Hidden by continuous media coverage of the pandemic, the current administration is pushing environmental rollbacks. The latest is about fine pollution (PM2.5) that makes coronavirus worse! We review some of the rollbacks, so you can remember later, when you have to make a decision on which leaders you will choose.

The reading list:

• EPA refuses to improve fine soot limits
• The new study linking PM2.5 to corona severity
• Trump's 'deal' with Putin and MSB on oil markets.
• Trump to pay producers to 'leave it in the ground'
• Vanity Fair on Trump's rollbacks under coronavirus
• Reuters on EPA relaxation of enviro enforcement
• EPA's fake 'secret science' gimmick to limit regulation

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

The logic is simple: A free election is critical to climate progress. A free election, in the age of pandemic, should be mail-in. An honest mail-in election requires a functioning, public institution like the Post Office. The USPS is under siege by the forces of authoritarianism. Defend the Post Office. Listen in.

The reading list

• The Postal Clause of the US Constitution
• Wikipedia on the USPS
• The Nation: Duty to protect the USPS
• How Congress manufactured a postal crisis
• Moral urgency of vote by mail
• Trump's grudge against USPS (Can you say Bezos?)
• Trump threatened to veto stimulus if it carried USPS money
• Rural communities will be hurt
• Trump v Amazon
• NPR: PO supporters are buying stamps
• NYT on USPS and COVID-19
• Wisconsin is a tragedy for democracy
• Vote by mail backgrounder

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

Reaching across political and cultural divides to address the root causes of climate change requires thoughtful planning and careful word choices. We talk with a Citizen’s Climate Lobby Fellow, based in Kansas, whose task is to make Conservative Outreach to people on all points of the political spectrum in the Sunflower State.

The reading list:

• CCL's preferred bill
• Wikipedia on Ideographs

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

Listen to a Citizen Climate Lobby Fellow discuss what it takes to attract support for climate legislation from people with very different ideas about how the world works.

The reading list

• CCL's preferred bill
• SciAm on the six pillars
• Haidt TED talk
• WIKI on moral foundation theory
• Harari's book Sapiens

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

The silence of conservative politicians on the deficit impact of spending two trillion dollars is, in itself, very revealing. It shows that we can spend money on important issues, despite all the previous prophesies of doom. New economic understandings show that we can afford to spend money on big social programs, like the Green New Deal. Listen in so that you can throw the term “sovereign currency’” into the conversation at your next ZOOM cocktail party.

The reading list:

• Adler-Bell in The Outline about why there was always money
• Kelton interviewed on MMT
• Vox explains MMT

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

In theses times, what once seemed impossible suddenly seems obvious. What if the US simply bought the coal industry, retired the factories, protected the workers, preserved the communities, kept the coal in the ground and saved the planet. For less than $2B! Listen in.

The monetary value of the fossil fuel industry is tiny compared to the damage the industry is capable of inflicting on the world. In a time of economic turbulence and a need for government intervention, federal money can be well spent acquiring a controlling interest in the fossil fuel industry. The value obtained by the US will be in protecting jobs and quality of life in communities currently impacted by the industry as well as the long-term preservation of the environment.

It is possible for the US to outright buy coal for $2B, and the Oil Majors for $500B. Then the industries can be retired with dignity for the country.

The estimate of the market capitalization of the coal industry is based on simple google searches, seeking a list of large US coal companies their value. In late March 2020, we found that Alliance Resources is worth $0.456B, Arch Coal $0.414B, Cloud Peak Energy $0.293B and Peabody Energy $0.273B. Others companies, like Murray, Revelation/Blackjewel/NACCO,Consol, Foresight and Contura are much smaller. The total value of the combined list is $1.8B. Hence, a 51% controlling stake could be purchased for about $1B.

The estimate of the value of the oil majors is: Exxon is valued at $156B, Chevron at 130B, Phillips at 66B,Valero at 18B, EOG Resources at $21B, Anadarko at $37B, Occidental at $12B, Pioneer at $12B and Marathon at 3B. EOG is also a major Fracking company, along with Diamondback at $5B. The total combined value is about $500B.

The reading list

• An example of the respect the coal industry has for its workers and their communities
• Aronoff in the New Republic with the original proposal to nationalize fossil fuels.
• A related proposal to nationalize the industry
• Youtube of a webinar on Nationalization
• A successful example of WWII nationalization

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

COVID-19 is reshaping our lives in real time, revealing the same old tricks Fox uses to misinform and raising questions about how to take climate action if the streets are closed. Speaking of streets, do we want to return to cities crowded with cars, or should we retain the calm of walk-able cities? Asking the easy question is the first step to finding the hard answers.

The reading list:

• Should we keep streets closed to traffic 'after the corona virus?'
• How can we conduct climate protest in social isolation
• Fox news as a virus
• DJ D-Nice on Instagram
• Walking across the Zakim Bridge
• The Purge movie

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

As the triple issues of Pandemic, Inequality and Climate Change bear down on us, it is clear that a #GreenStimulus is a path to a better future. Listen in.

The reading list

• Naomi Klein on the Shock Doctrine (VIDEO) and how we can respond in the time of Pandemic
• Dave Roberts at Vox gives a long and detailed summary of Green Stimulus ideas
• A formal proposal for a Green Stimulus, with lots of specific ideas
• Five Principles for a Green Stimulus
• CommonDreams explains the Green Stimulus idea
• Is a financial meltdown from Climate Change possible?
• Corona virus is climate change on fast forward

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

Columbia Gas has had a rough run after blowing up South Lawrence. Now it is on the block to be sold. Should the towns north of Boston band together to buy Columbia Gas? A recent article in Commonwealth Magazine posed just this question, so we discussed the pros and cons with the author.

The reading list:

• Altemose's Proposal in Commonwealth Magazine
• Eversource hopes to buy Columbia
• MCAN's Municipal Light Plant (MLP) Project
• HEETMA's proposal for GeoMicroDistricts

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

A recent Globe opinion piece asked good questions about the pandemic and climate change. We talk with the author, and wonder what life will be like ‘after.’ Listen in.

The reading list

• Craig Altemose's Opinion in Boston Globe on Corona and Climate
• Naomi Klein on Corona Capitalism
• McKibben in New Yorker on Climate and Corona
• Boston Globe is against airline bailouts
• A bailout for private jets?
• Aronoff at Jacobin on corona and climate
• Guardian on frequent flyers
• Wikipedia on the movie Inception
• Vox on the Green New Deal
• 350MA

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre