Category: Politics

Since I’ve been asked to listen by the women saying #MeToo, I did. Here’s a little of what I heard.

December 11, 2017

In the wake of #MeToo and the Silence Breakers, I’ve taken the time to sit down with the women I work with, including my intern and students in my classes, to talk about men sexually harassing women, especially at work. Here’s some of what I heard.   They have told me about worry, about a … More Since I’ve been asked to listen by the women saying #MeToo, I did. Here’s a little of what I heard.

LNMB Tax Plan: Leave No Megadonor Behind

December 4, 2017

The “tax boondoggle” was made for the Corporatopia. It transfers our money into the hands of the super-wealthy, offshore for mega-companies like Google and the big banks, special provisions for those poor little oil and gas companies. Meanwhile, it micromanages the poor while screwing them over. Something or other happens to the middle class.   … More LNMB Tax Plan: Leave No Megadonor Behind

“Once revealed, never concealed.” Young people are demanding climate answers and climate action.

November 17, 2017

Our youth are taking the reins and demanding action on climate change. A group of 21 children and young adults have filed Juliana et al v. United States to force the Trump administration to take on climate change. Inside Climate News reports [Juliana] seeks sweeping changes in federal climate change efforts and in government programs that subsidize or … More “Once revealed, never concealed.” Young people are demanding climate answers and climate action.

Solar schools in the State College Area School District

November 9, 2017

Last night the State College Area School District board voted to go ahead with the rooftop solar projects on the elementary school renovations with a 5-4 vote. That’s the leadership our community is looking for. Below are the full comments I’d prepared for the meeting. My name is Peter Buckland. I am a resident of Ferguson … More Solar schools in the State College Area School District

Vote Ferguson Township!

November 4, 2017

For Ferguson Township supervisors, I’ll be voting for Spock-Carlson, Tony Tom Ricciardi, and Steve Miller on November 7th. We need a board that recognizes the connection between our place and the bigger world. Sara Spock-Carlson is a smart and committed citizen. She is a scientist by training who works on making autistic children’s live better. … More Vote Ferguson Township!

Irma and Harvey came at two and a half minutes to midnight.

September 11, 2017

On September 12, 1962, John F. Kennedy spoke at Rice University in Houston. He said that the people there were gathered “at an hour of change and challenge, in a decade of hope and fear, in an age of both knowledge and ignorance,” and by the end of the decade, we would land a man on … More Irma and Harvey came at two and a half minutes to midnight.

The climate is a concert and you have a part to play.

September 3, 2017

I was recently interviewed for the Analogous podcast. We talk about local government, sustainability, and how the climate is a concert. What do we want the music to be? Right now it’s being written by the fossil fuel companies and the merchants of doubt. It doesn’t have to be that way. We also explore sustainability … More The climate is a concert and you have a part to play.

When we bail out Houston, we will be massively redistributing wealth.

August 30, 2017

People are wondering whether climate change caused Hurricane Harvey. That’s the wrong question. Hurricanes have been happening on Earth as long as there have been oceans. The question should be “How did climate change influence Harvey?” Some pieces over the last few days from USA Today, Gizmodo, Michael Mann’s piece in The Guardian, and an interview with Dan … More When we bail out Houston, we will be massively redistributing wealth.

A public works building founded on health, a land ethic, & neighborliness

August 22, 2017

The following is the Owner Project Requirement I wrote for the design of the Ferguson Township Public Works Building. As you’ll see, it’s founded on our state’s and township’s policy commitments to supporting the health and well-being of the community understood as people and the land. * * * The Board of Supervisors approved the … More A public works building founded on health, a land ethic, & neighborliness

My letter to Penn State’s Board of Trustees about our citizens, our land, & the Cottages

August 5, 2017

Dear Chairman Dambly and the Penn State Board of Trustees, Thank you for your service to Penn State University, our Commonwealth’s storied land grant university. I am a proud son of Penn State faculty and staff, an alumni, and an employee of Penn State[1]. As a servant myself, I appreciate the time you take to … More My letter to Penn State’s Board of Trustees about our citizens, our land, & the Cottages