It's hard enough to battle against the proliferation of infrastructure, financial systems, and other intrinsic advantages that fossil fuels have, but when those who claim to want to make big strides for the environment sell out for a paycheck, the challenge for those who do not becomes that much greater.
Seattle green consultants sell out for coal money, whine
"Yeah? Well I for one am sick of treating it like a game. It’s not a game. And in this particular case, it’s not complicated. It’s working on behalf of evil and it’s a shitty thing to do, professionally and morally."
Especially when our own government subsidizes the industry, while some within our Congress look to gut environmental laws further and create even larger obstacles to change. I find it intolerable that we have to endure a hypocrisy that a government is too large to continue to provide health care to the aging in our country, but not too large to continue to subsidize an industry that already enjoys large profits.
Oil for nothing...gas for free
"As oil and gas companies rake in record profits, they continue to receive billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies. These subsidies include not only preferential tax credits and deductions, which congressional Republicans repeatedly voted to preserve in the last Congress, but also less scrutinized royalty breaks that are every bit as costly."
Thankfully, we continue to have examples from even the most conservative of organizations that a renewable future is the only future in which we will survive.
Inside the military's green-energy revolution
"But not without a fight. Six weeks before RIMPAC 2012, Republicans and some coal- and gas-state Democrats tried to scuttle Mabus' Green Fleet by barring the Pentagon from buying alternative fuels that cost more per gallon than petroleum-based fuels--the biofuel blend cost more than $15 a gallon--unless the more expensive alternative fuels come from other fossil fuels, like liquefied coal. Thistricky logic made sense to Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.)--'[The Pentagon] should not be wasting time perpetrating President Obama's global warming fantasies or his ongoing war on affordable energy'--even though seven years earlier Inhofe helped secure a $10 million taxpayer fund to test renewable military fuels, more than half of which went to a company in his home state. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) agreed, calling the purchase of biofuels "a terrible misplacement of priorities" and adding, 'I don't believe it's the job of the Navy to be involved in building...new technologies.' Mabus, who'd already bought the biofuels for the RIMPAC demo, fired back: 'If we didn't pay a little bit more for new technologies, the Navy would never have bought a nuclear submarine, which still costs four to five times more than a conventional submarine.'"
We have a genuine and well-earned respect for those who have sacrificed their lives, their careers, and their time with family to fight for our country. I wholeheartedly support the idea of a Public Lands Service Corps (and would welcome an extension to an Urban Lands Service Corps), and would expect that people have the same respect for those who would sacrifice their time, careers, and earning potential to protect the environment without which we cannot live.
Senators launch effort to employ youth restoring public lands
"The Public Lands Service Corps Act of 2013 improves on the existing Public Lands Corps by expanding the scope of projects to reflect new challenges. It would also add incentives to attract new participants, including Native Americans and veterans, that suffer from disproportionately high rates of unemployment."
Looking to others for examples of how we can improve is not the same as saying our way of life, or our country, is any less valuable or good. The American spirit has always been open to looking at ideas from across the globe, welcoming those ideas - and specifically the people who thought of them - to a land where anyone can pursue that idea to its best value for man and womankind. I know there is a sense of privilege bias and elitism associated with saying that one has traveled out of the country, but I have been lucky enough to go to Paris. I can say from first hand experience that the layout of the city and the commerce present there that supports walkability make it an amazing place to visit. I will also say that the Canaryville area (neighborhood on Chicago's south side) where I grew up had some of the sense of commerce, walkability, and community. "Density" is not piling people on top of each other, but putting the right number of people in the best proximity to maintain quality of life. We can learn a lot about how to make this happen....and it would not hurt to look at the way some places have made this work for over a century.
Replicating Paris density and streetscape
"Can we then presume that planning new communities with a 'Parisian density' is achievable and desirable? Can you imagine walking down a street in Chicago, shopping in a farmers market for fresh, local produce, buying a newspaper at a small kiosk and then stopping at your local café? Continuing on to visit a myriad of small business owners whom you know on a first name basis? They provide useful goods and services not available at the big box stores. There could be shops that include shoe repairs, seamstress, specialty goods, a baker, a fresh meat butcher, stationery and office supplies. Yes we would like to have that kind of neighborhood in Chicago or other American cities. It would take serious planning efforts for new urban design that support the values of walkability and sustainable small businesses. And we should support those plans wherever possible. It’s cheaper than air fare."
Happy Friday!
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