“Mendacious from start to finish”

Peter Kuper
(c) 2020 Cagle Cartoons
Click to enlarge.

Many articles about Covid-19 claim that it  “will change the world forever…”
It could, but not without a valiant and concerted effort by well-meaning people working together.

News blues…

Covid-related predictions:

• “…less global and less urban”
• “… change the workplace forever” 
• “…how the world will look after…” 
• “…may forever change the world’s cities…” 
• “…the future of development…” 

Then, reality raises its stubborn head. “Trump has warned of alien DNA, sex with demons…” and you realize that, in fact, anything could happen – including no future.
Think that’s an exaggeration?
See Trump’s response after being called on his warning about alien DNA  (4:48 mins)
If well-meaning people of the world do nothing to shift towards more equality, all people of the world and the world are sunk.
Doing nothing or waiting for “someone” to “do something” is the human default.
What and how to do something effectively are huge questions.
Remember, simply confronting your clueless friends’ whackjob views is doing something….
Need a stimulant for action?

The US will officially exit the Paris accord one day after the 2020 US election and architects of that deal say the stakes could not be higher.
… in 2017 …Donald Trump took to the lectern in the White House Rose Garden to announce the US withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement, the only comprehensive global pact to tackle the spiraling crisis.
Todd Stern… the US’s chief negotiator when the deal was sealed in Paris in 2015… [said] “I found it sickening, it was mendacious from start to finish… I was furious … because here we have this really important thing and here’s this joker who doesn’t understand anything he’s talking about. It was a fraud.”
The terms of the accord mean no country can leave before November this year, so due to a quirk of timing, the US will officially exit the Paris deal on 4 November – [fewer than] 100 days from now and just one day after the 2020 presidential election.

In other words, there’s still time for you to get involved. If you’re in the US, find out who is you local, state, and federal representatives and share your concern.
If you’re not in the US, here are five ways to contact the White House and air your concerns. 
Don’t expect a reply….

Healthy futures anyone?

Costa Rica, a model for sustainability

Like many tropical countries, Costa Rica lost a significant portion of its forests to agriculture in the 20th century. The United States was responsible for most of this damage: they provided massive “aid” loans to cattle farmers in Costa Rica starting in the 1960s … to feed Americans’ growing appetite for meat.
It’s not easy to come back from losing 80 percent of your forests, but Costa Rica is making a valiant effort through its payment for ecosystem services (PES) program. Using revenue from a gas tax, the government is paying small landowners to help reforest the country, with special attention to water resources and areas of high poverty. Their goal is to have 60 percent of the country covered in forests, a significant feat for any country.
This ambition is paying off for Costa Rica’s tourism sector: it now surpasses agriculture as the country’s biggest industry. People all over the world are drawn to Costa Rica’s renowned national parks and plentiful ecolodges.

***

The Lincoln Project:
Memories : It truly is a choice: America? Or Trump?
Meidas Touch:
Trump kills Texas  (1:00 mins)
Now This:
Republican Voters Against Trump Ad Uses Reagan’s Words  (3:00 mins)

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

Yesterday I started what looked like a long, potentially ineffectual effort to vote in the November 3 election. I’d contacted the US consulate and received guidance, but it relied on the SA Postal Service. Anyone in SA knows there is no functioning postal service in this country. (See yesterday’s post. )
Today, I’m happy to share that I received a personal call from the consulate agent working with absentee ballots. She outlined the process to follow to ensure my ballot is filled out correctly and will be counted. This includes paying a courier company to courier the paperwork to the consulate in Durban for transport to the US.
Perhaps I should send the bill for the courier service to Donald J Trump?
Nah, he’s known for seldom paying for services.
Along with information, the consulate agent mentioned she was in quarantine as 3 other agents had been diagnosed with Covid. Consequently, consulate operations in Durban are intermittent.
Moreover, both her 30-something son and her 90-year-old father are infected with Covid.
Happily, both appear on the road to recovery – yes, including her father!

***

The tone of today’s post shares my growing concern about the direction of our planet and people. But… I remind myself that seedlings continue to sprout and grow, weaver birds chatter as they seek safe sites for spring nests, and the sun shines warmly.
Yesterday, the sun shone so warmly as I painted rust-proof paint on metal garden fencing that I wore a sun hat and spread glops of sunscreen on my face, neck, and arms.
I’m beginning the long and arduous task of spiffing up this property and preparing it for sale.
This for as long as my mother holds on to her current agreement to live with my nephew and his family in Johannesburg.
I hold thumbs that this remains a plan we can successfully execute.