Sam Jones and Tennessee Transitions, September 20-24 on Religion For Life!

My guest this week on Religion For Life is Sam Jones who blogs at Tennessee Transitions. She is a community activist and advocate for transitioning our communities and our lives to the post-petroleum reality that is coming. She speaks candidly about the issues that we are facing as well as the importance of living simply.



Thursday, September 20th at 8 pm on WETS, 89.5.
Sunday, September 23rd at noon on WEHC, 90.7.
Sunday, September 23rd at 2 pm on WETS, 89.5.
Monday, September 24th at 1 pm on WEHC, 90.7..
Via podcast beginning September 25th.

Gary Barrigar Receives Lifetime Environmental Award

Our own Gary Barrigar who along with his wife, Nancy Barrigar, co-chairs our congregation's Peacemaking Committee, received a prestigious award from the governor of Tennessee.  It is the Robert Sparks Walker Lifetime Achievement Award for Gary's work with environmental awareness, education, and advocacy.  Here is the story:

The Robert Sparks Walker Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Carter County native Gary W. Barrigar, an award-winning science teacher and long-time advocate of Tennessee’s environmental heritage.

“Each year, we recognize an individual who has devoted a lifetime of exemplary service to environmental protection or conservation stewardship in Tennessee,” said Martineau. “Gary Barrigar has imparted the value and importance of the natural world to thousands of students, parents, administrators and various organizations throughout his 40-year career by using nature as a classroom and integrating environmental education into daily curriculum.”

In 2000, Barrigar was selected to chair the Tennessee State Board of Education Science Standards Committee that developed standards for high school courses in Ecology and Environmental Science that remain in use to this day. Barrigar also served as the president of the Boone Watershed Partnership from 2005-2012, growing the multi-faceted partnership from a loosely organized group to a highly effective 501(c)(3) organization that works to identify and address water resource issues in the Boone watershed, located in East Tennessee and parts of Virginia.

Barrigar also has served in a number of leadership roles with various environmental and conservation groups, including the Southern Appalachian Highland Conservancy, Friends of Roan Mountain, the Buffalo Creek Watershed Alliance and the Overmountain Chapter of Trout Unlimited.

Alongside his wife, Nancy, Barrigar has led the “Peacemaking Committee” at First Presbyterian Church in Elizabethton, Tenn., for more than 20 years – a group that involves church members in a variety of projects and activities focused on improving our natural environment. 

Congratulations, Gary!  We are very proud of you!

 TDEC Commissioner Bob Martineau and Deputy Governor Claude Ramsey present Gary Barrigar of Elizabethton (center) with the Robert Sparks Walker Lifetime Conservation Achievement Award at the 2012 Governor's Environmental Achievement Awards.

John Michael Greer, "Apocalypse Not" on Religion For Life, August 16-20

In this conversation with John Michael Greer we discuss the "apocalypse meme." He is the author of Apocalypse Not: Everything You Know About 2012, Nostradamus, and the Rapture Is Wrong. Why is that human beings predict and even seem to desire an "end"? Join us for this fascinating discussion of apocalyptic movements in history.

Almost since the beginning of civilization, an insatiable willingness to believe has driven people to dream of the apocalypse that will replace the world they've got with the one they've always wanted. All of these predictions have one thing in common: every one of them has been wrong.

John Michael Greer talks to me about the "apocalypse meme" as well as some real things to concern ourselves about such as how we are managing our stewardship of Earth.





Listen...

Thursday, August 16th at 8 pm on WETS, 89.5.
Sunday, August 19th, at noon on WEHC, 90.7.
Sunday, August 19th, at 2 pm on WETS, 89.5.
Monday, August 20th at 1 pm on WEHC, 90.7.
Via podcast beginning August 21st.

Tennessee Mountains Lose to Greed

This is not good news.  The senate (including my own senator, Rusty Crowe) did not step up and save our mountains from greed and short-sightedness.    The fight is not over.   The vote is delayed until April 2nd and in the meantime the house will consider a similar proposal.   It is time for all Tennesseans to contact our representatives.  This is from Dawn Coppock of LEAF:

Dear Caretakers for Creation,

After all your e-mails and calls for, “no decoys, no delays”, the TN Senate voted to delay a vote on the Tennessee Scenic Vistas Protection Act until April 2, instead of just passing the bill tonight. Likely, the opponents’ strategy is to kill the bill in the House committee before April 2 and avoid a vote on the substance of the bill altogether.

Those voting to delay were:

Senators Beavers, Bell, Campfield, Crowe, Faulk, Gresham, Johnson, Kelsey, Ketron, Massey, McNally, Norris, Overbey, Ramsey, Southerland, Summerville, Tracy, Watson and Yager.

Standing against delay were:

Senators Barnes, Berke, Burks, Finney, Ford, Harper, Haynes, Henry, Herron, Kyle, Marrero, Roberts, Stewart and Tate.

The hero of the day was our sponsor, Senator Eric Stewart. Senator Stewart gave a wonderful speech. If you missed it live, watch it on the video. (Go to the March 12, 2012, 5:00 session and then click on SB 577) We hope to get a copy of the text to post on TNLEAF.ORG in the next day or two.

E-mail Senator Stewart (sen.eric.stewart@capitol.tn.gov) and tell him how proud we are to have such an eloquent and passionate spokesperson.

Let’s stop and count our blessings:

1. A serious bill to end MTR reached the floor of a state legislature for the first time ever 
2. That bill was primarily drafted and championed by Christians
3. If it had gotten to a vote, the vote would have been too close to call 
4. An impassioned speech was made on the floor of the Tennessee State Senate giving voice to stewardship concerns and giving voice to the mountains 
5. We are not dead yet.

The primary focus for the next 2 weeks is the House Environment Committee. If you act fast you can send paper letters or notes. (But telephone calls and e-mails are also great.) Please continue your contacts, this time to the House Conservation & Environment Committee. You may find the committee information at:

• http://www.capitol.tn.gov/house/committees/conserv-env.html     or 
• http://tnleaf.org/legislative/the-bill-the-process-the-strategy/house-senate-committee-list-phone/
• Or you may copy and paste the House Committee emails listed here

Ask all the members of the committee to pass the "Tennessee Scenic Vistas Protection Act." If we get it out of the House Committee, things don’t look to bad on the floor of the Tennessee House. It is still possible, and given the stakes, we must keep at it, so long as there is hope.
 
Thank you for your prayers. Please keep those up. Those advocating tonight have to begin in the House in the morning. While the vote was disappointing, the response from all of you lifted us up. It sure would be nice for us to sit in the House Committee waiting rooms tomorrow as your calls flood in.
 
With gratitude,
 
Dawn Coppock
Legislative Director, LEAF

The majority of our senators could not summon the courage and decency to prevent this:

Zeb Mountain, Tennessee

It appears they need a little more tender persuasion.

In the meantime, Carol Landis, of the Green Interfaith Network sent this:

I'm really excited to share some big news with you! We have invited the Senators and Representatives who serve NE Tennessee to join us at our March 18th meeting (Munsey United Methodist Church, 4-6 p.m.) to discuss their positions on SB 577, the TN Scenic Vistas Protection Act that will be heard before the full Senate on Monday afternoon! Because of our distinguished guests and the timeliness of the topic, we will not hold our usual business meeting on March 18th. 

We'll begin our discussion with our guests promptly at 4:00. So please come a little early to network, mingle, and munch before we begin.

This is a tremendous opportunity to hear our legislators' perspectives on the issue of mountaintop removal coal mining and for us to express your values as well. So I'm asking another personal favor:  would you please do everything you can to help boost attendance at this meeting? Please mention it to your other groups, offer to carpool, and/or "bring a friend (or 3)". 

We are praying that the original language of SB 577 will be restored and that it will be passed on to the House for further consideration on Monday afternoon. I've attached a "flyer" that I hope you will download, print, and post everywhere around our area.

Thanks for all you've done. I hope to see you (and some of your friends) on the 18th!

Peace.

c

Carol is my guest on Religion For Life this Thursday at 8 pm on WETS and again Sunday at 2 pm.

It is Showtime for our Mountains

Here is the latest from L.E.A.F. regarding SB 577, The Tennessee Scenic Vistas Protection Act:

Monday, March 12, 2012
Action Alert I

Dear Caretakers of Creation,

SB 577 is before the Tennessee State Senate tonight at 5 CST, 6 EST. It appears the plan is to delay, increasing the chance that the whole Senate can avoid a vote altogether this year.  The opponents of the TN Scenic Vistas Protection Act do not want to vote because they know what you want them to do and they do not want to engender the courage to do it.

Right now the bill is gutted and one or more procedural votes are required to get to a vote on the real TSVPA to the floor. I expect the opponents to try to shut down discussion. The procedural wrangling will be hard to follow, but LEAF will action alert on Tuesday to explain what happened and what it means for the bill. Hopefully we will report passage of the real bill and how to engage on the House side.

Many people responded to our last alert with a willingness to pray during the session for wisdom and courage for your Senator and all the Senators, and for protection of the mountains. If you are willing to do that also, you can record that intent by responding to this email. Please include your name and the town where you live and the name of your Senator.

Here are the other action items:

• Call or email the Senators today.
  • You may find all the Senators' information at:
    http://www.capitol.tn.gov/senate/members/
    And you may find their e-mails in a copy/paste format at:
    http://tnleaf.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-Senate.Email-addresses.pdf
     

The message is “Restore and Pass the TN Scenic Vistas Protection Act Tonight. No Decoys. No Delays.” You really don’t need to say any more than that.

• Watch the Senate Session live here.  We could be anywhere on the schedule, so I don’t know how long it will before SB 577 comes up.
• As you watch, continue to pray.

 
I cannot tell you how your love and prayers and our solidarity in purpose lifts us all and supports our spirits. Thank you,
 
Dawn Coppock,
Legislative Director, LEAF

Carol Landis and the Green Interfaith Network on Religion For Life, March 15-19

On the next Religion For Life, I speak with Dr. Carol Landis, the president of the board of directors of the Green Interfaith Network. The Green Interfaith Network (GINI) seeks to "build a network of cool congregations" in our area.

Our Vision is to be a model for green faith communities in the Southern Appalachians and to become a spiritual voice for environmental sustainability in the Northeast TN and Southwest VA region.

Carol will be talking about the work of the Green Interfaith Network including its advocacy for Tennessee's mountains.

Listen via livestream...

Thursday, March 15th at 8 pm on WETS, 89.5.

Sunday, March 18th, at noon on WEHC, 90.7.

Sunday, March 18th, at 2 pm on WETS, 89.5.

Monday, March 19th at 1 pm on WEHC, 90.7.

Via podcast beginning March 20th.

Tennessee Legislators: Do the Right Thing

Thanks to the Johnson City Press for printing my letter Sunday:

Mountaintop mining

There is a grave injustice in our land. Its name is mountaintop removal strip mining. Five hundred mountains have had their tops blown off and the rubble disposed into streams. Forests are destroyed. Habitats are destroyed. Streams are polluted. Human lives are ruined.

It leaves devastation and poverty in its wake as well as fat profits for coal companies. It is coming to Tennessee unless our legislators act now.

This is not a jobs vs. environment issue. This destructive mining practice has reduced the number of mining jobs. This is not an economy vs. the environment issue. Our economy thrives on the natural beauty of our mountains and the industries that benefit from them such as tourism, hunting, and fishing. Some of the poorest counties in our nation are those with mountaintop removal strip mining. Mountaintop removal benefits the profits of outside coal companies. That’s it.

This is not merely an environmental issue. This is a moral issue. This is an issue of right and wrong regarding our descendants and stewardship of creation. This current generation has no right to destroy these mountains for short-term gain and for profit. Blowing off the tops of our mountains is not economically viable. It is not energy sustainable. It is not environmentally responsible. Mountaintop removal strip mining destroys lives, habitats, homes and leaves your grandchildren and mine with desolation.

The majority of Tennesseans do not want our mountaintops destroyed for coal. I call on our senators and representatives each to examine his or her moral compass.

You know this is wrong. Do the right thing.

THE REV. JOHN SHUCK

First Presbyterian Church

Elizabethton

Big Coal Buys Out Control of Vista Act

Here is an excellent opinion piece by Robert Houk of the Johnson City Press in today's Press, Big Coal Has Bought Out Control of Vista Act.

A popular mantra among many Republicans has been, “Drill, baby, drill!” Now we are hearing: “Blast, baby, blast!”

There are many in this state who don’t want to see the tops of their mountains blown off to get to a little bit of coal. Unfortunately, they are not represented in the state General Assembly.

The issue came up again last week when a bill that was originally written to expressly prohibit mountaintop coal removal in Tennessee was amended and passed in the state Senate’s Energy and Environment Committee to allow for the opposite. Sponsors of the amendment to Tennessee Scenic Vistas Protection Act say their measure adopts the U.S. Department of Interior’s definition of mountaintop removal.

Now really, what could be wrong with that? After all, opponents of the mountaintop coal removal ban have long argued that Tennessee law already forbids the practice. This harmless little amendment to a bill that the mining industry has held up in committee for years just further codifies what is already in the law.

Don’t be fooled by the clever semantics that are being used to distract from the real purpose of the amendment. The truth is the Tennessee Scenic Vistas Act has been hijacked by Big Coal to allow mining companies to blast off the tops of mountains in Tennessee.

One local environmentalist told me last week the amendment would allow mining companies to remove mountaintops as long as ‘they pile the rubble back on to re-form the original contours.”

This is a practice known in the industry as cross ridge mining, and as long as valley fill is not involved then it is not classified as “mountaintop removal.”

Whatever you want to call it, the end results are the same. Dawn Coppock, the legislative director for LEAF (Lindquist Environmental Appalachian Fellowship), said the amended bill repeats a federal law on what coal companies can do with “overburden,” which she calls a “sad industry pseudonym” for what is left of a mountain after it is blasted apart.

If the amended Tennessee Scenic Vistas act becomes law, environmentalists fear the measure will spell doom for ridgelines in Claiborne, Campbell and Anderson counties, where 98 percent of all coal in Tennessee is mined.

“The bill, as amended, says that there is no mountain top removal so long as the coal industry molds the rubble into the ‘approximate original contour,’ ” Coppock said. “The Northern Cumberland Plateau is not known for ‘approximate original mountains.’ It is known for some of the oldest and most beautiful mountains on this earth, molded not by engineers and bulldozers, but by the hands of God himself.”

Not surprisingly, Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey praised the amendment as a sensible compromise that protects Tennessee’s mountains while allowing mining companies to continue to do business in this state.

“After years of controversy on this issue, I believe we have finally reached a point that all honest stakeholders in this process can be proud of,” said Ramsey, who has collected more than $195,000 in campaign contributions from coal companies in recent years.

Not so fast. Some of those “stakeholders” say Ramsey is not being honest when he says all interested parties have had an equal place at the negotiation table. They say the coal mining industry has clearly purchased a seat at the head of the table.

Meanwhile, environmental groups weren’t allowed anywhere near the bargaining table.

“He (Ramsey) appears to be is calling the advocates of protecting our ridgelines, like LEAF, dishonest,” Coppock said. “This is ironic in light of the circumstances.”

Coppock said LEAF and other organizations will continue to oppose any efforts to allow mountaintop coal removal in Tennessee. She said the group’s efforts to ban the practice “is not a shell game or semantics.”

The bill is expected to move through the General Assembly with ease, now that it has been buoyed by the pro-mining industry amendment.

This is no longer a bill to protect Tennessee’s precious vistas and watersheds from molestation and contamination. It’s now about jobs and profits. As Ramsey famously told a TV reporter in Nashville a few years ago, “Profits are not a bad word.”

But despite all the talk of the coal mining jobs that would be protected by the amended Tennessee Scenic Vistas Act (which is estimated to number 400 at this time), I’ve not heard a single word regarding what the bill’s passage will cost Tennessee in regard to lost tourism dollars. Torn up mountains are not exactly conducive for growing the state’s emerging eco-tourism industry.

Robert Houk is Opinion page editor for the Johnson City Press. He can be reached at rhouk [at] johnsoncitypress.com 

"Tennessee Is Better Than Blowing the Tops Off Its Mountains"

The title of this post is from a prayer delivered before the Tennessee Senate opened this morning by Presbyterian Minister, Rev. Michael McGloughlin.  Watch and listen here.

Yesterday in committee, The Tennessee Scenic Vistas Protection Act was passed as amended.  The amendment destroyed the intent of the act just as coal companies are intent on destroying Tennessee's signature mountains.    The amendment would allow coal companies to blow off the tops of mountains as long as they try to put them back together again.

Sorry.  No way.   Tennesseans do not want you outsiders blowing up our mountains.  Period.

This is coming to Tennessee unless legislation is passed to prevent it:

Read more about yesterday's action from Appalachian Voices. 

While we are terribly disappointed by the mockery of the legislative process made by Senator Bell, the fact is that the bill could have died in Committee today, or it could have moved to the floor. We now have a chance to go to the floor of the Tennessee State Senate and have a conversation about mountaintop removal, while trying to add some meaningful language back into this bill. 

This critical conversation continues, and we need to make sure all Tennesseans step up the pressure and contact their state Senators to let them know that they want to protect our mountaintops in the state of Tennessee by adding meaningful, powerful language back to the bill that will protect our mountaintops and our Appalachian citizens.

 I just received this from LEAF:

LEAF is very disappointed with SB 577 as amended by the Senate Energy and Environment committee on Feb. 29, 2012.


The sponsor, Mike Bell, and the Lt. Governor both say the amended bill simply codifies current practice. Current practice includes blasting off Tennessee's ridgelines. For five years, citizens of this state have asked the legislature just to put a buffer zone around the highest elevation ridgelines. Now they have passed a bill which they admit does not change the status quo, and call that a "point all honest stakeholders can be proud of." The bill was not discussed or shared in advance of the committee meeting with any stakeholder other than industry. Industry does seem to be proud of the bill as now written.


As to the substance of the bill:


LEAF must take exception with the claim that SB 577, as amended by the Bell Amendment #0137872, is a ban on mountain top removal.


LEAF's request to stop mountain top removal, is not a shell game or semantics. We mean, do not let coal companies blow the top off mountains to get the coal out. LEAF is not working for a bill like the current amendment that relates to what happens after the mountain is blown up. We are concerned with the only time that matters for Tennessee’s virgin mountains, before the permit is issued.


The bill voted out of committee repeats federal law on what coal companies do with “overburden,” a sad industry pseudonym for the little pieces the mountain becomes after it has been blasted apart. LEAF is not working for a bill about where to put the little pieces. LEAF seeks and will continue to seek protection of the natural ridgelines.


The bill, as amended, says that there is no mountain top removal so long as the coal industry molds the rubble into the “Approximate Original Contour.” The Northern Cumberland Plateau is not known for “Approximate Original Mountains.” It is known for some of the oldest and most beautiful mountains on this earth, molded not by engineers and bulldozers, but by the hands of God himself.


If a state has no mountain top removal, it has no need to reaffirm federal law regarding molding rubble. On the floor, LEAF calls on the Senate to redeem this weak deception by voting for the bill as proposed by the sponsor, the bill that requires the coal companies to leave the original ridgelines on Tennessee’s mountains.

I am happy my denomination is stepping up.  This is from the PC(USA) Washington Office:

As part of our prophetic witness, we take a stand against the injustice of mountaintop removal coal mining and the devastating impacts it has on Creation and local communities' health and livelihoods.


Over the past 20 years, mountaintop removal mining has left thousands of communities in extreme poverty, destroyed 14 million acres of forest and 2,000 miles of headwater streams, and leveled 501 mountains.


Mountaintop removal puts nearby communities at risk from: mudslides, flooding, loss of crops, and increased levels of birth defects, respiratory disease, and cancer.

I have been told that Stated Clerk (and Tennessean, Rev. Gradye Parsons) will write an op-ed for the Nashville Tennessean that hopefully the paper will print. 

In the meantime, it is critical to contact your Tennessee Senator before March 8th when it could go before the senate.   Tell her or him to restore the original language of the bill and protect the original ridgelines of Tennessee's mountains.  SB 577.

For inspiration, last Sunday following worship members of my congregation sent a total of 119 handwritten leetters to key people on the committee.  Please send a letter to your senator. 

Locally:

Senator Rusty Crowe

301 6th Ave North

8 Legislative Plaza

Nashville, TN 37243

sen.rusty.crowe@capitol.tn.gov

615-741-2468

Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey

301 6th Ave North

1 Legislative Plaza

Nashville, TN 37243

lt.gov.ron.ramsey@capitol.tn.gov

615-741-4524.

Take Action Now Against Mountain Top Removal

This is from Dawn Coppock of LEAF.    Tennesseans who care about our mountains need to make phone calls before Wednesday. 

February 24, 2012

Dear Caretakers of Creation,

The Tennessee Scenic Vistas Protection Act is up for a vote next Wednesday, February 29^th at 10:30am in the Senate Environment Committee.  The vote is too close to call. The power of LEAF has always been your prayers and contacts to policy makers. We need you!

The following “Yes” votes need a thank you call or e-mail: Senators Stewart, Marrero, and Herron.

The remaining Environment Committee members would benefit from your e-mailed note or call of encouragement.  (List of all members' e-mails for copying.)

You can compose an original letter, or just ask each Senator to “Please support SB 577 to protect Tennessee’s mountains.” If you need facts go to the Legislative Toolkit.

A powerful TV ad was produced and aired across the state by the Tennessee Conservation Voters to build on your contacts with legislators. It is encouraging to see. Check it out.

Keep the mountains and LEAF in your prayers, particularly between now and Wednesday.

Sign up for LEAF’s weekly updates at www.tnleaf.org. Also “Like” LEAF on Facebook and follow TNLEAF on Twitter.

Thank you,
Dawn Coppock
Legislative Director, LEAF

Here are some resources:

• Interview with Jennie Young on Religion For Life.
• Article in Elizabethton Star.
• Action Packet:  Not One More Mountain.
• I Love Mountains
• LEAF

Time in a Bottle

In this segment, Dr. Albert Bartlett uses an illustration from the Boulder, Colorado city council to show how steady growth leads to catastrophic outcomes.

When he was making this video (1999), city council members were discussing what would be an acceptable population growth rate. One figure considered was 5% per year. 70/5% means that the population would double every 14 years. If that growth rate were to continue, Boulder, in one lifetime would be about the size of Los Angeles.

As he points out, you couldn't fit LA into the Boulder valley. Obviously, Boulder's growth will stop.

The only question is will we be able to stop it while there's still some open space or will we wait until it is wall to wall people and we're all choking to death?

He put up this interesting headline from the Denver Post:

Colorado has a three percent growth rate...that's like a third world country with no birth control.

Dr. Bartlett says:

We send foreign aid--family planning assistance--to countries that have smaller population growth rates than Colorado has.

Dr. Bartlett uses this example to show how short-sighted we are in regards to growth and how even city council members do not understand basic arithmetic. Then Dr. Bartlett talks about bacteria.

Imagine bacteria growing steadily in a bottle. They double in number every minute. At 11:00 a.m. there is one bacterium in the bottle. At 12:00 noon the bottle is full.

It has a doubling time of one minute. It is in a finite environment of one bottle. He asks three questions:

1) What time was the bottle half full?

Answer: 11:59.

The bacteria double every minute. Second question:

2) If you were an average bacterium in the bottle at what time would first realize that you were running out of space?

Before he gives the answer he reminds us that this type of steady growth is the centerpiece of the entire global economy.

To answer question two, he provides this table:

Table II. The last minutes in the bottle.
11:54 a.m.	1/64 full (1.5%)	63/64 empty
11:55 a.m.	1/32 full (3%)	31/32 empty
11:56 a.m.	1/16 full (6%)	15/16 empty
11:57 a.m.	1/8 full (12%)	7/8 empty
11:58 a.m.	1/4 full (25%)	3/4 empty
11:59 a.m.	1/2 full (50%)	1/2 empty
12:00 noon	full (100%)	0% empty

He returns to the Boulder argument. Someone wrote a letter saying that growth in Boulder is not a problem because there is 15 times the amount of space that Boulder has already used.

So what time is it in Boulder? The answer? Four minutes before 12, when the bottle is 1/16 full.

Suppose that at 11:58 some of the bacteria realize they are running out of space. So they launch a great search for new bottles. They search offshore on the outer continental shelf, in the overthrust belt and in the arctic, and they find three new bottles.

This is an amazing find. They have four times as many bottles. Surely, this will give them a sustainable society, says Bartlett. Right? Question 3:

3) How long can the growth continue as a result of the discovery of three new bottles; this quadrupling of the proven resource?

Answer:

At 11:59 the bottle is half-full.
At 12:00 the bottle is full.
At 12:01 two bottles are full.
At 12:02 all four bottles are full.

Game over. Dr. Bartlett tells us that we don't need any more arithmetic than that to address what we hear from the experts that we can go on growing and increasing our consumption of fossil fuels because we will discover new resources to meet the requirements.

Turning to energy, Bartlett quotes former energy secretary, James Schlesinger:

In the energy crisis, "we have a classic case of exponential growth against a finite resource." (Time Magazine, April 25, 1977).

How much oil is there? When do we use it? In the 1960s and 1970s the consumption was 7 percent per year. Doubling time = 10 years.

This percent growth did not continue because OPEC raised its prices. But say it did continue. How long would 7% consumption last?

In 1973 we consumed 20.4 billion barrels of oil. 334 billion barrels since oil was discovered approximately 100 years before that, leaving us with 1765 billion barrels. That is data. The rest is projection of 7% per year.

Year	Barrels Produced	Cumulative Use	Amount Left
1973	20.4	334	1765
1981*	35.1	559	1540
1991*	69.1	1078 (half gone)	1022
2001*	135.9	2100	0

Had we continued at 7%, in 1981 we would have had three times as much left in reserve than we would have used in all of history. A lot of oil. From our bacteria in a bottle example, what time is it when you have three times as much reserve compared to what was used? Two minutes before twelve.


Doubling usage every ten years (7% increase in production per year) would have depleted the oil in two decades.

The segment concludes at this point. We will pick this up next time.



Questions for discussion:
1) Where are we now in real numbers of barrels of oil?
2) What is our percentage rate of growth?
3) What time is it?

The Meaning of Life, Part 9

"Sustainable growth is an oxymoron, because if you just look at the arithmetic of steady growth, the numbers become astronomically large in modest periods of time, so you can't have steady growth."
--Dr. Albert Bartlett


On the sidebar, I have two resources of interest.

1. Chris Martenson's Crash Course.
2. Dr. Albert Bartlett's Arithmetic, Population and Energy.
   

The first is a helpful summary of economics, energy, and the environment. It is done in a series of twenty lectures of varying length. To watch it all will take about three hours. Martenson is an interesting guy.

This is from his web page:

First of all, I am not an economist. I am trained as a scientist, having completed both a PhD and a post-doctoral program at Duke University, where I specialized in neurotoxicology. I tell you this because my extensive training as a scientist informs and guides how I think. I gather data, I develop hypotheses, and I continually seek to accept or reject my hypotheses based on the evidence at hand. I let the data tell me the story.

It is also important for you to know that I entered the profession of science with the intention of teaching at the college level. I love teaching, and I especially enjoy the challenge of explaining difficult or complicated subjects to people with limited or no background in those subjects. Over the years I’ve gotten pretty good at it.

After I watched the first couple of segments, I skipped to number 20 What Should I do? He doesn't provide particulars, but he offers a commonsense way of evaluating your present situation so you can make decisions and begin the process of coming to terms with what we very well could be facing in these next twenty years.

After that, I went back to watch the rest of the presentation. Because it is divided into easy to navigate topics, you can go back particular areas. His website has many resources for you to discover more about an issue.

If you haven't heard of this guy before, I am glad to offer his crash course to you as a Christmas present as he has given it to us and someone gave it to me.

It may not be helpful for you. You may reject his information. You may accept his information but decide it is too bothersome and depressing and you would rather hope for a miracle. Or you may need to take time for it to sink in and take root. Whatever you decide, you will be making a wager. He explains that in chapter 20.

The second resource is a 70 minute lecture in eight nine-minute youtube videos by Dr. Albert Bartlett. You can read a transcript of Arithmetic, Population, and Energy as well. Dr. Bartlett taught physics at the University of Colorado. The lecture on YouTube is one he gave to college students. He offers information on population, exponential growth, and energy. It isn't hard to follow.

Again, you can argue with it and reject it. You can accept it and get depressed, or you can accept it and say, "Time for an adventure." Here is a nineteen minute video interview with Dr. Bartlett at the 2005 ASPO Conference (Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas). The real issue he is addressing is human population.

There are many, many resources regarding these issues on the internet. Martenson is a good place to start as he has taken the last four years to research and present this information in an easy to follow format. Bartlett's lecture has stood the test of time. He continues to present and update the lecture he first gave in 1969.

These two resources offer good basics. Again, Martenson's Crash Course takes a little over three hours. Bartlett's video takes a little over an hour. From there, we can explore all over. It is possible that you are way ahead of me on this and can offer resources and wisdom of your own. I welcome that.

What do I hope to get from blogging about this?

I have some beliefs. They include:

1. We are in for massive change within the next few decades, in my lifetime.
   
2. Our institutions (education, government, media, corporate, church) are in denial. Apparently, it is in their short term interest not to educate the public about what we are facing.

Those are two of my beliefs. I might be wrong. I could end up looking very foolish if none of the things Martenson, Bartlett, and others describe come to pass. It is possible that the invisible hand of economics and technology will allow us to consume and grow as we have been doing indefinitely. If I am wrong about my beliefs, I'll eat a crow and will gladly do so.

I have three more beliefs.

1. Human beings are creative, compassionate, hopeful, and industrious. When they know what they are facing, they can deal with it.
2. One hundred years from now, our descendents will enjoy a sustainable relationship with Earth if our generation doesn't destroy it because of ignorance and fear.
3. The institutions I named above may implode or become severly weakened before they can help. It is wise for us to think in terms of lifeboats, both individually and socially.
   

Lifeboats are the commonsense actions we can take individually and collectively so that we can be supports rather than burdens or helpers for those who will need help.

I also have some spiritual beliefs and practices. I know this might sound spooky for my atheist friends, but I will try to put it in secular terms.

1. Lightheartedness. Here is a wonderful definition: Lightheartedness is the ability to keep your sense of humor as you face life’s most difficult challenges. It is a spiritual quality associated with inner strength, faith, and the ability to face life’s adversities with a positive mental attitude. Finally, it’s a sign of courage and the ability to inspire others when, together, you are facing a difficulty that is overwhelming.
2. Deep compassion. This is the quality that allows us to feel with others--to be present to those who are suffering. The Bodhissatva who refuses nirvana in order to serve others is a good example. Of course, Jesus is an example of compassion in the Christian tradition.
3. Non-violence. This will be especially important as governments beat war drums over resources. It is also a personal discipline that refuses to harm in word or action other living things.
4. Detachment. Also called letting go, this discipline allows us to accept change and not cling to old habits, beliefs, or entitlements. In the Jewish tradition it refers to making no idols out of impermanent things or ideas.
   
5. Hope. This is the discipline to work toward a future we will personally never experience. It is to live and work for one's descendents seven generations in the future. It allows us to deal with reality while keeping us from self-concern for our own survival.
6. Awe and Delight. Related to lightheartedness, this practice of being aware opens us to the joyous, unexpected, marvelous existence all around us.
7. Creativity. Synergy may be another word for this. This allows for the possibility that we have strengths yet untapped and that together we can produce outcomes greater than the sum of our individual efforts.
   

Whew. Wordy today. Give a preacher a blog and the night never ends. I know I offer this a lot. But I never get tired of The Galaxy Song!

I Wish We Had Listened

We all know the phenomenon of remembering what we were doing when major events happened. We know what we were doing when we first heard about 9/11 for instance. These events are important enough to be burned into our memories.

I remember this event, although I didn't think of it until today, as an event like 9/11, the moon landing, and the start of the Gulf War. I remember it clearly.

I was fifteen and sitting on the couch next to my mother. My father was in his chair. We were watching television. On the screen was President Jimmy Carter. He was very serious. My parents were serious as they watched. It was Jimmy Carter's energy speech.

Jimmy Carter was the only president to tell us the truth. We rewarded him by voting him out of office and electing an actor who told us what we wanted to hear even though it was a lie. No president including our new president-elect has told us the truth about our economic and energy situation.

Had we listened in 1977, we could be in a very different place than where we are today. Instead we wasted 30 years and the problem has increased exponentially. It would be great if Obama gives a speech like Carter's within a week or so after his inauguration (updated of course to reflect current realities). I am not holding my breath. He appears to be as committed to deceiving us as much as all of our presidents since Carter.

It is up to us to suck it up, get informed, and tell others. Most people will not listen. But, a few will. Our current economic situation may make people more susceptible to listen. What we can listen to if we will is not opinions (although there are many opinions) but facts. This information is available all over the internet. It is a click away. This is not conspiracy stuff. It is basic factual information an elementary student can understand.

The reason we cannot hear it is because we are not emotionally equipped to listen. We cannot let go of our illusion. We cannot let go of our feeling of entitlement. We cannot bear the thought of what these changes might mean.

In order to face this, we have to face it as though we are in exciting times and that we are on an adventure. We have to step back and not let our emotions control us. We have to be somewhat philosophical and connect with that reservoir of spiritual strength.

I am 47. I consider that I have lived my life. Thanks to this 150 year petroleum blip in human history, I have lived (as have you) like the kings and queens of old. Now I am dedicated to our future generations.

If I have a mission it is to use my credentials as a minister to tap into our emotional and spiritual courage so we may listen to those who are presenting us with the facts of our current situation.

The most important thing is to be emotionally prepared.

Unless we are emotionally equipped to face reality we will rationalize facts to fit an illusion that gives us comfort--even if it kills us.

In addition to the usual nonsense I post on this blog, I am going to be reporting about what experts have been telling us and showing us about our future. Hopefully, I am going to present it in such a way that we can see it as an adventure. The future will need cool heads and creativity.

Here is the speech from Jimmy Carter.

The President's Proposed Energy Policy

Jimmy Carter, April 18, 1977

Tonight I want to have an unpleasant talk with you about a problem unprecedented in our history. With the exception of preventing war, this is the greatest challenge our country will face during our lifetimes. The energy crisis has not yet overwhelmed us, but it will if we do not act quickly.

It is a problem we will not solve in the next few years, and it is likely to get progressively worse through the rest of this century.

We must not be selfish or timid if we hope to have a decent world for our children and grandchildren.

We simply must balance our demand for energy with our rapidly shrinking resources. By acting now, we can control our future instead of letting the future control us. (read more)