inferno are a taste of what is to come. Richard Heinberg and his team at the Post-Carbon Institute have a transition plan to an emission free economy, powered by the Carbon Fee & Dividend program. We need smart leadership with the courage to act.
Wars or People?
The “Fire and Fury” tweets have accelerated the threat of nuclear war with North Korea. The U.S. does not have funds to increase our nuclear arsenal and provide emergency aid to disaster victims. The public health cost of the chemicals released by the Texas refineries and chemical plants, plus massive toxic chemicals stored in Superfund sites, is unknown.
Climate Chaos – People Rising
Northern Lights MN is a collaborative, interactive, media-oriented, arts organization from the Twin Cities for the world. Here is what they say: “Climate change is a potent, chaotic brew of interconnected, disparate, fluid, evolving, long-term consequences that form an attenuated chain of cause and effect over millennia… climate change seems to imbue every aspect of daily life with the threat of chaos.” This is an artistic view Eureka Springs can relate to. Our government and economy have failed, people must rise in care of the Earth and our brothers and sisters in dire need.
Dominance or Ignorance?
Crude oil is a commodity other countries sell under $50 per barrel from conventional fields. Last week, Harvey repealed the dream of Energy Dominance and replaced it with the nightmare of energy and environmental deregulation.
Energy Dominance is based on false concepts: fracking and inflated energy forecasts. At the Houston, April 2017, Offshore Technology Conference, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke explained, “I always say God’s got a sense of humor – he gave us fracking. And fracking is a game-changer – certainly a global game-changer.”
The Energy Information Agency is part of the Department of Energy. EIA uses peculiar terms for oil & gas resources in their forecasts: accumulated production, proven reserves, economically recoverable resources, technically recoverable resources, and remaining oil & gas in-place.
Diamond is 100 years of pollution
Proper words are used to describe reality, but some words are used to deceive. Pipeline accidents, leaks, and spills are false descriptions of preventable events and massive discharges of toxic chemicals on land and rivers. Diamond, Rainbow, and other pleasing names are used for hazardous pipelines. Fracking has a clear meaning but frack water, called wastewater, minimizes the massive volume of highly toxic chemicals added to fresh water and extracted from oil and gas shale formations miles deep in the ground.
Unlike industrial water sent to water treatment plants, wastewater is sold as produced water to de-ice and clean roads, and grow vegetables and produce in California. Wastewater disposal tanker trucks are used to transport millions of gallons to Oklahoma to be stored underground. The large number of injection wells near Cushing is known to cause earthquakes.
Diamond pipes
Diamond says, “The Diamond Pipeline will exceed the United States Department of Transportation pipeline standards and will include a number of safety elements. New pipe will be manufactured to exceed industry standards and specifications.” False and ambiguous. Diamond gave Welspun an order for 290-miles of pipes for a 440-mile pipeline. Where are the rest of the pipes coming from?
Stopping Diamond
Last week I sent an urgent Public Safety request to Gov. Hutchinson asking him to stop the Diamond Pipeline: “Diamond does not have a permit to transport toxic chemicals. Watershed and river crossing permits were granted based on Diamond’s safety promises unsupported by facts, without an Environmental Impact Study. High-pressure shale crude pipelines, operated around the clock will trigger catastrophic events.”
Dr. Luis Contreras
Harvey, Irma, and Jose have an urgent message for Gov. Hutchinson and #45: We are living in a dangerous world, Climate Chaos is here, what are you going to do?
“Is Diamond Honest?” is the working title of my op-ed for Wednesday.