Drill Obama Drill

Watch Obama's State of the Union Address by clicking on the video above.

I came back from my first day of class at George Mason feeling pretty excited. Our political climate has been more conducive to justice and the everyday Schmendrick has been getting their fair shake. Europe has pledged to stop using Iran as its source of oil and the embargo will begin fully in six months, effectively cutting Iran’s oil sales by 20 percent. (Assuming Latin America and China don’t fill the void).

Anyhow, with the Keystone XL Pipeline permit being denied, catch limits on fish being carved out, and NOAA being put into the Department of Interior as it should have been in the 1970s, I thought that things were looking pretty good for us environmentalists out there. Then I read the State of the Union. (I wanted to watch it, but it turns out if you miss the State of the Union and there’s damn punditry going on afterwards, all the online sources stream to the damn punditry.)

So it turns out that Obama’s energy plan is to open up 75 percent of our potential offshore oil and gas resources. He also wants to keep launching into using natural gas. Apparently the US is endowed with a 100 year supply of natural gas. (By the way we possess two percent of the world’s oil reserves.) Anyhow, I can understand why it makes sense to drill here, and though I am an environmentalist, I get the pinch we’re facing right now for oil and the problems that arise from funding oil despots overseas. However, I think Obama is a coward for not even mentioning the responsibility we face for climate change. Re-election’s got him backed into a corner and whimpering. 

If I were him, and I had no reasonable alternative but to open up our offshore oil wells, at least I would make a trade of some sort. I’d also bring home the fact that this measure is dire and only being done as a short term concession for a global crisis and offer up a trade.  He could have used this moment to start the first stages of a cap-and-trade system, where carbon emissions are traded as a commodity and their revenue goes toward funding a renewable energy system. He threw an ace card away. 

In his defense, Obama is pushing to expand clean energy. He aims to double US investment in clean energy (which isn’t much comparatively) and provide enough clean energy to power the equivalent of 3 million homes.

Ahhh, I want to love the guy, but he just lost a lot of momentum that he recently accumulated. It didn’t have to be that way. 

I highly recommend reading the State of the Union Address.

Poltical swagger, environmental victory

  Porpoises rejoice in a celebratory game of "walabanlubber," a marine game with its closest equivalent being the North American game of "bash paw." Porpoises attempt to be the first to strike each others' dorsal fins. If you're interested in something of relevance please read below.

Obama has been on a roll lately outwitting the Republican Congress. It started with the recess appointment of Richard Cordray and culminated yesterday when he denied TransCanada the permit to build the Keystone XL pipeline.  Where once, Obama seemed caught in the web of Congressional stagnation, he has really come into his own, not only showing that he is capable of sidelining an ineffective Congress, but also showing that he can take a punch and roll with it. 

The Republicans had high ground only three months ago when the State Department was left in a bind determining whether or not to approve the Keystone XL pipeline. The Pipeline would create somewhere in the ballpark of 6,000 jobs according to the consultant, Cardno Entrix, which performed the cost-benefit analysis and the environmental review for the State Department.  Basically the State Department, with Obama’s final approval, had to determine what was more important 6,000 new jobs or the environmental health of our nation. 

Environmentalists saw the pipeline for what it would be, game over for fight to abate climate change. Tar sands extraction is extremely detrimental to any vegetation at ground level, and the refining process itself is extremely energy and carbon intensive. Carbon emissions from tar sands are 20% more concentrated than traditional petroleum emissions. So not only were environmentalists enraged about the choice of adding another fossil fuel to our nation’s energy portfolio, we were livid as hell about the added concentration of carbon from tar sands. 

Anyhow, three months ago, our nation’s credo was jobs, jobs, jobs at all cost. It still very much is so. But, because of a bonehead political power play by Boehner and his bunch, Obama got let off the hook.  When the Republicans wanted to ex the two-month extension of the payroll tax cut, Obama was in trouble. The Republicans stalled and almost killed the extension by first voting against it. But eight days before the tax cut ran out, Boehner called the Republicans back into session and voted for the two-month extension - with a few strings. 

One of the strings attached was that Obama had to make a decision about the Keystone XL pipeline before the upcoming presidential election. Here’s the stroke of genius in it all. Because the Republicans gave an arbitrary deadline on making a pipeline decision, Obama didn’t have sufficient time to make the required environmental review. Though he initially was open for suggestion from those for and against the pipeline, he now had no choice but deny the permit because he couldn’t perform an adequate review. 

If any of you watch the West Wing, what’s unfolding today is a textbook example of one side of the political spectrum getting too cocky and impatient. Instead of strangling the Democrats with grace, the Republicans just shot themselves in the foot with a huge tactical blunder. 

I love it. Finally we have a ballgame for America, not just a stymied Congress and a disenchanted citizenry.

Carbon, carbonara, a dance of destiny

One day, Ileana Vink and I will become off-the-hook Lindy Hoppers like the ones in this video. But until then I will be happy being a swing enthusiast. See how swing relates to this post by reading below.

 

I live my life building for moments too immense to fade, too stark to be blurred by recollection. But even as I do everything in my power to build up to these moments, it’s all too often the extemporaneous ones that pull me in and infuse me with their providence. 

I opened the mail on January 14, to find a card from one of my best friends. Hector, an enigmatic blend of financial pragmatism and glorious romanticism, had given me an Amazon Gift card to purchase “Switch: how to change things when change is hard.” This book takes our “Predictably Irrational” habits and offers constructive outlets to counter their bad influences. (This gem is going to rock my world and right in the heart of resolution season!) But it gets better, along with the Amazon card, Hector wrote the following, “…and you can take solace in your green way because I’m gifting you .89 metric tons of CO₂ emissions. After some shoddy math, I determined .89 was enough for the production of the book and transport to your home.” Hector you’re wonderful, and well studied! The carbon offset certificate came from carbonfund.org. (If you need any financial or economic advice email Hector at 1hector.marquez@gmail.com. He’s going to be wildly rich and perhaps one day he will be the chairman of the Fed.)

This was just the beginning of the sentiment. I also got Janelle Monáe’s cd from my long-lost Swedish friend Dan. Okay, he’s not really long-lost, nor Swedish, but we took a couple of Swedish classes together, shared a bond of wanderlust, and if all goes well Dan will be in Japan by 2013. Anyhow, he used to live in DC with me and now he’s back in Chicago, hence the long-lost. If you want to learn perfect French, intermediate German and Swedish, or meet my vote for “most likely to create a viral youtube series,” email Dan at dkillack@gmail.com. 

“Where’s the providence?” you ask. I’m getting there.  

On Saturday, January 14, I was sitting at my desk reading “Beijing Jeep,” trying to get a head-start for my Culture, Organization, and Technology class when I get a call from Ileana. “…I’m picking you up at 7:15! Wear clothes that you can move in…but make sure they’re kind of nice.” 

At 8:05 pm I was staring at two concentric rows of people in a large auditorium with wooden floors. A guy in a blue parka was in the middle of the concentric circles sharing jokes with dance instruction.  My  beautiful woman took me out for some swing dancing. In case you don’t know this about me, I find swing to be the nuclear energy of dancing. It’s the end-all, be-all, gateway into glory. From swing comes jitterbug and LINDY HOP. It’s fun as all getup, and one day Ileana and I will be pulling out back flips on the dance floor.

The thing about swing dance and carbon credits, is that they are the absolute resonation of true life. Simply put, they make life better for everyone involved. Ten years ago, in the United States, the environmental movement was on the fringe. The impacts of our everyday decisions were hardly thought about and broad measures of sustainability were hardly viable. Now our environmental consciousness has grown so widespread that carbon credits are up for purchase, new public buildings have to be LEED certified, and food is sought to be local or organic. Everyday people are becoming everyday heroes, and our nation is getting closer to threshold of sustainability. 

On the weekend of January 14 and 15, I celebrated my birthday, but more than that, I got a chance to celebrate true life and happiness. In addition to the dancing, Ileana made me a bacon feast with locally sourced meat. I know I’m being braggy here, but holy shit it was incredible and guilt free. She’s the kind of cook that makes carrots seem exotic and comes up with never-made-before-deserts during rush hour traffic. Hands off gentlemen, she’s mine! Anyhow, I won’t be able to give the bacon feast its proper acclaim. See what she has to say about it. 

In summary, when the people in your life make an effort to make your life wonderful it makes living take a new form – think voracious, bodacious, elations. The people in my life not only held me in their thoughts, they helped aid me on my quest to true life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Thank you for those of you who held me in your thoughts on my birthday. May sustainability rush to the fore. 

Also, a quick shout out to my Mom and Dad, who have been with me every step of the way to enrolling in Public Policy at George Mason. Because of them, I have a chance to one day make broad environmental brush strokes in the spirit of a Teddy Roosevelt, James Lovelock, or John Muir.

Beating Scandinavia for once!

Image borrowed from Dave Granlund. Thanks Dave!

 Though this comic pokes fun at NOAA, I poke them with laud, praise, and merry sentiment. Data collected by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration made an unprecedented move to preserve fisheries possible.

Hello America I’ve been dreaming of!!! Did anyone catch the headlines in the Environmental section of the Washington Post Monday??? Okay probably not, since most of you loyal readers hail from Chicago, but here goes:

An unprecedented move to preserve U.S. fisheries

“In an effort to sustain commercial and recreational fishing for the next several decades, the United States this year will become the first country to impose catch limits for every species it manages, from Alaskan pollock to Caribbean queen conch.”

 ...I’m staring at my Swedish flag in a glorious disbelief, because the U.S. is poised to do something more environmentally responsible than the Scandinavian contingent. Could this be the start of a new era? And get this…the policy hails from Dubya’s tenure and was finalized with Obama’s backing. I’m talking at Republicratic glory here. To read more click here (then zoom in).

So with this bit of scrumptious happening in the wake of Obama’s recess appointments and on the same day of Obama’s chief-of-staff announcing his sign-off, I’m starting to get all excited about election season. 

Only last month I would have argued with my every that going to the polls was a waste of time, and worse yet, a waste of your carbon footprint. However, I rescind that belief now. Obama’s declared war on Congress! His cabinet is repositioning to handle the upcoming debate over how to pay for the payroll tax cut. It’s crazy exciting. And by the way, to hell with Congress! I saw enough filibustering from the Red Seats during my first summer here in D.C. to last two lifetimes. I’m stoked that Obama is unleashing a bit of executive command from the oval office. 

Anyhow, go U.S. and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for providing data on catch limits and enacting sound policy. 

Happy Tuesday, World.

Ripples of intrigue

Space elevator graphic provided by wikipedia.

My suspicion is that we all dream to do great things. Some of us aspire to build marvelous structures that send ripples of intrigue through our fellow citizens. Some of us dream to conquer the unknown and live life on whim, tasting Gaia’s offerings without being held in check by a daily grind or compromised by a stifling economic situation. 

My suspicion is that our current technological grasp could create a near boundless world. We could solve climate change with two giant strokes: a nuclear energy infrastructure paired with a space elevator. What about Japan? A Space Elevator; that’s entirely impractical. Every great puzzle has incredible resistance and challenges, though with enough willpower our nation and world could do anything. 

Sanctions are working on Iran, Obama bested Congress with his recess appointments, 1.2 million jobs have been created since the bottom of the great recession. Things are starting to turn around right here in the United States. 

It’s not that far of a stretch to foresee an electric fleet of cars fueled by nuclear energy in the future. It’s not that far of a stretch to see a massive population stabilization. Brazil and most of Latin America have had their number of children shrink from 6.0 to 2.3 from the 1960's to the present. We could be trending well!

People live at this moment in history with the necessity to work. Our livelihoods depend on a wage that loosely correlates to our time being put into some form of work. That could cease to be the case in the future. Technology could be manipulated in such a way that our subsistence functions in society are met, and our purpose could transform from finding a career to finding happiness.   

I will be attending classes again soon. Come January 24, I will be enrolled in George Mason University’s Climate Change Policy and Governance course and it’s Culture, Organization and Technology course. I will keep you updated on any insights gained from these courses. If all goes well I will get my master’s in transportation, policy, operations and logistics, keep my soul intact, and get working on shaping a world where we can strive for happiness. 

Loyal blog readers take care, and may your New Year’s wishes start coming into fruition.

Jeff Zeiss drew the phenomenal picture that denotes the onset of the Badassazoic Era.

Happy New Year loyal blog readers! This is the year where anything is possible. In fact, we may all go extinct at the end of 2012. (I actually have $50 bet going that I will collect in 2013 as long as “life doesn’t change as we know it.”)

Anyhow, this year also brings in a little over a year of blogging! I’ve taken one walk around the sun in the shoes of an eco-reformer. Though my carbon footprint has gotten bigger, and I’ve eaten more meat this year than last, I’m actually progressing. (I’ll get into that.)

Thank you loyal blog readers for your support. Today’s post is about the 11 environmental strides of 2011 that I found to be most significant in my quest for true life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It’s also about the goals for the New Year. I wish you the best for 2012.

Below is a long mess of text. It may get shopping list-ish quick. In a nutshell if you want to feel really good about life, join the Kyoto Protocol as an individual, fight detrimental energy sourcing, and embark upon an homage to your personal Mecca.

2011’s Eleven:

1)      “SIGNING” THE KYOTO PROTOCOL: Instead of waiting for our government to get its act together, I decided that as an individual it was time for me to sign the Kyoto Protocol. By taking last year’s global population of 6.48 billion individuals and dividing it into 20 billion tonnes, the acceptable level of carbon emissions under the Kyoto Protocol, I found that each individual could emit around 6,424 pounds of carbon last year. (As the global population grows that number shrinks.)

2)      TRACKING TRANSPORTATION:  By tracking my driving and flight miles, I was able to tangibly grasp how much carbon dioxide I emitted into the atmosphere this year through transportation. I emitted 4,268.48 pounds of carbon driving and about 2,069 pounds of carbon flying. I now have a transportation baseline to best in 2012! 

3)      PROTESTING THE KEYSTONE XL PIPELINE: Joining 12,000 nationwide protestors, I became one of the links in the human chain around the White House, November 6, to stand in opposition to the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline. The pipeline would transport tar sands from Alberta, Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. The pipeline’s proposed route has been suspended and is in the process of being rerouted because of Nebraska’s vehement opposition to the pipeline crossing over an important aquifer. Expect another huge protest soon. As a concession to Republicans for railroading through the payroll tax cut, Obama will have to make a decisionregarding the pipeline before the 2013 election. 

4)      GETTING INTO GEORGE MASON’S SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY: I’ve been looking to make some serious advances in the environmental movement, and George Mason’s master’s program could be the start. I’m taking courses in transportation policy with a smart growth bent. In 2008 our transportation sector was responsible for around 33 percent of our total greenhouse gas emissions. Transportation policy is an area where I could potentially kick ass and take names. 

5)      TAKING TRIPS INTO GAIA’S VAST BEAUTY: I’ve discovered a happiness bubble, found true life in the myriad of stars above Idaho’s Thompson Pass, and walked where some of the world’s greatest minds got lost in the beauty along the Appalachian Trail. The pristine world is so immensely glorious. I could get lost in her majesty. I love that even our concrete urbanscapes are now trending toward artistic bio-infusions.  

6)      HONING IN ON ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS: With the launch of Envirowire, I’ve been proactively working to grasp our world’s environmental trends and make them accessible to you, loyal blog readers. Knowledge is power, and information is the arsenal. In 2012 I’m looking to catalogue this information in a more user friendly format.

7)      BIKING OR BOARDING TO WORK: “You take your car to work, I’ll take my board…” Weezer hit the nail right on the Schlobodan.  I’ve found my life so much less stressful and have also stayed in much better shape by biking or taking my longboard to work. I’ve done well at sticking to this every day of the work week except for Tuesdays, where I must pick up Food bank supplies for our site. This has saved up to 112 miles and 90 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. 

8)      BECOMING A GREEN ENERGY PURCHASER:  I opted into Dominion’s Green Power program. The program costs one cent more per kilowatt hour, but it puts the extra revenue generated into renewable energy projects that will soon connect to its power grid. 

9)      BECOMING FOOD CONSCIOUS: Watching and reading Food Inc. was a great start for understanding the widespread atrocities of agribusiness and factory farming. For a moment in time I tried to dumpster dive to remove food from the waste stream, but I soon found I was stealing from local charities and stopped. At work, when we get unpopular foods from the Food Bank, I try to send them home with the kids, but if they won’t take the foodstuffs I eat them, so they don’t get landfilled. I started going to a farmer’s market last summer that accepted foodstamps and I look to continue to do the same this year. 

10)   ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION: As part of an AmeriCorps service project about 30 of us (Americorps members, Greenbrier Learning Center staff, kids, and their family members) took part in an environmental beautification project, in other words a trash pickup, at Barcroft and Glencarlyn parks in Arlington, Virginia. The kids at the Virginia Gardens site learned about the water cycle and the Potomac Watershed. During Greenbrier’s summer program the kids took part in some experiential learning with Longbranch Nature Center, as a Master Naturalist showed how insects fit into their habitats. 

11)   VOWING TO MAKE THIS DECADE THE BADASSAZOIC: When I returned to Chicago for my first winter break, with stories of Ileana adventures and life out east, I sat down with my friend Jeff and under the oath of supreme friendship vowed to make this decade the best decade of our lifetimes. He shortly thereafter quit his fulltime job, and I ramped up PlanetWisely. Next year will be year two in the Badassazoic. To living life well.

Now that you’re all ready to die because of the length of this post, I promise that it will end soon. But as the end of the year is a time of reflection, the onset of a new year is the time for anticipation. If you have any environmental subjects you think that I should explore please let me know. Here are my goals for 2012.

o   Post a “route to influence policy” map which shows the most effective route to improve the US’s domestic energy policy

o   Learn about the carbon impact of the following and convert it into CO₂ pounds emitted:

§  Water usage

§  Breathing

§  Recycling

§  Garbage collection

o   Meet the Kyoto Protocol – 5,900 pounds of CO₂ emitted during the year

o   Learn about the ratio of oxygen created vs. carbon released in the life cycle of plants and trees

o   See 10 new natural places

o   Learn the top five ways to cut back greenhouse gas emissions our transportation sector

o   Make my content more applicable to the everyday lives of all the good people out there