Do Your Research - 325

Research, think, act has been my modus operandi ever since I was directed to do research papers at the Air Force Academy. Climate-wise, I have taken this seriously, and in the last decade, my living room has accumulated a few science magazines. Only magazines with climate articles make the cut. There are over 600 in my living room.

 

One of the goals I set for myself five years ago was to ensure I was giving you accurate information. But, just as important, I have been encouraging you to research on your own through annotated references.

 

More than ever, today is the time to make a research effort. It is time to identify our most pressing dangers. You may want to list your concerns. Nuclear war and climate change top my list. When comparing the threat of nuclear war and climate change the time element are the opposite but the result is the same. Nuclear war would be immediate and total, like being shot by a firing squad. In contrast many say climate change is like the frog in the cooking pot of cold water. It is so slow that by the time the frog realizes he is being cooked, it’s too late. 

 

When I was at the Academy, we had to examine nuclear war as part of the curriculum for future officers. Some of my classmates went on to serve in the missile silos in North Dakota. If ordered, they would have been the officers who turned the keys to send the nukes to annihilate our enemies. It was a grim responsibility.

 

Dealing with rapid climate change is grim, too. Being engulfed in climate change is like having a case of slow motion, lethal case of climate leprosy. We watch as different parts of our earth's body succumb to the heat and extreme weather. In 2022, the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, warned the world, "We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot on the accelerator." (While many humans find it difficult to perceive the rate of climate warming, scientists tell us, in geologic terms, Guterres is spot on.)

 

 Luckily, we have a cure for climate leprosy through decarbonization. The USA no longer has the accelerator stuck to the floor. The Biden Administration progressed with the Inflation Reduction Act, and 195 nations signed the Paris Climate Agreement to start healing the earth. The IRA and the Paris Agreement are imperfect beginnings. Just as every newborn child is an imperfect but wonderful beginning, we wisely do not toss the imperfect over the cliff.

 

      Look at the history of our nation. It was not born perfect. It was born under the Articles of Confederation in 1777. Despite this imperfect beginning, we did not throw out the idea of a united nation. Instead, we worked together and struggled to form a more perfect union.  In September 1787, ten years later, we reformed our nation's government around the Constitution. We continue to strive towards a more perfect union with each other and Earth.

 

There is serious concern that we will throw out the modest and imperfect gains we have made to slow and eventually stop the earth's rapid warming.  In this coming election, the science community is worried the USA will abandon the imperfect Inflation Reduction Act and pull out of the imperfect Paris Climate Accord just when the world needs competent climate leadership.

 

If we fail to make progress, if we fail to lead, we will accelerate the slow-motion worldwide climate catastrophe. This is no time to toss the fledgling climate commitments over the cliff.

The editors of Scientific American recently stepped up and lent their voice to reason.  Here is part of their argument to their readership:

 

"In the November election, the U.S. faces two futures. In one, the new president (Kamala Harris) offers the country better prospects, relying on science, solid evidence, and the willingness to learn from experience. She pushes policies that boost good jobs nationwide by embracing technology and clean energy. She supports education, public health, and reproductive rights. She treats the climate crisis as the emergency it is and seeks to mitigate its catastrophic storms, fires, and droughts.

 

In the other future, the new president (Donald Trump) endangers public health and safety and rejects evidence, preferring instead nonsensical conspiracy fantasies. He ignores the climate crisis in favor of more pollution. He requires that federal officials show personal loyalty to him rather than upholding U.S. laws. He fills positions in federal science and other agencies with unqualified ideologues. He goads people into hate and division, and he inspires extremists at state and local levels to pass laws that disrupt education and make it harder to earn a living.

 

Only one of these futures will improve the fate of this country and the world. That is why, for only the second time in our magazine's 179-year history, the editors of Scientific American are endorsing a candidate for president. That person is Kamala Harris.

 

Environment and Climate

Harris said pointedly during the September debate that climate change was real. She would continue the responsible leadership shown by Biden, who has undertaken the most substantial climate action of any president. The Biden-Harris administration restored U.S. membership in the Paris Agreement on coping with climate change. Harris's election would continue IRA tax credits for clean energy, as well as regulations to reduce power-plant emissions and coal use. This approach puts the country on course to spend the authorized billions of dollars for renewable energy that should cut U.S. carbon emissions in half by 2030. The IRA also includes a commitment to broadening electric vehicle technology.

 

Trump has said climate change is a hoax and dodged the question, "What would you do to fight climate change?" during the September debate..  He pulled the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement. Under his direction, the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies abandoned more than 100 environmental policies and rules, many designed to ensure clean air and water, restrict the dangers of toxic chemicals, and protect wildlife. He has also tried to revoke funding for satellite-based climate-research projects.

 

One of two futures will materialize according to our choices in this election.

 

Only one is a vote for reality and integrity. We urge you to vote for Kamala Harris."

 

For 179 years, the editors of Scientific American have done their research. I encourage you to read their full endorsement as part of your research.

 

Another celebrity, taking me completely by surprise, urged us to do our homework. Here is what she said: "Like many of you, I watched the debate tonight. If you haven't already, now is a great time to do your research on the issues at hand and the stances these candidates take on the topics that matter to you the most. As a voter, I make sure to watch and read everything I can about their proposed policies and plans for this country”.  This was Taylor Swift on September 10, 2024, endorsing Kamala Harris.

 

Reference: Scientific American, "Vote for Kamala Harris to Support Science, Health and the Environment"