The planet passed a woeful milestone this month. The annual minimum of CO2 in the air occurs in September at the end of the Northern Hemisphere’s summer-is greater than 400ppm. Given the long lifetime of CO2 in the atmosphere, it is unlikely that you or I, or anyone living, will see a planet with less than 400ppm in the remainder of our lives.  At the same time, Bill McKibben notes that humans have already built enough mines and drilled enough wells to pollute the air beyond safe limits. That said, there is NO need to explore for new fossil fuel deposits, or even to exploit the ones the industry knows about. New wells are a waste of money, since we cannot use the oil. (Tell that to your investment advisor!) Listen in as we discuss.

The reading list:

• We just passed 400ppm. The first year of the rest of our lives
• Have we blown past a two-degree rise?
• Bill McKibben checks his math, and discovers he was more than correct!
• Massachusetts is national leader in fighting climate change'
• CLF opens a new front in the war on Big Oil- Exxon's fraud delays protection of risky tanks
• In which John Oliver famously asks "Do owls exist?"

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist that the United States put a price on carbon.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre