Monday, June 06, 2011
Thursday, June 02, 2011
Mr. Panetta, Please Change the Military's Mission to Saving the Oceans - Declare War on Climate Change
Before Rumsfeld invaded Iraq, he chaired a commission that advocated the militarization of space. Hence, Rumsfeld Invaders (a take-off of the Atari video game for those of you who didn't grow up in the 80's).
Now, Obama has appointed Leon Panetta to be the next Secretary of Defense. Panetta chaired a commission that advocated saving the oceans. Wow. What a stark contrast. The next Secretary of Defense, arguably the 3rd most important person in government (look at the size of that DoD budget!), cares about something other than guns and explosions? Not only that, but he just helped knock off bin Laden. He's an enviro, and he's got cojones too? Now that's an American hero!
If you think I'm gushing too much here, let's get specific: (sources 1 2) For much of his life, Leon Panetta has been a passionate advocate for our nation’s oceans. While a member of the House of Representatives, Panetta authored numerous successful measures to protect the California coast, and was a major factor in establishing the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Panetta also served on the board of the Monterey Bay Aquarium and is a National Marine Sanctuary Foundation trustee.
Panetta was Chair of the Pew Oceans Commission, which called for reforms in U.S. ocean management and ocean governance, preserving and protecting coastal habitat, and fisheries, creating sustainable marine aquaculture, and preventing the collapse of ocean ecosystems, and served as Co-Chair of the Joint Ocean Commission.
The Joint Ocean Commission Initiative grew out of the ocean advocacy work done by Panetta’s Pew Ocean Commission and Admiral Watkins’ US Commission on Ocean Policy.
OK, so what does saving the ocean have to do with the military?
Easy. Climate change is turning the oceans to acid. The oceans are absorbing the CO2 put into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels, and the resulting acidity is eating away at the species that rely on calcium carbonate for their shells, and the acidity is bleaching the coral reefs, the very things that make the ocean sanctuaries - the ones that Secretary-designate Panetta loves - so beautiful.
Mr. Panetta arguably won the War on Terror by getting bin Laden. We are avenged. Sure, there is still evil in the world. Sure, some Amurkins will want to keep invading countries and blowing stuff up. But seriously, we need to win hearts and minds and the dudes with the guns and the macho mentality are not really helping the cause out there anymore. Let's build some schools and give out some laptops and teach women in those countries how to read. Pull out the troops, and then, Mr. Panetta, here is where you get to take leadership:
Declare War on Climate Change!
You can do it! Amurkins love to go to war. And in the 21st century, the information age, we love to go to war against ideas. Well, unfortunately, climate change is real. But it's also a concept that connects to how Amurkins live their everyday lives. And we're going to need the $700 billion a year in the military budget to take on this challenge of remaking our energy and transportation infrastructure, upgrading our homes and building stock, and learning how to do things locally and organically.
Who better than the troops, those guys that we support, to help us make this difficult transition?
Let's save the oceans, let's take on climate change. And the guy in the seat of power in the Pentagon could actually make this happen. Yes we can...hope...for change!
Now, Obama has appointed Leon Panetta to be the next Secretary of Defense. Panetta chaired a commission that advocated saving the oceans. Wow. What a stark contrast. The next Secretary of Defense, arguably the 3rd most important person in government (look at the size of that DoD budget!), cares about something other than guns and explosions? Not only that, but he just helped knock off bin Laden. He's an enviro, and he's got cojones too? Now that's an American hero!
If you think I'm gushing too much here, let's get specific: (sources 1 2) For much of his life, Leon Panetta has been a passionate advocate for our nation’s oceans. While a member of the House of Representatives, Panetta authored numerous successful measures to protect the California coast, and was a major factor in establishing the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Panetta also served on the board of the Monterey Bay Aquarium and is a National Marine Sanctuary Foundation trustee.
Panetta was Chair of the Pew Oceans Commission, which called for reforms in U.S. ocean management and ocean governance, preserving and protecting coastal habitat, and fisheries, creating sustainable marine aquaculture, and preventing the collapse of ocean ecosystems, and served as Co-Chair of the Joint Ocean Commission.
The Joint Ocean Commission Initiative grew out of the ocean advocacy work done by Panetta’s Pew Ocean Commission and Admiral Watkins’ US Commission on Ocean Policy.
OK, so what does saving the ocean have to do with the military?
Easy. Climate change is turning the oceans to acid. The oceans are absorbing the CO2 put into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels, and the resulting acidity is eating away at the species that rely on calcium carbonate for their shells, and the acidity is bleaching the coral reefs, the very things that make the ocean sanctuaries - the ones that Secretary-designate Panetta loves - so beautiful.
Mr. Panetta arguably won the War on Terror by getting bin Laden. We are avenged. Sure, there is still evil in the world. Sure, some Amurkins will want to keep invading countries and blowing stuff up. But seriously, we need to win hearts and minds and the dudes with the guns and the macho mentality are not really helping the cause out there anymore. Let's build some schools and give out some laptops and teach women in those countries how to read. Pull out the troops, and then, Mr. Panetta, here is where you get to take leadership:
Declare War on Climate Change!
You can do it! Amurkins love to go to war. And in the 21st century, the information age, we love to go to war against ideas. Well, unfortunately, climate change is real. But it's also a concept that connects to how Amurkins live their everyday lives. And we're going to need the $700 billion a year in the military budget to take on this challenge of remaking our energy and transportation infrastructure, upgrading our homes and building stock, and learning how to do things locally and organically.
Who better than the troops, those guys that we support, to help us make this difficult transition?
Let's save the oceans, let's take on climate change. And the guy in the seat of power in the Pentagon could actually make this happen. Yes we can...hope...for change!
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