Jay Inslee, the ‘Climate Candidate,’ Joins the 2020 Race

WASHINGTON — Jay Inslee, the Democratic governor of Washington state, has entered the 2020 presidential race. And he’s betting his candidacy on the idea that Americans care enough about the existential threat of our time — climate change — to elect a president with a laser-like, almost singular focus on that issue.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee talks to reporters about
his 2019-2021 budget proposal at the Capitol in Olympia, WA.

The news does not come as much of a surprise. Last month, Inslee first spoke to Rolling Stone about the need for a Democratic candidate in 2020 who would put climate change at the forefront of his or her campaign — a role for which he refused to rule himself out. “I do think that it is absolutely imperative that the Democratic Party put forth a candidate who will make climate change a principal, front-burner issue, rather than some peripheral back burner,” he said. “I believe it’s a potentially winning issue to run on, and we need a candidate who will do that.”

Read the RollingStone story by Andy Kroll - “Jay Inslee, the ‘Climate Candidate,’ Joins the 2020 Race.”

Starting young to change the mindset on the idea of walking

Any worthwhile response to climate change involves a new outlook on the idea of walking.

We must start using our feet to get about as opposed to the fossil fuels presently at the root of human movement.

And the help alter that mindset, it is important to start young and so the Walk Safely to School Day needs our support and endorsement.

Should you be eager to know more about walking to school, check out the Walk Safely to School Day website.

We Don’t Think of Californians as Climate Refugees Yet, But We Should

Let’s play with a word and an idea. “Hegemony” means the dominance of one political group over all others. That, at this moment, is the Republican brand. President Donald J. Trump, a Republican Senate, a Republican House, and a conservative, if not Republican, court system that will judge the law and Constitution for years to come. Hegemony.

But that word has been corrupted. Once the Greek word, “hegemon,” meant to lead. But the root word “heg” in English later became to seek, or better, to “sack,” as in ransack.

So hegemony is a fine word to describe the Trump era. The goal is to ransack (instead of lead). Ransack the government. Or at least the idea of government.

Read Mark Trahant’s story on Yes! Magazine - “We Don’t Think of Californians as Climate Refugees Yet, But We Should.”

Advice on how to change the world

Those of us working to counteract climate change, or the circumstances from which is manifests, effectively want to change the world.

Many have tried and many have failed, but what has succeeded is an idea; the idea of market driven capitalism, which has not been just one idea, but the compilation of the ideas of many; many who have demonstrated allegiance to that one thesis.

The Philosopher’s Mail, the work of The School of Life, has written about “Advice for those who want to change the world."

It says: “The world needs changing in all sorts of urgent ways: the great question is how to do it.”

Invest now, save exorbitant costs later

The idea that the world invests now to save exorbitant costs later is as sound as the science that encourages it.

However, the call for cash contributions from the world’s developed countries as meet with a less than enthusiastic response.

Inside Climate News discusses the conundrum with the idea with some seeing the response as impressive and others declaring it to be quite the reverse.

The dilemma is discussed, and graphed, on the story headed: “The Climate-Change Finance Gap at a Glance”.

Enthusiasm meets apathy, with a smile

Prof David Karoly -
an enthusiast.

David Karoly is one of life’s enthusiasts.

His work as a climate scientist at the University of Melbourne enables him to understand the dire difficulties the world faces as climate change begins to bite, but his smile, jovial and almost upbeat sense of positivity seemingly defies his knowledge of what is ahead.

David was one of four who spoke last night at the launch of the University of Melbourne’s 2013 Festival of Ideas.

The Professor of Climate Science at the university’s School of Earth Sciences, along with a postdoctoral research from the University, Sophie Lewis, have had the article: “Hottest 12-month period confirmed – so what role did humans play?”, published yesterday (September 2) on The Conversation.

The Karoly/Lewis article is peppered with rather alarming figures about what will unfold in Australia with the final paragraph saying:

“The model experiments also show that these types of extreme Australian temperatures will become more severe and more frequent in the future, with further global warming”.

What humans have done to earth’s atmosphere is a tragedy, but almost as tragic is the fact that last night’s (September 2) launch of the festival; a festival that could, and should, ignite the thinking of Victorians, attracted an only half-full Clarendon auditorium at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The realities detailed in The Conversation article are unquestionably alarming, but equally alarming, and probably more concerning, is public disinterest, or apathy about the undeniable and certain difficulties we all face.