Gerrymandering and House Districts

What does it take to pass Federal policy/legislation to slow global warming?

     If the President vetoes legislation passed by the Senate and the House, then the legislation requires two thirds majorities in the Senate and the House for passage. 
     If the President will sign the proposed legislation, it requires passage by a House majority and a filibuster proof Senate majority of 60 or more, if a filibuster is indicated – otherwise a simple majority. 

GOP position on slowing global warming is obstructionist

The Republican Party position on slowing global warming has remained “obstructionist”, at least, from 1981 to the present. Over that period, the February Mauna Loa CO2 reading has increased from 340.51 ppm to 402.59 ppm bringing humanity closer to an irreversible, catastrophically harmful future. 

Thus, the Republican Party has knowingly put all future generations at an increasingly likely risk of extreme harm and death for the obvious benefit of the coal, oil, and natural gas corporations and related industries that are overwhelmingly owned by a few hundred immensely wealthy elite. (Recent studies have made clear that Exxon leadership knew as early as 1977 about the potential catastrophic danger of substantially increasing the level of atmospheric CO2.)

Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for President in the 2016 election, is on record  as regarding global warming as a hoax, does not offer on his official campaign site any policies for slowing climate change, and has claimed that it is “dumb” to regard global warming as the number one problem for the U.S.

 Hence, a Trump Presidency - or a Republican majority in the House - or a sufficient (more than 40) Republican minority in the Senate - stands for inaction or obstruction of polices to slow global warming.

In 2016, such behavior is unequivocally a crime against humanity. 

Outcome of 2016 election: Crucial to avoid runaway global warming!

     Why is the outcome of the 2016 election crucial in the race to avoid runaway global warming?

     The latest monthly average reading of the CO2 level in the atmosphere was 407.42 ppm for April at Mauna Loa.  Annual CO2 levels in the atmosphere have been trending upwards since March 2015 when concentrations above 400 ppm were recorded at NOAA’s 40 measurement sites. We know that concentrations of CO2 of this magnitude were present about 3 million years ago and sea level was 80 feet higher. We do not know when increasing levels of CO2 will dramatically affect global warming and, thereby, sea level etc. However, clearly we are at a point when abrupt climate change is becoming increasingly more likely.

     Hence, the sooner a Democratic President and Congress are able to pass strong and effective carbon pricing and other policies to reduce warming gas emissions the better. Not only is it an issue of reducing U.S. emissions, but the U.S. will finally be in a stronger position to take a credible leadership role in the international community (including China) in rapidly reducing emissions.

Global warming tipping point: WHAT DOES URGENT MEAN?

     What is meant by talking about the “urgent” (as soon as possible) need for U.S. policy to slow global warming in order to try our best to avoid a global warming tipping point?

     A tipping point means a time after which human efforts/policies will no longer be the primary factor in increasing (global) warming. In other words, when a tipping point is reached, the rate of warming will increase primarily due to the effects of feedback loops, and such warming can be catastrophically rapid.

     Catastrophically rapid?  Recent research studies* have substantiated that global warming in the past has increased catastrophically rapidly – causing a sea level rise of 6.5 to 10 feet within a span of 50 to 100 years or causing a sudden mini-ice age in perhaps 10 years . When climate change occurs in such short periods of time, the ability of human communities to adapt without great harm is severely limited. 

* Refer to: Coral Fossils Suggest That Sea Level Can Rise Rapidly, New York Times, April 15, 2009

MASS ACTION TO STOP BOMB TRAINS

Albany, NY, May 14, 2016, Saturday...I'll be there participating, demonstrating. Website: Albany2016

I believe peaceful demonstrations are a very important tool. I hope you will join me there or support this effort in some other way.

(Please share with others! Thank you!)

(Except below is from Albany2016)
"So this is where we plan to take our stand,
to protect those most in harms way,
and to say we must keep these fossil fuels in the ground for a just and livable future."

Stayed Tuned!

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First blog attempt

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