Diverse Unity

The United States of America began marching in the opposite direction yesterday from the past four years. From South to North, from Florida to Delaware! Trump’s efforts to fan the Confederate embers of the Civil War are being extinguished as he returns to hopefully private life perhaps behind bars (Lock Him Up!)

The Biden-Harris administration took power yesterday by emphasizing diversity to represent all Americans as well as coming together in unity. Leaving not minute to waste, President Biden signed 15 Executive Orders (see AP) including fighting the pandemic, ending construction on the Border Wall and Keystone oil pipeline, and rejoining the Paris Climate Accord and the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO). When he gave the oath of office to over 1000 political appointees, President Biden insisted they must treat everyone with decency and respect or be fired on the spot, no if’s, and’s, or buts! As a federal scientist working in the Trump Administration for over one year, that would have been great to feel the President had our back instead of bullying us for corrupt loyalty and suppressing scientific inquiry.

What an amazing turnaround! Vice President Harris, the first woman to become VP fulfilled her duties as President of the Senate to swear in three new Democratic Senators, all three with diverse backgrounds. Now the Senate is divided 50-50 for Democrats and Republicans with Harris providing the tie breaking vote. Can these diverse ideas move forward to make progress that will save America?

What a feeling of relief after the past two months of watching Trump and his supporters spread the Big Lie that he did not lose the election (“Stop the Steal”) which escalated to the explosive, white supremist mob breaking into the Capitol trying to disrupt election certification. The fear of more uprisings resulted in 25,000 National Guards in D.C for the inauguration! I’ve been in a state of shock and vulnerability not felt since 9-11 when I worked in the D.C. metro area witnessing first hand the tragic events by supporting the federal responses to terrorism. I will never understand how 74 million Americans (47%) voted in 2020 for continuing Trump’s delusionary dismantling government institutions, human rights, and environmental protections. If they are so disappointed with the loss of a dictator, maybe they should move to Russia.

Before we can have unity there needs to be accountability for anyone who instigated insurrection to overthrow our democratic government. It’s Time to Heal which requires purging the poison of lies and corruption in all areas of public and private life. We need diversity of cultures, ethnicities and ideas based on scientific evidence and respect for spiritual beliefs. We can all make a difference in the world by making positive changes and demanding honesty and transparency. The past three presidents discussed the peaceful transition of power that defines our democracy!

Joyful expressions of diverse unity came through amazing performances of poetry and music. Here are three that touched our hearts:

Amanda Gorman The Hill We Climb

Tim McGraw and Tyler Hubbard Undivided

Bruce Springsteen Land of Hope and Dreams

Contagious Consumption

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, one of the leading illnesses was consumption, also known as the lung disease tuberculosis (TB). The mycobacteria infection caused about 1.5 million deaths in 2018. An article in USA Today four months ago examines the history of TB consumption stating, “the disease was eradicated through elimination of poverty, improvement of nutrition and through improvement in living conditions." TB remains prevalent mostly in the developing world. Ironically, another type of consumption is afflicting the entire world by the actions of the most developed nations.

Consumption of natural resources in a consumer economy includes use of energy, food, and water. As the chart shows, people living in the United States led the world in consuming natural resources. If everyone in the world consumed resources at the rate of people in the U.S., it would take 5 Earth’s to support all the people. Obviously this is not sustainable! The World Economic Forum stated in 2019, “the extraction and processing of natural resources alone cause 90% of global biodiversity loss and water stress, and more than half of global climate change impacts.”

The U.S. has only about 4% of the world’s population yet consumes about 20% of the world’s resources. Coal-fired power plants will continue to be phased out in favor of cheaper natural gas, solar photovoltaics, wind, hydroelectric and new designs including small-modular nuclear power generation. A green energy revolution is just beginning but sustainable consumption must be considered for all industries. Powering electric car batteries with lithium oxide places demands on this metal and other rare earth elements, which are also needed for computers and wind generators. Leading producers of these raw materials are in Australia, Chile, and China. However, the U.S. will quickly be a leading importer and consumer of green energy materials and therefore continue to be dependent on imports of natural resources.

As the Covid-19 pandemic becomes even more contagious (as well as TB and other diseases), we need to carefully reassess holistic connections among health care, dependency on natural resources, and consumerism to develop global actions that preserves and protects the planet and essential biodiversity.

Some of the personal and societal solutions are quite obvious: wearing a mask, washing hands, taking vaccines, 3R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle), walking, ride a bicycle, live near your work or telecommute, carry reusable water bottles and shopping bags, and buy products that promote sustainable living.

Peace and Love

I awoke at 3:30 am from a vivid dream and soon got up to document my vision. I was outdoors in a secluded area at some sort of music festival or county fair. The time period was around 1965 but I was from the future of today. In front of me as I walked by were four young men sitting down with a flat roof over their heads like in an animal pen looking out the open window brilliant yet concerned. They had become so popular that they were afraid of being recognized and for some reason they wanted my advice. I told them they were my favorite group of all time, the best ever, and that they had so much more music to make about Peace and Love. I told them that so many people need their music. They looked so grateful to know how much they meant to me and I said we need them to keep playing and not give up. That I know what happens in 2020 and their message will be needed then more than ever.

Paul jumped up and began to sing for all to hear, “It’s been a hard day’s night….” and John, George, and Ringo regained their excitement to play a cappella-style loud enough for others to hear. I awoke crying and thinking about that song which became the iconic movie trailer and feeling how much love I felt for the message of the Beatles. They influenced my life through their music and openness to follow spirituality from India. As Paul said in the 2015 video link, “It’s a lifelong gift.”

As I laid awake in contemplation of Peace and Love, I thought about my son who hugged me the night before and how we have been arguing mostly about home schooling “virtual learning” where the teachers provide the assignments, with little to no instruction, and the parents spend most of the day and evening pushing too hard to “Get It Done.” Simple writing assignments (for adults) take days for children to get a first draft. Can he really only go outside and play after all the school work is done first? No longer is there a separation between class work and homework as it has all blurred together while for six months parents are sheltering-in-place working from home and every trip outside or visit with others reminds us of the pandemic claiming the lives of 180,00 humans who have died in America (with 200,000 more “excess” deaths with cause unknown according to the CDC and New York Times) and over 822,000 or many more souls worldwide have died. On the weekends we try to set up “play dates” for him to visit friends at the park which has been difficult lately to go outside due to the the huge wildfire smoke nearby and seeing exhausted fireman, mostly young Hispanic men from Oregon, resting under shade trees in relatively cooler 95 degree heat. Today is the first day for a return to blue skies as the fire is moving towards the northwest and afternoon thundershowers raised the concern for flash floods.

After a recent disagreement, our son went in to his garage studio to listen to music and painted the Rainbow shown on the cover page. He told me that black is an important color in the rainbow too! He recently made similar paintings for Black Lives Matter, Save the Post Office and the American flag.

In 1984, after starting my first federal government job, moving from spacious University of Wyoming to crowded Washington, D.C., out of searching for relief I learned to meditate from the same Transcendental Meditation group that the Beatles followed as a way to relieve stress.

In 1988, during the primary election I got to see Reverend Jessie Jackson of the Rainbow Coalition in Albuquerque running for Democratic President. I felt amazed by his speech at the high school and how many students were going through hard, “broken” times and then cheered “Keep Hope Alive.” I went back to my government job feeling inspired and shared my enthusiasm for Jackson’s speech but my white boss, an agonizing PTSD Vietnam vet and proud National Rifle Association member, strongly did not agree. Luckily, I felt my spirit evolve through the inspiration of people from many faiths. I met Mata Amritandamayi, the Mother of Compassion, in Santa Fe in 1992 who opened my heart but I remained cautious with a skeptical “science” mind. She became and continues to be one of the greatest influences in my life. Hear her talk to the United Nations from 2012:

“When we engage others with respect, understanding and acceptance, then we will be able to communicate at the level of the heart” said Amma in her address at the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations’ (UNAOC) Regional Consultations for Asia-South Pacific, being held in Shanghai. Amma, the only spiritual leader invited to the conference, gave her speech on the subject of “Coexistence and Engagement Between Cultures.”

Watch Amma as she greeted members of the U.S. Congress in July 2013 including the late John Lewis.

Our American-Asian son is a symbol of hope for world peace conceived in love after the 2008 election of President Barack Obama who inspired us with his victory speech in 2008 and his 2004 keynote speech at the DNC describing himself as the product of “a common dream born of two nations…don’t let them divide us, there is only the United States of America…the Audacity of Hope…a brighter day for America will come.”

Fortunately, for the past six months our son has not needed reminding about wearing a mask outdoors but he seems to be the only child and very few adults in the neighborhood willing to wear a mask. Unfortunately, western Colorado is a strongly Republican region and many children listen to the Commander-in-MisChief so our loving son is sadly getting accosted by other kids. Mesa County is 82% White and less than 1% Asian. As he rode his bike near our home a few days ago, three other boys without masks who attend a different middle school blocked his path and talked sassy, “Hey, we don’t want any Chinese here who don’t know how to drive a car. Why are you so stupid to eat bats?” As our son stood there they hit him in the back of his leg with a scooter, another threw a fat and cut-up snake, and as our son went a different way they threw rocks and pebbles at him hitting his back and head. Luckily, along with a mask he wore a helmet. They started to follow him but he was able to escape by being quicker on his bike.

It is very sad to see how far backwards the pendulum has swung in reaction to those filled with anger, fear and hate. As a white man over age 60 what else can I do for a country that is so divided and so desperately needs healing? All I know to do is tell it like it is and try to focus on good intentions and actions. Hear Ringo Starr on December 22, 2019 talk about Peace and Love celebrations world wide in honor of his birthday.

The Environmental Legacy of the 41st President

Today, (December 5th, 2018 and reposted in 2020) the nation celebrated the life of President George Herbert Walker Bush with a state funeral at the National Cathedral.

My friend Dave, who works for the U.S. Geological Survey as a Research Hydrologist in Helena, Montana, sent me an article of a 1989 speech by the 41st President at the Montana capitol. Beyond the Clean Air Act Amendments mentioned in my previous blog, I had forgotten that President George H.W. Bush spoke out strongly for the U.S. to lead the world to defend the environment, promote conservation, plant trees, and combat global warming (climate change). He directed EPA to provide training to Peace Corps volunteers.

Here is an excerpt from the speech:

“The single most significant word today in the language of all environmentalists is interdependence. That’s a fact all Montanans should find it easy to appreciate. Not so many miles from where we stand is a spot called the Triple Divide, where the waters begin their separate journeys to the Pacific, to the Gulf of Mexico, to the Hudson Bay and the Arctic beyond — the Earth’s own geography lesson in global interdependence. The plain fact is this: Pollution can’t be contained by lines drawn on a map.

The actions we take can have consequences felt the world over. The destruction of the rain forests in Brazil. The ravages of acid rain that threaten not just our country, but our neighbors to the north and not just the east but the lakes and forests of the west as well. The millions of tons of airborne pollutants carried across the continents and the threat of global warming. We know now that protecting the environment is a global issue. The nations of the world must make common cause in defense of our environment. And I promise you this: This nation, the United States of America, will take the lead internationally. (Applause.)

Here in this great state, you’re already taking the lead with your commitment to the environment, led by every schoolchild in this state who’s planted a Ponderosa Pine to commemorate 100 years of history. In just a few minutes I’ll be planting a tree of my own, and let me say from the heart, there’s no finer symbol of the love each one of us feels for this land than a tree growing up in Montana’s good earth. We’re working hard to clean up America, but we can’t stop there. We’ve got to work with the rest of the world to preserve the planet.

We’re already taking action. To preserve the ozone layer, we’re going to ban all release of CFCs into the atmosphere by the year 2000. To prevent pollution of the world’s oceans we’re going to end virtually all ocean dumping of sewage and industrial wastes by 1991. (Applause.) And after that, anyone who continues to pollute is going to pay for it with stiff fines. And we’re going to join forces with other nations.

In February, the United States will host the plenary meeting of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In July when I visited Poland and Hungary, I pledged America’s help in tackling the increasingly serious pollution problems those two nations face. At the Paris economic summit, we helped the environment achieve the status that it deserves at the top of the agenda for the seven major industrial democracies. And I mean to keep it right there at the top of the agenda. (Applause.)

America spends more than any other nation in the world on environmental research, and we’re going to continue this pioneering effort to protect the environment and put that environmental expertise to work in the developing world as well. We cannot pollute today and postpone the cleanup until tomorrow. We have got to make pollution prevention our aim. And sharing our expertise with the world is one way to do exactly that. Today, I want to announce a new environmental initiative — one that will bring the Environmental Protection Agency and the Peace Corps together in a joint venture in the service of the global environment.

Beginning in 1990, as part of their standard preparation for duty, Peace Corps volunteers will be trained by the EPA to deal with the full range of environmental challenges water pollution, prevention, waste disposal, reforestation, pesticide management. Armed with greater knowledge about our environment, our Peace Corps volunteers are going to help spread the word in the developing world. They’ll work to stop pollution before it starts and ensure that economic development and environmental stewardship go hand in hand. And Montanans know more than most how much that means, how vital it is for us to accept our responsibilities, our stewardship — the environment in Montana, across America, and around the world. We hold this land in trust for the generations that come after. The air and the Earth are riches we simply cannot squander.”

Mitigating Nuclear Hazards - Part 1 Overview

(Originally posted June 3, 2019)

To discuss my experience with mitigating nuclear hazards, I like to say that I am the only person I know of who has worked on almost every aspect of the nuclear fuel cycle. Please let me know if you know anyone else making such a bold claim so perhaps we can gain their perspective? Groups that gave me this experience include the University of Wyoming, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, U.S. Department of Energy, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory as well as several consulting assignments.

Ironically, in the U.S. we do not have a complete nuclear fuel cycle so a person would need to work with the French on reprocessing spent fuel to go full circle. The examination of the nuclear fuel cycle for mitigating hazards is relevant to nations and taxpayers under the construct of Conserve & Pro$per on many levels that will be discussed.

As shown on the figure, the nuclear fuel cycle is the process necessary to generate electric power (as well as medical isotopes) in a reactor. The cycle begins with mining, involves several steps to produce and burn fuel rods, store spent fuel, then ultimately burial in a engineered-geological repository. As discussed on my blog post about the Green New Deal, we all use nuclear energy, which accounts for about 20% or one-fifth of our electricity generated in the U.S. So even for the anti-nuclear activists, we all must be aware of the risks and costs involving the nuclear fuel cycle including the fact that we must properly deal with existing nuclear waste.

I will need many blog postings to explain my experience with the nuclear fuel cycle and provide examples of mitigating nuclear hazards. Here is my proposed outline to be provided in upcoming blog posts:

  1. Overview

  2. Uranium Mining

  3. Uranium Mills and Clean Up

  4. Yellowcake Conversion, Enrichment, and Fuel

  5. Nuclear Reactors - Operations, Relicensing, and Decommissioning

  6. Spent Fuel Storage

  7. High-level Waste Disposal

  8. Accidents

Thanks for your support and interest!

A 30-day Blogging Challenge to Prepare the First Monthly Newsletter

(Originally posted June 1, 2019)

I am challenging myself to provide meaningful content on the Conserve & Prosper blog EVERY DAY this month of June 2019! In return, I would greatly appreciate your thoughts, likes (or dislikes), comments, and topics of interest to make this relevant to all the readers! If you’re interested in looking at my resume, please see my LinkedIn page.

I officially retired from my U.S. Government job as an environmental scientist just one month ago! I’m feeling a tremendous relief from the high-stress office politics that came from the top on down and look forward to sharing insights on my many experiences in future blogs. The federal government is increasingly a very challenging, chaotic and restrictive place to work, especially for dedicated scientists who are focused on truth, justice, and making meaningful actions.

I worked in several administrations starting with Ronald Reagan and civil servants were told to stay non-political and could not engage in political activism per the Hatch Act. With the sharp political, anti-government divisions of nationalism occurring in the U.S. and globally, civil servants and especially the scientific community are needing to become activists as demonstrated by the first March for Science as described in my blog on Earth Day 2017. A great book I highly recommend on the transition between the Obama to Trump administrations affecting the Department of Energy and other federal agencies is The Fifth Risk by Michael Lewis!

However, disruptions also occurred when President Obama took office in 2008 and he made a campaign promise to Harry Reid, defying the law, to shut down the proposed nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain. This resulted in my DOE Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management closing, reductions-in-force (i.e. layoffs), and total chaos for finding new jobs - especially for scientists as described by the Government Accountability Office. This severely affected the political environment of other agencies including the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. I will go into much more detail in an upcoming blog on nuclear waste disposal.

Blogging (my First Amendment right) for the past four years during weekends and holidays gave me a healthy outlet but resulted in my making just a few posts per month. The blogging opened me up more than ever to what is going on in our precious environment and how people around the world are being affected yet becoming more aware of our perilous situation. Obviously, I had to be non-political (as a federal civil servant) to provide unbiased educational news. Now, I can REALLY share my opinion and views on what is happening on many topics!

Over the past two years, I have also been occasionally working as a substitute teacher at local elementary, middle, and high schools. What an awesome, exhilarating, and sometimes intense experience to spend time with youthfully exuberant kids as well as dedicated teachers and administrators. These full-time professionals definitely deserve more appreciation as shown through better pay and newer schools.

So far I have not been commercial advertising on the website and hope you’ve enjoyed the non-commercial content! In the near future, I plan to provide products including a monthly newsletter, educational posters. and much more. This feature is not active yet so please stand by for a few more weeks.

Thanks for all the support and please share with your family and friends!

Vote and Yell If You Can for America to Survive!

Not only are Republicans and Democrats sharply divided, our American republic and democratic systems are in crisis. In theory, we are a republic by democratically electing officials who represent our views and vote for us on legislation. Being able to freely cast ballots is fundamental to our system. Will the great American experiment survive or implode as is being witnessed in several primary elections?

The reality TV star President, previously famous for casinos and “The Apprentice: You're Fired!” who presides over massive unemployment due to the Covid-19 pandemic, protests against police brutality and stoking the flames of race wars, is creating a Fall Blockbuster Special like the world has never seen before! Much more needs to be revealed about the bogus Russian-backed 2016 election but for now we need to proactively have our eyes wide open for November 2020.

Wisconsin forcing people to vote on April 7 during the Covid-19 pandemic caused voters and poll workers to put their lives in jeopardy. The Center for American Progress.org states:

“Only six states—California, Colorado, Hawaii, Iowa, Utah, and Washington—have infrastructure capabilities and critical election policies, such as no-excuse absentee voting, online and same-day registration, and early voting, that leave them well-positioned to respond to COVID-19. Another three states—Arizona, Montana, and Oregon—are also relatively well-situated for conducting elections during the pandemic, as they have most of the necessary policies and infrastructure to support mass reliance on vote by mail.”

The voting process in America is in turmoil due to lack of preparation of voting options. According to Politico, the Republican National Party is suing the California Democratic Governor for trying to require vote by mail. President Trump is hypocritically condemning vote by mail when many states like Florida which is how Trump voted in the March 17 election. Arizona and Georgia leaders appear to be supportive of vote by mail. What happened in Georgia this Tuesday with some people having to wait in line for five hours?

Luckily, here in Colorado we enjoy vote by mail which is not perfect but has great advantages especially during the pandemic! Mail in ballots just arrived yesterday.

We already know what Mr. Trump and his minions think about our sacred Constitution and one only needs to replay events of last Monday in Lafayette Square to see how he abolishes citizen’s First Amendment Rights of peaceful protests! Now he is remotely trying to do the same thing in Seattle. Listen to Fox New interviewing Trump, which aired this morning, gently pushing back on his statement “when there is looting there will be shooting” as well as the Administration’s walk to historic St. John's Church which Joint Chiefs of Staff General Milley now regrets. Notice how Fox News cut the video of how they cleared out the protesters, ordered by Attorney General Barr - the same person who shut down the 2016 Russian interference report, as can be clearly seen on the USA Today video. There were several shocking statements that Trump told to Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner (a Black mother) that she did not challenge including:

“I think it was a beautiful picture,” Trump told Fox News. “And I’ll tell you, I think Christians think it was a beautiful picture.”

What? Think again as apparently he and many people need to read about the reactions to Trump’s photo op to hold the Bible in Christianity Today!

VOTE and YELL EARLY AND OFTEN for AMERICA TO SURVIVE !!!

Update 6/17/2020

Vote , Pray, Yell for America to Survive!

According to the Christian Post, “a new book consisting of essays by 30 evangelical Christians of different political and professional stripes is calling on white evangelicals to rethink their support for President Donald Trump in 2020 and warns the president is damaging the broader culture’s perception of evangelical Christianity.

The new book, The Spiritual Danger of Donald Trump: 30 Evangelical Christians on Justice, Truth, and Moral Integrity, was released last Monday by Wipf and Stock Publishers.

“Our plea is to white evangelicals to please take another look and ask, ‘Does this person measure up to biblical norms?’” Ron Sider, founder of Evangelicals for Social Action, told The Christian Post. “We are not telling you what to include. But please prayerfully think about that. Even if you think the book will make you mad, given the title, I challenge you to read it and decide for yourself if there are any valid points that we are making there.”

Dividing the Earth

With his divide and conquer, scorched Earth rhetoric, President Donald Trump likely would take credit for plate tectonics if he could. He would boast at how oil and gas companies introduced ideas of continental drift in the 1960’s that made America great. How Big Oil discovered several features of the Earth using evidence like similar fossils found on different sides of the Atlantic Ocean and magnetic changes in basaltic rocks that showed how continents were once together have been moving apart.

However, President Trump would not give much detail to his claims because it’s just a scientific theory that may have begun over three billion years ago as the Earth cools, driven by heat released into the crust, with a similar relative thickness as a peach skin, from the deeper mantle and core (with respective thicknesses of the peach fruit and pit to follow the analogy). But this takes an understanding and trust in the scientific method which obviously is antithetical to Trump and his millions of ignorant supporters who prefer Nazi tactics, as former Trump Defense Secretary General Mattis eloquently stated this week.

To further divide and conquer America, and perhaps as an insult to World Environment Day celebrations by the United Nations since 1974, the lawless Mr. Trump signed an Executive Order three days ago to reverse existing environmental laws and hard fought court battles that have taken place for over 50 years! This is the latest rollback despite Trump claiming to be an Environmental president by using the Covid-19 pandemic and economic disaster, according to the NY Times as reasons to “streamline” environmental laws including Clean Air and Water Acts, NEPA and ESA, Talk about draining the swamp? Do you recall as do I the “Make America Great Again (MAGA)” campaign on caring about clean air and water? Here’s documentation about one year ago from the LA Times that fact-checks Trump’s claim:

“From day one, my administration has made it a top priority to ensure that America has among the very cleanest air and cleanest water on the planet.”

Actions speak louder than words! The list of regulatory changes is being tracked by Harvard Law school’s Environmental and Energy Law Program.

Working in the Trump Administration until 13 months ago, here are a few of the big projects that I heard people talking about inside and outside the government:

Oil and Gas Drilling and Pipelines running through National Parks

Uranium Mining expanded by the Grand Canyon National Park

Uranium Mining on or near Native American lands including former Bears Ears National Monument

Nuclear Power without dealing with Nuclear Waste Spent Fuel

Coal Mining and Power Plants

Burning More Gasoline by reducing fuel economy standards

The list goes on and on. As a student geologist about 40 years ago, we learned a term that when rocks undergo so much change features are not recognizable, such as metamorphic folds in many directions. We called this type of rock: FUBARITE which stands for F***ed Up Beyond Recognition.

Perhaps that can be added to Trump’s Four More Year’s Dictatorial Campaign: The FUBAR President!

Update 6/17/2020

Axios reported yesterday that a Supreme Court ruling is a boon to natural gas pipelines, “At issue was what federal agency controls the land the pipeline would traverse, the U.S. Forest Service or the Interior Department's National Park Service….Justice Clarence Thomas, writing for the majority, said under the lower court ruling that Monday’s decision overturned, any pipeline crossing at similar "footpaths" controlled by the Park Service would need an act of Congress for approval.”

Celebrate World Environment Day!

Today, the United Nations is celebrating World Environment Day! The theme of this year’s annual celebration is protecting Biodiversity and the host country is Columbia. There are great events including podcasts, films, talks by world leaders and celebrities, scientists including Dr. Jane Goodall, videos and more on the features page.

To appreciate our environment means getting outside, setting up the tent for a sleep out, hiking, planting trees, or just sitting in the cool shade!

What To and Not To Spread?

Start the Spread

Love, Light, Peace, Truth, Unity, Health, Kindness, Compassion, Cooperation, Joy, Smiles, Plants, Trees, Walking, Riding Bikes, Clean Air, Clean Water, Conservation and Prosperity!

Stop the Spread

Hate, Darkness, War, Lies, Division, Illnesses, Rudeness, Greed, Selfishness, Pain, Sadness, Death, Decay, Gas Guzzlers, Pollution, Carbon, Plastics, Chemicals, Overconsumption and Debts!

Start the Spread

Love, Light, Peace, Truth, Unity, Health, Kindness, Compassion, Cooperation, Joy, Smiles, Plants, Trees, Walking, Riding Bikes, Clean Air, Clean Water, Conservation and Prosperity!

From Darkness to Light with Courage

Storm Clouds! Such incredible suffering, deceit and Darkness – where is the relief, the Silver Lining, bright Light and emerging Rainbow?

On this Memorial Day 2020, over 5.5 million people worldwide have contracted the coronavirus Covid-19 and about 345,000 people have died. While the animal to human virus began in China and quickly spread around Asia to Europe, those countries have been more proactive in quickly responding and reducing the spread than in the Americas. Wearing masks and contact tracing are leading factors for stopping the spread.

The United States leads the way in cases and deaths by about four times compared to other countries which has nothing to do with numbers of people being tested, as the President claims to hide reality and spread more darkness. We’ve learned from Columbia University that if the Administration took action just one week sooner, then possibly 36,000 Americans would still be living. About 100,000 people have died in the U.S. in just a few short months during an unprecedented lockdown and now the virus is spreading like wildfire in Brazil with over 22,000 dead. There is incredible suffering by individuals, families who cannot visit or mourn for their loved ones, health-care professionals, and close to eight billion of us are all being affected.

This pandemic might be the first time that humanity has ever been on the same level – all because of an invisible, microscopic enemy. The virus is an equal opportunity human invader as no one is immune. Rich and poor, all countries, races, religions, political affiliation, sexes, and ages. There are many disparities within groups as some races are being impacted more than other groups. We don’t yet know why some groups are more impacted than others but it appears the virus does not discriminate. Initially, people thought Covid-19 only affected the elderly but later we found out that children are been affected in multiple, complex ways.

Ammachi says we need to have courage to fight the coronavirus. From a disciple’s book Color of the Rainbow, Compassionate Leadership, Amma is quoted, “Life seems to be unfair only when perceived with our external eyes. Observe it from within and we realize that life is always fair, because life is the totality, the cosmos. People can be unfair, but the cosmos ought to be fair, since it is equally available to everyone, but we should always remain well-rooted in out own deep convictions about the values of life.”

His Holiness the Dalai Lama, “No matter how difficult the situation may be, we should employ science and human ingenuity with determination and courage to overcome the problems that confront us. Faced with threats to our health and well-being, it is natural to feel anxiety and fear. Nevertheless, I take great solace in the following wise advice to examine the problems before us: ‘If there is something to be done—do it, without any need to worry; if there’s nothing to be done, worrying about it further will not help.”

Pope Francis insists that “an emergency like Covid-19 is overcome in the first place by the antibodies of solidarity.” This lesson “breaks all the fatalism in which we have immersed ourselves and allows us to return to be the architects and protagonists of a common history,” he says, and it enables us “to respond together to the many evils that are affecting so many of our brothers and sisters across the globe.”

Have courage to speak the truth as you know it, share compassion and courage with others, pray for everyone to come together to seek Nature’s balance and we can make our world habitable for all life.

Mastering Metrics

The book: Bad Data: Why We Measure the Wrong Things and Often Miss the Metrics That Matter by Peter Schryvers provides many examples and stories where obsession for collecting data has unintended consequences. One of my favorite stories is the Cobra Effect. As background, he describes how public schools so focused on testing to get federal funding led to widespread cheating. In India, the British colonist offered to buy poisonous cobras from locals in an effort to remove them. However, Indian people began growing more cobras to sell and when the British found out and stopped paying money, the Indians then freed their home-grown snakes. That created a bigger cobra problem than in the beginning! That might explain why I saw so many snake charmers during my visit to Mumbai 25 years ago.

Other interesting examples include the New York Police Department’s effort to get precincts competing based on crime statistics leading to under reporting and not listening to citizen complains that led to loss of trust. The author states that TRUST is one of the main reasons metrics are being collected in schools, homes, businesses and more.

More precisely, lack of trust affects everything from health care, environmental solutions, to worker productivity. Doctors rated on performing high-quality procedures leading to positive outcomes may not take on risky patients that could hurt their rating. Environmental trade-offs comparing light bulbs or where to live must consider total costs and not just obvious factors. A real-estate agent may show you less expensive homes far away from your workplace that will cost you more when factoring in transportation costs to work and shopping.

Bad Data was published in early 2020 but I wish it could have covered the Covid-19 pandemic. Schryvers discusses misunderstanding metrics to measure disease effects on a population. He lists three metrics: prevalence, incidence, and mortality. Prevalence is the number of people affected divided by population (usually 100,000 people). Incidence is the number of people contracting the disease over a period of time like in one year. Mortality is the number of people dying from the disease. He states decrease in prevalence of an illness may sound like good news but actually means fewer people are living with the disease as more people are dying quickly. Therefore, we must think critically when people are citing comparisons in these and other metrics. Testing for Covid-19 comes to mind when comparing total numbers of tests given for a country must consider the “per population” to be meaningful.

One of the best examples of a solution for the ills of Metrics is what the author calls Gateways. Khan Academy, is the non-profit that offers free videos online for mastery of education. The book is well worth reading to hear many great examples, including how Salman Khan started making videos to share with his family and became a worldwide sensation. Imagine taking middle school kids for a summer class and start at 1+1 to correct any gaps in knowledge. There is an interesting TED talk by Sal Khan talking about how even an A students scoring anything below 100% will accumulate gaps in understanding subjects that need to be corrected in order to advance to higher learning (like becoming a doctor) and this takes a longer time than offered by traditional academia where tests are timed and classes progress at the same pace. We are enjoying the Khan Academy videos that teach math, history and interviews with famous icons like Bill Gates and Elon Musk.

In summary, it’s all about Lifelong Learning and finding the correct metrics and gateways for learning from our collective experiences which is key to staying alive especially with challenges with Covid-19, Climate Change, Economic Recessions and Depressions, and surviving/overcoming related calamities.

Empowering Moms to Lead!

Celebrating Mother’s Day 2020!

Trust Our Moms to Take Control

Let Them Drive and Tell Us Where to Go.

They Know Love Without Condition

Let’s Vote for Moms Who Are the Real Pros!

Moms Brought Us Into This World

Moms Nursed Us When We Were Young.

They Healed Us Back to Health

Their Love Gave Us the Greatest Wealth!

Moms Showed Us How to Cook and Clean

Taught Us How to Dress to Impress.

Moms Pay the Bills to Make Ends Meet

Taught Us to Read and Write for Us to Progress!

All Moms Deserve More Recognition

Including Last Names Adams, Curie, Gandhi, Gates and King

Remember Abigail, Marie, Indira, Mary Maxwell and Alberta

Treasuring Moms Makes Our Hearts Sing!

Moms Are Teachers and Heads of School

Mom’s A Governors and Also A Wife.

Moms Build Gardens And Write Poetry

We are So Grateful to our Moms for Life!

How Can Air Pollution Increase Covid-19 Illnesses?

In San Francisco, I previously worked for an energy utility provider on construction projects at electrical substations. During the early days one hundred years ago, the City used coal gasification to provide natural gas which left toxic poly-aromatic hydrocarbons (PNAs) in the ground. At one electrical substation, we needed to construct new upgrades so, especially due to an elementary school next door, monitoring and minimizing air pollution became paramount. I was in charge of the environmental site monitoring so made sure we kept the soils wet and stopped work during windy conditions to prevent blowing sand. I also set up air monitors to collect PM10 and PM2.5. As will be explained, particles much smaller than human hair are most dangerous getting deep into our lungs. At the construction site, our precautions and testing ensured we did not spread contamination.

As shown on the EPA diagram and text:

“PM stands for particulate matter (also called particle pollution): the term for a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air. Some particles, such as dust, dirt, soot, or smoke, are large or dark enough to be seen with the naked eye. Others are so small they can only be detected using an electron microscope.

Particle pollution includes:

  • PM10 : inhalable particles, with diameters that are generally 10 micrometers and smaller; and

  • PM2.5 : fine inhalable particles, with diameters that are generally 2.5 micrometers and smaller.

    • How small is 2.5 micrometers? Think about a single hair from your head. The average human hair is about 70 micrometers in diameter – making it 30 times larger than the largest fine particle.

Sources of PM

These particles come in many sizes and shapes and can be made up of hundreds of different chemicals.

Some are emitted directly from a source, such as construction sites, unpaved roads, fields, smokestacks or fires.

Most particles form in the atmosphere as a result of complex reactions of chemicals such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which are pollutants emitted from power plants, industries and automobiles.

What are the Harmful Effects of PM?

Particulate matter contains microscopic solids or liquid droplets that are so small that they can be inhaled and cause serious health problems. Some particles less than 10 micrometers in diameter can get deep into your lungs and some may even get into your bloodstream. Of these, particles less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, also known as fine particles or PM2.5, pose the greatest risk to health.”

What about Covid-19 Particle Size and Links to Air Pollution?

The Coronavirus particles are smaller than PM2.5 by an order of magnitude!

Here is a May 5th updated alert by Harvard University’s School of Public Health linking an increased risk of Covid-19 illness to air pollution:

“People with COVID-19 who live in U.S. regions with high levels of air pollution are more likely to die from the disease than people who live in less polluted areas, according to a new nationwide study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health….The study results underscore the importance of continuing to enforce existing air pollution regulations to protect human health both during and after the COVID-19 crisis.”

Comparing this finding with the current news may explain why New York is reporting 66% of the new hospitalizations are coming from people staying home; why the pandemic is affecting more Black and Hispanic people as they live in more polluted areas, and why it is so important to improve our scientific understanding of the pandemic and not cut existing environmental regulations before we are too quick to return to “normal.”

However, the Administration and industrialists appear to be suppressing news and challenging these results as well as the Center for Disease Control (CDC’s) guidelines for reopening the country which do not take into account the connection of air pollution and Covid-19 which the White House is shelving the CDC guidelines.

Here is a Washington Post article from yesterday:

“An early study from Harvard University linking dirty air to the worst coronavirus outcomes has quickly become a political football in Washington.

Presidential candidates, agency regulators, oil lobbyists and members of Congress from both parties are using the preliminary research to advance their own political priorities — well before it has a chance to be peer-reviewed.

The stakes are high because the study’s tentative findings could prove enormously consequential for both the pandemic's impact and the global debate over curbing air pollution. The researchers found that pollution emanating from everything from industrial smokestacks to household chimneys is making the worst pandemic in a century even more deadly.”

Here is a related article by The Guardian with an excerpt:

“The principal risk of catching Covid-19 is contact with an infected person, and the quality of healthcare is vital in determining the outcome. But air pollution may be important in three ways, studies show. Higher death rates due to lungs and hearts weakened by dirty air is the best understood. Pollutants also inflame lungs, potentially making catching the virus more likely and raising concern about rising pollution levels after lockdowns are lifted. Finally, particles of pollution might even help carry the virus further afield.”

As a practitioner of environmental science, as well as a believer in The Golden Rule and Law of Karma, I cannot help but see the need for us to reduce pollution worldwide. Do you agree this is a global environmental justice issue? Please share your comments below.

Supreme Court Ruling Favors Clean Water

On Thursday, April 23 (my Mother’s Birthday), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6 to 3 that groundwater must be considered in Clean Water Act (CWA) permitting. The case involved a Maui sewage treatment plant that had permits to discharge waste directly into the ocean as point sources (from pipes). University hydrogeologists found high levels of nitrate and warm water in the ocean affecting coral reefs discharging from groundwater that came from the treatment plant indirectly. The court ruled that CWA permits must consider groundwater discharges.

For more details, checkout these articles:

Hydrologists should be happy. Big Supreme Court ruling bolsters groundwater science

Science Magazine

“Tracing the movement of pollutants through groundwater is tricky work, says Thomas Harter, a hydrologist at the University of California, Davis, who helped draft an amicus brief to the court from several scientific associations. Much of what’s happening is underground, obscured except for data gathered from test wells and geologic samples drilled from boreholes. Impacts can take decades to materialize as water and contaminants slowly seep through the earth.

Computer models coupled with direct observations of water flow, pollution levels, and geology can predict how chemicals are likely to flow and interact with the chemistry of surrounding rocks. But, “There are huge uncertainties to this,” says Harter, who studies groundwater pollution from California farms. “It’s not unlike trying to predict the weather.” (During oral argument of the case in November 2019, however, (Justice Stephen) Breyer remarked that briefs laying out the science of tracking groundwater pollution had impressed him. “The scientists really convinced me they’re geniuses and they can trace all kinds of things,” he said.)”

SUPREME COURT LEAVES THE CLEAN WATER ACT INTACT

Victory: Court decision leaves in place vital protections for the nation’s oceans, rivers, lakes

EarthJustice (argued the winning case)

“The following is a statement from David Henkin, Earthjustice attorney who argued the case defending clean water:

“This decision is a huge victory for clean water. The Supreme Court has rejected the Trump administration’s effort to blow a big hole in the Clean Water Act’s protections for rivers, lakes, and oceans.”

COUNTY OF MAUI, HAWAII v. HAWAII WILDLIFE FUND ET AL.

U.S. Supreme Court Syllabus

“The Clean Water Act forbids “any addition” of any pollutant from “any point source” to “navigable waters” without an appropriate permit from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).”

In addition to our science of using tracers to detect movement of groundwater contamination, we will be tracking how this Supreme Court decision affects similar investigations that we are working on!

POWERful ECO-FILM

Michael Moore this Earth Day released a film Planet of the Humans on YouTube. I highly recommend watching the thought-provoking documentary that digs beneath the surface of the Green Energy revolution. I felt the film pays strong homage to the iconic Planet of the Apes series focusing on human behavior of greed and corporate deceit to show we cannot resolve our peril with old or new technologies. Planet of the Humans challenges conventional wisdom of green energy and electric vehicles as well as the promoters of Environmentalism to show that trade offs are not decreasing environmental impacts. Actually, most commercial solar and wind systems and corporations heavily rely on petrochemicals and mining industries as well as promoting biomass as renewable that burns trees and garbage including tires.

The film does not offer many solutions for saving Planet Earth and all species, specifically Primates, realizing that demands on energy, transportation, and natural resources are interconnected and unsustainable. The film briefly mentions the need the do less with what we have, i.e. conservation.

I am a strong advocate of finding a balance and taking a risk cost-benefit approach to all energy sources with assessing environmental impacts. We need local, national, and United Nations energy strategies that decrease impacts to human health (including workers) and the environment.

Here are a few ideas to consider that are not discussed in film and might make a good sequel:

If we must burn coal for decades to come, phase out high sulfur coal in West Virginia in favor of Wyoming coal.

If we must burn nuclear power, phase out unsafe and older power plants in favor of new modular reactor designs.

If we must use biomass and biofuels, ensure adequate local resources and transparent public health protections.

If we must build more wind generators, make sure we have a national supply of materials including rare earth elements.

If we must build more solar electric plants, make sure they will last more than 10 years.

We need to take a stronger look at waste as a resource! Here is a blog I wrote about collecting waste natural gas at the local sewage treatment plant to run biofuel vehicles.

Also, last week nuclear engineering students from the University of Michigan received an award for proposing that waste spent nuclear fuel be used to heat and transform sewage sludge into fertilizer!

Earth Day: What Would Lincoln Say?

If President Abe Lincoln were alive today on this 50th anniversary of Earth Day, perhaps he would give the following speech (adopted with respect from the Gettysburg Address) in honor of all victims leading up to the 6th Mass Extinction including one million species based on reports by the National Science Foundation and United Nations:

Twelve score and four years ago our founding fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great planetary crisis testing if any nation will survive human destruction of our beloved Mother Earth. Our actions of exploiting God’s treasures and resources is leading to our own destruction. Most recently animal-human contact has unleashed a terrible coronavirus pandemic Covid-19 that has claimed nearly 200,000 lives and 2.5 million illnesses worldwide.

Our actions are causing over one million species to face mass extinction at our own peril. We’ve polluted ocean life and coral reefs with chemicals and plastics, poisoned rivers, land, and air, and now we are altering our climate. Many people ignored the Silent Spring, Population Bomb, and An Inconvenient Truth.

Now humanity must challenge ourselves to quickly work for and not against Nature. We must resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that all United Nations under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that governments of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the Earth.

Uplifting TV

Last night, we finished watching the NBC five season TV series “Highway to Heaven.” It’s a highly recommended family show focusing more on spirituality than religion. I had previously seen many individual episodes but I’m now a bigger fan after evening watching from start to finish over the past two months. The last episode finished in 1989 and is currently available for streaming including on Netflix which provides the tagline: “Under God's direction, angel Jonathan and ex-cop Mark help troubled souls overcome adversity and embrace honesty, kindness and forgiveness.”

Major themes in the series involved 1) the healing beauty of nature, like in the final two episodes of Season 1 called “Thoroughbreds” with 24-year old Helen Hunt, 2) overcoming and accepting illnesses, disabilities, ageism (youth and elderly), parenting, education, victims of war, death and dying and 3) environmental causes such as in season 2 episode 9 called “Birds of a Feather.” Spoiler alert: Jonathan wears a bird costume and dies trying to protect kids and parents working at a factory that’s polluting the environment.

Watching the final show last night, I wondered if the provocative episode caused the series to get cancelled as they really pushed some huge corporate and political buttons extremely relevant then and today! In “Merry Christmas from Grandpa,” Jonathan warns a tycoon building a nuclear power plant how an accident could destroy his grandchildren and a farmer using to many chemicals polluting drinking water including fertilizers and Malathion (the Latin word for bad or evil is Mal and the pesticide is widely used in agriculture, residential landscaping, public recreation areas, including killing mosquitoes). Going up against the nuclear and chemical industries for the final episode was not enough so the angel also appears in the White House at the bed of President George Bush (a look-alike actor) and the First Lady that his future children to great, great, great grandchildren will disappear if he does not take a stand to protect the environment! Looking back on the life of George Bush, as I did in a blog in December 2018, he was relatively a great environmentalist especially compared to many current disgraceful world leaders.

Well this last episode did not get the show cancelled but apparently it was a combination of lower ratings and the actor Victor French, who played Mark, sadly died at age 54 of lung cancer from smoking.