As I write these words a category 5 hurricane is pounding and flooding one of our oldest and most vulnerable cities. We might see the worst flooding this country has ever seen. Oil is topping $70 a barrel. Hundreds of thousands of residents are fleeing for their lives. An M.I.T. study just released this month tells us that hurricanes are and will indeed b more frequent and more intense thanks to the warming of our planet. All hydro-meteorological disasters will b more frequent and more intense. Every year will b worse. How can we ignore a crisis that will have such a devastating impact on our entire earth and our future? How can we go on with business as usual? Our housing, crime and budget problems are insignificant when compared to what we are all about to face in the near future. We can't reverse global climate change in our life times, but we can, to some small degree, slow its inevitable progress. It will take an effort greater than our mobilization in World War Two. It will take immediate serious conservation policy and immediate design and development of renewable energy technology everywhere. Minneapolis must b a leader. Our federal government is doing nothing. In fact they did the worse thing they could do by dumping your money and my money on the deadly nuclear and fossil fuel industries. Our state government and governor are doing nothing. Some cities are taking action and Minneapolis with its educated and enlightened citizens must show the world what can b done. Conservation can bring great wealth and cleaner air to our city and state. Conservation can reduce the deadly mercury emissions. Conservation can prevent the flow of billions of dollars out of our city and state that we spend on fossil and nuclear fuel. Renewable energy can bring great wealth and health as well. The sun and wind in this state are abundant and free. Electing politicians who serve special interest groups and carry on with business as usual will b suicide. Electing politicians who only want to build more housing when we are not using what we have efficiently and electing politicians who want to create more jobs regardless of what kind of jobs, is a path to apocalypse. We need radical measures. Its time to stop being the most wasteful pigs on the planet. Its time to show the world how we can put up beautiful solar arrays on our ugly freeways, parking lots and ramps and generate thousands of kilowatts of electricity from the free, clean, inexhaustible energy of the sun for our city. Its time to use the free funds that are available from the state and federal government. If we don't use them they will not b refunded. Its a no brainer... am investment we can't turn down. We can't afford not to do it. Our city desperately needs a leader and not a follower. We must act now. The tactics of R. Buckminster Fuller, the tactics of maximizing efficiency will not only reduce the pollution and greenhouse gasses we produce, they will reduce our taxes as well. The lives we save could b our own. God help us and guide us from this path of waste, death and destruction and guide us onto the path of prudence, life, love and everlasting enlightenment.
Sincerely, Don Johnson, Candidate for Mayor, 3808 Grand Ave So. Minneapolis, MN 55409 (612) 824 1111 _www.DonJohnsonMayor.org_ (http://www.donjohnsonmayor.org/) REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
