Solve tomorrow’s problems. Today.

Mañana.

Sigh.

Procrastination is a disease that inflicts many of us (certainly not excluding this author) and The US.

It seems that there is nary a chore, nary a challenge whose solution can’t be put off to tomorrow or, preferably, the day after.

The time has passed. It is time to change our habits. We must start doing our chores.

We must stop making a mess. We must fight to clean up our collective messes. 

We, together, can solve tomorrow’s problems.  Today.

Al Gore gave a speech Thursday (video) in Washington, DC, one that set a major objective before us, a path toward clean up our biggest mess, the dumping of carbon and other pollutants into our atmosphere and waters. He set a path for us to begin to  Solve Tomorrow’s Problems, Today.  And, he gave another speech earlier today in Austin, Texas, at Netroots Nation that raised, not just Global Warming, other serious problems in our society and democracy.  He laid out problems, but, at the core, stated:  Carpe Diem.  Seize the Day.  Work together, fight to Solve Tomorrow’s Problems.  Today!  

Energy Smart Jeff

Amid skyrocketing oil, gasoline, coal, and electricity (coming to a neighborhood near you) prices, 2008 offers Americans quite serious and stark choices between knowledgeable, impassioned, and thoughtful candidates when it comes to finding paths toward a prosperous 21st century economy, on the one side, and Fossil-Fool candidates focused on tightening our shackles to the ever-more costly (pollution, financial, otherwise) and archaic oil-coal based energy system.

One of these choices comes in Oregon, where Speaker of the House Jeff Merkley against so-called “moderate” Republican Gordon Smith.  

Jeff was an easy choice for membership in the ranks of the Energy Smart Act Blue page. Join me after the fold for some indications as to why.

A list of Global Warming sites

If you want to go for Global Warming information, where do you go? After the fold are some great sites.

Energy Smart Debbie

Amid skyrocketing oil, gasoline, coal, and electricity (coming to a neighborhood near you) prices, 2008 offers Americans quite serious and stark choices between knowledgeable, impassioned, and thoughtful candidates when it comes to finding paths toward a prosperous 21st century economy, on the one side, and Fossil-Fool candidates focused on tightening our shackles to the ever-more costly (pollution, financial, otherwise) and archaic oil-coal based energy system.

One of these stark choices comes in California’s 46th district, where Huntington Beach Mayor Debbie Cook is running against ten-term Congressman Dana Rohrbacher.

Debbie was one of the first on the Energy Smart Act Blue page. Join me after the fold for some indications as to why.

A prize for Freedom?

How do we define freedom?

In the face of $140+ barrel oil (and heading higher), Peak Oil, and Global Warming, an ever-growing definition: Freedom from Oil!

For those fighting to achieve that freedom, another tool just got added to the arsenal: The Freedom Prize.

The Freedom Prizes will address the challenge of oil dependence using American ingenuity and the spirit of competition.

We will be awarding over $4 Million in Freedom Prizes to inspire Industry, Schools, Government, Military, and Communities to significantly reduce their use of oil, thereby promoting America’s national security, economic prosperity and health. Learn more about the problem of oil dependence and what can be done today to start getting our country off oil.

At the moment, The Freedom Prize is just emerging as the rule set for actual prizes won’t come until fall 2008. And, $4 million spread across five categories (Industry, Schools, Government, Military and Community) won’t necessarily take us that far. But, the X-Prize has not necessarily been about guaranteeing financing but in providing visibility and motivation for a challenge, whether private enterprise putting someone into space or commercializing 100+ mile per gallon cars. And, the visibility provides education and knowledge for the rest of society.

While $4 million won’t end America’s addiction to oil, this looks like it could be $4 million very well spent. For the moment, The Freedom Prize is something to keep an eye on, who knows whether they’ll prompt attention to some Silver BBs to help change the game for America’s and the globe’s energy challenges.

Reid: “Coal makes us sick …”

Harry Reid spoke bluntly on energy issues.  Looking the Faux and Balanced cameras square on, he spoke truth:  

Coal makes us sick …

This is an important statement.  Reid is speaking truth to an audience that isn’t used to hearing it.

Pat Sajak: Gl_b_l W_rm_ng D_n_ _ r ( _ssh_l_!)

Well, the man who needs a ditzy blond to help him spell words has come out of the woodworks.  Pat Sajak is a strong-worded Global Warming Skeptic.

Sadly, Wheel of Fortune’s host probably has a greater voice than the thousands of IPCC scientists with a segment of the American public … hopefullyu that segment isn’t highly represented in the voting public.

But, while Sajak’s denier attitude might be worth rejection, he raises an ethical and moral challenge that should make us all restless at night.

NOTE:  Giving credit where credit is due.  I lifted this great title from Steve Caratzas over at Ecotality Blog.  Kudos Steve — Truly, plagiarism is intended as the highest compliment …

And, in thanks for the great title, Steve chose to promote this Global Warming site (which I hadn’t seen before and which looks pretty good). 

TRADITION! WashPost Global Warming reporting Fair and Balanced

Tradition!

The Washington Post is establishing a firm 21st Century tradition: when it comes to Global Warming, take guidance from Faux News, “Fair and Balanced”.

Multiple times in the pastweek, both in reporting and on the editorial page, The Washington Post continued a seemingly iron tradition of coloring Global Warming science by ensuring that skeptics and deniers have their say as well, without providing any indication to the ‘regular’ reader that serial skeptics received a silver platter invitation to the Post‘s pages to spread their deception.

Fair and Balanced strikes WashPost Global Warming reporting again

Earlier this week, two Washington Post articles demonstrated, yet again, the Post’s editors’ dedication to modeling Post reporting after Faux News when it comes to Global Warming: “Fair and Balanced” over objective and truthful. In what were otherwise quite interesting and even valuable articles to read, the Post inserted material from Global Warming deniers and skeptics to assure that they had ‘both sides of the story’.

Sunday’s Higher Learning Adapts to a Greening Attitude, two notable skepics each had a paragraph: Donald J Boudreaux and Richard Lindzen (for a bit of my perspective, see Newsweek: J’accuse …). These two are quoted with their serious sounding titles (which make them sound more authoritative than anyone else in the article. Any context provided about how they’re among the normal talking heads brought to the table to provide the “other side” to the overwhelming majority of scientists who have looked at the Theory of Global Warming, tested it, and found that (sadly) it passed the tests? Of course not.

Monday, in an article about Jim Hansen’s 20th anniversary of speaking out publically on Global Warming issues, Turning up the Heat on Climate Issue, James Inhofe (R-Exxon) was given a couple paragraphs to comment. Any indication that Inhofe is the most virulent global warming denier in the Congress and that he has called global warming “the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people”. For Inhofe, in essence, Global Warming is the latest Black Helicopter craze of UN conspiracy to take over the United States (and the globe).

Sigh …

Yet again, “Fair and Balanced” Washington Post threw into the trash the concept of objective and truthful reporting when it comes to Global Warming.

 

CtB vs CtO and greening taxi fleets

A brief discussion about the economic imperatives for greening the nation’s taxi fleets. But, first, acronym definition:

• CtB:  Cost to Buy: acquisition price, how much to purchase something
• CtO: Cost to Own: total ownership costs, from purchase through operating to disposal

Quite simply, moving our collective mindset from CtB to CtO is a societal imperative.

But, to question of greening taxi fleets:  When it comes to these issues, while the CtB is slightly higher, the CtO figures are overwhelming for moving taxi fleets (rapidly) toward hybrids or other high-fuel efficiency vehicles.  This is something that should be happening nearly everywhere in the country. Now!!!!

Yet, obstacles exist …