Have you Heard of Global Warming? | Apparently 60% of Providence Hasn’t | Simple Solutions | Turn off Your Idling Engines
August 4, 2018 Leave a comment
Make America Cool Again
You know that Facebook post a little while back in which a kid in his rear car seat was sobbing about the fact that people are killing animals? Well I’m feeling that way, except that the devastation is channelling into bewilderment and anger.
Although I had already heard that various oil companies had known of the dangers of extracting and burning petroleum…it wasn’t until I read this article two days ago “Losing Earth: The Decade We Almost Stopped Climate Change” By Nathaniel Rich Photographs and Videos by George Steinmetz….that laid it all out so clearly, that I feel fully incensed.
As I bicycle by idling cars continually and witness the complete disconnect – I realize that they are completely unaware.
My feeling of exasperation is not going away.
Losing Earth the Decade We Almost Stopped Climate Change
Talking to a German woman today I asked her if Germans leave their car engines idling, to which she retorted, that they always turn them off, and are aware that their individual and collective actions affect the environment.
Is the USA the United States of Amnesia or Apathy? Certainly the populace who have not been informed are not to blame? Whose responsibility is it? Parents? Teachers? Leaders? Media?
Whew! Glad that the internet has still not been reined in by corporate buyers as the rest of the mainstream media, for the remaining population of the US of A appears to be as misinformed and mislead by unimportant information as China or North Korea. Thing is, we’re a continent so removed and insulated from the rest of the world that few are aware of the impact of how phat they are living compared to the rest of the world and the damage has already been seeded.
Witnessing the exorbitant number of people I pass sitting in their cars with their engines idling, it is clearly apparent, that the people are clueless about how their actions are tied in to the climate crisis that is like a mirage, no one really quite grasping that it is real, nor particularly concerned or aware that there is even a problem. I hear the play of revving engines and motorized machoism hitting the streets regularly along with the routine beeping of car horns to signal the rest of the world that someone is locking their car. It is utterly baffling that no one is aware of their individual and collective impact on noise and air pollution of their immediate environment, much less how their actions affect the rest of the planet.
With reference to the media or governments’ lack of response, talk about betrayal. The likelihood of climate ruin through rampant fossil fuel use was first acknowledged over 150 years ago and fully understood and undeniably something to act upon 50 years ago, but informed bureaucrats and the media machine, did nothing.
US Government administrationss Misleading Public over 50 years regarding the connection between petroleum extraction and burning and subsequent climate catastrophe
In addition to polluting the immediate environment, idling cars and indiscriminate use of plastics are collectively suffocating the planet.
I was creating a letter, which I was not able to send through the form within the RI governor’s office website.
Climate change is real, enforce laws against idling engines to generate income.
This article should be required reading for someone running a US State government office. I have been riding bicycle every day and night for the last 13 weeks throughout the city of Providence, RI. I have discovered that no matter where I go – regardless of age, gender, race, socio economic class (in fact it seems to be more pronounced among middle class professionals), 60% to 80% or more of the population are habitually sitting in their cars with their engines idling. This is not for a quick pickup, but for sustained periods, leaving their engines running. I encounter, regardless of district or neighborhood, a startling number of cars, per block, per minute, with people sitting in their cars, or on top of their cars, or walking away from their vehicles, with their engine left idling. Perpetually running engines. I feel the heat as I cycle by and smell the fumes.
idling cars contribute to global warming
In fact, there appears to be a complete lack of awareness among the population of the fact
1) that global warming exists at all, and is happening all over the planet, now, every minute.
2) that people in Providence (collectively), affect the air quality of not only other people and animals (if they still exist) in the immediate vicinity of their vehicle but are contributing to the ecological disaster that is happening all over the globe
3) that their actions as a privileged and ignorant few (or their parent’s generation) are most responsible for the inception of the warming process in the first place
street art by Banksy
I Don’t Believe in Global Warming
What is going on?
• 31 other US states have anti-idling legislation; either statewide or in a particular municipality or county
• The NYC metropolitan area have $2,000 fines per bus if caught idling.
• Citizens in Germany, Scandinavia and some Central American countries turn off their engines, ALWAYS, some even during red lights. They are completely cognizant of the ecological emergency and climate crisis, with which the United States is perpetually not dealing with, regardless of the fact that we are the primary perpetrators of this crime to humanity and to all other life forms and systems that had inherited life on this planet.
What are you going to do about it?
It is unconscionable that this is happening and no one is doing anything – and just a small percentage of scientists and individuals are even aware. Continued political deadlocks and misinformation due to participation in an economic system based on perpetual growth and profit that has already killed 87% of the species that have been on this planet. Large swaths of the US turned into a dustbowl and submersion of most coastal cities.
This is not an economic issue, this is above economics or the Gross Domestic Product.
This is about whether we want to take steps ourselves, together, to do what our federal government has not been able to achieve, and in fact has turned a blind eye to and deliberately not informed the public.
Human actions are creating an inhospitable planet for all other life forms through headlong consumption and a complete disconnection with the natural world and complete manipulation from the advertising machine.
We are destroying the habitats of most life forms on the planet. At this rate, the inevitable 4 degrees of warming will wipe out the human race. It is your responsibility as a leader, to take measures to impose legislations that will raise the awareness of idling and censure the actions of your populace.
https://sustainableamerica.org/blog/anti-idling-laws-around-the-nation/
https://www.edf.org/attention-drivers-turn-your-idling-engines
http://ksltv.com/394228/students-test-ozone-levels-cars-idle-schools/?
Officially the population of Providence is 179,300. 60 to 70 percent of the people who are in their vehicles, leave their engine on. Let’s say 60% of the inhabitants regularly sit in their vehicles with their engines idling = that’s about 107,500 people.
A fine to cars for idling of $50 x 107,500 residents = $5,375,000. That’s 5 million. Fines to diesel engines – city, state and independent contractors caught idling could be $200 + per vehicle. Fines for cutting down trees, $1,000, for endangering other creatures’ habitats through negligence or pollutants, ranging from $300 per individual to $10,000’s per business.
If nothing else, imposing fines would be a deterrent, and would immediately alert and inform people of their participation in increasing global temperatures and carbon monoxide levels, contributing to the continued increase CO2 levels and global temperatures rising to levels that in 30 years could prohibit human life. If citizens are not informed of this through education or the media outlets, it is your responsibility as a leader to recognize the crisis, and to enforce education and implementation of penalties as deterrents. Ecocide and homicide continues to take place, by ignoring the issue. Fines to coal and petroleum companies, could be in the $100, millions.
India planted 66 Million trees in 12 hours, https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/india-plant-66-million-trees-12-hours-environment-campaign-madhya-pradesh-global-warming-climate-a7820416.html by creating the possibility and enforcing it, certainly in a manner that brought people together to do something that will benefit each.
We could have many simple solutions through seemingly small actions, in steps that could make an enormous difference. Such as;
asking people to turn off their air conditioning units (except for hospitals and care facilities) – 3 days of the week – as a starter.
To attempt car pooling, public transportation, bicycling or walking several days of the week
To authorize penalties to the use of plastics
Create jobs for people to educate people about plastics
To inform people about how their participation in using plastics and idling cars are collectively suffocating the planet in addition to polluting the immediate environment
Measures could be taken globally to do this together as the human race, instead of being in competition with one another in terms of a race to increase the GDP.
With the fines, you could use the money to pay a fleet of bicycle cops to enforce the law and establish a safe bicycle infrastructure in various municipalities and between them as well as money to invest in public transportation.
After approaching people individually, talking to the mayor, sending a letter to the mayor’s office, talking to someone in a state legislative office to convey the message about the need to enact legislation to raise peoples awareness, I find it necessary to contact the governor.
Let’s do this together and make America a global leader in dealing with a crisis that we have alone caused, instead of turning a blind eye.
Rising Tide of Awareness blogger talking about Great Pacific Garbage Patch at NYC Climate March 2014
Carol Keiter aka nomadbeatz welcomes donations for her writing, photography, illustrations, eBook & music composition
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