Today, I sat down and read Dr. King’s sermon on “Unfulfilled Hopes.” He invites us all to see that when we are thwarted in our goals, we have choices between “bitterness” and living with “a dynamic will.” He works from the example of St. Paul, who wanted to reach the far edge of the known … More Reflecting on Dr. King’s “Unfulfilled Hopes” sermon
My amazing colleague, Erica Smithwick answers the question, “Is climate change to blame” for the California fires? “The answer, simply, is yes.” 2024 is officially the hottest year on record, the tenth of the ten hottest ever-recorded years. Snowpack is reduced, droughts are longer and deeper, and everything on the ground is drier and therefore … More “Is climate change to blame” for the California fires? “The answer, simply, is yes.”
Over the last few days, I’ve been texting with a former student, Joe Thompson, from the Local Climate Action Program who lives in Orange, CA. The Palisades fire has been raging around him, so he’s been assisting his community by taking food the local shelter for it to go to Los Angeles. With the Santa … More A student faces the fires. We’re lucky he understands what drives them & is ready to do something about it.
This entry continues my journey back through what’s motivated me to explore “The Mindful Ecological Citizen.” Most recently, I’ve been focused on learning from the Centre County solar power purchase agreement and “a prescient note on climate change to Jimmy Carter.” But I want to return to where I left off in a recent entry exploring … More Kitzmiller v. Dover: When a school board invites a fight
The day before my first birthday–July 7, 1977–a climate memo was prepared for Pres. Jimmy Carter. It was titled “Release of Fossil CO2 and the Possibility of a Catastrophic Climate Change.” It recognized the pending impact from warming caused by the amplification of the greenhouse effect from exponential fossil fuel combustion. Carter saw it. I … More 7.7.77: A prescient note on climate change to Jimmy Carter
I want the lessons of the Centre County solar power purchase agreement (SPPA) working group (WG) to be as accessible as possible. As readers know, 10 of central Pennsylvania’s local governments are finalizing the largest-by-member SPPA in the Commonwealth and maybe the country. This entry is my first deliberate crack at it. Here, I will use the World … More Early lessons from the Centre County solar power purchase agreement
State and local governments will persist in climate action. That’s the conclusion of a recent piece in Grist. We have virtual certainty the incoming Trump administration will withdraw from the Paris Agreement, leading to widespread worry about other nations’ commitments to reduce emissions and achieve the 1.5° or 2° C temperature goals. But there are lots of … More State and local governments will persist in climate action because it works.
In the last week, we’ve had more wins for the power purchase agreement. Last Tuesday, the Centre County Commissioners voted 3-0 to enter. On Monday, the State College Borough voted 6-1 to join. Tonight, Last night, Patton Township’s Board voted 5-0. They join the State College Area School District and Harris Township. All told, there are about … More Some lessons from the PPA: Openness. Honesty. Skepticism. Trust. Consistency.
Taking a moment here to think about the solar power purchase agreement today from the point of view of the “mindful ecological citizen.” I want to understand how our democratic system allowed it to take shape. It would be (maybe will be) fascinating to retrospectively examine how the working group and project management team moved … More Three sets of questions about the solar PPA
This entry continues the “Climate change is…” series. Last year, I met the photographer, film maker, and author James Balog. After a talk that included pieces of The Human Element, Chasing Ice, and other parts of his expansive catalog, he was asked a question about what lesson has been really important. His answer: “Acceptance.” We cannot … More Climate change is…an invitation to practice acceptance.
Peter Walks for Democracy 