Jed | April 16, 2009
I just sent a Letter to the Editor to various newspaper on why I support a carbon cap on emissions.
A majority of Americans support a cap on carbon pollution, but you wouldn’t know it from what you read in the papers or see on the news. And right now it’s important that our Members of Congress know we aren’t fooled by the scare tactics.
For more on this issue, read the links in my letter below. If you want to send a message to you local paper too, it’s really simple — just use the tool on Al Gore’s Repower America website: Speakout about the Carbon Cap.
My Letter to the Editor:
I am angered by the GOP attempts to mislead the public about President Obama’s clean energy proposals, especially the cap-and-trade program. The Republicans claim Obama’s clean energy proposal will cost each family over $3000, but that’s based on a distortion of an MIT report on the subject. When asked about the Republicans claims, John Reilly, an energy, environmental and agricultural economist at M.I.T. and one of the authors of the report, said “It’s just wrong. It’s wrong in so many ways it’s hard to begin.” In fact, the report did include an estimate of the net cost to individuals, called the “welfare” cost. It would be $30.89 per person in 2015, or $79 per family if you use the same average household size the Republicans used of 2.56 people – a far cry from the $3000 figure the Republicans are using to scare the public. Politifact.com called them out on it, claiming
“GOP full of hot air about Obama’s ‘light switch tax’”.
The Financial Times heralds the President’s proposals as an “historic step” and I agree. For the first time in history, we actually have a chance of creating a system that will help us as a nation control our pollution problem. This is a classic “tragedy of the commons” dilemma – by not having any cost associated with polluting a shared resource (i.e., our environment), the established energy industry companies have no incentive to clean up their act. Capping carbon pollution will ignite the transition to clean energy and end our dependence on dirty fossil fuels. It will also encourage energy companies to become more efficient.
In addition, a cap on carbon pollution will create tens of thousands of good-paying American jobs that can’t be shipped overseas.
Now is the time for action. The economy can’t wait. The climate crisis can’t wait. I want our leaders to know that here in Virginia we support bold action on climate and energy, including a cap on carbon pollution.
Jed | April 14, 2009
Over the past month Eli has grown tremendously, both physically and developmentally. At his two-month doctor’s appointment we discovered that Eli had gained 4 lbs in just one month! He now weighs 12 lbs – double his birth weight. Just for reference, most doctors want to see a 2 lb increase per month.
Eli went from the 10th percentile at one month to the 50th percentile at two months! We’re happy about his growth but we’re hoping he slows down just a bit soon! Eli is now able to make eye contact and focus on people’s faces. He is also smiling! Much to our relief he no longer cries during diaper changes or baths and, most importantly, he’ll now sleep up to 4.5 hours at night instead of the 2-3 hours we had been getting.
Nicole has posted a whole bunch of pictures here and here.
Jed | April 2, 2009
Yesterday was Eli’s two month birthday. As is our tradition (now 2 months old), we are posing him next to the awesome stuffed elephant that his grandma got him in order to show how much he’s grown (see last month’s pictures here).
Eli definitely likes to challenge us. Yesterday he wasn’t really interested in eating at all, but then last night he ate voraciously. Sometimes he wakes up in the middle of the night for hours and sometimes he barely wakes up long enough to eat. He stopped crying and throwing a fit when we change him but now he dirties his diaper way more often, so those kind of balance out. And if you’re lucky he’ll even smile at you when he’s content (i.e., not too hungry, sleepy or dirty). Overall he is definitely getting bigger (and fatter!) and even though he refuses to settle into a routine he’s still a lot of fun (and hard work of course).
Comments rss
