Sunday 27 January 2019

Climate Change Proposal To Doug Ford, with love



A lame 'plan' from the Ford government is up for comments till January 28, 2019. So write them [up till 11:59pm]. The link has a comment 'button' for commenting. Here's a few key ideas taken from The People's Climate Plan.

  1. Commit to and invest in 100% renewable energy by 2030, and stop spending taxpayers’ money on expensive, dirty energy sources. Take advantage of low-cost electricity options, including the adoption of energy conservation strategies and the purchase of Quebec water power.7
  2. Do not misuse public money. Account for the money that was raised in cap-and-trade auctions, which was earmarked for things like public building retrofits. Do not spend $30 million in tax dollars taking the federal government to court to fight a carbon fee that will be returned directly to Ontario’s schools, hospitals and households (an average family will receive $300 in 2019).8
  3. Create jobs and save Ontarians money by accelerating the adoption of renewables, significantly increasing energy efficiency programs, and restoring incentives for building retrofits and the adoption of solar, heat pump and geothermal energy. Modernize the building code to ensure new buildings achieve net-zero emissions by 2020.9
  4. Ensure that green transportation choices are accessible and affordable for Ontarians, including reliable low-carbon public transport, electric vehicles, supporting grid systems, and safe, active options like walking and cycling.10
  5. Ensure Ontario’s long-term prosperity by taking full advantage of green tech opportunities and our skilled workforce. Build infrastructure to help skilled workers in construction, manufacturing and transportation secure long-term employment in clean tech, rather than in polluting, fossil-fuel dependent industries that are unreliable job providers.11
  6. Account for the social cost of carbon and choose an effective way to fund green initiatives. Reconsider using our tax dollars to pay polluters in a system that already failed when adopted in Australia.12 Any system chosen should show reduced emissions in line with ambitious climate targets.
  7. Conserve and protect our cherished wilderness and green spaces including Ontario’s Greenbelt. Protect at least 17% of lands and inland waters by 2020; they are our most effective carbon sink.13
  8. Create a plan that is SMART - Specific, Measurable, Accountable, Relevant and Timebound - including short and long-term targets, concrete details, clear timelines, and a system to transparently and frequently measure progress. Include ongoing meaningful public consultation, e.g., a working group comprised of academics, scientists, front-line workers and city representatives.
     

Tuesday 15 January 2019

Prolifers Are Not Pro-life And How To Convert Them



Listening to today's broadcast of We Are U of T , the show discussed the disgust with the anti-abortionists. Sadly, the argument is all-ways framed with respect to a women's right. While this may be true, such an argument, or more of a slogan, does not penetrate the 'pro-lifers' ears/minds/heart.

Why not? In a word: indoctrination.The pro-lifer has been told a dogma and steps in line to follow the leader - be it parents, church, mosque, politicians, etc. It is quite the task to get someone to listen who has such a 'solid foundation' of indoctrination.

Then comes the pro-choice woman, clearly full of privilege - a student of the University of Toronto - one of the most difficult schools in Canada to enter. She is full of herself. She is right. The others are wrong. While playing a victim, as many of the show's guests do, mainly claiming only Whites have privilege, she lauds her 'rightness' and their 'wrong-ness'. She does bring up some good points. But the 'attitude needs to go'! She is filled with hate for her 'enemies'...just as her enemies hate her.

So how can she reach and 'convert' the pro-lifers? Well, first, she should read the bible. That is what the pro-lifers supposedly use as a basis. The bible actually clearly states that abortion is right and the will of God. See my discussion, here. They will be shocked but still,"good luck with that". It is very difficult to discuss when someone thinks he/she is right.

And that includes the smug pro-choicer. [Not saying all - but the ones on the show certainly are]. We all need to listen, try to under-stand the "other". But if both "sides" think they are right...I'm sure the reader knows how that goes.

Perhaps a better approach is to focus on the fact that most pro-lifers are not pro-life at all. One third of Americans identify as evangelicals . If you want to dialogue with them, you need to understand the psyche and the bible. Like Eric Hoffer, in The True Believer states, all groups have unifying agents, such as hate, imitation, self-sacrifice, etc. This is true of both parties discussed above. But with the bible being  mainly a social justice, anti-authoriatarian, anti-self-indulgence text, the pro-lifer is obliged to know and obey these principles. In fact, Jesus demands we die to our selves and for our neighbour. See my many articles for support .

Most pro-lifers support war. They support TAKING the life of fetues, children, women, men, animals, ... yet are against abortion! What? 2,000,000 dead in Iraq for U.S. imperial "interests". Well, gosh darn it, that is just fine! Driving, flying is just fine too. Devouring your neighbour, the Earth, all...just fine. Remember that driving is the #1 killer of kids in Canada/U.S. The list goes on - all fine. But don't kill the cells in a woman's body. Don't! Come on.

Oh, and don't take anti-biotics [anti-life] as they kill billions of bacteria = life. Oops...we need to be selective in what we 'classify' as 'life'. And let's forget that the body rejuvenates - literally rebirths itself - every 7 years. The amazing body is a war zone killing off living organisms without end: or we will end. But somehow the cells called 'fetus' are different. 

They/we all need to make system changes that support all life. With over 50% of the U.S. budget spent on the military = death instinct = insanity = anti-life = * . It's time both sides: all strive for life. That means sacrifice. What? Take the bus? What I can't fly to Florida, Europe, ....?

Don't we all NEED to be truly pro-life? Most on the left and wherever they are wandering around, expect the government and corporations to change. But they take no personal responsibility. See other post here to see how to do better. We need serious structural changes so that the poor are not dying... so that the air is not dying...so that the insects are not dying...so that our gut biome is not dying [billions of life forms,again]...

We need to live as the punk band Flux Of Pink Indians said: "Striving To Survive Causing The Least Suffering Possible".
The end. Or is it? If we don't change it will be soon. Good luck everybody else, as the Asian woman driver says as she switches 7 lanes without signaling. Oops.....blame Family Guy for that one! Such insensitivity. That should be censored. I think Asians are the best drivers! Should that be censored for mentioning race? Oh yea, it's only ok to criticize the 'whites'. Oops again. Sorry about that. Where's Jordan Peterson when you need him?