Time to Act on Climate is Now
I’ve been following Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old climate advocate who recently landed on Time Magazine’s cover as Person of the Year. In her latest speech at the UN Climate Change Conference in Madrid, she said, “There’s hope … it does not come from the government or corporations, it comes from the people. Every great change throughout history has come from the people. We do not have to wait.”
As the year comes to a close and we reflect on what we’ve achieved, I’d have to say that the rising voice of youth in the climate movement has brought more awareness to the urgent need for climate action. This is a big step in the right direction.
Nonpartisan volunteers with Citizens’ Climate Lobby have been calling on Congress to take action on climate solutions. Lately, it is the presence of youth in our meetings that helps us drive the statistics home. According to Republican pollster Frank Luntz, a carbon dividend plan has majority support across party lines, including 75% of Republicans under 40.
Greta noted that people are ready for change. If you are interested in moving beyond individual steps and curious about how you can help in the positive momentum for climate action, check out citizensclimatelobby.org. There is a North Tahoe chapter that meets in Truckee monthly. We welcome people from across the political spectrum who are interested in pursuing a vision for a clean and prosperous future.
“We can start the change right now. We, the people,” Greta tells us.
~ Janet Atkinson, Truckee, via letter
In response to The Long-Term Headache of Regulating Short-Term Rentals
Enforcement, Not Just Regulation
We need laws to be enforced. The rental in my neighborhood has over six people? They park on side of the street in winter (sometimes both sides!) in a huge storm. The snowplow has to go around them and they leave the [berm], which is now in the middle of street. (They don’t shovel). Welcome to the new zombie “local” who is either rude or totally clueless.
~ Laura Stollorz Schroeder, Truckee, via Facebook
In response to December edition
Coda of a Meaty and Satisfying Issue
I went to the latest copy of Moonshine Ink and saw that the opinion pieces, A Horse Mom’s Perspective and Our Local Food Moves On in the present issue are substantial pieces of writing.
To add my own perspective on a local issue as a My Shot, I thought, “what would I write?” which would have been something like: “Do we know how lucky we are? We should pinch ourselves! We have Moonshine Ink!”
But I had not yet shuffled through the bulk of the paper, which I have finally finished this morning: the density of it, with its stories on the who-knew touchy-feely side of firefighters, the true story of growing public reaction to the Tahoe [D]FWS “war on bears.”
But then I turned to your center piece (aptly titled, please tell me that was intentional) Running Around/Running Aground, a beautifully seasoned and extremely compact story of the supposed conundrum concerning wild horses, a subject for a dear long time so close to my heart.
Thank you again for what you do: vivid, informative, provocative, surprising, up to the minute, and I loved the story of the woodcarver at the tail end.
But for me the coda which proved the whole was your Parting Shot, the story of the taming of the Cremello Stallion. A tale of more than human kindness and quietude, and through that, what may be accomplished.
~ Wayne Poulsen, Olympic Valley, via letter
In response to letter The Enemy isn’t PG&E or Fossil Fuels, it’s Us by Jeffrey Middlebrook
I would like to relate certain facts for the benefit of readers who might be misled by some of the spurious statements in Mr. Jeffrey Middlebrook’s letter.
First, the burning of fossil fuels must be drastically reduced if we are to have a chance of leaving a reasonably healthy planet behind for the generations that follow. This is abundantly clear.
Second, storage technologies for renewable energy are developing rapidly, including advanced batteries, thermal and mechanical systems, hydrogen, and pumped hydropower.
Third, steel is presently produced without coal. In the next few years, this will begin happening on an industrial scale. Recent progress in this area is more than remarkable, as the well-known process for making aluminum is adapted to steel production. Many of the world’s largest extractive companies have joined forces with leading scientific organizations to help steer the ship, so to speak, toward full industrial-scale steel production without greenhouse gas emissions.
It’s also worth noting that today’s common steel production processes account for between 7% and 9% of global carbon emissions; a big chunk. For more info see: medium.com/@the_engine/cleaning-up-steel-72f4d0ea8f0d and bostonmetal.com.
~ Steve Batie, Truckee, via letter
In response to What the Honk? Online
Congestion Full of … You Know What
Pardon the metaphor, but Tahoe area roads can be compared to the legendary “blivet bag”…
That’s a 5-pound capacity bag trying to hold 10 pounds of … well, you know!
That said, despite the (noncomplying) signs, the roundabout just south of Tahoe City on SR-89 seems to be working well at diverting Truckee-bound traffic away from the “Y.”
~ Edward Miller, Tahoe City, via Facebook
