For a good two weeks now, my son’s been begging me to take him off roading in the Jeep. So, it being a beautiful Colorado afternoon and all, the two of us will be heading up into the mountains here shortly to wrestle a few trails. He made me promise to let him drive (at least, I think that’s what he made me promise; he’s still a bit heavy on the vowel sounds at three months), so I’ve gotta figure out some way to allow him to reach the clutch. Right now, I’m working on fashioning a makeshift pully system out of coffee cans and a jump rope. Wish me luck!
To my wife: if you’re reading this, honey, don’t worry: I picked up some water wings at K-Mart. For him, not me. I’ve got the leather jacket.
photo update!
that looks like hollister OHV in California. As a matter of a fact, that could be my old jeep…but its not. I just have a picture very similar to that.
Yeah, I just stole someone else’s memory and posted it on my blog. How crappy is that?
Anyway, I have a ‘94 Wrangler Sahara (bought new) and I love the damn thing. Honestly, I can’t wait until the kid is truly old enough to head up into the mountains or over to Moab.
Better fight to protect that air, water and land then. Jesus would.
LETTER TEXT
The text of the National Council of Churches’ Earth Day letter to President Bush:
Dear Mr. President,
In a spirit of shared faith and respect, we feel called to express grave moral concern about your “Clear Skies” initiative—which we believe is The Administration’s continuous effort to weaken critical environmental standards that protect God’s creation. Our concern over the “Clear Skies” initiative follows our strong disapproval over your Administration’s decision to change federal air pollution rules that weaken “New Source Review” provisions of the Clean Air Act—allowing some of the country’s biggest polluting facilities to avoid installing air pollution control equipment when they significantly increase polluting emissions.
We do not come to these positions casually, nor are we alone in our views. A growing number of religious Americans have come to recognize a solemn obligation to measure environmental policies against biblically mandated standards for stewardship and justice.
Respected scientific estimates, some by the federal government itself, cause us to question whether this “Clear Skies” proposal meets fundamental moral responsibilities as set out by the Bible.
The book of Genesis records that God beholds creation as “very good” (Genesis 3:1) and commands us to “till and tend the garden” (Genesis 2:15).
Protection of the global climate is an essential requirement for faithful human stewardship of God’s creation on Earth. Our own National Academy of Sciences — joining an overwhelming scientific consensus — concluded in 2001 that carbon emissions from power plants are significantly contributing to the increase in global warming. Yet your initiative pointedly does not set mandatory standards of reduction for these emissions. A multi-pollutant approach must address all significant emissions from power plants, including carbon emissions.
Clean air is as essential to life as a stable climate. Yet the Environmental Protection Agency reports that millions of Americans live in areas that have been deemed unhealthy to breathe. Power plants are the single greatest source of industrial air pollution in the nation. The American Lung Association asserts that the attainment of reductions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and mercury that would take effect under the existing Clean Air Act will be delayed for years if “Clear Skies” is adopted by Congress.
Our Bible sets forth a paramount obligation to “defend the poor and the orphan; do justice to the afflicted and the needy” (Psalms 82:3) and calls us to “satisfy the needs of the afflicted, _ 1/8and_ 3/8 then your light shall rise in the darkness” (Isaiah 58: 10).
Poor people, who have limited access to health care; senior citizens, who may have compromised immune systems; and children, who pound for pound breathe 50 percent more air pollution than adults, are disproportionately hurt by air pollution. Epidemiological studies from leading health scientists have shown that air pollution from power plants increases respiratory distress, asthma attacks, visits to the emergency room and even premature death. Again, Mr. President, we question the rationale of delaying power plant pollution reductions by the enactment of your “Clear Skies” initiative, as the American Lung Association has pointed out, rather than simply enforcing the reduction attainments of the Clean Air Act. This means more trips to the emergency room, more asthma attacks, more chronic bronchitis and more premature death, with the greatest impact falling on those least able to defend themselves: the poor, the elderly, and our children.
We are reminded that “The Earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof” (Psalms 24:1). And we are also reminded that a nation is judged for its transgressions “because they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals” (Amos 6:2).
The private use of creation’s bounty must serve the needs of all God’s children. Yet we are concerned that powerful corporate interests have had disproportionate influence in shaping and reaping benefits from a clean air program which should serve the common good.
Finally, we have a solemn duty to the future well-being of Earth and all life within it, “the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature for perpetual generations (Genesis 9:12).”
Yet we believe that the Administration’s energy, clean air, and climate change programs prolong our dependence on fossil fuels, which is depleting Earth’s resources, poisoning its climate, punishing the poor, constricting sustainable economic growth and jeopardizing global security and peace.
We represent broad perspectives from communities of faith. We do not seek confrontation. But we believe there are reasonable and prudent alternatives to the course you have set. And, in light of fundamental mandates of scripture, we believe we must bring forward our perspectives to members of our respective communities and denominations.
We have written previously to you voicing our concerns on these important issues. We now request an opportunity to meet with you in person to discuss our concerns.
Source: National Council of Churches
Oh, great, now people think that God will wish alternative energy sources into existance despite the laws of economics, physics and chemistry.