While President Biden's climate agenda is facing extreme weather in Congress, he can at least show in Glasgow that his administration is aware of the risks of climate change.
This is urgent! I hope that the leaders will take adequate action to prevent more global problems. Thank you Alexander for sharing this with your audience.
Here we are at the threshold of long awaited COP26 full of hope for leaders to finally accept the challenge to come to the summit with concrete plans & unified commitment for reversing the climate crisis. We now learn several countries are clandestinely lobbying to downplay fossil fuels as a major cause of climate change.
My President will attend armed with reports from 4 government agencies attesting to the security risks heightened by the same thing others want to water down. Now that the US can send ethical, intelligent representation to COP26, unlike recent years, 2 members of his party are clouding his goals.
Meanwhile, billionaires take pleasure trips into space for the sake of vanity.
It’s a troubling scenario but hopefully the evidence we see as frighteningly real will be the persuasion needed for meaningful resolutions. It’s our only home & the urgency cannot be overstated.
A small silver lining in the space shots: watch William Shatner’s (Star Trek’s Captain Kirk), interviews post Blue Origin Space shot. He came back from space and talked ONLY about the stupidity of failing to address climate change. Jeff Bezos’ may have done the Climate movement in the US a great service with that space shot (however absurd, carbon devastating, and just insane it is), because Mr Shatner, at 90 years old, was moved to tears over how awful it is that we are destroying the greatest beauty in that cold dark outer space, and went on show after show and said so…
Thank you for that video, Nancie. Indeed, he was moved to tears: the cold universe is death and there is life on this beautiful, fragile planet. Still, I wouldn't accept a free ticket to burn enormous amounts of carbon to tell the world afterward that our planet is precious, I already do that every day.
I agree Mr Shatner’s reaction was truly moving & would be the exception to these space shots. It was wonderful seeing his emotional response & plea for the planet. So far as I know, he wouldn’t be included in the billionaires. However, sending Joe Manchin would only be adding to his ‘swag bag’ & wouldn’t change anything.
Fossil fuel corporations have too much sway over legislators in the US and Senator Munchin is a prime example. Until corporations have their money limited to have power over legislators we will see more examples where constituents have little power. The Pentagon is one agency that has pushed that climate change is a real threat to the country. Many of their naval bases will be affected by the change in sea levels. One can only hope the problems that arise with climate change will see action.
Thank you as always for providing sources. There's a lot in this newsletter. I might have to re-read it and follow up on certain things. What really worries me are the climate refugees - so much pain and suffering has to happen before people decide to leave their homeland. I'm also thinking of all the trauma that will be caused.
I admit that I was not as aware as I should have been of the security implications of the climate crises, but I'm surprised that it was not immediately pick up as a key issue once it was brought up. Such an important factor - amongst many others of course.
Thank you for this informative newsletter. It will definitely help me navigate what is discussed in Glasgow better.
Thank you, I will this week focus less on climate than last week, but when COP 26 starts I am sure to keep you informed. I decided not to go for obvious climate reasons (but I will speak online in one of the meetings on climate/water)
Joe Manchin has shown his vote has been sold to his fossil fuel backers, that they are far more important than the environmental climate crisis and with no heart or soul, he does not even care about food and healthcare for children.
Thanks for this great summary Mr Verbeek! Also appreciated your interview from earlier this week… thank you for all you do for our planet! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
And thank you for the kind comments!
Perhaps this era will be mentioned 'Anthropocene Singularity' in the future.
This is urgent! I hope that the leaders will take adequate action to prevent more global problems. Thank you Alexander for sharing this with your audience.
Thank you, Ricardo
Here we are at the threshold of long awaited COP26 full of hope for leaders to finally accept the challenge to come to the summit with concrete plans & unified commitment for reversing the climate crisis. We now learn several countries are clandestinely lobbying to downplay fossil fuels as a major cause of climate change.
My President will attend armed with reports from 4 government agencies attesting to the security risks heightened by the same thing others want to water down. Now that the US can send ethical, intelligent representation to COP26, unlike recent years, 2 members of his party are clouding his goals.
Meanwhile, billionaires take pleasure trips into space for the sake of vanity.
It’s a troubling scenario but hopefully the evidence we see as frighteningly real will be the persuasion needed for meaningful resolutions. It’s our only home & the urgency cannot be overstated.
A small silver lining in the space shots: watch William Shatner’s (Star Trek’s Captain Kirk), interviews post Blue Origin Space shot. He came back from space and talked ONLY about the stupidity of failing to address climate change. Jeff Bezos’ may have done the Climate movement in the US a great service with that space shot (however absurd, carbon devastating, and just insane it is), because Mr Shatner, at 90 years old, was moved to tears over how awful it is that we are destroying the greatest beauty in that cold dark outer space, and went on show after show and said so…
Here’s one to view:
https://youtu.be/qCFJktZnjjE
It’s a small trade off-but I thought Joe Manchin should go next, if it could shatter him past his narrow, small interests for the good of the world.
Thank you for that video, Nancie. Indeed, he was moved to tears: the cold universe is death and there is life on this beautiful, fragile planet. Still, I wouldn't accept a free ticket to burn enormous amounts of carbon to tell the world afterward that our planet is precious, I already do that every day.
I agree Mr Shatner’s reaction was truly moving & would be the exception to these space shots. It was wonderful seeing his emotional response & plea for the planet. So far as I know, he wouldn’t be included in the billionaires. However, sending Joe Manchin would only be adding to his ‘swag bag’ & wouldn’t change anything.
thanks, Lizzie!
Fossil fuel corporations have too much sway over legislators in the US and Senator Munchin is a prime example. Until corporations have their money limited to have power over legislators we will see more examples where constituents have little power. The Pentagon is one agency that has pushed that climate change is a real threat to the country. Many of their naval bases will be affected by the change in sea levels. One can only hope the problems that arise with climate change will see action.
Yes, the Pentagon has been on top of this from the very start, long before the relationship between climate and security was on the radar of others.
Thank you as always for providing sources. There's a lot in this newsletter. I might have to re-read it and follow up on certain things. What really worries me are the climate refugees - so much pain and suffering has to happen before people decide to leave their homeland. I'm also thinking of all the trauma that will be caused.
I admit that I was not as aware as I should have been of the security implications of the climate crises, but I'm surprised that it was not immediately pick up as a key issue once it was brought up. Such an important factor - amongst many others of course.
Thank you for this informative newsletter. It will definitely help me navigate what is discussed in Glasgow better.
Thank you, I will this week focus less on climate than last week, but when COP 26 starts I am sure to keep you informed. I decided not to go for obvious climate reasons (but I will speak online in one of the meetings on climate/water)
Looking forward to hearing you speak.
Joe Manchin has shown his vote has been sold to his fossil fuel backers, that they are far more important than the environmental climate crisis and with no heart or soul, he does not even care about food and healthcare for children.
Thank you, Dawna, I believe democracy was created to give people a vote, not companies.
I agree, Alex.