Friday, September 30, 2022
Thursday, September 29, 2022
Tuesday, September 27, 2022
Monday, September 26, 2022
Sunday, September 25, 2022
Electric cars being charged at night making America’s power grids unstable, study warns
Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash
ENVIRONMENT
SEPTEMBER 23, 2022
STANFORD, Calif. — Leaving your electric car charging overnight to have it ready in the morning seems like a good idea in theory. But in reality, research suggests doing so does more harm in the long run. Stanford scientists say that it’s more costly to charge your electric car at night and it could stress out your local electric grid.
Instead, researchers suggest drivers should switch to charging their vehicle at work or in public charging stations. Another added benefit to charging in the daytime at a public station is that it reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
With the effects of climate change more apparent than ever—frequent forest fires, widespread flooding, and stronger hurricanes—car companies are expecting people to start investing in electric-powered cars in the future. For example, California residents are expected to buy more electric cars as the state is planning to ban sales of gasoline-powered cars and light trucks in 2035.
“We encourage policymakers to consider utility rates that encourage day charging and incentivize investment in charging infrastructure to shift drivers from home to work for charging,” says study’s co-senior author, Ram Rajagopal, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University, in a statement..
So far, electric cars make up one million or 6% of automobile sales in California. The state’s goal is to increase that number to five million electric vehicles by 2030. However, the study authors say that the change from gas to electric will cause a strain in the electric grid when there’s 30% to 40% of cars on the road.
“We were able to show that with less home charging and more daytime charging, the Western U.S. would need less generating capacity and storage, and it would not waste as much solar and wind power,” explains Siobhan Powell, a doctor of mechanical engineering and lead study author. “And it’s not just California and Western states. All states may need to rethink electricity pricing structures as their EV charging needs increase and their grid changes.”
If half of vehicles in the western United States are electric, the team estimates it would take over 5.4 gigawatts of energy storage—equivalent to five large nuclear power reactors—to charge the cars. However, if people charged their electric cars at work instead of home, the electric demand is expected to go down to 4.2 gigawatts.
California currently uses time-of-use rates to encourage people to use electricity at night such as running the dishwasher and charging cars. However, the authors argue that with growing demand of electric cars, this strategy is outdated and will soon incur high demand with low supply. More specifically, the teams says if a third of homes were to charge their electric cars at 11 PM or whenever electricity rates go down, the local grid would become unstable.
“The findings from this paper have two profound implications: the first is that the price signals are not aligned with what would be best for the grid – and for ratepayers. The second is that it calls for considering investments in a charging infrastructure for where people work,” says Ines Azevedo, associate professor of energy science and engineering and co-senior author.
“We need to move quickly toward decarbonizing the transportation sector, which accounts for the bulk of emissions in California,” Azevedo adds. “This work provides insight on how to get there. Let’s ensure that we pursue policies and investment strategies that allow us to do so in a way that is sustainable.”
The study is published in Nature Energy.
SEPTEMBER 23, 2022
STANFORD, Calif. — Leaving your electric car charging overnight to have it ready in the morning seems like a good idea in theory. But in reality, research suggests doing so does more harm in the long run. Stanford scientists say that it’s more costly to charge your electric car at night and it could stress out your local electric grid.
Instead, researchers suggest drivers should switch to charging their vehicle at work or in public charging stations. Another added benefit to charging in the daytime at a public station is that it reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
With the effects of climate change more apparent than ever—frequent forest fires, widespread flooding, and stronger hurricanes—car companies are expecting people to start investing in electric-powered cars in the future. For example, California residents are expected to buy more electric cars as the state is planning to ban sales of gasoline-powered cars and light trucks in 2035.
“We encourage policymakers to consider utility rates that encourage day charging and incentivize investment in charging infrastructure to shift drivers from home to work for charging,” says study’s co-senior author, Ram Rajagopal, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University, in a statement..
So far, electric cars make up one million or 6% of automobile sales in California. The state’s goal is to increase that number to five million electric vehicles by 2030. However, the study authors say that the change from gas to electric will cause a strain in the electric grid when there’s 30% to 40% of cars on the road.
“We were able to show that with less home charging and more daytime charging, the Western U.S. would need less generating capacity and storage, and it would not waste as much solar and wind power,” explains Siobhan Powell, a doctor of mechanical engineering and lead study author. “And it’s not just California and Western states. All states may need to rethink electricity pricing structures as their EV charging needs increase and their grid changes.”
If half of vehicles in the western United States are electric, the team estimates it would take over 5.4 gigawatts of energy storage—equivalent to five large nuclear power reactors—to charge the cars. However, if people charged their electric cars at work instead of home, the electric demand is expected to go down to 4.2 gigawatts.
California currently uses time-of-use rates to encourage people to use electricity at night such as running the dishwasher and charging cars. However, the authors argue that with growing demand of electric cars, this strategy is outdated and will soon incur high demand with low supply. More specifically, the teams says if a third of homes were to charge their electric cars at 11 PM or whenever electricity rates go down, the local grid would become unstable.
“The findings from this paper have two profound implications: the first is that the price signals are not aligned with what would be best for the grid – and for ratepayers. The second is that it calls for considering investments in a charging infrastructure for where people work,” says Ines Azevedo, associate professor of energy science and engineering and co-senior author.
“We need to move quickly toward decarbonizing the transportation sector, which accounts for the bulk of emissions in California,” Azevedo adds. “This work provides insight on how to get there. Let’s ensure that we pursue policies and investment strategies that allow us to do so in a way that is sustainable.”
The study is published in Nature Energy.
Saturday, September 24, 2022
"The Southern Work" by Ellen G. White (1901)
"The Southern Work" by Ellen G. White (1901)
Sep 24, 2022
blacksdahistory
This is an audiobook of a volume of Ellen G. White's writings on Adventist evangelization for blacks in the Southern United States from 1891-1900. Courtesy of the Ellen G. White Estate (https://whiteestate.org/audio/139/the...)
Friday, September 23, 2022
Q Is Spyware Controlled by the Knights of Malta | Forbidden News Ep. 11
American Media Periscope
September 23, 2022
In this episode of Forbidden News, Alexandra Bruce discusses “Q” being an AI-driven software that is controlled by the Knights of Malta, General Flynn being listed as a board member of OSY Technologies, and the Knights of Malta being infiltrated by Stanley McChrystal.
Next, Alexandra tells about the Pope dissolving the leadership of the Knights of Malta, Vladimir Putin’s mobilization of 300,000 troops in Ukraine, analyzing his speech to Russia, the East standing up to the West, the repercussions of the United States’ unnecessary involvement in Ukraine, and General Flynn and President Trump’s Truth Socials.
Later Alexandra talks about Juan O Savin’s appearance on AMP’s Unrestricted Truths, the SES being a paramilitary mafia/union, and the latest uncovering of a secret Pilgrims Society, and helicopter footage of the Pentagon being hit by a missile recirculating.
Lastly, Alexandra fills us in on an FBI whistleblower exposing the FBI’s false-narratives, as well as Greg Reese’s take on what the elites plan to do in the case of a mass global nuclear fallout.
https://kirkelliottphd.com/forbiddennews
https://forbiddenknowledgetv.net/
In this episode of Forbidden News, Alexandra Bruce discusses “Q” being an AI-driven software that is controlled by the Knights of Malta, General Flynn being listed as a board member of OSY Technologies, and the Knights of Malta being infiltrated by Stanley McChrystal.
Next, Alexandra tells about the Pope dissolving the leadership of the Knights of Malta, Vladimir Putin’s mobilization of 300,000 troops in Ukraine, analyzing his speech to Russia, the East standing up to the West, the repercussions of the United States’ unnecessary involvement in Ukraine, and General Flynn and President Trump’s Truth Socials.
Later Alexandra talks about Juan O Savin’s appearance on AMP’s Unrestricted Truths, the SES being a paramilitary mafia/union, and the latest uncovering of a secret Pilgrims Society, and helicopter footage of the Pentagon being hit by a missile recirculating.
Lastly, Alexandra fills us in on an FBI whistleblower exposing the FBI’s false-narratives, as well as Greg Reese’s take on what the elites plan to do in the case of a mass global nuclear fallout.
https://kirkelliottphd.com/forbiddennews
https://forbiddenknowledgetv.net/
Thursday, September 22, 2022
Fossil-Fuel Underinvestment Is Recipe for Disaster, UAE Says
- Oil suppliers have little room to react to further disruptions
- Much more spending also needed to boost energy transition
By
Gerson Freitas Jr
September 22, 2022 at 12:43 PM EDTUpdated onSeptember 22, 2022 at 4:28 PM EDT
The world’s failure to invest enough in fossil fuels before cleaner alternatives can fully meet today’s energy needs is a “recipe for disaster,” according to Sultan Al Jaber, chief executive officer of Abu Dhabi National Oil Co.
Oil producers have limited ability to react to further disruptions in energy supplies as spare crude capacity is currently less than 2% of global demand, Al Jaber said at the Bloomberg Emerging + Frontier Forum 2022 in New York.
“That doesn’t give a lot of room to maneuver. In fact, it’s a recipe for disaster,” Al Jaber said.
A supply crunch has sent oil and natural gas prices soaring since the pandemic, helping drive inflation all over the globe to the highest levels in decades and leading the US to unleash a record amount of crude from its strategic reserves as a way to rein in prices. Shortage risks have been aggravated by the war in Ukraine.
Much more investment is necessary in technologies to mitigate and eliminate emissions from energy-heavy sectors including manufacturing, construction and agriculture, with “sensible” regulation, tax incentives and “substantial government funding” to help fill the gap, Al Jaber said.
He said the United Arab Emirates is “fully committed” to the energy transition, though “more realism about the scale of the challenge” is needed to properly address it. Adnoc has invested $50 billion in renewables including solar over the past two decades and plans to spend a similar amount in coming years.
(Updates with additional comments in fifth paragraph.)
Prepare for a ‘long and ugly’ recession, says Dr. Doom, the economist who predicted the 2008 crash
Dr. Doom is betting on a severe recession before the year is out.
BY
TRISTAN BOVE
September 21, 2022 12:56 PM EDT
Nouriel Roubini is convinced a bad recession is on the way. Udit Kulshrestha—Bloomberg/Getty Images
One of the first experts to forecast the 2008 recession is sounding the alarm bells that another big economic downturn is on the way.
With recession fears in the U.S. mounting, many economists are predicting such a downturn as early as this year. Earlier this month, Bank of America strategists wrote they expected a “mild recession” to hit sometime next year. Others, like former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, have been more bearish with their recession forecasts, predicting that only a deep recession will be enough to fix the 40-year-high inflation hitting the country.
Now economist Nouriel Roubini—a New York University professor and the CEO of Roubini Macro Associates—whose prescience of the 2007 and 2008 housing market crash earned him the nickname Dr. Doom—seems to have chosen a side.
In an interview with Bloomberg this week, Roubini said that a recession is likely to hit the U.S. by the end of 2022 before spreading globally next year, conceivably lasting for the entirety of 2023.
“It’s not going to be a short and shallow recession; it’s going to be severe, long, and ugly,” Roubini said.
The debt problem
To fend off rising U.S. inflation, the Federal Reserve has implemented an aggressive series of interest rate hikes to put the brakes on the economy. The goal is to engineer a soft landing for the economy, where inflation returns to the Fed’s target 2% annual rate, without triggering a prolonged economic downturn or significant rise in unemployment.
But with the current economic climate, the Fed’s soft landing goal is “mission impossible” according to Roubini, who sees the rapid rise in both corporate and government debt over the past year as a damning indicator.
During the 2008 recession, Roubini argued that large amounts of consumer and corporate debt had been mismanaged and neglected by credit agencies and the federal government, contributing to the downturn. In his interview with Bloomberg, he noted that very similar threats are facing the economy today.
Roubini said that the environment created by rising interest rates does not bode well for the rising levels of global debt amassed in the wake of the pandemic. As lending rates continue to increase—as the Federal Reserve has signaled they will—it could create a growing number of so-called zombie companies, firms that formed during the pre- and early-pandemic era of easy credit, but are now stumbling along unable to turn a profit or finance their debts.
“Many zombie institutions, zombie households, corporates, banks, shadow banks, and zombie countries are going to die” as rates continue rising, Roubini said.
The “long and ugly recession” will also devastate financial markets, Roubini warned. The S&P 500—which upon last week’s higher-than-expected inflation reading had one of its worst days this year—could fall by anywhere between 30% and 40%, he said, depending on how severe the recession is.
Worst-case scenario
But despite interest rate hike after interest rate hike, Roubini said that inflation in the U.S. could persist due to rippling supply-chain shocks from the pandemic, the ongoing consequences of the Ukraine war, and China’s zero-COVID policy continuing to slow economic activity in the country.
That combination of low economic growth and unyielding inflation could lead to a global worst-case scenario of 1970s-style stagflation, Roubini warned, where prices remain high but economies stagnate anyway. Institutions including the World Bank have warned multiple times this year that a return to 1970s stagflation remains a serious concern for the global economy.
It is far from the first time Roubini has expressed his pessimistic views on the economy’s future. In 2020, Roubini warned that a new “great depression” was poised to hit the U.S. during the 2020s, citing rising debt levels. And in July, Roubini predicted that a “severe recession and a severe debt and financial crisis” was just around the corner due to the growing number of zombie companies in the economy.
Not every market watcher agrees with Roubini’s view that rising debt levels and inflation will send the economy spiraling into a deep recession. Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood tweeted on Tuesday that hawkish economists like Roubini were set to be “blindsided” by inflation receding soon, citing “unwinding” headline inflation, the measure of total inflation within the economy.
U.S. Standard of Living Set to Plummet
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on September 16.
SPENCER PLATT/GETTY IMAGES
U.S. Standard of Living Set to Plummet
Despite claims to the contrary, America’s economic crisis is likely to get worse.
BY ANDREW MIILLER • SEPTEMBER 19
Shareholders lost $1.6 trillion on Tuesday when the S&P 500 dropped more than 177 points. This plunge was the stock market’s worst day in more than two years. Investors sold everything from stocks to bonds to oil to gold after the United States Department of Labor announced that August’s consumer price index rose 8.3 percent over August 2021. Economic analysts and everyday citizens alike initially hoped the Federal Reserve’s rate hikes would bring inflation down to normal levels, but Tuesday’s consumer price index report revealed this optimism was misplaced.
Over the past two months, the official inflation rate has dropped 0.8 percent from 9.1 percent to 8.3 percent. But this has only happened because fuel prices are coming down from the historic highs they hit after Russia invaded Ukraine. The price of pretty much everything else is going up. Clothing is 5.1 percent more expensive than it was a year ago, housing is 6.2 percent more expensive, basic commodities are 7.1 percent more expensive, and food is 11.4 percent more expensive.
This inflation has investors anxious about a recession, so the Fed is considering more rate hikes. Member of the Fed Board of Governors Christopher Waller has said that the Fed may have to take the rate above 4 percent if inflation does not abate, while investor Mark Mobius estimates that rates could peak at 9 percent before they come back down. This means Americans are about to lose a substantial amount of their purchasing power to the twin milestones of inflation and interest.
A white paper by Francesco Bianchi of Johns Hopkins University and Leonardo Melosi of the Chicago Fed finds that inflation is being driven by fiscal spending in response to the coronavirus pandemic. So, Fed rate hikes won’t do much to bring down inflation as long as government spending stays high. Congress has no plan to slash government spending, and prices are going up faster than incomes, so everyday citizens are going to have to slash their own spending if they want to avoid taking on high-interest debt. In July, Americans saved just 5 percent of their after-tax income, the lowest rate since August 2009 when the country was still recovering from the Great Recession of 2008.
The Trumpet’s booklet Solve Your Money Troubles! recommends that people avoid credit card debt and save at least 5 percent of their take-home pay for emergencies, in addition to putting money away for retirement and special expenses like maternity bills, major furnishings, new shingles, or preparing for winter. American households should be living on no more than 90 percent of their take-home income (after taxes and tithes). That means the average household needs to reduce expenditures by at least 5 percent this year and reducing them by far more might be prudent.
Forty-two years ago, the late Herbert W. Armstrong wrote an article titled “Prepare to Greatly Reduce Your Standard of Living.” It warned that inflation and other economic woes were about to greatly reduce Americans’ purchasing power in the next year or two. Mr. Armstrong was right. The Crisis of 1982 was the worst downturn in the U.S. since the Great Depression—until the 2008 recession surpassed it. Millions had to reduce their standard of living. But most people forgot about Mr. Armstrong’s warning after President Ronald Reagan stabilized the nation’s economy. But the Crisis of 1982 was not the ultimate fulfillment of the prophecies Mr. Armstrong referred to in his article.
Mr. Armstrong explained that God had blessed America with the world’s highest per capita income because of a promise He had made to Abraham. He warned that God would take away America’s blessing if it rebelled against Him. The median household income in the United States is $77,881 per year, while the median household income worldwide is $9,733. If God is stripping away the blessings of Abraham, U.S. households better prepare to live on much, much less.
As recently as 1950, two fifths of U.S. households did not own an automobile, one third did not own a television, and only a small minority of families enjoyed luxuries like air conditioning or a water heater. Yet those households were able to make it on one income and avoid consumer debt because they were less entitled than Americans today and did not buy things they could not afford. What they called “middle class” in the 1950s is now called “poverty,” but many Americans will likely become acquainted with their great-grandparents’ standard of living before America’s economic collapse has run its course. You cannot run up both consumer and government debt for decades without consequences.
The fact is the U.S. has been living beyond its means for decades and is now entering a period of time that the Prophet Jeremiah referred to as “Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7).
Now is the time to put your financial house in order. If you have delayed taking the painful but necessary steps to do this, there is still a small window of opportunity. You can begin right away by reading Solve Your Money Troubles! and The Financial Law You Can’t Afford to Ignore.
Source
Wednesday, September 21, 2022
Key American congresswoman visits Armenia, raising hopes of U.S. assistance
Nancy Pelosi is the highest-ranking American official ever to visit Armenia, and it came at a critical time during the country’s conflict with Azerbaijan.
Sep 19, 2022
Nancy Pelosi addresses members of Armenia's government on September 18. (photo: primeminister.am)
A senior member of the United States Congress visited Armenia and offered the country her full-throated support amid ongoing tensions with Azerbaijan. The visit cheered Armenians, enraged official Baku, and raised questions about the prospect of a broader shift in U.S. policy towards the conflict.
Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, said her visit had been planned long before the recent escalation between the two sides. Many of her remarks appeared to be aimed at bolstering “Armenian democracy” and the fruits of the Velvet Revolution that brought the current government to power, suggesting that was the original agenda of the trip.
But the timing of the trip was significant, as it happened to be during the period of greatest tension between Armenia and Azerbaijan since the war between the two sides in 2020, and during a period of geopolitical tumult. Azerbaijan has been making unprecedented attacks on Armenian territory (most of the decades-long conflict has, until the last week, taken place on territory internationally recognized as Azerbaijani). And the authority of Russia, Armenia’s key security guarantor, appears to be waning as it suffers military setbacks in Ukraine.
In this fraught environment, Pelosi’s strong statements in support of Armenia were far less balanced than statements by American officials on the conflict tend to be, and prompted much geopolitical speculation.
In a press conference, Pelosi condemned what she described as “illegal and deadly attacks by Azerbaijan” on Armenia several days earlier. “Make no mistake: this assault is unacceptable,” she said.
She also broached the prospect of greater American security assistance, though she remained noncommittal. “On the defense side, we are listening,” she said. “Rather than coming and saying this is what we are prepared to do, we are listening to what the needs are.” During the trip she added a meeting with Defense Minister Suren Papikyan, which had reportedly not been part of the initial agenda.
She also took thinly veiled shots at Russia, Armenia’s chief ally, presenting Moscow as an unreliable ally, and hinting that Armenia would be better off on the U.S.’s side.
Pelosi traveled along with several other members of Congress, who mostly represent areas with large Armenian-American populations and who are regular visitors to Armenia. She appeared at the press conference along with the other members when they were asked about the U.S.’s position vis-a-vis the Armenia-Russia alliance.
The U.S. understands that “Armenia is part of this security arrangement with Russia,” said Representative Frank Pallone. “We’re not suggesting (changing) anything about that. What we’re saying is, the United States is very concerned about Armenia’s security, (and) we want to do anything we can to be more supportive.”
Pelosi, though, took a more direct shot at Moscow, which has disappointed Armenians by failing to offer robust military aid in the face of Azerbaijan’s attacks. “It is interesting that they got fact-finders and not protection from that relationship [with Russia]. We’ll see what happens next,” she said.
She framed Armenia’s Velvet Revolution in 2018 as a win in the global battle of democracy vs. autocracy, and offered that “we want to be helpful in discreet ways.”
It is not clear to what extent Pelosi’s visit was representative of U.S. policy more generally. Earlier this year she made a comparable visit to Taiwan, apparently a freelance affair that was opposed by the White House and the Pentagon for its potential of disrupting the precarious relationship with China.
That Pelosi traveled with the cohort of strongly pro-Armenian members of Congress – including Pallone and representatives Jackie Speier and Anna Eshoo – suggested the lack of an administration imprimatur. But Pelosi nevertheless referred to herself several times as the “third highest-ranking official in the U.S.” and was accompanied on her meetings by U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Lynne Tracy.
“I don't think Pelosi's visit or statements were helpful to reduce these very dangerous tensions, but are a sign of support,” said Paul Stronski, a senior fellow in the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, DC. He suggested this was more her personal initiative than indicative of a larger U.S. policy shift. “Similar to the Taiwan visit, I see this as a Pelosi attempt at legacy building for causes she has long supported,” he told Eurasianet.
The U.S. embassy in Yerevan referred questions about the trip to Pelosi’s office.
Armenians were nevertheless grateful for the high-level attention, and the international media spotlight to the conflict, that Pelosi’s visit brought.
“We appreciate the clear position of the USA regarding Azerbaijan's aggression against Armenia,” Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said after a meeting with Pelosi. “Of course, clear formulations of the U.S. Government is appreciated.”
During Pelosi’s visit, several pro-U.S., anti-Russia demonstrations were held across Yerevan. Participants waved flags of the U.S., Armenia, and Ukraine, and held signs disparaging the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the mutual defense pact which is supposed to oblige Russia to come to Armenia’s defense in case of external invasion but which has only feebly responded to this latest flare up.
“The U.S. is getting here faster than Russia, what else does Russia need to do to us so that we finally understand that it is just feeding us to the dogs?” one demonstrator, Hayk Karapetyan, told Eurasianet. Another protester, Anna Sargsyan, added: “I was never pro-anything, this is just being pro-Armenian, we need weapons and support. They are not coming from Russia so they should come from somewhere else.”
But skepticism of U.S. interest in the region remains high among Armenians. “In reality, the U.S. cannot offer anything other than the ill-fated American dream,” analyst Edgar Elbakyan told RIA Novosti. “They can offer security guarantees in words, but these are meaningless.”
The visit occasioned a sharp reaction from Baku. “The statement made by ... Pelosi during her visit to Armenia … which distorts the situation in the region, is deeply regrettable. Groundless and unfair accusations made by N. Pelosi against Azerbaijan are unacceptable,” Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
It appeared to be referring to her mention of “illegal and deadly attacks,” as the MFA statement reiterated Baku’s claim that Armenia had provoked the escalation (a claim for which it has yet to offer any evidence). It accused Pelosi of falling prey to “Armenian propaganda” and called her visit “a serious blow to efforts to normalize relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.”
U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, who has been in regular contact with the leadership of both countries during the crisis, spoke to Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev the evening of September 18. He said he “urge[d] a disengagement of military forces and a return to peace negotiations.”
A former U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan, Richard Kauzlarich, said Pelosi’s rhetoric would set back diplomacy between the two sides. “Considering the anti-Azerbaijani rhetoric in the media coverage of the trip, it will complicate the diplomatic process,” Kauzlarich told BBC’s Azerbaijani service. “It will not change anything with regard to either Azerbaijan’s or Armenia’s alliances with Russia,” he added.
Russia’s response to Pelosi’s trip was more measured but still critical. “Everything that is not in words but in deeds, not noisy or populist, but quietly and in a businesslike manner encourages the normalization of relations, the stabilization of the situation on the border, can only be welcomed,” said Dmitriy Peskov, spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a September 19 press conference. “Can these loud statements and actions really facilitate this normalization? We will see, everything will be clear in time.”
Joshua Kucera is the Turkey/Caucasus editor at Eurasianet, and author of The Bug Pit.
Ani Mejlumyan is a reporter based in Yerevan.
Tuesday, September 20, 2022
Bill Clinton: 'The world's on fire,' but teamwork can help
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton speaks on May 3, 2022, at the Two Mississippi Museums in Jackson, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
NEW YORK -
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton is calling on governments, businesses, philanthropies and other prominent institutions to draw together and help a world that is "on fire" as he reconvenes the Clinton Global Initiative, the meeting of international leaders, for the first time since 2016.
Interest in the two-day meeting has been so intense that the Clinton Foundation had to turn away more than 1,000 potential attendees. It is convening a spectrum of luminaries, including Jordan's Queen Rania Al Abdullah, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai and actor and water access activist Matt Damon.
Clinton, president of the United States from 1993 to 2001, said he has been amazed by the massive response.
"The world's on fire in a lot of different ways," he told The Associated Press in an interview. "But there are a lot of things that businesses, non-governmental groups and governments working together can do to help with a lot of these problems."
The Clinton Global Initiative, or CGI, has helped more than 435 million people in more than 180 countries since it was established in 2005. It previously required attendees to create a Commitment to Action, a measurable project that addresses a global issue, though for this year that requirement has been waived. Those commitments often unite new partners and encourage cooperation between the public and private sectors.
"I think there is a longing for people to get together and meet with an end in mind," Clinton said. "Not just talk about it, but knowing that when they walk away, they will have committed to doing something."
Clinton Foundation Vice Chair Chelsea Clinton calls that "a bias toward action," which she says is part of what makes CGI special and a catalyst for global change. She said the COVID-19 pandemic has energized interest in public health and addressing health disparities because people outside of the field could see the impact.
"Health is interconnected to anything and everything that anyone may care about," Chelsea Clinton said. "There are a lot of people who now are mobilized to do something with what they have come to newly understand and which they now feel responsible for helping to solve."
The panel discussions scheduled for the initiative focus on potential solutions. Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will discuss approaches to creating gender equality with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, actor and philanthropist Robin Wright and others. All three Clintons will talk about partnerships that focus on common humanity. They will be joined in that by Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, U2 singer Bono and "Hamilton" creator Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Peter Sands, executive director of The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, said CGI has always introduced his group to new potential partners, something even more valuable after two challenging pandemic years that made access to new donors difficult. "There's only so much you can do with PowerPoints and Zooms," Sands said.
He is currently in the midst of a fundraising campaign of his own. President Joe Biden will host The Global Fund's Seventh Replenishment Conference in New York on Wednesday, delayed two days so that Biden can attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on Monday.
However, he now plans to attend CGI and said the gathering has been missed during its hiatus, even though the Clinton Foundation itself has remained active. The initiative convened annually until 2016 during former Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, when questions were raised about the appearance of potential conflicts of interests if donors then had business before her administration.
Bill Clinton said the initiative is counting on the special energy of its participants to tackle a growing number of issues.
"We've got the largest number of migrants since World War II," he said. "And the most publicity they get in America is when one governor or two turns it into some political issue and tries to make problems for other people. Sensible countries work together and try to figure out the best way to deal with it."
Clinton also hopes CGI can spotlight various solutions that need more support. He points to a study from Generation180, a nonprofit that promotes the use of clean energy. Its research shows some rural schools have installed solar panels to reduce their carbon emissions and their electric bills. The schools then used the savings to give raises to teachers.
"The energy is here. The jobs are here. The benefits are here. The kids win," Clinton said. "That shouldn't be a political issue."
He says philanthropy can help bust through political and cultural gridlock by showing what can be done. For example, he said that when President Barack Obama proposed hiring 100,000 new STEM teachers and Congress turned him down, philanthropy stepped in to make it happen.
"We got the Carnegie Corporation and the American Federation of Teachers and more than 20 other partners together and they said, `We will raise the money,"' Clinton said. "Nobody ever thought of that as being a purpose of philanthropy. But it got the job done, and it demonstrated why Republicans and Democrats should cooperate on such things."
NEW YORK -
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton is calling on governments, businesses, philanthropies and other prominent institutions to draw together and help a world that is "on fire" as he reconvenes the Clinton Global Initiative, the meeting of international leaders, for the first time since 2016.
Interest in the two-day meeting has been so intense that the Clinton Foundation had to turn away more than 1,000 potential attendees. It is convening a spectrum of luminaries, including Jordan's Queen Rania Al Abdullah, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai and actor and water access activist Matt Damon.
Clinton, president of the United States from 1993 to 2001, said he has been amazed by the massive response.
"The world's on fire in a lot of different ways," he told The Associated Press in an interview. "But there are a lot of things that businesses, non-governmental groups and governments working together can do to help with a lot of these problems."
The Clinton Global Initiative, or CGI, has helped more than 435 million people in more than 180 countries since it was established in 2005. It previously required attendees to create a Commitment to Action, a measurable project that addresses a global issue, though for this year that requirement has been waived. Those commitments often unite new partners and encourage cooperation between the public and private sectors.
"I think there is a longing for people to get together and meet with an end in mind," Clinton said. "Not just talk about it, but knowing that when they walk away, they will have committed to doing something."
Clinton Foundation Vice Chair Chelsea Clinton calls that "a bias toward action," which she says is part of what makes CGI special and a catalyst for global change. She said the COVID-19 pandemic has energized interest in public health and addressing health disparities because people outside of the field could see the impact.
"Health is interconnected to anything and everything that anyone may care about," Chelsea Clinton said. "There are a lot of people who now are mobilized to do something with what they have come to newly understand and which they now feel responsible for helping to solve."
The panel discussions scheduled for the initiative focus on potential solutions. Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will discuss approaches to creating gender equality with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, actor and philanthropist Robin Wright and others. All three Clintons will talk about partnerships that focus on common humanity. They will be joined in that by Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, U2 singer Bono and "Hamilton" creator Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Peter Sands, executive director of The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, said CGI has always introduced his group to new potential partners, something even more valuable after two challenging pandemic years that made access to new donors difficult. "There's only so much you can do with PowerPoints and Zooms," Sands said.
He is currently in the midst of a fundraising campaign of his own. President Joe Biden will host The Global Fund's Seventh Replenishment Conference in New York on Wednesday, delayed two days so that Biden can attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on Monday.
However, he now plans to attend CGI and said the gathering has been missed during its hiatus, even though the Clinton Foundation itself has remained active. The initiative convened annually until 2016 during former Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, when questions were raised about the appearance of potential conflicts of interests if donors then had business before her administration.
Bill Clinton said the initiative is counting on the special energy of its participants to tackle a growing number of issues.
"We've got the largest number of migrants since World War II," he said. "And the most publicity they get in America is when one governor or two turns it into some political issue and tries to make problems for other people. Sensible countries work together and try to figure out the best way to deal with it."
Clinton also hopes CGI can spotlight various solutions that need more support. He points to a study from Generation180, a nonprofit that promotes the use of clean energy. Its research shows some rural schools have installed solar panels to reduce their carbon emissions and their electric bills. The schools then used the savings to give raises to teachers.
"The energy is here. The jobs are here. The benefits are here. The kids win," Clinton said. "That shouldn't be a political issue."
He says philanthropy can help bust through political and cultural gridlock by showing what can be done. For example, he said that when President Barack Obama proposed hiring 100,000 new STEM teachers and Congress turned him down, philanthropy stepped in to make it happen.
"We got the Carnegie Corporation and the American Federation of Teachers and more than 20 other partners together and they said, `We will raise the money,"' Clinton said. "Nobody ever thought of that as being a purpose of philanthropy. But it got the job done, and it demonstrated why Republicans and Democrats should cooperate on such things."
Monday, September 19, 2022
Sunday, September 18, 2022
Rep. Lauren Boebert said humanity is in its 'last days' and Christians should 'rise up,'.
Rep. Lauren Boebert said humanity is in its 'last days' and Christians should 'rise up,' invoking Christian nationalist imagery that's linked to violence
Sep 18, 2022, 7:06 AM
Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., addresses attendees during the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit, Saturday, July 23, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press
- Boebert echoed Christian nationalist talking points and invoked the end times in a speech last week.
- She said it's time for Christians to "rise up" and "influence this nation as we were called to do."
- Christian nationalism experts say such rhetoric has been linked to violence.
A recent speech by Rep. Lauren Boebert — during which she invoked the end times and said it's time for Christians to "rise up" — demonstrated how Christian nationalist ideals, including some associated with violence, have made it to the halls of Congress.
"It's time for us to position ourselves and rise up and take our place in Christ and influence this nation as we were called to do," the Colorado Republican told the crowd at a Christian conference held by the Truth and Liberty Coalition in Woodland Park, Colorado, on September 9.
"We need God back at the center of our country," she added.
Boebert heavily quoted scripture in her speech. She framed the formation of the US as divinely inspired and described the founding fathers as men of faith who were motivated by God — contentions that have been challenged by historians.
"We know that we are in the last of the last days," Boebert later said, referencing the belief held by some evangelical Christians that Jesus will return after a period of tribulation, or great suffering, and save believers. "But it's not a time to complain about it. It's not a time to get upset about it. It's a time to know that you were called to be a part of these last days. You get to have a role in ushering in the second coming of Jesus."
Boebert's comments expressing an intrinsic tie between the US and Christianity aren't new: In June she said she was "tired of this separation of church and state junk" and that "the church is supposed to direct the government." But by invoking the end times, Boebert is tapping into a side of Christian nationalism that has been associated with violence.
Although a spokesperson for Boebert told The Denver Post she does not identify as a Christian nationalist, her comments align with the tenants of Christian nationalism, an ideology and cultural framework that says Christianity should have a privileged position in American society.
"We found in our book that among Americans that embrace Christian nationalism, we see increasingly this embrace of a premillennialist interpretation of the end times, where there will be a tribulation but Christ will take away the faithful," Andrew Whitehead, a sociologist at IUPUI and co-author of "Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States," told Insider.
Whitehead said Boebert was taking a specific and relatively new interpretation of the end times and melding it with the idea that Christians are supposed to have an influential role in public life. He said her view wasn't necessarily about saving the nation, but about Christians countering the forces of evil while they still can and remaining faithful up until the end.
"Citing the end times really does feel like a call to action and a rallying cry in some sense," Whitehead said, adding: "A lot of that end times imagery is associated with violence and rapture and descending into chaos societally."
Experts on religion and politics told The Denver Post that Boebert's remarks could be interpreted as a call for violence, particularly in relation to the midterm elections.
"Now the apocalypse is because if we don't get our people in, it's an apocalypse," Anthea Butler, chair of the University of Pennsylvania's Department of Religious Studies, told the outlet.
Though Boebert's comments aren't new among proponents of Christian nationalism, such rhetoric has rarely, if ever, been deployed by a member of Congress.
Christian nationalism has also inspired acts of violence in the past. A report published in February by a group of faith leaders, historians, and religious scholars — including Whitehead — argued the concept was on display at the Capitol on January 6 and helped justify the insurrection. Christian nationalist ideals were also espoused by the suspects in the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue shooting and the 2019 New Zealand mosque shootings.
"Any time that our political rhetoric moves in an area where we are raising the stakes — where it is ultimate good vs. ultimate evil," Whitehead said, "that's when political violence becomes much more likely."
Boebert's office did not respond to Insider's request for comment.
Saturday, September 17, 2022
Friday, September 16, 2022
Worry over the state of the world is keeping Americans up at nigh
“Everybody’s stressed and there’s lots of news. So, I think the increase in stress may be one of those things that’s causing more people to lose sleep.”
By Adam Barnes | Sep. 14,2022
Story at a glance
A new survey by Ohio State University found that close to 1 in 5 Americans have trouble falling asleep at night. The survey also found that almost half of Americans scroll through their phones before bedtime. Another 37 percent fall asleep with the television on.
Two years of stressful events, including the coronavirus pandemic, have been keeping worried Americans awake.
A new survey by Ohio State University found that close to one in five Americans have trouble falling asleep at night.
Two years of stressful events, including the coronavirus pandemic, have been keeping worried Americans awake.
A new survey by Ohio State University found that close to one in five Americans have trouble falling asleep at night.
“Everybody’s stressed and there’s lots of news. So, I think the increase in stress may be one of those things that’s causing more people to lose sleep,” Aneesa Das, professor of internal medicine at Ohio State University said in a media release.
“Stress can increase your heart rate, increase your blood pressure, make you have an upset stomach and cause muscle tension. All of those things increase our alertness, making it harder to fall asleep,” Das added.
The survey also found that almost half of Americans scroll through their phones before bedtime, while 37 percent fall asleep with the television on. More than a quarter sleep with their pet.
Both practices can be disruptive to sleep quality as light exposure drives one’s internal clock to communicate that they are supposed to be asleep or awake.
“Our circadian drive is that central clock telling us when we’re supposed to be awake and asleep, and that is driven by light more than anything,” Das said. “When we use our smartphones and our TVs right before bed, we increase that bright light exposure at the wrong time.”
A separate study from Northwestern University researchers suggests exposure to ambient light while sleeping at night can lead to an elevated heart rate and increased blood sugar the following day.
Researchers noted the similarities between the way a person’s nervous system reacts to light both during the day — when light heightens awareness and increases the heart rate — and while a person is asleep.
“Even though you are asleep, your autonomic nervous system is activated. That’s bad. Usually, your heart rate together with other cardiovascular parameters are lower at night and higher during the day,” Daniela Grimaldi, one of the study’s first authors said at the time.
America is changing faster than ever! Add Changing America to your Facebook or Twitter feed to stay on top of the news.
Health professionals recommend establishing a routine each night to ensure the highest sleep quality possible.
People should aim to go to sleep at roughly the same time each night, avoid blue light, and when possible, sleep in a dark, cool and relaxing room.
People should aim to go to sleep at roughly the same time each night, avoid blue light, and when possible, sleep in a dark, cool and relaxing room.
Published on Sep 14,2022
IS THE RISING FOOD AND POVERTY CRISIS MANUFACTURED...
IS THE RISING FOOD AND POVERTY CRISIS MANUFACTURED TO SECURE FURTHER AMERICAN CONTROL OVER THE WORLD? -
REVELATION 13 PROPHECY!
NEWS UPDATE - 30th August 2022
"An Engineered Food and Poverty Crisis to Secure Continued U.S. Dominance - According to the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems, there is currently sufficient food and no risk of global food supply shortages. We see an abundance of food but skyrocketing prices. The issue is not food shortage but speculation on food commodities and the manipulation of an inherently flawed global food system that serves the interests of corporate agribusiness traders and suppliers of inputs at the expense of people's needs and genuine food security. The war in Ukraine is a geopolitical trade and energy conflict. It is largely about the US engaging in a proxy war against Russia and Europe by attempting to separate Europe from Russia and imposing sanctions on Russia to harm Europe and make it further dependent on the US ... The US knew beforehand how sanctions on Russia would play out. They would serve to divide the world into two blocks and fuel a new cold war with the US and Europe on one side with China and Russia being the two main countries on the other ... Hundreds of millions will experience (are experiencing) poverty and hunger due to US policy ... Contrary to what many believe, the US has not miscalculated the outcome of the sanctions placed on Russia. Michael Hudson notes energy prices are increasing, benefiting US oil companies and US balance of payments as an energy exporter. Moreover, by sanctioning Russia, the aim is to curtail Russian exports (of wheat and gas used for fertiliser production) and for agricultural commodity prices to therefore increase. This too will also benefit the US as an agricultural exporter. This is how the US seeks to maintain dominance over other countries." (source)
Let me repeat that - this 'crisis' is to "maintain America's dominance over other countries".
The above report speaks the truth concerning American dominance over the world, without realising the Biblical prophetic significance. In Revelation 13 we are told that the second beast (the symbol of a nation - see Daniel 7:23) will be the nation to cause the world to receive the mark of the beast. That second beast nation is none other than the United States of America, which you can see on our page AMERICA IN PROPHECY. And look at what Revelation 13 says concerning America - the second beast:
Revelation 13:12,16,17 ...'he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast ... And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.'
Do you see? We are told that a specific nation will cause the world to take the mark. And that nation is America!
Many people believe there is going to be a 'one world government' that will rule the world, but Daniel 2:41-43 proves this to be wrong. We must look to Revelation 13 to see who will cause the world to take the mark, and Revelation 13 tells us that it will be the nation of America, the second beast, which will cause the world to take the mark. This is why America has a hand in so much of what is going on in the world. It is to gain enough control over the world to enforce the mark. But is there someone whom America is working for? Yes! As Revelation 13 says above, America is seeking to cause the world to worship the first beast, and you will see in our study - WHO IS THE 7 HEADED BEAST OF REVELATION that the first beast is none other than the Papal Church of Rome.
It isn't going to be China controlling the world. It isn't going to be Russia controlling the world. It isn't even going to be a 'one world government' in control. God confirmed that America will be the nation to cause the world to bow down to the dictates of the Vatican.
If we drill down even further, we see that Revelation 13:14-15 says America will make an 'image' to the Papacy - a church/state union, with the church directing the state. This will be the fallen Protestant churches and Catholic churches using the state power to enforce Papal institutions like her false Sunday sabbath, which the Vatican wants enforced around the world. And all these troubles in the world, the climate agenda, wars, food and poverty crisis are bringing us nearer to the enforcement of Rome's Sunday law, in honour of her false trinity god.
But keep your eyes on America! As this is the nation God prophesied would be the one nation to cause the world to bow to the god of the Vatican.
AMERICA IN BIBLE PROPHECY
THE 7 HEADED BEAST OF REVELATION
NEWS UPDATE - 30th August 2022
We must understand the players in Revelation 13 to be able to understand what is coming and the deception that is to take place. The writers of the following article understand the role that America is playing in the world, but without the Biblical prophetic understanding. Take a look at what the article says about the current 'food crisis' that is looming:
"An Engineered Food and Poverty Crisis to Secure Continued U.S. Dominance - According to the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems, there is currently sufficient food and no risk of global food supply shortages. We see an abundance of food but skyrocketing prices. The issue is not food shortage but speculation on food commodities and the manipulation of an inherently flawed global food system that serves the interests of corporate agribusiness traders and suppliers of inputs at the expense of people's needs and genuine food security. The war in Ukraine is a geopolitical trade and energy conflict. It is largely about the US engaging in a proxy war against Russia and Europe by attempting to separate Europe from Russia and imposing sanctions on Russia to harm Europe and make it further dependent on the US ... The US knew beforehand how sanctions on Russia would play out. They would serve to divide the world into two blocks and fuel a new cold war with the US and Europe on one side with China and Russia being the two main countries on the other ... Hundreds of millions will experience (are experiencing) poverty and hunger due to US policy ... Contrary to what many believe, the US has not miscalculated the outcome of the sanctions placed on Russia. Michael Hudson notes energy prices are increasing, benefiting US oil companies and US balance of payments as an energy exporter. Moreover, by sanctioning Russia, the aim is to curtail Russian exports (of wheat and gas used for fertiliser production) and for agricultural commodity prices to therefore increase. This too will also benefit the US as an agricultural exporter. This is how the US seeks to maintain dominance over other countries." (source)
Let me repeat that - this 'crisis' is to "maintain America's dominance over other countries".
The above report speaks the truth concerning American dominance over the world, without realising the Biblical prophetic significance. In Revelation 13 we are told that the second beast (the symbol of a nation - see Daniel 7:23) will be the nation to cause the world to receive the mark of the beast. That second beast nation is none other than the United States of America, which you can see on our page AMERICA IN PROPHECY. And look at what Revelation 13 says concerning America - the second beast:
Revelation 13:12,16,17 ...'he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast ... And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.'
Do you see? We are told that a specific nation will cause the world to take the mark. And that nation is America!
Many people believe there is going to be a 'one world government' that will rule the world, but Daniel 2:41-43 proves this to be wrong. We must look to Revelation 13 to see who will cause the world to take the mark, and Revelation 13 tells us that it will be the nation of America, the second beast, which will cause the world to take the mark. This is why America has a hand in so much of what is going on in the world. It is to gain enough control over the world to enforce the mark. But is there someone whom America is working for? Yes! As Revelation 13 says above, America is seeking to cause the world to worship the first beast, and you will see in our study - WHO IS THE 7 HEADED BEAST OF REVELATION that the first beast is none other than the Papal Church of Rome.
It isn't going to be China controlling the world. It isn't going to be Russia controlling the world. It isn't even going to be a 'one world government' in control. God confirmed that America will be the nation to cause the world to bow down to the dictates of the Vatican.
If we drill down even further, we see that Revelation 13:14-15 says America will make an 'image' to the Papacy - a church/state union, with the church directing the state. This will be the fallen Protestant churches and Catholic churches using the state power to enforce Papal institutions like her false Sunday sabbath, which the Vatican wants enforced around the world. And all these troubles in the world, the climate agenda, wars, food and poverty crisis are bringing us nearer to the enforcement of Rome's Sunday law, in honour of her false trinity god.
But keep your eyes on America! As this is the nation God prophesied would be the one nation to cause the world to bow to the god of the Vatican.
AMERICA IN BIBLE PROPHECY
THE 7 HEADED BEAST OF REVELATION
Thursday, September 15, 2022
Wednesday, September 14, 2022
Judge won't force disclosure of records on alleged episode with Hunter Biden's gun
The privacy interests of President Joe Biden's son trump a blogger's Freedom of Information Act suit, the federal court rules.
Hunter Biden and his wife Melissa Cohen leave after President Joe Biden awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 17 people during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, July 7, 2022. | Susan Walsh/AP Photo
By JOSH GERSTEIN
09/13/2022 09:21 PM EDT
Updated: 09/13/2022 11:17 PM EDT
A court has rejected a lawsuit seeking to force the public disclosure of federal records about a 2018 episode in which a gun belonging to President Joe Biden’s son Hunter was allegedly thrown in a trash can.
In a ruling Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras found that the public interest in the handling of any investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives into the episode was “significant,” but that the importance of Hunter Biden’s privacy as a private citizen outweighed the value of releasing any such records to the public.
“The privacy interest here is remarkably strong,” wrote Contreras, an appointee of President Barack Obama.
Contreras’ 24-page decision makes numerous references to an article POLITICO published in March 2021 detailing the bizarre episode in which Biden’s late brother’s wife, Hallie Biden, allegedly found his .38-caliber handgun in his truck, disposed of it in a trash can behind a store and later returned to retrieve it, only to find it missing, according to a police report. Hunter Biden was engaged in a romantic relationship with her at the time.
EXCLUSIVE
Sources: Secret Service inserted itself into case of Hunter Biden’s gun
BY TARA PALMERI AND BEN SCHRECKINGER
The Delaware State Police investigated out of concern that the missing gun could be used in a crime, but a man who regularly rummaged in the trash returned the weapon to authorities a few days later, according to the story. Secret Service agents allegedly visited the gun store where Hunter Biden bought the weapon and asked for the purchase records, but the owner declined to provide them, saying the matter was under the ATF’s jurisdiction. He later cooperated with ATF agents.
A copy of the purchase form obtained by POLITICO last year and referenced in the court opinion showed that Hunter Biden checked a box saying he was not at the time a user of, or addicted to, narcotics, despite the fact that he and his family members have said he has struggled with drug addiction for years.
However, no charges were ever brought in connection with the episode.
Hallie Biden and a lawyer for Hunter Biden declined to comment when POLITICO reached out to them last year.
Contreras said Hunter Biden’s discussion of his drug problems in his memoir did not diminish his privacy interest in any records about the episode.
“Disclosure would reveal whether Hunter Biden was criminally investigated by ATF,” the judge wrote. “An individual’s public disclosure of information that could be potentially incriminating in a general sense does not reduce his privacy interest in whether he was the subject of a particular federal criminal investigation by a particular agency.”
Contreras said Hunter Biden’s relation to his father, the president, did not undercut his privacy interest as a legal matter. “The Court is not aware of any case law holding that a private citizen like Hunter Biden loses a sense of personal privacy for purposes of [a Freedom of Information Act exemption] merely by being related to a prominent public official,” the judge wrote.
An Ohio-based blogger, internet journalist and gun enthusiast, David Codrea, requested the records in November 2020 and filed suit in August 2021 after the ATF failed to produce any documents. The Justice Department agency initially told Codrea it couldn’t find any records, then said it was searching for them, then reversed course again and said it would not confirm the existence of any records, offering what is known as a Glomar response.
Codrea filed a similar suit against the Secret Service, but dropped it after the agency said it could locate no records about the episode.
A lawyer for Codrea, Stephen Stamboulieh, declined to comment on the decision. Codrea said in a blog post Tuesday that no appeal is planned.
What King Charles III’s reign means for religion
Britain’s King Charles III, center, and other members of the royal family hold a vigil at the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II at St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh, Scotland, Monday Sept. 12, 2022.
Jane Barlow, Associated Press
This article was first published in the State of Faith newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox each Monday night.
King Charles III, like his mother before him, has religious responsibilities in addition to secular ones. As “Defender of the Faith” and “Supreme Governor of the Church of England,” he will help lead his country’s most prominent faith group.
Also like Queen Elizabeth II, the new king plans to undertake his formal religious duties with authentic care and concern. In his first address to Great Britain, he spoke about how his personal faith has informed his approach to leadership, as the Christian Post reported.
“King Charles said that his faith was ‘deeply rooted’ in the Church of England and that it had taught him to ‘cherish a sense of duty to others,’” the article said.
In the hours after her death on Sept. 8, several royalty experts and news outlets, including the Deseret News, highlighted similar remarks Queen Elizabeth II made about her faith in the past.
“Her trust in God and profound love for God was foundational in how she led her life — hour by hour, day by day. In The Late Queen’s life, we saw what it means to receive the gift of life we have been given by God and — through patient, humble, selfless service — share it as a gift to others,” said the Rev. Justin Welby, senior bishop in the Church of England, in a statement about Queen Elizabeth II.
What makes King Charles III’s relationship to religion distinct is that he’s spoken repeatedly in the past about his desire to “defend” more than just the Church of England, according to The Guardian.
“In 1994, Charles triggered controversy when he said he would be defender of faith rather than Defender of the Faith, in a desire to reflect Britain’s religious diversity,” the article said, noting that he attempted to clarify those statements in a BBC interview in 2015.
“I mind about the inclusion of other people’s faiths and their freedom to worship in this country. And it’s always seemed to me that, while at the same time being Defender of the Faith, you can also be protector of faiths,” he said during that 2015 interview.
To be sure, Queen Elizabeth II accepted and even embraced the country’s religious diversity, but it was partly at her son’s urging, said Ian Bradley, the emeritus professor of cultural and spiritual history at the University of St. Andrews, to The Guardian. Now, King Charles III will have an opportunity to fully control the royal family’s faith-related messaging.
“Most people would agree that Charles should champion the right to religious belief and practice of all his subjects, not just that of the dwindling number of people in the pews of Anglican churches,” The Guardian reported.
Jane Barlow, Associated Press
This article was first published in the State of Faith newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox each Monday night.
King Charles III, like his mother before him, has religious responsibilities in addition to secular ones. As “Defender of the Faith” and “Supreme Governor of the Church of England,” he will help lead his country’s most prominent faith group.
Also like Queen Elizabeth II, the new king plans to undertake his formal religious duties with authentic care and concern. In his first address to Great Britain, he spoke about how his personal faith has informed his approach to leadership, as the Christian Post reported.
“King Charles said that his faith was ‘deeply rooted’ in the Church of England and that it had taught him to ‘cherish a sense of duty to others,’” the article said.
In the hours after her death on Sept. 8, several royalty experts and news outlets, including the Deseret News, highlighted similar remarks Queen Elizabeth II made about her faith in the past.
“Her trust in God and profound love for God was foundational in how she led her life — hour by hour, day by day. In The Late Queen’s life, we saw what it means to receive the gift of life we have been given by God and — through patient, humble, selfless service — share it as a gift to others,” said the Rev. Justin Welby, senior bishop in the Church of England, in a statement about Queen Elizabeth II.
What makes King Charles III’s relationship to religion distinct is that he’s spoken repeatedly in the past about his desire to “defend” more than just the Church of England, according to The Guardian.
“In 1994, Charles triggered controversy when he said he would be defender of faith rather than Defender of the Faith, in a desire to reflect Britain’s religious diversity,” the article said, noting that he attempted to clarify those statements in a BBC interview in 2015.
“I mind about the inclusion of other people’s faiths and their freedom to worship in this country. And it’s always seemed to me that, while at the same time being Defender of the Faith, you can also be protector of faiths,” he said during that 2015 interview.
To be sure, Queen Elizabeth II accepted and even embraced the country’s religious diversity, but it was partly at her son’s urging, said Ian Bradley, the emeritus professor of cultural and spiritual history at the University of St. Andrews, to The Guardian. Now, King Charles III will have an opportunity to fully control the royal family’s faith-related messaging.
“Most people would agree that Charles should champion the right to religious belief and practice of all his subjects, not just that of the dwindling number of people in the pews of Anglican churches,” The Guardian reported.
Monday, September 12, 2022
Saturday, September 10, 2022
Friday, September 09, 2022
Operation Unicorn: what happens after the Queen’s death in Scotland?
Show captionThe Queen
The contingency plans for the Queen dying at Balmoral were leaked a while ago
Thu 8 Sep 2022 14.06 EDT
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The logistics of Operation London Bridge, the formal plans drawn up to deal with the death of the head of state, provided for the eventuality that she would die at Balmoral, which has long been one of her favourite places.
Operation Unicorn, the codename for the plans in Scotland, leaked some time ago and indicated it is likely her coffin will temporarily rest at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, having been taken there by road two days after her death.
From left: Prince William, Prince Andrew, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, and Edward, Earl of Wessex, arrive at Balmoral. Photograph: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty
Plans are also thought to include a ceremonial procession along the Royal Mile in Edinburgh to St Giles’ Cathedral, where a service is expected to be attended by the royal family before a 24-hour period of lying at rest, which would be open to the public.
The coffin is likely to be flown back to London, where it will be taken to Buckingham Palace before the big ceremonial procession in the capital planned for “D+5” (D-day plus five days) of the 10-day funeral plans, which will involve the Queen lying in state.
‘She’s always been there’: palace tourists on the Queen’s health
The Queen spent most of her summers on her highland estate in Aberdeenshire, with members of her family traditionally staying there from July into September and October. Balmoral, like Sandringham, is a private residence of the Queen rather than a royal residence belonging to the crown estate.
Years of royal memories were forged there, including family barbecues, where the Duke of Edinburgh did the cooking and the Queen the washing-up.
After Philip and Princess Elizabeth married in 1947, they spent part of their honeymoon at Birkhall – a hunting lodge on the Balmoral estate bought by Prince Albert for Queen Victoria in 1852, and handed down through generations of royals.
The Queen spent most of her summers on her highland estate in Aberdeenshire, with members of her family traditionally staying there from July into September and October. Balmoral, like Sandringham, is a private residence of the Queen rather than a royal residence belonging to the crown estate.
Years of royal memories were forged there, including family barbecues, where the Duke of Edinburgh did the cooking and the Queen the washing-up.
After Philip and Princess Elizabeth married in 1947, they spent part of their honeymoon at Birkhall – a hunting lodge on the Balmoral estate bought by Prince Albert for Queen Victoria in 1852, and handed down through generations of royals.
After a lifetime of preparation, Charles takes the throne
After a lifetime of preparation, Charles takes the throne
By DANICA KIRKA37 minutes ago
LONDON (AP) — Prince Charles has been preparing for the crown his entire life. Now, at age 73, that moment has finally arrived.
Charles, the oldest person to ever assume the British throne, became King Charles III on Thursday following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II. No date has been set for his coronation.
KING CHARLES III– Key dates in the life of Charles, Britain’s new king
– As Charles becomes king, Britain's new order of succession
– Camilla becomes queen, but without the sovereign’s powers
After an apprenticeship that began as a child, Charles embodies the modernization of the British monarchy. He was the first heir not educated at home, the first to earn a university degree and the first to grow up in the ever-intensifying glare of the media as deference to royalty faded.
He also alienated many with his messy divorce from the much-loved Princess Diana, and by straining the rules that prohibit royals from intervening in public affairs, wading into debates on issues such as environmental protection and architectural preservation,
In this April 10, 1949 file photo, Prince Charles of Edinburgh, left, sits for a photo with his mother, Princess Elizabeth, in Buckingham Palace, London. (AP Photo)
In this July 27, 1958 file photo, Britain's Prince Charles walks wearing his uniform. (AP Photo)
“He now finds himself in, if you like, the autumn of his life, having to think carefully about how he projects his image as a public figure,” said historian Ed Owens. “He’s nowhere near as popular as his mother.”
Charles must figure out how to generate the “public support, a sense of endearment” that characterized the relationship Elizabeth had with the British public, Owens said.
In other words, will Charles be as loved by his subjects? It’s a question that has overshadowed his entire life.
Thursday, September 08, 2022
Wednesday, September 07, 2022
Tuesday, September 06, 2022
He will destroy those who destroy the earth...Because of climate change?
Restoring the Right Hand
September 3, 2022
Dr. Tim examines Revelation 11:18 and the notion of climate change from a Biblical perspective
Unravelling Revelation - Bruce Telfer - Episode 14 - The relationship between US and the Vatican
Light Channel TV
September 4, 2022
From Revelation 13, we read about two beasts. The Bible uses the term beast to refer to a power, nation, or kingdom (Daniel 7:17, 23). Thus, Revelation 13 gives us a prophetic insight into the operations of two world powers that will have an effect on the lives of earth's inhabitants as the great controversy between Christ and Satan rushes an end.
From Revelation 13, we read about two beasts. The Bible uses the term beast to refer to a power, nation, or kingdom (Daniel 7:17, 23). Thus, Revelation 13 gives us a prophetic insight into the operations of two world powers that will have an effect on the lives of earth's inhabitants as the great controversy between Christ and Satan rushes an end.
Monday, September 05, 2022
Biden Appoints Dem Operative John Podesta To Hand Out $370 Billion In Climate Funds
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
LEGAL REPORTER
September 02, 20224:21 PM ET
President Joe Biden has appointed former Clinton advisor and Democratic operative John Podesta to manage nearly $370 billion in green energy funding authorized by the recently passed climate bill, the White House announced Friday.
Podesta, who has close ties with climate activist groups, will supervise the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) climate and clean energy initiatives as chair of the President’s National Climate Task Force, the White House said. The new law contributes $60 billion toward maintaining clean energy manufacturing and $1 billion toward increasing energy efficiency in affordable housing and $27 billion in funding to back emission reduction technologies.
The IRA hands the Environmental Protection Agency $40 billion in funding and establishes electric vehicle and appliance efficiency tax credits. It also supports “climate-smart” agriculture practices in rural communities to the tune of over $20 billion and funds more than $60 billion in “environmental justice” efforts.
Breaking my Twitter Boycott to celebrate Senate passage of IRA and its massive investments in clean energy and climate. TY activists;TY Dems; yes even TY @Sen_JoeManchin. Lots more to do. Onward. #ActOnClimate
— John Podesta (@johnpodesta) August 7, 2022
Podesta has close ties with the Democratic establishment and climate activist groups; he was former President Bill Clinton’s White House Chief of Staff and former President Barack Obama’s counselor before chairing former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. He is the left-leaning think tank the Center for American Progress‘ founder and chair.
“His deep roots in climate and clean energy policy and his experience at senior levels of government mean we can truly hit the ground running to take advantage of the massive clean energy opportunity in front of us,” Biden said. A current ClimateWorks Foundation board chair and Climate Jobs National Resource Center board member, Podesta coordinated the Obama administration’s climate policy.
Biden also announced Friday that Ali Zaidi would succeed outgoing National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy. Zaidi was previously an Obama administration climate and energy leader and New York’s Climate Policy and Finance Chairman and Energy and Environment Deputy Secretary.
The White House did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
President Joe Biden has appointed former Clinton advisor and Democratic operative John Podesta to manage nearly $370 billion in green energy funding authorized by the recently passed climate bill, the White House announced Friday.
Podesta, who has close ties with climate activist groups, will supervise the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) climate and clean energy initiatives as chair of the President’s National Climate Task Force, the White House said. The new law contributes $60 billion toward maintaining clean energy manufacturing and $1 billion toward increasing energy efficiency in affordable housing and $27 billion in funding to back emission reduction technologies.
The IRA hands the Environmental Protection Agency $40 billion in funding and establishes electric vehicle and appliance efficiency tax credits. It also supports “climate-smart” agriculture practices in rural communities to the tune of over $20 billion and funds more than $60 billion in “environmental justice” efforts.
Breaking my Twitter Boycott to celebrate Senate passage of IRA and its massive investments in clean energy and climate. TY activists;TY Dems; yes even TY @Sen_JoeManchin. Lots more to do. Onward. #ActOnClimate
— John Podesta (@johnpodesta) August 7, 2022
Podesta has close ties with the Democratic establishment and climate activist groups; he was former President Bill Clinton’s White House Chief of Staff and former President Barack Obama’s counselor before chairing former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. He is the left-leaning think tank the Center for American Progress‘ founder and chair.
“His deep roots in climate and clean energy policy and his experience at senior levels of government mean we can truly hit the ground running to take advantage of the massive clean energy opportunity in front of us,” Biden said. A current ClimateWorks Foundation board chair and Climate Jobs National Resource Center board member, Podesta coordinated the Obama administration’s climate policy.
Biden also announced Friday that Ali Zaidi would succeed outgoing National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy. Zaidi was previously an Obama administration climate and energy leader and New York’s Climate Policy and Finance Chairman and Energy and Environment Deputy Secretary.
The White House did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
Did You Know World Communion Sunday supports education, training and mentoring efforts?
Sep 05, 2022
World Communion Sunday supports education, training and mentoring efforts?
The General Board of Higher Education (GBHEM) receives a portion of the World Communion offering to support scholarship programs. In addition to financial assistance for higher education, many of the scholarships incorporate training and mentor programs to enhance self-awareness and develop interview skills. Recipients are mentored into their calling the entire time they receive the scholarship. Mentor and training programs are through leaders from GBHEM and other areas in the denomination.
The General Board of Higher Education (GBHEM) receives a portion of the World Communion offering to support scholarship programs. In addition to financial assistance for higher education, many of the scholarships incorporate training and mentor programs to enhance self-awareness and develop interview skills. Recipients are mentored into their calling the entire time they receive the scholarship. Mentor and training programs are through leaders from GBHEM and other areas in the denomination.
ABOUT WORLD COMMUNION SUNDAY (WCS)
United Methodist churches observe World Communion Sunday on the first Sunday in October. The observance focuses the attention of United Methodists on the universal and inclusive nature of the church. Offerings collected in United Methodist churches on World Communion Sunday are used to fund scholarships for young scholars and seminarians. Donations equip racial and ethnic-minority students in the United States and international students to transform the church and communities. Half of the proceeds from the offering is for World Communion Sunday Scholars administered by the General Board of Global Ministries. The remaining half is to be used for the Ethnic Scholarship Program and the Ethnic In-Service Training Program, which are administered by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry.
For Our Sin of Emissions: 10+1 Climate Commandments
Opinion
YOSEF I. ABRAMOWITZ , RENEWABLE ENERGY INNOVATOR
ON 8/25/22 AT 7:25 AM EDT
An arrow strip of biblical land, from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea, is not only the pathway of the Israelites during the Exodus, but it is also the birthplace of our climate redemption. This November, world leaders will gather down the coast from here in Sharm el-Sheik to try to hammer-out yet another climate plan for the too-distant future that miraculously has already been successfully implemented in the Arava Valley: The region is the first in the world to be solely powered by the sun during the day—producing 150 percent of the region's needs. And by 2025 it will be lit up night and day with solar power alone.
Humanity is losing the race to beat back catastrophic climate change. Yet the Arava region's solar success serves as a prophetic rebuke to those who claim that going 100 percent green energy is not technically feasible, economically advantageous or would take decades. The technology and economics are here; missing is moral climate leadership.
Climate hope may not come from the 27th gathering of world leaders on the issue but instead from a nearby place of paramount spiritual power. A group of us, under the auspices of the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development and the Elijah Interfaith Institute, recently came together at Mount Sinai to envision what message of hope and transformation religions can offer to humanity as we grapple with the challenges of climate justice. One of the ideas was returning to the 10 commandments, given at Sinai. While not set in stone, here's my version (with a little bit of help from my friends):
YOSEF I. ABRAMOWITZ , RENEWABLE ENERGY INNOVATOR
ON 8/25/22 AT 7:25 AM EDT
An arrow strip of biblical land, from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea, is not only the pathway of the Israelites during the Exodus, but it is also the birthplace of our climate redemption. This November, world leaders will gather down the coast from here in Sharm el-Sheik to try to hammer-out yet another climate plan for the too-distant future that miraculously has already been successfully implemented in the Arava Valley: The region is the first in the world to be solely powered by the sun during the day—producing 150 percent of the region's needs. And by 2025 it will be lit up night and day with solar power alone.
Humanity is losing the race to beat back catastrophic climate change. Yet the Arava region's solar success serves as a prophetic rebuke to those who claim that going 100 percent green energy is not technically feasible, economically advantageous or would take decades. The technology and economics are here; missing is moral climate leadership.
Climate hope may not come from the 27th gathering of world leaders on the issue but instead from a nearby place of paramount spiritual power. A group of us, under the auspices of the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development and the Elijah Interfaith Institute, recently came together at Mount Sinai to envision what message of hope and transformation religions can offer to humanity as we grapple with the challenges of climate justice. One of the ideas was returning to the 10 commandments, given at Sinai. While not set in stone, here's my version (with a little bit of help from my friends):
A bedouin boy guides a donkey from the summit of Mount Sinai after delivering supplies to shops along the stairs to the summit on May 15, 2008.MATT MOYER/GETTY IMAGES
Acknowledge a Higher Power
Like in Alcoholics Anonymous, the first commandment is to acknowledge, with humility, that we are partners with and subservient to the Creator.
Vote Climate
James Sternlicht, from the non-governmental organization The Peace Department, teaches that we have to hold governments and corporations accountable, since they are the ones desecrating our common home with each new drilling license and pipeline. In sun-rich Israel, for example, Prime Ministers Yair Lapid, Naftali Bennet and Binyamin Netanyahu all allowed the gas companies to lock-in an expensive and polluting monopoly for at least another generation, putting the People of the Book on the wrong side of climate history.
Do Not Murder
Since we know that millions of people—usually the poorest and indigenous—will die and suffer from the effects of extreme heat and cold, wild-fires, rising sea levels, and super-charged storms, why doesn't the business-as-usual approach of most leaders make them accessories to murder?
Do Not Steal
"Climate change is robbing our future," says Gili Berkovitz, 16, of Strike4Future in Tel Aviv. "We are also robbing nature of her ability to regenerate."
Do Not Bear False Witness
There are sins of omission—politicians not telling the truth about the real and immediate dangers of climate change; and there are sins of commission—the same leaders at the annual world climate conference, COP 27, who are approving new drilling and pipeline licenses. Together, says the writer David Hazony, these distortions of truth and policy lead to the sin of increased emissions.
Keep the Sabbath
Emissions are down 30 percent over the sabbath every week in Israel and are almost zeroed out on Yom Kippur (the Jewish Day of Atonement, the holiest of the year). A global weekly non-carbon day of rest could reduce emissions of the world by a seventh, and can be observed by different faith communities on different days.
You Shall Innovate
Last month I was hiking up Mount Sinai at 3 am and coincidently—is that even a thing on Mount Sinai?—ran into my friend Avi Jorisch, author of the book by the name of this commandment. Technology can accelerate decarbonization; collaboration can accelerate implementation.
Honor Mother Earth
Kristina Greer, 15, from California says that climate change is a form of arson against the very home that nurtures our lives and that of all living creatures.
You Need Not Covet
Rabbi Jennie Rosenn teaches, "Dayenu. We have enough. And we have the science and technology we need to build a world in which all people can have enough. We just need to achieve the political will."
Do Not Continue to be Hoodwinked
Oil and gas companies and disingenuous leaders want you to believe that reducing your carbon footprint through individual action is the key. Yet Alan Divack teaches we must not place the burden of solving climate change on individual action. Fossil fuel companies and governmental leaders together gamed the system to favor long-term burning of fossil fuels for energy, industry, and transportation no matter what individual action you take.
And +1: Do Not Give Up Hope or the Fight
The rise of the ancient Egyptian dynasties coincided with the rise of worship of Ra, the sun God. A new era of renewables must shine out of Egypt this November or our civilization, like that of the ancient Egyptians, will be doomed. When religious leaders of all faiths ascend Mount Sinai on Nov. 13, during COP27, they will seek to touch the heart of humanity and deliver a prophetic message. Sinai power worked once before to fuel moral revolutions; it must work again. To keep global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of this century, we need a miracle.
Nominated by 12 African countries for the Nobel Peace Prize for pioneering solar energy on the continent, Yosef I. Abramowitz serves as CEO of Gigawatt Global, an impact investment platform (www.gigawattglobal.com). He serves as an Ambassador for Israel's Climate Solution Prize and can be followed @Kaptainsunshine
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
Acknowledge a Higher Power
Like in Alcoholics Anonymous, the first commandment is to acknowledge, with humility, that we are partners with and subservient to the Creator.
Vote Climate
James Sternlicht, from the non-governmental organization The Peace Department, teaches that we have to hold governments and corporations accountable, since they are the ones desecrating our common home with each new drilling license and pipeline. In sun-rich Israel, for example, Prime Ministers Yair Lapid, Naftali Bennet and Binyamin Netanyahu all allowed the gas companies to lock-in an expensive and polluting monopoly for at least another generation, putting the People of the Book on the wrong side of climate history.
Do Not Murder
Since we know that millions of people—usually the poorest and indigenous—will die and suffer from the effects of extreme heat and cold, wild-fires, rising sea levels, and super-charged storms, why doesn't the business-as-usual approach of most leaders make them accessories to murder?
Do Not Steal
"Climate change is robbing our future," says Gili Berkovitz, 16, of Strike4Future in Tel Aviv. "We are also robbing nature of her ability to regenerate."
Do Not Bear False Witness
There are sins of omission—politicians not telling the truth about the real and immediate dangers of climate change; and there are sins of commission—the same leaders at the annual world climate conference, COP 27, who are approving new drilling and pipeline licenses. Together, says the writer David Hazony, these distortions of truth and policy lead to the sin of increased emissions.
Keep the Sabbath
Emissions are down 30 percent over the sabbath every week in Israel and are almost zeroed out on Yom Kippur (the Jewish Day of Atonement, the holiest of the year). A global weekly non-carbon day of rest could reduce emissions of the world by a seventh, and can be observed by different faith communities on different days.
You Shall Innovate
Last month I was hiking up Mount Sinai at 3 am and coincidently—is that even a thing on Mount Sinai?—ran into my friend Avi Jorisch, author of the book by the name of this commandment. Technology can accelerate decarbonization; collaboration can accelerate implementation.
Honor Mother Earth
Kristina Greer, 15, from California says that climate change is a form of arson against the very home that nurtures our lives and that of all living creatures.
You Need Not Covet
Rabbi Jennie Rosenn teaches, "Dayenu. We have enough. And we have the science and technology we need to build a world in which all people can have enough. We just need to achieve the political will."
Do Not Continue to be Hoodwinked
Oil and gas companies and disingenuous leaders want you to believe that reducing your carbon footprint through individual action is the key. Yet Alan Divack teaches we must not place the burden of solving climate change on individual action. Fossil fuel companies and governmental leaders together gamed the system to favor long-term burning of fossil fuels for energy, industry, and transportation no matter what individual action you take.
And +1: Do Not Give Up Hope or the Fight
The rise of the ancient Egyptian dynasties coincided with the rise of worship of Ra, the sun God. A new era of renewables must shine out of Egypt this November or our civilization, like that of the ancient Egyptians, will be doomed. When religious leaders of all faiths ascend Mount Sinai on Nov. 13, during COP27, they will seek to touch the heart of humanity and deliver a prophetic message. Sinai power worked once before to fuel moral revolutions; it must work again. To keep global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of this century, we need a miracle.
Nominated by 12 African countries for the Nobel Peace Prize for pioneering solar energy on the continent, Yosef I. Abramowitz serves as CEO of Gigawatt Global, an impact investment platform (www.gigawattglobal.com). He serves as an Ambassador for Israel's Climate Solution Prize and can be followed @Kaptainsunshine
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
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