President Biden picked Earth Day to hold a Zoom meeting with leaders from 40 nations.

In order to stop climate change, President Biden promised by 2030 we would cut by half the amount of carbon dioxide released compared to 2005, no matter how much it costs. Since we are responsible for only 15% of these greenhouse gases it won’t do much good unless other countries do the same.

Now, you may not have heard it on the News, but about 20 of the poor developing countries got in a huddle (actually on Zoom it’s called a breakout room) and they agreed. They said, “Mr. Biden, we’ll also cut greenhouse gases in half, no matter what it costs. As long as you pay for it.”

While the Mexican border remains a “situation,” climate change is a “crisis,” moving toward an “emergency.” And our Climate Czar John Kerry wants it to be “like a War.” Mr. Kerry, with his experience in Vietnam, should know how to fight a war. It’s not with ships, tanks, planes and drones powered with green energy.

With escalating rhetoric is it any surprise that when a mother asked her nine-year old what she learned about Earth Day, she said, “The earth is on fire and we’re all going to die soon.”

We might solve climate change quicker with technology and innovation. Think about how coal was mined 100 years ago compared to today. Do you know why natural gas is more plentiful and cheaper than 20 years ago? Drilling deeper into shale, improved hydraulic fracturing, and horizontal drilling that can reach 5 miles in any direction from the bottom of a well. Continued innovation in nuclear, solar, wind and batteries may someday replace fossil fuels. And give that 9-year-old hope for a full life. (See the first quote below.)

Democrats in Congress are determined to add two Democrat Senators by making a state out of little Washington DC, which is only 10 miles square. They say we are depriving residents of their right to be represented in Congress. Now, besides the fact that DC has special status in the Constitution, two-thirds of the residents moved there. They willingly left a state where they could vote for Senators. For the other one-third, I suggest we offer them $50,000 to move 5 miles so they can vote in Virginia or Maryland. Do you think any of them would accept that offer?

Well, I doubt any would move to Virginia, especially if they have bright children. The brilliant educators who run the State Department of Education plan to prevent students from taking algebra and higher math until at least their Junior year. They claim that teaching advanced math to students with the potential to become doctors, business managers, engineers or several great technology careers is unfair to those perceived to be mathematically challenged.

I hope my engineering background is not making me prejudiced, but a bordering state to the west (that Virginia often looks down on) will be graduating high school seniors proficient in advanced Calculus, Chemistry, and Physics. Country roads, take me home.

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:

“We’re just now learning that we can rob from nature the same way as we can rob from an individual.  All [the old Pioneer] had was an ax, and a plow, and a gun, and he just went out and lived off nature.  But really, he thought it was nature he was living off of, but it was really future generations that he was living off of.” Radio, April 14,1935

“The only salvation I can see for the young is to increase the college term to an additional four years… You’ll say, ‘Well, what could they learn in another four years?’ Well, there must be some little something about making a living that they haven’t learned yet, and they could kind of work on that for the next four years.” Radio, June 2, 1935

“It’s funny how quick a College Boy can find out that the World is wrong. He might go out in the World from High School and live in it, and make a living in it for years and think it wasn’t such a bad place, but let him go to College and he will be the first one down on the Square to shout ‘Down with the Government.’ Course not all of ’em, but there is getting more and more.”WA #431, March 29, 1931