This blog post with the 'header' title, "My Point Of View On, Part 27," is not originally from my "Paul Whiting — Math Magician" blog. This is a new post in that same series, which I published on my "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" blog, since this post is based upon a YouTube video that I made titled, "How I Use 'Conscious Consumerism' To Live With Respect To The Planet Upon Which I Live."
My Point Of View On...
Global Warming ('This is
how I am doing my part to
try and reduce the effects
of global warming!')
And below is an excerpt, and a link, from a summarization that I wrote of an article from "The New York Times," which was published on August 9th, 2021:
"A Hotter Future Is Certain, Climate Panel Warns. But How Hot Is Up to Us" from The New York Times:"Some devastating impacts of global warming are now unavoidable, a major new scientific report finds. But there is still a short window to stop things from getting even worse.Nations have delayed curbing their fossil fuel emissions for so long that they can no longer stop global warming from intensifying over the next 30 years, though there is still a short window to prevent the most harrowing future, a major new United Nations scientific report has concluded......The report, approved by 195 governments and based on more than 14,000 studies, is the most comprehensive summary to date of the physical science of climate change......The new report is part of the sixth major assessment of climate science from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which was created in 1988. A second report, set to be released in 2022, will detail how climate change might affect aspects of human society, such as coastal cities, farms or health care systems. A third report, also expected next year, will explore more fully strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and halt global warming."
"How I Use 'Conscious Consumerism' To Live With Respect To The Planet Upon Which I Live":
My Point Of View No. 1: I only eat plant-based foods, which means that I'm vegan. I also try to buy minimally processed natural foods, as well as organically grown, fair trade, rain-forest safe, and non-GMO products. Also, I try to buy local products as much as possible.
My Point Of View No. 2: I try to buy 100% recycled paper products, including toilet paper, facial tissues and paper towels.
My Point Of View No. 3: I try to buy natural personal care products, such a oral hygiene products, as well as organic shampoo and conditioner, organic soaps and natural cleaning products, wherever possible.
My Point Of View No. 4: I buy 100% clean electricity for my apartment and rechargeable batteries for my devices that can use rechargeable batteries.
My Point Of View No. 5: I travel by walking — which is exercise for me — although, that limits to how far I can travel by walking.
My Point Of View No. 6: I keep up with politics in order to stay more informed as a voter. And I make sure that I vote in every election, including "special elections."
My Point Of View No. 7: I also keep up with the news in order to stay more informed as a citizen. And I subscribe to news organizations that I can afford given my budget.
My Point Of View No. 8: I budget very carefully, so that I know where every penny is going. And I track what I save when I spend money, such as store discounts and coupons, as well as other discounts, so that I can spend that money on other things.
(I explain more about my budget in the video...)
My Point Of View No. 9: And the mobile phone company that I'm with, CREDO Mobile, is also very environmentally conscientious and socially conscientious. Plus, they make regular donations to different organizations that are trying to do good in the world.
My Point Of View No. 10: And, so, this is how I am doing my part to try and reduce the effects of global warming!
-Paul Whiting
(a.k.a., A Creative Writer)
"I maybe say too much about how life really is!"
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My Writing About Earth Day (for 2012): Please join me in 'Going Green on Earth Day' by making a charitable donation to the environmental cause of your choice! –Paul Whiting (written April 22, 2012 and revised April 22nd, 2024)
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My Writing About Reducing My Carbon Emissions: I am working toward the goal of becoming "Cooler and Smarter" by reducing my carbon emissions through the process of doing the following: (1) signing up for 100% renewable electricity; (2) using rechargeable batteries; (3) using LED light bulbs; and (4) no longer consuming animal products, due to the environmental impact of raising animals for food. –Paul Whiting (written June 4th, 2012, revised April 14, 2015, revised November 24th, 2015 and revised July 18th, 2022)
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My Writing About Conscious Consumerism (which were written approximately on January 1st, 2013; written approximately on January 1st, 2014; written sometime after January 1st, 2016; written on March 26th, 2016; written on October 18th, 2018; written with reference to October 28th, 2019 on January 23rd, 2022; written on August 12th, 2021 and turned into 'my writing' on July 31st, 2022):
Written approximately on January 1st, 2013: I genuinely feel that "Conscious Consumerism" is the key to creating a world where everyone can meet their daily needs in a way that promotes ethical and sustainable practices for the production of goods and services worldwide...
...And I actually began this effort when I read about the "Cooler Smarter" campaign by the Union of Concerned Scientists! So, I have already signed up for 100% renewable energy with my local power company; I have invested in using rechargeable batteries for all of my devices; and I am working on replacing all of my incandescent light bulbs!
And then, just recently, I found out that "over 80% of the worlds chocolate comes from West Africa and, unfortunately, many of those farms are using child slaves—in particular the cacao-rich country Ivory Coast." Thus, I have also changed my chocolate buying habits to always purchase organic chocolate and/or fair trade chocolate!
(By the way, later on I found out, from a local food cooperative of which I am a member, that slave labor is even being used in organic chocolate production, so now I only buy fair trade chocolate products!)
Plus, I am also working on being aware of whether I am buying anything made with slave labor and so, I have also taken the WalkFree.org pledge for 'A World Without Slavery,' because "I believe our generation can build a world without slavery!" –Paul Whiting (written approximately on January 1st, 2013)
Written approximately on January 1st, 2014: ...Buying organic and/or fair trade products is the best way that I can help to Abolish Modern Slavery in the food industry, which is a major issue in food production worldwide—even here in America! –Paul Whiting (written approximately on January 1st, 2014)
Written sometime after January 1st, 2016: I also decided to become vegan again, sometime before the end of March 2015, and I am feeling much better about my food choices, plus I am feeling much better overall. You see, I became vegan the first time in 1999, right before I moved here to Portland, Oregon from Salt Lake City, Utah the first time. (I moved back to Salt Lake City, Utah from Oregon in early 2007—for about two years—and then I returned to Portland in early 2009.) So, this is actually my second time living in Oregon and also my second time being vegan! –Paul Whiting (written sometime after January 1st, 2016)
Written on March 26th, 2016: I buy "preserved foods" as much as possible (that is, canned, cooked, dried, frozen, pickled and refrigerated, etc.), so that I virtually never throw away food, because I only eat foods that are preserved, when I am in the mood to eat them... Now, this also means that I don't eat fresh foods, but I would eat my own home-grown foods, if I had my own garden! Thus, I choose to not buy fresh produce since I worry about being able to eat produce while it is good and fresh! That is just my personal preference, however, in order to prevent throwing away food that has gone bad—which means wasting food—and that is not okay in My Philosophical Book Of Life! –Paul Whiting (written on March 26th, 2016)
Written on October 18th, 2018: I realized, in the year 2018, that I should be buying and eating fresh produce, especially local produce, as part of choosing to be a "Conscious Consumer." And what prompted me to realize that I should be buying and eating fresh produce, especially local produce, is the fact that in the year 2017 here in Portland, Oregon, I joined three cooperative grocery stores—as a member who buys a 'co-op' share in order to support that 'co-op'—but I was not buying any fresh produce! Thus, I realized my error with regard to not buying fresh produce in terms of being a 'Conscious Consumer,' who endeavors to support local businesses, including small farms. Therefore, I have started to buy and eat fresh produce, from the various grocery stores at which I shop, but in small quantities, so that I have time to eat the produce while it is good and fresh! –Paul Whiting (written on October 18th, 2018)
Written with reference to October 28th, 2019 on January 23rd, 2022: After October 28th, 2019, I decided to stop taking public transportation in order to get around... So, I started to walk everywhere I go in order to transport myself—and as a way for me to exercise at the same time! However, I am limited as to how far I can travel, since I can only walk about a total of three to four miles in one direction. And so, I have been walking everywhere I go, ever since October 28th, 2019. –Paul Whiting (written with reference to October 28th, 2019 on January 23rd, 2022)
Written on August 12th, 2021 and turned into 'my writing' on July 31st, 2022: "How I Use Conscious Consumerism To Live With Respect To The Planet Upon Which I Live": My Point Of View No. 1: I only eat plant-based foods, which means that I'm vegan. I also try to buy minimally processed natural foods, as well as organically grown, fair trade, rain-forest safe, and non-GMO products. Also, I try to buy local products as much as possible. My Point Of View No. 2: I try to buy 100% recycled paper products, including toilet paper, facial tissues and paper towels. My Point Of View No. 3: I try to buy natural personal care products, such a oral hygiene products, as well as organic shampoo and conditioner, organic soaps and natural cleaning products, wherever possible. My Point Of View No. 4: I buy 100% clean electricity for my apartment and rechargeable batteries for my devices that can use rechargeable batteries. My Point Of View No. 5: I travel by walking — which is exercise for me — although, that limits to how far I can travel by walking. My Point Of View No. 6: I keep up with politics in order to stay more informed as a voter. And I make sure that I vote in every election, including "special elections." My Point Of View No. 7: I also keep up with the news in order to stay more informed as a citizen. And I subscribe to news organizations that I can afford given my budget. My Point Of View No. 8: I budget very carefully, so that I know where every penny is going. And I track what I save when I spend money, such as store discounts and coupons, as well as other discounts, so that I can spend that money on other things. My Point Of View No. 9: And the mobile phone company that I'm with, CREDO Mobile, is also very environmentally conscientious and socially conscientious. Plus, they make regular donations to different organizations that are trying to do good in the world. My Point Of View No. 10: And, so, this is how I am doing my part to try and reduce the effects of global warming! –Paul Whiting (written on August 12th, 2021, turned into 'my writing' on July 31st, 2022 and revised May 12th, 2023)
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My Writing About The Perfect Reasons To Go Vegan: Why give food that you can eat to animals and then eat animal meat, or other animal products? In other words, "Cut out the middle man." Besides that, why contribute to the impact of eating animal meat, or other animal products, which accounts for a really large percentage of all worldwide greenhouse gas emissions? In other words, "Cut out the global warming." –Paul Whiting (written March 30th, 2015, revised October 18th, 2021 and revised July 18th, 2022)
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My Writing About How Consuming Animal Meat And Other Animal Products Is Not Good: Consuming animal meat, as well as other animal products, is not good for the animals—it is not good for you—and it is not good for global warming, because livestock, and their byproducts, account for a really large percentage of all worldwide greenhouse gas emissions. –Paul Whiting (written December 27th, 2015, revised October 18th, 2021, revised October 24th, 2021 and revised July 18th, 2022)
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My Writing About "Ecologically-Friendly" Petroleum Extraction And Refinement Without Exacerbating Global Warming:Most of the petroleum in the world should be left in the ground, where it belongs. Yet, at the same time, processing a sustainable amount of petroleum into "ecologically-friendly" products (using sound scientific methods that prevent the toxicity of extracting, transporting and refining crude oil) is beneficial, since the crude oil will never seep out if the ground, due to building up too much pressure, since it has been extracted and refined. However, the processing of crude oil into petroleum products should be totally sustainable—as well as not harmful to the environment, such as the oceans—and should not exacerbate global warming in any way. Plus, fracking is a horrible idea and we should not be "fracking" doing it! Besides that, creating plastics from petroleum is having an enormously negative impact on the environment, most particularly on bodies of water, such as lakes and oceans, along with plants, as well as animals, which includes humans. –Paul Whiting (written approximately on April 17th, 2016, then turned into 'my writing' on July 31st, 2022, revised April 23rd, 2023 and revised June 26th, 2024)
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My Writing Notes:
My Writing Notes:
The reason that I wrote this prose can be summed up with the following statement: The video above is a YouTube video of me discussing how I use "Conscious Consumerism" to live as it relates to global warming, which was recorded on Thursday, August 12th, 2021 and was published on August 14th, 2021. And I was inspired to make this video because I was planning to make a video to explain how I take care of my needs at the same time that I am trying to take care of the planet. And I recorded several "takes" of a previous edition of this video, but I decided to rerecord the video, and retitled the video, after I saw the "Code Red for Humanity" report by the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which was issued on August 9th, 2021.
And this prose was only published on my "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" blog.
This prose was written in Portland, Oregon.
-Paulee
-Paulee
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April 22nd, 2022 Update: Happy Earth Day, everyone! I donated to multiple charitable organizations "that are actively seeking to solve some of the world’s most pressing environmental problems" in honor of Earth Day today, April 22nd, 2022. And I donated to some of these organizations through their websites (Sierra Club and Climate Reality Project). Plus, I also donated to some of these organizations from their website via PayPal.com (Greenpeace, Union of Concerned Scientists, The Alliance for Climate Protection and Earthjustice). Besides that, I donated to one of them from their website via ActBlue.com (Friends of the Earth). And, finally, I donated to one of them via Charity Navigator (350.org) and I included a donation to Charity Navigator like I usually do, because they are a charity too.
In addition to that, many of these organizations offered 'matched' donations today for Earth Day, and so I donated through those 'matched' donation offers on those particular websites. And I also paid for the donation processing fee—whenever the processing fee was offered to be added to the donation—in order for 100% of my donation to go to that organization!
–Paul Whiting (written April 22nd, 2022, revised June 12th, 2022, revised June 15th, 2022, revised June 17th, 2022, revised June 20th, 2022, revised July 11th, 2022, revised December 28th, 2022, revised December 30th, 2022, revised April 16th, 2023, revised April 22nd, 2023, revised April 23rd, 2024 and revised April 24th, 2024)
[I feel like I need to clarify why there are so many 'revised dates' on this 'update,' just like there are often times so many 'revised dates' on other 'updates' similar to this one! You see, I really try to keep my writing consistent as possible across all of my blogs. Therefore, as I am writing, I try to use the same phraseology wherever possible with regard to similar types of my writing so that, when I am editing my writing, I can change all of the similar writing at the same time and in the same way! Thus, a lot of the revisions indicated above, after my name (–Paul Whiting), and shown right after the original 'written date,' are often times due to these aforementioned consistent-writing revisions.]
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April 22nd, 2023 Update: Happy Earth Day, everyone! I donated today, April 22nd, 2023, to environmental organizations in honor of Earth Day, each of which is an organization "coming out of the conservation or environmental movements that seeks to protect, analyse or monitor the environment against misuse or degradation from human forces." And I donated to virtually all of these organizations through their websites (Environmental Action, World Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace, Union of Concerned Scientists, EARTHDAY.ORG and Sierra Club). Besides that, I donated to one of them from their website via ActBlue.com (Endangered Species Coalition).
By the way, as you can see from the accumulated partial list below of environmental "organizations from sources across the web," which I found today on a Google search for "Environmental Organizations," there truly are an incredible number of organizations that are dedicated to the environment and wildlife:
Therefore, when I donate to environmental organizations each year for Earth Day, I choose to select some of the same organizations and I also select some different organizations. So, I make many of those selections due to them being organizations that I usually donate to, or maybe due to emails that I receive from some organizations (please see my 'April 22nd, 2023 Update—Continued,' which can be found below as an example of this), or perhaps due to donation videos for some organizations that I see on YouTube, all of which can inspire me throughout the year to donate all the way up until Earth Day each year.
You see, I usually make donations to various environmental organizations on April 22nd of each year—as a way to celebrate Earth Day—and as a way to support the environmental organizations to which I choose to donate on Earth Day, which is the day that I feel thematically corresponds directly to the causes that those particular organizations represent.
And it's not just on Earth Day that I do this!
Thus, I donate to various charitable organizations during the year on a particular 'theme day,' so to speak, which I feel corresponds directly to those particular charitable causes, because it helps me to remember to donate to those particular charitable causes during the year that I feel have a corresponding 'theme day.'
Plus, I am spreading the charitable love throughout the entire year—and not simply having a year's worth of charitable giving 'bunch up,' so to speak, on Giving Tuesday. So then, whichever charitable organizations don't have an obvious corresponding 'theme day,' I can donate to those charitable organizations during Giving Tuesday, since I haven't already given to those particular organizations sometime during the year!
That is why I coordinate some of my charitable giving during the year with a particular 'theme day' that some charitable causes correspond to—such as the above-mentioned environmental organizations whose causes I feel directly correspond to the 'theme day' of Earth Day!
In addition to that, many of these organizations that I donated to today offered 'matched' donations today for Earth Day, and so I donated through those 'matched' donation offers on those particular websites. And I also paid for the donation processing fee—almost every time the processing fee was offered to be added to the donation—in order for 100% of my donation to go to that organization! –Paul Whiting (written April 22nd, 2023, revised April 23rd, 2023, revised May 19th, 2023, revised November 21st, 2023, revised April 22nd, 2024 and revised April 24th, 2024)
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April 22nd, 2023 Update—Continued: Happy Earth Day, everyone! I received an email way back on March 6th, 2023, from the Endangered Species Coalition with the subject line, "Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Endangered Species Act in 2023", which stated the following:
***[I used to include hyperlinks contained within the email messages, or the text messages, to which I am referring in these "Activism Updates"; however, I could not figure out how to include the aforementioned hyperlinks, regarding some relevant action that I had taken—such as signing a petition, sending a letter or message to my representative(s) in Congress, signing a USO 'Thank You' card, and/or making a donation—without including my personal information.]
By the way, I included this March 6th, 2023 email from the Endangered Species Coalition as part of my 'updates' for Earth Day 2023, because I feel that many of the species which are endangered are due to human activity and its impact on the environment, including global warming. Thus, that is why I decided to write this 'update' on Earth Day, April 22nd, 2023, since this year is the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, which became effective on December 27th, 1973.
"Endangered Species Act of 1973" from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia—which is funded primarily through donations from millions of individuals around the world, including this blogger (I make a totally affordable monthly donation):
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endangered_Species_Act_of_1973
So, I made a one-time donation to the Endangered Species Coalition (that I also mention in my 'April 22nd, 2023 Update,' which can be found above) in order to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, which "has allowed for the recovery of such iconic species as the bald eagle, American alligator, whooping crane, and the humpback whale." And this "immensely popular and bipartisan bill passed in December, 1973 by a vote of 92-0 in the Senate and 355-4 in the House," which demonstrates "our shared value to protect our wildlife into a national commitment to conservation," while it also serves to remind "the public and decisionmakers why plants, fish and wildlife are beloved and vital to the heritage we share as Americans." –Paul Whiting (written April 22nd, 2023, revised April 23rd, 2023, revised April 28th, 2023, revised May 18th, 2023, revised December 6th, 2023, revised April 22nd, 2024 and revised April 24th, 2024)
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April 22nd, 2023 Update—Continued Further: Happy Earth Day, everyone! I saved a video titled, "The Plastic Problem - A PBS NewsHour Documentary" on my YouTube 'Watch Later' Playlist that I watched today, April 22nd, 2023, which is a testament to the perils that the world faces from plastics! Here is the description from that video (with a hyperlink to the video below):
And after I watched the video—which I had specifically saved on my YouTube 'Watch Later' Playlist to watch on Earth Day—I decided to write this 'update' as part of my Earth Day 'updates,' so that I could encourage you, my readers, to consider watching the video too! –Paul Whiting (written April 22nd, 2023, revised May 19th, 2023, revised July 16th, 2023, revised October 21st, 2023, revised April 22nd, 2024 and revised April 24th, 2024)
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April 22nd, 2024 Update No. 1: Happy Earth Day, everyone! In honor of Earth Day, I donated to only a few of the environmental organizations today, April 22nd, 2024, that I usually support each year for Earth Day, which are specifically Union of Concerned Scientists, Sierra Club and Greenpeace because, when I donate to organizations on Earth Day each year, I often choose to select some of the same organizations and I also select some different organizations.
And I make many of those selections due to them being organizations that I usually donate to, or maybe due to emails that I receive from some organizations, or perhaps due to donation videos for some organizations that I see on YouTube, all of which can inspire me throughout the year to donate all the way up until Earth Day each year.
However, "I have changed the way that I make donations to political, progressive and charitable organizations each month ... due to the fact that I have been spending a considerable percentage of my monthly income on all of these donations." (The reader should know that I am HIV-positive with full-blown AIDS. And I am on Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, so my income is quite limited.) Therefore, "I am really 'tightening my belt,' so to speak, with regard to all of the donations that I am making on my credit card each month!
So, for Earth Day 2024, I selected just a few of the environmental organizations to which I usually donate, because I am really trying spend only the bare minimum that I can, since that's all I can really afford.
That way, I am still trying to be an "Online Activist," and to 'put my money where my mouth is' regarding my activism, but I am also trying to reduce my rather considerable credit card balance! Therefore, when I finally get my balance down to a more manageable level, I can start donating again to more environmental organizations, like I used to do, since there truly are an incredible number of organizations that are dedicated to the environment and wildlife.
And I was inspired to make these three donations by the following: a Catalyst Magazine that I received sometime toward the end of February (as I recall) from the Union of Concerned Scientists, and by a mailer that I received on March 8th, 2024 from Sierra Club, as well as by a mailer that I received on April 18th, 2024 from Greenpeace.
You see, I usually make donations to various environmental organizations on April 22nd of each year—as a way to celebrate Earth Day—and as a way to support the environmental organizations to which I choose to donate on Earth Day, which is the day that I feel thematically corresponds directly to the causes that those particular organizations represent.
And it's not just on Earth Day that I do this!
Thus, I donate to various charitable organizations during the year on a particular 'theme day,' so to speak, which I feel corresponds directly to those particular charitable causes, because it helps me to remember to donate to those particular charitable causes during the year that I feel have a corresponding 'theme day.'
Plus, I am spreading the charitable love throughout the entire year—and not simply having a year's worth of charitable giving 'bunch up,' so to speak, on Giving Tuesday. So then, whichever charitable organizations don't have an obvious corresponding 'theme day,' I can donate to those charitable organizations during Giving Tuesday, since I haven't already given to those particular organizations sometime during the year!
That is why I coordinate some of my charitable giving during the year with a particular 'theme day' that some charitable causes correspond to—such as the above-mentioned environmental organizations whose causes I feel directly correspond to the 'theme day' of Earth Day! –Paul Whiting (written April 22nd, 2024, revised April 23rd, 2024 and revised April 24th, 2024)
P.S.: Please see my detailed descriptions—immediately after this 'update'—of the following Earth Day donations for which I received the above-mentioned communications!
Union of Concerned Scientists: 'April 22nd, 2024 Update No. 2, Written On April 23rd, 2024, Which Also Discusses February 2024' that can be found below.
Sierra Club: 'April 22nd, 2024 Update No. 3, Written On April 23rd, 2024, Which Also Discusses March 8th, 2024' that can be found below.
Greenpeace: 'April 22nd, 2024 Update No. 4, Written On April 23rd, 2024, Which Also Discusses April 18th, 2024' that can be found below.
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April 22nd, 2024 Update No. 2, Written On April 23rd, 2024, Which Also Discusses February 2024: Happy Earth Day, everyone! I received a magazine from Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) sometime toward the end of February 2024 (as I recall), with 'cover lines' on the front of the magazine that read, "Countdown to Zero Emissions: The time is now to phase out fossil fuels | Diversifying the Federal Science Workforce | Bringing Change to California's Croplands", which stated, in part, the following:
Now, I highlighted this article from the UCS Catalyst Magazine because it was the article that I was planning to read next from the magazine! You see, I read the Catalyst Magazines, whenever I receive them, as I have time to do so. Thus, I had already read pages 1 through 7 of the 'Volume 24, Winter 2024' Catalyst, and I was just getting ready to read the "Countdown To Zero" article, which starts on page 8, just as soon as I had the time.
That is why I chose this particular article as my 'inspiration,' so to speak, for donating to the Union of Concerned Scientists yesterday, April 22nd, 2024, as part of my donations for Earth Day! –Paul Whiting (written April 23rd, 2024 and revised April 24th, 2024)
P.S.: If you are interested in reading the entire 'Volume 24, Winter 2024' of Catalyst Magazine, here is a description of Catalyst, from the Union of Concerned Scientists website, with a hyperlink below:
Plus, as mentioned in the description above, "you can download past issues" of Catalyst Magazine going all the way back to 2010!
P.P.S.: Just so you know, "I have changed the way that I make donations to political, progressive and charitable organizations each month ... due to the fact that I have been spending a considerable percentage of my monthly income on all of these donations." (The reader should know that I am HIV-positive with full-blown AIDS. And I am on Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, so my income is quite limited.) Therefore, "I am reducing how much I donate for the regular mail requests that I receive (to which I choose to respond) to take action." Thus, I will still be responding to some of the regular mail requests that I receive (to which I choose to respond), which are requesting me to take action, but I am reducing the amount that I donate to organizations from which I receive mailers. Please see my 'August 19th, 2023 Update' from my blog post titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," which can be found on my "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" blog:
https://poetartistandphilosopher.blogspot.com/2016/11/i-am-no-longer-being-activist.html
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April 22nd, 2024 Update No. 3, Written On April 23rd, 2024, Which Also Discusses March 8th, 2024: Happy Earth Day, everyone! I received a mailer from Sierra Club forty six days ago on March 8th, 2024, with a 'front teaser message' on the envelope that read, "IMPORTANT: Membership Renewal Enclosed", which stated the following:
[I used to hand-type the text of the documents from these types of mailers on my smartphone; however, it takes a lot of time and energy in order to hand-type these kinds of documents: so, instead, I scanned and copied the documents using Google Lens! Then, I edited the copy of said documents to include all of the italicizing, bolding and/or underscoring where applicable.]
And, after I read the letter above, I entered the hyperlink to the referenced webpage, the relevant text of which can be found below (although, the text I am providing is actually from Sierra Club's main 'Join Online' webpage—which is what the hyperlink above goes to—so that you, my readers, can join Sierra Club if you would like to do so!):
And so, I made a one-time donation to Sierra Club yesterday, April 22nd, 2024, in order to 'renew' my annual membership, and as part of my donations for Earth Day! –Paul Whiting (written April 23rd, 2024 and revised April 24th, 2024)
P.S.: Just so you know, "I have changed the way that I make donations to political, progressive and charitable organizations each month ... due to the fact that I have been spending a considerable percentage of my monthly income on all of these donations." (The reader should know that I am HIV-positive with full-blown AIDS. And I am on Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, so my income is quite limited.) Therefore, "I am reducing how much I donate for the regular mail requests that I receive (to which I choose to respond) to take action." Thus, I will still be responding to some of the regular mail requests that I receive (to which I choose to respond), which are requesting me to take action, but I am reducing the amount that I donate to organizations from which I receive mailers. Please see my 'August 19th, 2023 Update' from my blog post titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," which can be found on my "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" blog:
https://poetartistandphilosopher.blogspot.com/2016/11/i-am-no-longer-being-activist.html
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April 22nd, 2024 Update No. 4, Written On April 23rd, 2024, Which Also Discusses April 18th, 2024: Happy Earth Day, everyone! I received a mailer from Greenpeace five days ago on April 18th, 2024, with a 'front teaser message' on the envelope that read, "WE'RE FACING THE BIGGEST THREAT IN OUR HISTORY. WE WON'T BE SUED INTO SILENCE", which stated the following:
[I used to hand-type the text of the documents from these types of mailers on my smartphone; however, it takes a lot of time and energy in order to hand-type these kinds of documents: so, instead, I scanned and copied the documents using Google Lens! Then, I edited the copy of said documents to include all of the italicizing, bolding and/or underscoring where applicable.]
And, after I read the letter above, I entered the hyperlink to the referenced webpage, the relevant text of which can be found below:
And so, I made a one-time donation to Greenpeace yesterday, April 22nd, 2024, since "Greenpeace USA is being sued by Big Oil," and as part of my donations for Earth Day! That is why I contributed to help "FUND THE FIGHT by rushing a gift of [$10]" in order to [✓] Stop Big Oil from suing [Greenpeace USA] into silence; and to [✓] Protect people and the planet; as well as to [✓] Keep the truth of the climate crisis clear! –Paul Whiting (written April 23rd, 2024 and revised April 24th, 2024)
P.S.: Just so you know, "I have changed the way that I make donations to political, progressive and charitable organizations each month ... due to the fact that I have been spending a considerable percentage of my monthly income on all of these donations." (The reader should know that I am HIV-positive with full-blown AIDS. And I am on Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, so my income is quite limited.) Therefore, "I am reducing how much I donate for the regular mail requests that I receive (to which I choose to respond) to take action." Thus, I will still be responding to some of the regular mail requests that I receive (to which I choose to respond), which are requesting me to take action, but I am reducing the amount that I donate to organizations from which I receive mailers. Please see my 'August 19th, 2023 Update' from my blog post titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," which can be found on my "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" blog:
https://poetartistandphilosopher.blogspot.com/2016/11/i-am-no-longer-being-activist.html
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November 6th, 2024 Update No. 1 [My Writing About No Longer Being An 'Online Activist' In Any Way, Shape Or Form]: Due to Donald Trump winning the 2024 Presidential Election—and until further notice—I am no longer being an 'Online Activist' in any way, shape or form, which includes no longer signing petitions from political, social, environmental and charitable organizations, and no longer sending letters to my Representative and Senators in Congress, as well as no longer making donations to political, social, environmental and charitable causes. Full stop! I am also unsubscribing from any of the emails that I used to receive from political, social, environmental and charitable organizations. In fact, I am even cancelling all of my monthly political donations to the main Democratic fundraising and coordinating organizations, as well as to the USO (United Service Organizations), in addition to cancelling all of my monthly news organization subscriptions, or news organization donations, because I am absolutely terrified of this second Trump administration. And I fully expect that democracy in America as we know will be over! So, I am choosing to not engage in any 'activism' whatsoever—plus, I am not even sure that I will be exercising my 'civic duty' by voting in any upcoming elections because, as a (formerly) donating and a (potentially former) voting Democrat, I totally fear the retribution of President Donald J. Trump. Full stop! –Paul Whiting (written November 6th, 2024 and revised November 7th, 2024)
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This "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" Post No. 306 was edited on November 7th, 2024.
April 22nd, 2022 Update: Happy Earth Day, everyone! I donated to multiple charitable organizations "that are actively seeking to solve some of the world’s most pressing environmental problems" in honor of Earth Day today, April 22nd, 2022. And I donated to some of these organizations through their websites (Sierra Club and Climate Reality Project). Plus, I also donated to some of these organizations from their website via PayPal.com (Greenpeace, Union of Concerned Scientists, The Alliance for Climate Protection and Earthjustice). Besides that, I donated to one of them from their website via ActBlue.com (Friends of the Earth). And, finally, I donated to one of them via Charity Navigator (350.org) and I included a donation to Charity Navigator like I usually do, because they are a charity too.
In addition to that, many of these organizations offered 'matched' donations today for Earth Day, and so I donated through those 'matched' donation offers on those particular websites. And I also paid for the donation processing fee—whenever the processing fee was offered to be added to the donation—in order for 100% of my donation to go to that organization!
–Paul Whiting (written April 22nd, 2022, revised June 12th, 2022, revised June 15th, 2022, revised June 17th, 2022, revised June 20th, 2022, revised July 11th, 2022, revised December 28th, 2022, revised December 30th, 2022, revised April 16th, 2023, revised April 22nd, 2023, revised April 23rd, 2024 and revised April 24th, 2024)
[I feel like I need to clarify why there are so many 'revised dates' on this 'update,' just like there are often times so many 'revised dates' on other 'updates' similar to this one! You see, I really try to keep my writing consistent as possible across all of my blogs. Therefore, as I am writing, I try to use the same phraseology wherever possible with regard to similar types of my writing so that, when I am editing my writing, I can change all of the similar writing at the same time and in the same way! Thus, a lot of the revisions indicated above, after my name (–Paul Whiting), and shown right after the original 'written date,' are often times due to these aforementioned consistent-writing revisions.]
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April 22nd, 2023 Update: Happy Earth Day, everyone! I donated today, April 22nd, 2023, to environmental organizations in honor of Earth Day, each of which is an organization "coming out of the conservation or environmental movements that seeks to protect, analyse or monitor the environment against misuse or degradation from human forces." And I donated to virtually all of these organizations through their websites (Environmental Action, World Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace, Union of Concerned Scientists, EARTHDAY.ORG and Sierra Club). Besides that, I donated to one of them from their website via ActBlue.com (Endangered Species Coalition).
By the way, as you can see from the accumulated partial list below of environmental "organizations from sources across the web," which I found today on a Google search for "Environmental Organizations," there truly are an incredible number of organizations that are dedicated to the environment and wildlife:
Organizations
From sources across the web:
Sierra Club
The Nature Conservancy
World Wide Fund for Nature
Greenpeace
Environmental Defense Fund
Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc.
Rainforest Alliance
Conservation International
Global Footprint Network
Earth Island Institute
350.org
Surfrider Foundation
Rainforest Action Network
Oceana
Friends of the Earth International
The Climate Reality Project
Wildlife Conservation Society
Friends of Nature
Fauna and Flora International
Wetlands International
International Union for Conservation of Nature
Earthjustice
Citizens' Climate Lobby
Audubon
Rainforest Trust
Forest Stewardship Council
International Rivers
Climate Action Network
Earthwatch Institute
Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative
PADI AWARE
American Forests
Indigenous Environmental Network
Green Cross International
Xerces Society
Greenpeace USA
Defenders of Wildlife
IDEAS For Us
Worldwatch Institute
Rainforest Foundation US
Society for the Environment
Rainforest Foundation UK
This Is My Earth
Center for Development and Strategy
Green Africa Youth Organization
Fondation Pacifique
World Resources Institute
Arab Forum for Environment and Development
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
[Blogger's Note: By the way, the environmental organizations above are just the list that appeared based upon the specific time that I did the above-mentioned Google search, because when I went back a little bit later on in order to verify some of the names, the list had changed!]
Therefore, when I donate to environmental organizations each year for Earth Day, I choose to select some of the same organizations and I also select some different organizations. So, I make many of those selections due to them being organizations that I usually donate to, or maybe due to emails that I receive from some organizations (please see my 'April 22nd, 2023 Update—Continued,' which can be found below as an example of this), or perhaps due to donation videos for some organizations that I see on YouTube, all of which can inspire me throughout the year to donate all the way up until Earth Day each year.
You see, I usually make donations to various environmental organizations on April 22nd of each year—as a way to celebrate Earth Day—and as a way to support the environmental organizations to which I choose to donate on Earth Day, which is the day that I feel thematically corresponds directly to the causes that those particular organizations represent.
And it's not just on Earth Day that I do this!
Thus, I donate to various charitable organizations during the year on a particular 'theme day,' so to speak, which I feel corresponds directly to those particular charitable causes, because it helps me to remember to donate to those particular charitable causes during the year that I feel have a corresponding 'theme day.'
Plus, I am spreading the charitable love throughout the entire year—and not simply having a year's worth of charitable giving 'bunch up,' so to speak, on Giving Tuesday. So then, whichever charitable organizations don't have an obvious corresponding 'theme day,' I can donate to those charitable organizations during Giving Tuesday, since I haven't already given to those particular organizations sometime during the year!
That is why I coordinate some of my charitable giving during the year with a particular 'theme day' that some charitable causes correspond to—such as the above-mentioned environmental organizations whose causes I feel directly correspond to the 'theme day' of Earth Day!
In addition to that, many of these organizations that I donated to today offered 'matched' donations today for Earth Day, and so I donated through those 'matched' donation offers on those particular websites. And I also paid for the donation processing fee—almost every time the processing fee was offered to be added to the donation—in order for 100% of my donation to go to that organization! –Paul Whiting (written April 22nd, 2023, revised April 23rd, 2023, revised May 19th, 2023, revised November 21st, 2023, revised April 22nd, 2024 and revised April 24th, 2024)
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April 22nd, 2023 Update—Continued: Happy Earth Day, everyone! I received an email way back on March 6th, 2023, from the Endangered Species Coalition with the subject line, "Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Endangered Species Act in 2023", which stated the following:
Paul,
In 2023, we are celebrating 50 years since the Endangered Species Act became law—half a century of protecting, conserving and recovering wildlife from the brink of extinction. The Act remains a long-lasting example of commitment, cooperation, and the conservation triumphs that we can make when working together.
Make a gift today to make sure all endangered species remain protected by the Endangered Species Act.
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 has become a landmark piece of legislation that is modeled all over the world. It turns our shared value to protect our wildlife into a national commitment to conservation. It is the strongest policy we have to save species and serves as a safety net for plants, birds, fish, and wildlife.
By instituting protections for these species and the critical habitats in which they live, the Endangered Species Act has allowed for the recovery of such iconic species as the bald eagle, American alligator, whooping crane, and the humpback whale. The immensely popular and bipartisan bill passed in December, 1973 by a vote of 92-0 in the Senate and 355-4 in the House.
In 2023 and for the next fifty years and beyond, we must continue to defend, fund, and strengthen the Endangered Species Act, so that future generations of Americans can experience the world's diverse plants and animals, and the habitats upon which they depend. The Endangered Species Coalition will continue to use grassroots mobilization, allied membership voices, artwork, and educational outreach programs to make sure the importance of the ESA is understood and is not weakened by representatives and legislation that serves special interests and ignores imperiled species.
Your donation will support ESC’s efforts to uphold and defend the Endangered Species Act.
In 2023, the 50th anniversary provides a unique, year-long opportunity to build support for the Endangered Species Act and imperiled species by celebrating conservation achievements, highlighting conservation needs, and reminding the public and decisionmakers why plants, fish and wildlife are beloved and vital to the heritage we share as Americans. And just as in 1973, an unprecedented coalition of agencies, organizations, individuals and nonprofits are coming together to celebrate this conservation legacy.
Make a gift to ESC in honor of the Endangered Species Act’s 50th anniversary.
Donate to the Endangered Species Act at 50***
Thank you for your commitment to wildlife and wild places.
Sincerely,
[Name redacted]
[Title redacted]
Endangered Species Coalition
***[I used to include hyperlinks contained within the email messages, or the text messages, to which I am referring in these "Activism Updates"; however, I could not figure out how to include the aforementioned hyperlinks, regarding some relevant action that I had taken—such as signing a petition, sending a letter or message to my representative(s) in Congress, signing a USO 'Thank You' card, and/or making a donation—without including my personal information.]
By the way, I included this March 6th, 2023 email from the Endangered Species Coalition as part of my 'updates' for Earth Day 2023, because I feel that many of the species which are endangered are due to human activity and its impact on the environment, including global warming. Thus, that is why I decided to write this 'update' on Earth Day, April 22nd, 2023, since this year is the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, which became effective on December 27th, 1973.
"Endangered Species Act of 1973" from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia—which is funded primarily through donations from millions of individuals around the world, including this blogger (I make a totally affordable monthly donation):
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endangered_Species_Act_of_1973
So, I made a one-time donation to the Endangered Species Coalition (that I also mention in my 'April 22nd, 2023 Update,' which can be found above) in order to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, which "has allowed for the recovery of such iconic species as the bald eagle, American alligator, whooping crane, and the humpback whale." And this "immensely popular and bipartisan bill passed in December, 1973 by a vote of 92-0 in the Senate and 355-4 in the House," which demonstrates "our shared value to protect our wildlife into a national commitment to conservation," while it also serves to remind "the public and decisionmakers why plants, fish and wildlife are beloved and vital to the heritage we share as Americans." –Paul Whiting (written April 22nd, 2023, revised April 23rd, 2023, revised April 28th, 2023, revised May 18th, 2023, revised December 6th, 2023, revised April 22nd, 2024 and revised April 24th, 2024)
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April 22nd, 2023 Update—Continued Further: Happy Earth Day, everyone! I saved a video titled, "The Plastic Problem - A PBS NewsHour Documentary" on my YouTube 'Watch Later' Playlist that I watched today, April 22nd, 2023, which is a testament to the perils that the world faces from plastics! Here is the description from that video (with a hyperlink to the video below):
The Plastic Problem - A PBS NewsHour Documentary
By 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans. It’s an environmental crisis that’s been in the making for nearly 70 years. Plastic pollution is now considered one of the largest environmental threats facing humans and animals globally.
In “The Plastic Problem: PBS NewsHour Presents”, Amna Nawaz and her PBS NewsHour colleagues look at this now ubiquitous material and how it’s impacting the world, why it’s become so prevalent, what’s being done to mitigate its use, and what potential alternatives or solutions are out there. This hour-long program travels from Boston to Seattle, Costa Rica to Easter Island to bring the global scale of the problem to light.
https://youtu.be/1RDc2opwg0I
And after I watched the video—which I had specifically saved on my YouTube 'Watch Later' Playlist to watch on Earth Day—I decided to write this 'update' as part of my Earth Day 'updates,' so that I could encourage you, my readers, to consider watching the video too! –Paul Whiting (written April 22nd, 2023, revised May 19th, 2023, revised July 16th, 2023, revised October 21st, 2023, revised April 22nd, 2024 and revised April 24th, 2024)
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August 13th, 2023 Update: I pressed the Weather.com "Excessive Heat Warning" on my smartphone today, August 13th, 2023, and I was directed to a Google search page that had an advertisement at the top of the page, which stated the following:
So, I clicked on the hyperlink to the referenced webpage, which can be found below:
And, after I signed the Plant Based Treaty, I received a confirmation email today, August 13th, 2023, from PlantBasedTreaty.org, with the subject line, "Plant Based Treaty Next Steps", which stated the following:
**So, after I signed the treaty above, I made a one-time donation to PlantBasedTreaty.org in order to show my support for the Plant Based Treaty! –Paul Whiting (written August 13th, 2023, revised August 14th, 2023, revised August 17th, 2023 and revised August 22nd, 2023)
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August 15th, 2023 Update—Continued (Originally From My Blog Post Titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," Which Is On My "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" Blog):
I pressed the Weather.com "Excessive Heat Warning" on my smartphone today, August 15th, 2023, and I was directed to a Google search page that had an advertisement at the top of the page, which stated, in part, the following:
So, I clicked on the hyperlink to the referenced webpage, regarding "Tell Biden To Act Now," which can be found below:
***[I was going to include the donation page address for this Greenpeace ad; however, I could not figure out how to include the aforementioned address without also including my personal information. Thus, the hyperlink at the top of the ad is the original address, but it simply takes you to the main Greenpeace website, rather than the donation page for the above-mentioned ad.]
Then, after I sent the message above, I made a one-time donation to Greenpeace in order to show my support for President Biden declaring a Climate Emergency! –Paul Whiting (August 15th, 2023)
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August 16th, 2023 Update: I received a text message today, August 16th, 2023, from the Jane Fonda Climate PAC (Jane Fonda Climate Political Action Committee), which stated the following:
***[I used to include hyperlinks contained within the email messages, or the text messages, to which I am referring in these "Activism Updates"; however, I could not figure out how to include the aforementioned hyperlinks, regarding some relevant action that I had taken—such as signing a petition, sending a letter or message to my representative(s) in Congress, signing a USO 'Thank You' card, and/or making a donation—without including my personal information.]
And so, I made a one-time donation to the Jane Fonda Climate PAC in order to do my part to "help elect climate champions who are committed to combating the climate crisis and taking on the fossil fuel industry."
And, after I made the donation above, I received a follow-up text message today, August 16th, 2023, from the Jane Fonda Climate PAC, which stated the following:
Therefore, I decided to share this follow-up text message with you, my readers, for you to consider donating too, if you are interested in contributing to the Jane Fonda Climate PAC like I did!
And if you are interested in learning more about the Jane Fonda Climate PAC, here is a description from their "About" webpage, along with a hyperlink:
By the way, I added the quotation marks to Ms. Fonda's statement above, as well as her name at the end of the statement, because I thought it would make more sense, since this Jane Fonda Climate PAC "About Page" opening statement is clearly written from her perspective. –Paul Whiting (written August 16th, 2023, revised August 17th, 2023, revised October 27th, 2023 and revised October 29th, 2023)
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October 24th, 2023 Update No. 7 [My Writing About How I Have Changed The Way That I Label My Blog Posts 'Updates' For Any Additional 'Updates' That I Write, After The First 'Update,' By Using A Simple Numbering System, Which Starts With The First 'Update' (Originally From My Blog Post Titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," Which Is On My "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" Blog)]:
I have changed the way I label the blog post 'updates' that I write because I oftentimes write more than one 'update' per day!
And in the past, I have labeled the second, third, fourth and fifth 'update' with the following extensions—on the days that I write more than 'update'—to differentiate any additional 'updates' from the first one, as follows:
[1st] Month Day, Year Update
[2nd] Month Day, Year Update—Continued
[3rd] Month Day, Year Update—Continued Further
[4th] Month Day, Year Update—Continued Further Some More
[5th] Month Day, Year Update—Continued Further Some More Than Before
However today, October 24th, 2023, I actually had more than five 'updates' to write, so I decided to change how I differentiate any additional 'updates,' from the first 'update,' by using a simple numbering system, which actually starts with the first 'update' that I write, as follows:
Month Day, Year Update No. 1
Month Day, Year Update No. 2
Month Day, Year Update No. 3
Month Day, Year Update No. 4
Month Day, Year Update No. 5
Month Day, Year Update No. 6
Month Day, Year Update No. 7
Therefore, that is why this 'update' is the seventh one for today! –Paul Whiting (written October 24th, 2023 and revised October 28th, 2023)
Ad · https://www.plantbasedtreaty.org
Excessive Heat Warning Petition - Please Sign Urgent Petition
Take action today to protect animals, people and the planet. Sign the Plant Based Treaty.
So, I clicked on the hyperlink to the referenced webpage, which can be found below:
Plant Based Treaty
We invite you to sign the Plant Based Treaty*
And get a FREE Vegan Starter Kit
There is a climate emergency and you can help by signing the Plant Based Treaty*
The IPCC [Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change] issued a "final warning" in March 2022. We are heading towards 1.5C [1.5 degrees celsius, which is 34.7 degrees fahrenheit] warming by 2030 unless we change our reliance on fossil fuels and animal agriculture. You can help by signing the Plant Based Treaty* which has the goal of switching the planet to a plant-based food system and encouraging diet change, not climate change.
Join over 37,000 others and sign the Treaty today:
Name First: Paul
Name Last: Whiting
City: [redacted]
Country: [redacted]
Email: [redacted]
How would you describe your current diet?
[✓] Vegan / Plant-based
[ ] Vegetarian
[ ] Pescatarian
[ ] Reducing
[ ] Omnivore
Please tick if any of these categories apply to you (optional):
[ ] Elected Representative / Politician
[ ] Scientist
[ ] UN Ambassador
[ ] Doctor / Medical Ambassador
[ ] Athlete
[✓] Celebrity / Influencer
[ ] Other
[By the way, I would have chosen "Other" as a category, since I am a blogger, but I only got access to the option "If you would like to provide a quote in support of Plant Based Treaty..." when I selected "Celebrity / Influencer." So, that is why I selected that particular category, due to the fact that I am "Blogger / Influencer," so to speak.]
Additional information e.g. social media handle, website, credentials (optional):
https://poetartistandphilosopher.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-perfect-reason-for-being-vegan.html
If you would like to provide a quote in support of Plant Based Treaty, for use on social media and press releases, please write it below:
"The Perfect Reasons To Go Vegan" from my 'Paul Whiting: Poet, Artist and Philosopher' blog...
The Perfect Reason To Go Vegan No. 1:
Why give food that you can eat to animals and then eat animal meat, or other animal products?
In other words, "Cut out the middle man."
The Perfect Reason To Go Vegan No. 2:
Besides that, why contribute to the impact of eating animal meat, or other animal products, which accounts for a really large percentage of all worldwide greenhouse gas emissions?
In other words, "Cut out the global warming."
-Paul Whiting
(a.k.a., Poet, Artist and Philosopher)
"I am the poet who thinks that he knows it!"
https://poetartistandphilosopher.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-perfect-reason-for-being-vegan.html
Plant Based Treaty News
[✓] Subscribe me to your email list for all latest news, campaign updates and action alerts from across the globe
You may unsubscribe at any time.
Sign the Plant Based Treaty*
Sign the Treaty today and get your FREE Vegan Starter Kit – it’s a free, quick and easy way to take a stand against the climate crisis.
🌱 Download our free Vegan Starter Kit:
https://plantbasedtreaty.org/sign-vegan
Donate**
---------------------------------------------
*Plant Based Treaty
Join over 110,000 others and SIGN THE PLANT BASED TREATY
ENDORSE AS AN INDIVIDUAL:
https://plantbasedtreaty.org/individual-endorse
ENDORSE AS AN ORGANIZATION:
https://plantbasedtreaty.org/organization-endorse
ENDORSE AS A BUSINESS:
https://plantbasedtreaty.org/business-endorse
ENDORSE AS A CITY:
https://plantbasedtreaty.org/city-endorse
---------------------------------------------
What is the Plant Based Treaty?
The adoption of a Plant Based Treaty as a companion to the UNFCCC [United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change] / Paris Agreement will put food systems at the heart of combating the climate crisis. The Treaty aims to halt the widespread degradation of critical ecosystems caused by animal agriculture, to promote a shift to more healthy, sustainable plant-based diets and to actively reverse damage done to planetary functions, ecosystem services and biodiversity.
The Plant Based Treaty has three core principles:
[1.] Relinquish
No land use change, ecosystem degradation or deforestation for animal agriculture
LEARN MORE:
https://plantbasedtreaty.org/the-pbt/#relinquish
[2.] Redirect
An active transition away from animal-based food systems to plant-based systems
LEARN MORE:
https://plantbasedtreaty.org/the-pbt/#redirect
[3.] Restore
Actively restoring key ecosystems, particularly restoring forests and rewilding landscapes
LEARN MORE:
https://plantbasedtreaty.org/the-pbt/#restore
---------------------------------------------
109,284 INDIVIDUAL ENDORSERS
1,224 ORGANIZATION ENDORSERS
1,441 BUSINESS ENDORSERS
21 CITY ENDORSERS
---------------------------------------------
Why do we need a Plant Based Treaty?
Fossil fuels and animal agriculture are the driving force behind runaway global warming as well as extensive biodiversity loss, large-scale deforestation, species extinction, water depletion, soil degradation and ocean dead zones. Addressing fossil fuels alone isn’t enough – we need action on food systems too; that’s where the Plant Based Treaty comes in. The three main greenhouse gases – carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide are at devastatingly high levels and rapidly accelerating.
Animal agriculture is driving Indigenous land theft in the Amazon; subjecting racially and ethnically marginalized communities to disproportionate amounts of toxic waste from factory farms and slaughterhouses as well as exposing workers to toxic chemicals, hazardous working conditions and severe trauma.
LEARN MORE:
https://youtu.be/3S7NRxZdd84
---------------------------------------------
Meet Our Endorsers:
[✓] Party for the Animals
[✓] Vegan Conservatives
[✓] Veganuary
[✓] UK Health Alliance on Climate Change
[✓] PCRM
[✓] Oceanic Preservation Society
[✓] REV Institute
[✓] Diet Change Not Climate Change
[✓] ProVeg International
[✓] Youth Climate Save
[✓] Ecotricity
[✓] Climate Save Movement
[✓] Million Dollar Vegan
[✓] DiEM25
[✓] Europa Verde
[✓] PETA
[✓] Jane Unchained News Network
[✓] IDA
[✓] Meat Free Mondays
[✓] Linda McCartney’s
See more:
https://plantbasedtreaty.org/who-has-endorsed
We can create a better world. Let’s grow.
SIGN THE PLANT BASED TREATY:
https://plantbasedtreaty.org/endorse
And, after I signed the Plant Based Treaty, I received a confirmation email today, August 13th, 2023, from PlantBasedTreaty.org, with the subject line, "Plant Based Treaty Next Steps", which stated the following:
Thank you for endorsing the Plant Based Treaty
The Paris Agreement is silent on animal agriculture. Even if we ended the use of fossil fuels today, we wouldn’t be able to stop the climate catastrophe without shifting to a plant-based food system.
Can you help promote the Plant Based Treaty?
Here are your next steps:
1. Join our Slack channel to connect with other endorsers and build the movement calling for a Plant Based Treaty
2. Download your social media pack[1] and endorse badges which can be used on your website, printed materials and newsletters
3. Start a Plant Based Treaty Team by downloading our organizers guide, completing our registration form and joining one of our weekly Friday introductory calls on zoom. English-speaking calls are every 10am and 2pm EST and Spanish-speaking calls are at 3pm EST. You can join with this link.
4. Set your own treaty goals (https://plantbasedtreaty.org/campaign-hub) and help encourage others to endorse the Plant Based Treaty...
...Eat plants, plant trees
https://www.plantbasedtreaty.org
---------------------------------------------
1. READ ME
Dear endorser,
Thank you for supporting the Plant Based Treaty!
Within this folder you will find graphics you can use to spread the message about the Plant Based Treaty and announce your endorsement. We’d love it if you could tag us in your posts so we can connect with endorsers across the globe.
If you need help with suggested captions for your announcements, we’ve put together a few ideas that you can use for inspiration.
1. We are proud endorsers of the Plant Based Treaty. There is a code red climate emergency and we must take immediate action to avert catastrophe.
2. We have endorsed the Plant Based Treaty. Ending fossil fuels alone will not avoid climate breakdown, we must do both and we must do it now.
3. Please join us in endorsing the Plant Based Treaty. Animal agriculture is the leading cause of deforestation and biodiversity loss, and the expansion must be stopped. Eat plants, plant trees and endorse the Plant Based Treaty.
4. There is a climate, ocean, biodiversity and animal crisis, but the solutions are right before our eyes. We need to phase out fossil fuels and transition to a plant-based diet. Action is required at all levels, from individuals, to business to government.
Let’s do it together and make an impact.
Team Plant Based Treaty
https://www.plantbasedtreaty.org
**So, after I signed the treaty above, I made a one-time donation to PlantBasedTreaty.org in order to show my support for the Plant Based Treaty! –Paul Whiting (written August 13th, 2023, revised August 14th, 2023, revised August 17th, 2023 and revised August 22nd, 2023)
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August 15th, 2023 Update—Continued (Originally From My Blog Post Titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," Which Is On My "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" Blog):
I pressed the Weather.com "Excessive Heat Warning" on my smartphone today, August 15th, 2023, and I was directed to a Google search page that had an advertisement at the top of the page, which stated, in part, the following:
Ad · https://www.greenpeace.org/engage/us/heat-wave***
Current heat wave in US...
...The Reality Of These Heat Waves: What We Are Seeing Right Now Is Climate Breakdown.
[✓] Tell Biden To Act Now
Ways to Give
Donate Now
So, I clicked on the hyperlink to the referenced webpage, regarding "Tell Biden To Act Now," which can be found below:
President Biden must declare a Climate Emergency!
The climate crisis is already changing life as we know it. Devastating climate impacts are displacing millions of people each year. Meanwhile, the fossil fuel industry continues to extract from public lands and exploit communities of color for profit.
Declaring a Climate Emergency would be the beginning of the end to the era of fossil fuels and climate destruction. By using his executive powers, President Biden can repair the harm caused by environmental racism and deliver good-paying union jobs, justice, and clean energy for all.
Families from Washington state to Florida are already starting to feel the severity of the climate crisis. In the United States and around the world, Black, Brown, Indigenous, and poor people are the first to feel the impacts of fossil fuel extraction and predatory exploitation. By declaring a Climate Emergency, President Biden can begin to utilize the “whole-of-government approach” to begin solving the biggest existential threat that we have ever faced.
Add your name to tell President Biden to declare a national Climate Emergency.
Contact Information
First Name: Paul
Last Name: Whiting
Street Address (Optional): [redacted]
Postal Code: [redacted]
City (Optional): [redacted]
State/Province (Optional): [redacted]
Email: [redacted]
Home Phone (Optional): [redacted]
Mobile Phone (Optional): [redacted]
Subject: President Biden, please declare a climate emergency.
President Biden,
The climate crisis is out of control and you can do more to address it. At risk are millions of lives and a stable society in which we can all thrive. If we continue down the fossil-fueled path we are currently on, it will spell disaster for both people and the planet.
I am imploring you to use your executive powers to declare a climate emergency. By declaring a national climate emergency, you can actualize the “whole-of-government approach” you promised on the campaign trail to address the biggest existential crisis we’ve ever faced. This administration must address the climate emergency and protect communities in the Gulf threatened by the buildout of new export terminals by using the authority granted by Congress to reinstate the ban on crude oil exports. Declaring a national climate emergency will allow you to kick start a managed phase-out of fossil fuels and a transition to renewable energy, and to launch a jobs stimulus package that secures good-paying union jobs for workers in these communities.
Sincerely,
[Your information here]
***[I was going to include the donation page address for this Greenpeace ad; however, I could not figure out how to include the aforementioned address without also including my personal information. Thus, the hyperlink at the top of the ad is the original address, but it simply takes you to the main Greenpeace website, rather than the donation page for the above-mentioned ad.]
Then, after I sent the message above, I made a one-time donation to Greenpeace in order to show my support for President Biden declaring a Climate Emergency! –Paul Whiting (August 15th, 2023)
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August 16th, 2023 Update: I received a text message today, August 16th, 2023, from the Jane Fonda Climate PAC (Jane Fonda Climate Political Action Committee), which stated the following:
Hi, it’s Jane Fonda with an important message from the Jane Fonda Climate PAC team. I started the Jane Fonda Climate PAC to help elect climate champions who are committed to combating the climate crisis and taking on the fossil fuel industry.
And as we gear up to support more climate champions in 2023 and beyond, we need your support even if it's just $5.
$5 may not seem like a lot of money compared to the millions spent by the fossil fuel industry every year, but when we combine our grassroots strength to power the climate movement, your $5 investment makes a big difference.
Will you contribute $5 today to show your support for the Jane Fonda Climate PAC and join our movement as we fight for our planet? You can use this secure link:***
***[I used to include hyperlinks contained within the email messages, or the text messages, to which I am referring in these "Activism Updates"; however, I could not figure out how to include the aforementioned hyperlinks, regarding some relevant action that I had taken—such as signing a petition, sending a letter or message to my representative(s) in Congress, signing a USO 'Thank You' card, and/or making a donation—without including my personal information.]
And so, I made a one-time donation to the Jane Fonda Climate PAC in order to do my part to "help elect climate champions who are committed to combating the climate crisis and taking on the fossil fuel industry."
And, after I made the donation above, I received a follow-up text message today, August 16th, 2023, from the Jane Fonda Climate PAC, which stated the following:
Hey there! It's Jane Fonda.
Thank you for reaching out and welcome to the Jane Fonda Climate PAC team. We have less than 8 years to phase out fossil fuels before the worst effects of the climate crisis become irreversible - that's why I'm acting now.
My team and I support climate champions nationwide so we can elect candidates who will lead us toward a greener future free from deadly fossil fuel pollution.
And we need your support to continue our work. Will you make a $5 contribution today? You can use this secure link:
janepac.com/givenow
Therefore, I decided to share this follow-up text message with you, my readers, for you to consider donating too, if you are interested in contributing to the Jane Fonda Climate PAC like I did!
And if you are interested in learning more about the Jane Fonda Climate PAC, here is a description from their "About" webpage, along with a hyperlink:
Jane Fonda
Climate PAC
ABOUT
"I’ve spent my life fighting for what I believe in. When I was 32, President Nixon had me arrested. 50 years later I was arrested five times for protesting the government’s inaction on climate change. It’s no secret that I have a history of ruffling feathers in Washington.
Today, support for climate action is unprecedented. The public is voting with the climate in mind, but the people we elect are not. This has led me to reflect on what we need to do to secure meaningful action on climate. Our planet is on fire and our leaders are failing us, so if we can’t change the minds of the people in power, we need to change the people in power.
It is for that reason that I started Jane Fonda Climate PAC, which is laser-focused on one goal: Do what it takes to defeat fossil fuel supporters and elect climate champions at all levels of government.
I believe this is the most important thing I will do in my lifetime." —Jane Fonda
https://janepac.com
By the way, I added the quotation marks to Ms. Fonda's statement above, as well as her name at the end of the statement, because I thought it would make more sense, since this Jane Fonda Climate PAC "About Page" opening statement is clearly written from her perspective. –Paul Whiting (written August 16th, 2023, revised August 17th, 2023, revised October 27th, 2023 and revised October 29th, 2023)
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October 24th, 2023 Update No. 7 [My Writing About How I Have Changed The Way That I Label My Blog Posts 'Updates' For Any Additional 'Updates' That I Write, After The First 'Update,' By Using A Simple Numbering System, Which Starts With The First 'Update' (Originally From My Blog Post Titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," Which Is On My "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" Blog)]:
I have changed the way I label the blog post 'updates' that I write because I oftentimes write more than one 'update' per day!
And in the past, I have labeled the second, third, fourth and fifth 'update' with the following extensions—on the days that I write more than 'update'—to differentiate any additional 'updates' from the first one, as follows:
[1st] Month Day, Year Update
[2nd] Month Day, Year Update—Continued
[3rd] Month Day, Year Update—Continued Further
[4th] Month Day, Year Update—Continued Further Some More
[5th] Month Day, Year Update—Continued Further Some More Than Before
However today, October 24th, 2023, I actually had more than five 'updates' to write, so I decided to change how I differentiate any additional 'updates,' from the first 'update,' by using a simple numbering system, which actually starts with the first 'update' that I write, as follows:
Month Day, Year Update No. 1
Month Day, Year Update No. 2
Month Day, Year Update No. 3
Month Day, Year Update No. 4
Month Day, Year Update No. 5
Month Day, Year Update No. 6
Month Day, Year Update No. 7
Therefore, that is why this 'update' is the seventh one for today! –Paul Whiting (written October 24th, 2023 and revised October 28th, 2023)
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April 22nd, 2024 Update No. 1: Happy Earth Day, everyone! In honor of Earth Day, I donated to only a few of the environmental organizations today, April 22nd, 2024, that I usually support each year for Earth Day, which are specifically Union of Concerned Scientists, Sierra Club and Greenpeace because, when I donate to organizations on Earth Day each year, I often choose to select some of the same organizations and I also select some different organizations.
And I make many of those selections due to them being organizations that I usually donate to, or maybe due to emails that I receive from some organizations, or perhaps due to donation videos for some organizations that I see on YouTube, all of which can inspire me throughout the year to donate all the way up until Earth Day each year.
However, "I have changed the way that I make donations to political, progressive and charitable organizations each month ... due to the fact that I have been spending a considerable percentage of my monthly income on all of these donations." (The reader should know that I am HIV-positive with full-blown AIDS. And I am on Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, so my income is quite limited.) Therefore, "I am really 'tightening my belt,' so to speak, with regard to all of the donations that I am making on my credit card each month!
So, for Earth Day 2024, I selected just a few of the environmental organizations to which I usually donate, because I am really trying spend only the bare minimum that I can, since that's all I can really afford.
That way, I am still trying to be an "Online Activist," and to 'put my money where my mouth is' regarding my activism, but I am also trying to reduce my rather considerable credit card balance! Therefore, when I finally get my balance down to a more manageable level, I can start donating again to more environmental organizations, like I used to do, since there truly are an incredible number of organizations that are dedicated to the environment and wildlife.
And I was inspired to make these three donations by the following: a Catalyst Magazine that I received sometime toward the end of February (as I recall) from the Union of Concerned Scientists, and by a mailer that I received on March 8th, 2024 from Sierra Club, as well as by a mailer that I received on April 18th, 2024 from Greenpeace.
You see, I usually make donations to various environmental organizations on April 22nd of each year—as a way to celebrate Earth Day—and as a way to support the environmental organizations to which I choose to donate on Earth Day, which is the day that I feel thematically corresponds directly to the causes that those particular organizations represent.
And it's not just on Earth Day that I do this!
Thus, I donate to various charitable organizations during the year on a particular 'theme day,' so to speak, which I feel corresponds directly to those particular charitable causes, because it helps me to remember to donate to those particular charitable causes during the year that I feel have a corresponding 'theme day.'
Plus, I am spreading the charitable love throughout the entire year—and not simply having a year's worth of charitable giving 'bunch up,' so to speak, on Giving Tuesday. So then, whichever charitable organizations don't have an obvious corresponding 'theme day,' I can donate to those charitable organizations during Giving Tuesday, since I haven't already given to those particular organizations sometime during the year!
That is why I coordinate some of my charitable giving during the year with a particular 'theme day' that some charitable causes correspond to—such as the above-mentioned environmental organizations whose causes I feel directly correspond to the 'theme day' of Earth Day! –Paul Whiting (written April 22nd, 2024, revised April 23rd, 2024 and revised April 24th, 2024)
P.S.: Please see my detailed descriptions—immediately after this 'update'—of the following Earth Day donations for which I received the above-mentioned communications!
Union of Concerned Scientists: 'April 22nd, 2024 Update No. 2, Written On April 23rd, 2024, Which Also Discusses February 2024' that can be found below.
Sierra Club: 'April 22nd, 2024 Update No. 3, Written On April 23rd, 2024, Which Also Discusses March 8th, 2024' that can be found below.
Greenpeace: 'April 22nd, 2024 Update No. 4, Written On April 23rd, 2024, Which Also Discusses April 18th, 2024' that can be found below.
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April 22nd, 2024 Update No. 2, Written On April 23rd, 2024, Which Also Discusses February 2024: Happy Earth Day, everyone! I received a magazine from Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) sometime toward the end of February 2024 (as I recall), with 'cover lines' on the front of the magazine that read, "Countdown to Zero Emissions: The time is now to phase out fossil fuels | Diversifying the Federal Science Workforce | Bringing Change to California's Croplands", which stated, in part, the following:
{C
Catalyst
Volume 24, Winter 2024
Countdown to Zero Emissions
The time is now to phase out fossil fuels
____________________________________________
Diversifying the Federal Science Workforce
____________________________________________
Bringing Change to California's Croplands
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COUNTDOWN TO ZERO
While time is running short to get to net-zero heat-trapping emissions, momentum is growing to change the way we power our world. New UCS analysis shows we can make it—and earn climate, economic, and health benefits in the process.
BY SETH SHULMAN
Members and supporters of the Union of Concerned Scientists are likely all too familiar with the huge effort needed to reduce the pollution caused by our reliance on fossil fuels, and that we have no time to waste given the disastrous impacts of climate change that are already upon us. But there’s another side to this story: across the globe, we are in the midst of the biggest energy transformation since the Industrial Revolution—arguably one of the biggest energy transformations ever. And evidence of the growing momentum toward clean energy is all around us.
Consider that, for the first time, the United States generated more electricity from wind and solar than it did from coal during the first five months of 2023, and is projected to do so—for the first time—for the whole year in 2024. Even more impressive is the mind-boggling amount of additional clean energy now in the pipeline. According to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, as of the end of 2022 there were more than 10,000 proposed wind and solar projects—representing double the country’s current electricity capacity—actively seeking interconnection to the transmission system.
Of course, siting, permitting, and building all this new capacity and the additional transmission capacity to support them in a timely fashion will be an enormous task. But the transformation is happening. For one thing, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA)—the largest federal funding bill for climate action in history—committed nearly $400 billion to support low- and zero-carbon technologies including wind and solar power, battery storage, and electric vehicles.
A year and a half since the IRA’s passage, these expenditures are already having a significant impact. The White House says the United States has created more than 170,000 new clean energy jobs, and the American Clean Power Association says 83 new manufacturing plants have been announced that will produce solar power equipment, wind turbine parts, or batteries, representing some $270 billion of capital investment through July 2023. That’s as much as the previous seven years of clean energy investment combined.
Meanwhile, progress on electric vehicles (EVs) is ramping up rapidly, too. By one count, since the passage of the IRA, US companies had, as of December 2023, announced some $78 billion in new investments in factories making EVs and their components. Seventy-nine factories are now either proposed or under construction, and the sector has already added nearly 50,000 new jobs.
Numbers such as these reveal the enormity of the shift under way. But unfortunately, US oil and fossil gas production also hit all-time highs in 2023, which threatens to undermine climate progress. The all-important question is: Can we accelerate the clean energy momentum already under way, while ensuring the benefits flow to all communities in an equitable way? Will we be able to move fast enough to meet international climate commitments while protecting people, ecosystems, and the planet?
THE NEED FOR SPEED
An interdisciplinary ["relating to more than one branch of knowledge"] team of UCS experts set out recently to crunch the numbers about the speed and scale of our energy transformation. Their report, Accelerating Clean Energy Ambition, finds that, with concerted action to build on existing state and federal clean energy policies, the United States can reach its climate goals.
“We’re not saying it’ll be easy, but we know that a cleaner and more just energy future is within our reach,” says Steve Clemmer, report author and director of energy research and analysis at UCS. “We outline a viable, cost-effective path for the United States to meet its emissions reduction targets.”
What’s more, Clemmer says, the team found that moving at the speed and scale needed will generate tremendous benefits. Not only will this allow us to avoid the enormous costs associated with climate damages, but it will also lower near-term consumer energy costs and dramatically reduce air pollution and improve public health at the same time.
The analysis also finds that while the IRA will help stimulate much of the near-term private investment in clean energy and related infrastructure needed to decarbonize the US economy—more than $1 trillion through 2035—that is still not enough. We will need additional policies and investments across all sectors if we are to succeed at slashing emissions in half by 2030 and reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. While the IRA roughly doubles the current pace of annual emissions reductions to about 3 percent per year through 2030, the analysis shows that the United States will need to accelerate its reductions to roughly 5 percent per year to achieve its climate targets.
SETTING PRIORITIES
The key to bridging the gap is swift action to dramatically ramp up the deployment of clean energy technologies and related infrastructure while also making sure to phase out fossil fuels.
How do we do it?
Clemmer emphasizes that the main solutions have long been clear. First, he says, we need to generate electricity primarily via wind and solar power instead of by burning coal and fossil gas. Second, we need to retool the transportation, building, and industrial sectors to run on clean electricity instead of dirty fossil fuels. And third, we need to do everything we can to increase energy efficiency in each of those sectors, thereby lowering overall energy demand.
The good news is that all these solutions can be accomplished with proven and commercially available technologies, and they can reduce energy costs for consumers. The UCS report urges federal and state policymakers to build on current policies by setting science-based emissions reduction goals and enacting ambitious policies to achieve those goals in every sector of the US economy. In addition, policymakers should adopt near- and long-term plans to cut fossil fuel production and use, reject fossil fuel infrastructure expansion, limit the role of carbon capture and storage and other carbon management strategies (which can be costly and do not address upstream emissions), and hold fossil fuel companies accountable for fraud and damages related to the climate impact of their products.
As report co-author Rachel Cleetus, lead economist and policy director of the UCS Climate and Energy Program, explains, “The urgency of the climate crisis requires a sharp turn away from fossil fuels toward clean energy solutions. Our analysis found that an ambitious suite of policies to meet US climate goals would cause overall fossil fuel use to fall 82 percent between 2021 and 2050. Oil would drop by 85 percent, gas by 72 percent, and coal would be eliminated entirely and rapidly.” (See the box above.)[1]
The analysis emphasizes that state and federal authorities need to protect marginalized communities that have borne the brunt of industrial pollution. These communities should be the prime beneficiaries of investments in clean energy technologies and efforts to cut air, water, and soil pollution, as well as carbon emissions.
HISTORICAL PRECEDENT
All told, the UCS report finds that the United States needs to nearly triple the share of electricity it generates from renewables to 60 percent by 2030, 81 percent by 2035, and 92 percent by 2050. And raising the degree of difficulty even more is the reality that many forces—especially those that profit most from business as usual—are actively trying to slow or stop the changes we need to build a healthy and prosperous future.
Nonetheless, as difficult as the challenge seems, history is filled with examples of large and often swift changes, even in the energy field. As a New Englander, I’m comforted by the example of whale oil, which fueled our local economy for decades. Less than two centuries ago, whaling was an enormous multinational enterprise, as the blubber from hundreds of thousands of whales was boiled down into oil to be burned in lamps. At its height in the 1840s, whaling was the fifth-largest industry in the United States and a seemingly permanent source of energy. But in the second half of the 1800s, whale oil was quickly displaced by kerosene, and soon thereafter by the electric light. Within a matter of just a few decades, the vast, terribly destructive whale oil industry was history.
ENORMOUS BENEFITS
By the UCS team’s estimate, a rapid and decisive shift to clean energy can boost the US economy with nearly $1.8 trillion in cumulative capital investments through 2035 and nearly $3.7 trillion through 2050, while avoiding some $575 billion in projected climate damages by 2035, and nearly $1.3 trillion by 2050. And these steps will significantly reduce harmful air pollution, avoiding as many as 73,000 premature deaths by 2050 and saving up to $800 billion in public health expenditures.
As Clemmer explains, “The solutions are clear: transitioning equitably to clean energy, increasing efficiency, and electrifying our cars and homes offer a crucial pathway for the United States to meet its climate goals. It’s a big job, but we find that these steps will not only limit the worst impacts of climate change, they will also reduce our energy costs and improve our health.” {C}
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[1] THE URGENT NEED FOR A FOSSIL FUEL PHASEOUT
UCS supports a fast and fair global phaseout of fossil fuels to meet climate, health, and environmental justice imperatives. What does that look like?
First, it means a rapid and steep decline in the production and use of coal, oil, and gas, with a goal of getting to zero. UCS modeling shows that, with smart, comprehensive policies, we can cut heat-trapping emissions to at least half their 2005 levels by 2030 and to net zero by 2050. Phasing out fossil fuels is central to meeting these targets.
The default position of governments at every level across the country should be to reject the expansion of fossil fuel production and the buildout of infrastructure that could remain in place for decades to come. At the same time, governments—and businesses across all sectors—should steadily reduce their fossil fuel production and consumption.
To advance a phaseout that is both fast and fair, policymakers and regulators must oppose and dismantle the fossil fuel industry’s disproportionate political influence over environmental, land use, and energy policy, while enacting policies and regulations that lead to a decline in fossil fuel use. Despite their claims and greenwashing campaigns, the fossil fuel industry has shown time and time again that it can’t be trusted to lead this transition.
To learn more about UCS’s position, visit our website: https://act.ucsusa.org/win24-fossil-fuel-phaseout.
Now, I highlighted this article from the UCS Catalyst Magazine because it was the article that I was planning to read next from the magazine! You see, I read the Catalyst Magazines, whenever I receive them, as I have time to do so. Thus, I had already read pages 1 through 7 of the 'Volume 24, Winter 2024' Catalyst, and I was just getting ready to read the "Countdown To Zero" article, which starts on page 8, just as soon as I had the time.
That is why I chose this particular article as my 'inspiration,' so to speak, for donating to the Union of Concerned Scientists yesterday, April 22nd, 2024, as part of my donations for Earth Day! –Paul Whiting (written April 23rd, 2024 and revised April 24th, 2024)
P.S.: If you are interested in reading the entire 'Volume 24, Winter 2024' of Catalyst Magazine, here is a description of Catalyst, from the Union of Concerned Scientists website, with a hyperlink below:
Catalyst Magazine
A member publication by the Union of Concerned Scientists
Catalyst, ISSN 1539-3410, is published quarterly by the Union of Concerned Scientists and mailed to our members. You can download past issues below. Text of articles from Catalyst, duly acknowledged, may be reprinted free of charge, though artwork may not be reproduced.
https://www.ucsusa.org/about/catalyst-magazine
Plus, as mentioned in the description above, "you can download past issues" of Catalyst Magazine going all the way back to 2010!
P.P.S.: Just so you know, "I have changed the way that I make donations to political, progressive and charitable organizations each month ... due to the fact that I have been spending a considerable percentage of my monthly income on all of these donations." (The reader should know that I am HIV-positive with full-blown AIDS. And I am on Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, so my income is quite limited.) Therefore, "I am reducing how much I donate for the regular mail requests that I receive (to which I choose to respond) to take action." Thus, I will still be responding to some of the regular mail requests that I receive (to which I choose to respond), which are requesting me to take action, but I am reducing the amount that I donate to organizations from which I receive mailers. Please see my 'August 19th, 2023 Update' from my blog post titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," which can be found on my "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" blog:
https://poetartistandphilosopher.blogspot.com/2016/11/i-am-no-longer-being-activist.html
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April 22nd, 2024 Update No. 3, Written On April 23rd, 2024, Which Also Discusses March 8th, 2024: Happy Earth Day, everyone! I received a mailer from Sierra Club forty six days ago on March 8th, 2024, with a 'front teaser message' on the envelope that read, "IMPORTANT: Membership Renewal Enclosed", which stated the following:
[I used to hand-type the text of the documents from these types of mailers on my smartphone; however, it takes a lot of time and energy in order to hand-type these kinds of documents: so, instead, I scanned and copied the documents using Google Lens! Then, I edited the copy of said documents to include all of the italicizing, bolding and/or underscoring where applicable.]
SIERRA CLUB
Explore, enjoy, and protect the planet
It's time to renew your Sierra Club membership!
Dear Sierra Club Member,
I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your generous past support as a member of the Sierra Club. I also want to urge you to renew your membership before it expires this month.
To express my appreciation for your ongoing support to help the Sierra Club meet the many challenges which face our environment, I've enclosed your personal Sierra Club membership card — bearing a memorable image and inscribed with your name.
I'm sending you this card with the sincere hope that you will continue your membership support for the Sierra Club, our nation's oldest, most powerful, and most influential voice for the environment.
Your strong commitment is essential to continue our efforts in effective advocacy, public education, political action, grassroots organizing, and much, much more.
Especially now. We need to make positive, lasting change to protect our planet, wildlife, and our communities.
But we cannot take anything for granted. We know the influence of the fossil fuel industry is much deeper than any single party or politician. We will have to fight harder than ever to defend our natural world, to continue repairing the harm the previous administration inflicted, and to achieve solutions to the climate crisis. I need your help.
Your renewal gift today will help challenge Big Oil, the coal industry, and other polluters who seek to exploit fragile wildlands and oceans for their dirty profits, and help us work with our allies to restore the health of our air, water, and wilderness.
Please renew your support for the Sierra Club right away! Simply return the enclosed contribution form along with your renewal contribution, using the envelope I've provided for your convenience.
There could not be a more important time to renew your support for the Sierra Club.
By continuing to work together, we are stronger in our battles to defend and protect our nation's precious wildlands and wildlife. We will be relentless in our push at the local, state, and federal levels to move our country toward a cleaner, renewable, and sustainable energy future.
Simply put, together with you and other committed individuals, the Sierra Club can carry out its mission. But without you, our cause is lost... because YOU are the Club.
YOU make all of our efforts possible.
Because of you and your fellow advocates, the Sierra Club has people on the ground in almost every state... we have a time-tested ability to hold politicians accountable... we have a creative and effective legal program... and we have a grassroots network of committed and energetic activists.
To help us carry on our essential work on behalf of the environment, please send us your membership renewal right away.
And, if at all possible, please consider increasing your level of support to help us meet the challenges ahead — to give an extra-special boost to our work at a time when the threats to our environment are greater than ever.
When you renew, you'll continue your special members-only benefits without interruption. Our beautiful Sierra magazine. Chapter newsletters and activities. Participation in our local, worldwide, and national outings program.
Plus, the satisfaction from having an active personal role in safeguarding our nation's precious natural heritage. Please renew your Sierra Club membership today
Sincerely,
[Name redacted]
[Title redacted]
P.S. We're making progress but there remains so much more for us to accomplish. We need to work together. We need you! Please renew today. Thank you!
P.P.S. You can put your gift to work immediately at SierraClub.org/RenewNow.
---------------------------------------------
SIERRA CLUB
Annual Membership Renewal
Member Since: 2001
Your Local Chapter: Oregon Chapter
[Start of Member Card]
Paul Whiting
ID# [redacted]
SIERRA CLUB
Membership Card
[End of Member Card]
Paul Whiting
[Street Address and Apt. No. redacted]
[City, State and ZIP Code redacted]
Yes, renew my Sierra Club Membership at the special member rates below.
Please use my dues to protect and defend our planet for this and future generations.
Regular
Individual $35
Joint $43
Supporting
Individual $60
Joint $68
Contributing
Individual $120
Joint $128
Student
Individual $19
Joint $27
Senior
Individual $19
Joint $27
Dues under $25 receive a digital version only of Sierra magazine.
[✓] Please do NOT send me any free gifts.
[ ] Stainless Steel Straws
[ ] Exploration Daypack
I'd like to do more! Here's a special, additional gift, over and above my Membership dues, to help in the following area(s):
Sierra Club $_______
(for lobbying and legislative action)
The Sierra Club Foundation $_______
(for research and public education)
Environmental Law Program $_______
(for environmental litigation)
Contributions, gifts, and dues to the Sierra Club are not tax-deductible; they support our effective citizen-based ad lobbying efforts. Annual membership dues of $25 or more include $7.50 for a one-year print subscription to Sierra magazine and $1.00 for your chapter newsletter. All members have digital access to Sierra magazine online.
[Blogger's Note: By the way, I usually renew my Sierra Club membership through their 'Join Online' webpage because I am not a student, nor a senior citizen (since I am not 65 years old yet), but I am "low income," so that's why I typically select the "$15 — Special Offer for Joining Today" amount for my 'renewal.']
And, after I read the letter above, I entered the hyperlink to the referenced webpage, the relevant text of which can be found below (although, the text I am providing is actually from Sierra Club's main 'Join Online' webpage—which is what the hyperlink above goes to—so that you, my readers, can join Sierra Club if you would like to do so!):
Join Online
With vital landmark legislation like the Endangered Species Act under attack, and the regulatory powers of the EPA threatened in Congress, we need you to join us as a member to beat back rollbacks on the progress we've made protecting our national heritage. In addition to our ambitious work across the country, part of your membership dues support your local chapter.
Add your voice to the hundreds of thousands of Americans committed to leaving our children a living legacy — clean air, safe drinking water, and natural grandeur. From Yosemite National Park to the Grand Canyon, since 1892 the Sierra Club has been instrumental in preserving nature's most splendid wild places.
Please join us in this movement by becoming a Member today!
1. Select Amount
[✓] $15 - Special Offer for Joining Today
[ ] $39 - Regular
[ ] $75 - Supporting Member
[ ] $150 - Contributing Member
[ ] $1,000 - Life Member
2. Your Information
First Name: Paul
Last Name: Whiting
Email: [redacted]
Cell Phone (Optional): [redacted]
Street Line 1: [Street Address redacted]
Street Line 2: [Apt. No. redacted]
City: [redacted]
State: [redacted]
Postal Code: [redacted]
Country: [redacted]
Join
---------------------------------------------
You did an amazing thing!
We have received your membership gift of $15.
And so, I made a one-time donation to Sierra Club yesterday, April 22nd, 2024, in order to 'renew' my annual membership, and as part of my donations for Earth Day! –Paul Whiting (written April 23rd, 2024 and revised April 24th, 2024)
P.S.: Just so you know, "I have changed the way that I make donations to political, progressive and charitable organizations each month ... due to the fact that I have been spending a considerable percentage of my monthly income on all of these donations." (The reader should know that I am HIV-positive with full-blown AIDS. And I am on Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, so my income is quite limited.) Therefore, "I am reducing how much I donate for the regular mail requests that I receive (to which I choose to respond) to take action." Thus, I will still be responding to some of the regular mail requests that I receive (to which I choose to respond), which are requesting me to take action, but I am reducing the amount that I donate to organizations from which I receive mailers. Please see my 'August 19th, 2023 Update' from my blog post titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," which can be found on my "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" blog:
https://poetartistandphilosopher.blogspot.com/2016/11/i-am-no-longer-being-activist.html
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April 22nd, 2024 Update No. 4, Written On April 23rd, 2024, Which Also Discusses April 18th, 2024: Happy Earth Day, everyone! I received a mailer from Greenpeace five days ago on April 18th, 2024, with a 'front teaser message' on the envelope that read, "WE'RE FACING THE BIGGEST THREAT IN OUR HISTORY. WE WON'T BE SUED INTO SILENCE", which stated the following:
[I used to hand-type the text of the documents from these types of mailers on my smartphone; however, it takes a lot of time and energy in order to hand-type these kinds of documents: so, instead, I scanned and copied the documents using Google Lens! Then, I edited the copy of said documents to include all of the italicizing, bolding and/or underscoring where applicable.]
SOS: GREENPEACE UNDER ATTACK
Paul,
Will you FUND THE FIGHT by rushing a gift of $25 or more right now?
$1.1 MILLION NEEDED TO FIGHT BIG OIL. PLEASE RESPOND IN 10 DAYS.
[✓] Stop Big Oil from suing us into silence.
[✓] Protect people and the planet.
[✓] Keep the truth of the climate crisis clear!
Dear Paul,
You won't believe what Big Oil is up to now. A greedy industry raking in billions of dollars each year is suing the Greenpeace network.
You read that right. Big Oil is suing us — a nonprofit — for $300 million.
I guess I shouldn't be shocked at the lengths they are going to, but I am. Because this is the most staggering lawsuit in our history. And it's not about "damages" to Big Oil.
They're trying to silence us. They're trying to silence you. And they're doing this because they know people power works.
Let me say it another way — they are weaponizing our justice system to stifle our right to speak for the well-being of people and the planet!
These types of lawsuits are a common tactic from Big Oil's dirty playbook. They carry crushing costs intended to silence us or drain our resources.
The same company already sued us in 2019, and that case was thrown out of court with a sharp warning to Big Oil!
But Big Oil is up to its old tricks again. And this time, they have something to prove — because they hate to lose.
That's why I'm urging you to rush a gift of $15, $25, $30, or more right now.
Your generosity will Fund the Fight and keep our critical work to expose environmental crimes and hold offenders accountable! Because we've been successful in exposing some of their worst offenses, Big Oil will do everything in their power to silence us and anyone against them.
You see, Big Oil wants to divide us and tie up our resources. But they've underestimated you and our entire people-powered movement. And the truth is they've only galvanized our fight.
✴ This is a historic battle. And the real defendants are people, the planet, and even the basic tenets of democracy. That's why I'm asking — and urging — you to rush a generous gift today. ✴
With more intense floods, hurricanes, and fires threatening people worldwide, the stakes have never been higher. The science is clear: climate action must be taken immediately.
But Big Oil doesn't want that. They and their government allies will do whatever it takes to keep lining their stuffed pockets. And they'll attempt to stop anyone in their way.
We must stop this corporate bullying for good. Will you join us and fund the fight?
Together, we can do this, like we've done so many times before. So, please, heed this urgent call. Our democracy and chance for a green, just, and livable future depend on it.
Sincerely,
[Name redacted]
[Title redacted], Greenpeace USA
WE WON'T BE SUED INTO SILENCE
P.S. Greenpeace USA is being sued by Big Oil. This $300 million lawsuit threatens our very existence. We must raise $1.1 million immediately. Can we count on you to fund the fight?
Our goal isn't just to win this lawsuit. It's to protect people and the planet and to preserve our democracy. Give right away at greenpeace.org/usa/sos
Stop Big Oil! We must raise $1.1 million immediately!
>>> FUND THE FIGHT >>> RESPOND IN 10 DAYS >>>
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WE NEED YOUR HELP TO FUND THE FIGHT AND PROTECT PEOPLE AND THE PLANET.
WE WON'T BE SUED INTO SILENCE
YES, I WILL FUND THE FIGHT
[ ] $15 can help fight Big Oil lawsuits and protect our right to peacefully protest.
[ ] $25 can fuel bold campaigns to expose greedy polluters and hold them accountable.
[ ] $30 can power our movement, keeping our voices loud and broadcasting the urgency of climate action now.
[✓] Other $10.00
GIVE RIGHT AWAY AT greenpeace.org/usa/sos
Ways your generosity today helps protect people and the planet AND secures the green, just future we deserve.
→ Funds legal defense against Big Oil.
→ Powers our investigations of environmental abuse on land and the seas.
→ Amplifies sustainable solutions to stop pollution and climate change.
→ Fuels fierce advocacy for the rights and well-being of all people especially marginalized communities.
Greenpeace, inc. is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization. Contributions to Greenpeace, Inc, are not tax deductible.
And, after I read the letter above, I entered the hyperlink to the referenced webpage, the relevant text of which can be found below:
GREENPEACE
Big Oil is SUING Greenpeace
Big Oil is suing Greenpeace USA because we dared to speak out against their reckless disregard for people and the planet. They claim that we orchestrated the entire resistance at Standing Rock — in other words, they're trying to rewrite history and erase Indigenous leadership from one of the most powerful protests in history. If we lose this $300 million lawsuit, it threatens our entire movement fighting for the green, just and joyful future our Earth deserves.
They want to silence us because they know that people-power works. They want to scare us into submission and keep us from speaking out against their ruthless pursuit of profits.
The only way we'll come out victorious is with help from committed grassroots Greenpeacers like you. Donate now to help us fight back against Big Oil and protect our planet!
[ ] Monthly
Make a monthly gift to help sustain the fight for a greener, more peaceful future no matter what obstacles lie ahead!
[✓] One-Time
[ ] $50
[ ] $100
[ ] $250
[ ] $500
[ ] $1,000
[✓] $10.00
DONATE NOW
And so, I made a one-time donation to Greenpeace yesterday, April 22nd, 2024, since "Greenpeace USA is being sued by Big Oil," and as part of my donations for Earth Day! That is why I contributed to help "FUND THE FIGHT by rushing a gift of [$10]" in order to [✓] Stop Big Oil from suing [Greenpeace USA] into silence; and to [✓] Protect people and the planet; as well as to [✓] Keep the truth of the climate crisis clear! –Paul Whiting (written April 23rd, 2024 and revised April 24th, 2024)
P.S.: Just so you know, "I have changed the way that I make donations to political, progressive and charitable organizations each month ... due to the fact that I have been spending a considerable percentage of my monthly income on all of these donations." (The reader should know that I am HIV-positive with full-blown AIDS. And I am on Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, so my income is quite limited.) Therefore, "I am reducing how much I donate for the regular mail requests that I receive (to which I choose to respond) to take action." Thus, I will still be responding to some of the regular mail requests that I receive (to which I choose to respond), which are requesting me to take action, but I am reducing the amount that I donate to organizations from which I receive mailers. Please see my 'August 19th, 2023 Update' from my blog post titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," which can be found on my "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" blog:
https://poetartistandphilosopher.blogspot.com/2016/11/i-am-no-longer-being-activist.html
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November 6th, 2024 Update No. 1 [My Writing About No Longer Being An 'Online Activist' In Any Way, Shape Or Form]: Due to Donald Trump winning the 2024 Presidential Election—and until further notice—I am no longer being an 'Online Activist' in any way, shape or form, which includes no longer signing petitions from political, social, environmental and charitable organizations, and no longer sending letters to my Representative and Senators in Congress, as well as no longer making donations to political, social, environmental and charitable causes. Full stop! I am also unsubscribing from any of the emails that I used to receive from political, social, environmental and charitable organizations. In fact, I am even cancelling all of my monthly political donations to the main Democratic fundraising and coordinating organizations, as well as to the USO (United Service Organizations), in addition to cancelling all of my monthly news organization subscriptions, or news organization donations, because I am absolutely terrified of this second Trump administration. And I fully expect that democracy in America as we know will be over! So, I am choosing to not engage in any 'activism' whatsoever—plus, I am not even sure that I will be exercising my 'civic duty' by voting in any upcoming elections because, as a (formerly) donating and a (potentially former) voting Democrat, I totally fear the retribution of President Donald J. Trump. Full stop! –Paul Whiting (written November 6th, 2024 and revised November 7th, 2024)
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This "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" Post No. 306 was edited on November 7th, 2024.
"Prose is using all of the words that are necessary in order to describe all that is necessary to describe." –Paul Whiting [June 1st, 2022]
