We blinked and the middle of March is here. I’m thinking about it being Friday the 13th (good luck!) and the Ides of March, all in one tidy weekend. And let’s not forget St. Patrick’s Day next week! Oh, and March Madness is (truly in many senses) here!
This week’s must read: This weird winter was one of thew warmest—and coldest—on record. It’s a glimpse of our future (Andrew Freedman, CNN)
It was a wild, kinda gloomy winter that felt colder than usual in the Mid Atlantic. But in actuality, this winter may rank as the 2nd warmest since recording began.
“That may come as a surprise to the tens of millions of people who trudged through severe cold, snow and ice for weeks on end in the Midwest and East, with new terms like ‘snowcrete’ — sleet-encrusted snow resistant to melting — taking hold,” writes Andrew. “But at the end of meteorological winter, which ran from December through February, few observing stations in the East had recorded a record-breaking cold winter, while dozens in the West and Southwest saw their warmest.”
This kooky week went from patio socializing season on Wednesday to snow on Thursday. Don’t put away those winter clothes yet.
What’s next… how a carbon tax can help fix Social Security!
In the first of a series we are calling “what’s next” where we explore where the possible activity or action is on climate change, our friend Alex Flint of Alliance for Market Solutions gives the bad news—we have very little time to save Social Security—but also the good news—a carbon tax can be part of that solution.
After his being recently published on this topic in The Invading Sea, the team decided Alex would make an excellent guest to kick off this series. While there may not be high demand for a stand-alone carbon tax in the present, a time is approaching when the federal government will need a new source (actually, sources) of revenue.
“Resolving the coming Social Security crisis will require confronting a taboo that has shaped American politics for decades: new federal revenue. Lawmakers will debate raising the retirement age, cutting benefits, increasing the payroll tax rate, eliminating the cap on taxable wages and other possible remedies. Every option will be fiercely contested, politically treacherous and deeply unpopular. Millions of Americans will pay more, receive less or both,” Alex writes. “In that context, a carbon tax — dismissed as politically impossible since the 1990s — may represent something different: not an ideal solution, but a viable contributor.”
Coming up next week, my conversation on data centers and community engagement with Jessica Moerman, CEO of the Evangelical Environmental Network.
Virginians embrace balcony solar
In case you’ve been following this topic, Virginia is about to be the second state after trail-blazing Utah to allow the use of these portable energy systems. Balcony solar is already wide-spread in Europe and many other states are considering following Utah and now Virginia’s lead.
DC Environmental Film Festival… featuring some of your EcoRight favorites!
Okay, that’s presumptuous… but I like to think I’m one of your favorites! As noted last week, I’m moderating the screening of the film The [Conserv]atives on March 23rd at the DC Environmental Film Festival, and I just learned that Jessica Moerman (in case you forgot or skimmed by, aka next week’s podcast guest) will be on the panel!
📍Where: The Miracle Theater, 535 8th Street, SE, Washington DC 20003
🗓️ When: Monday, March 23rd, 7pm
🎟️ How to get a ticket: Click here!
I hope to see you there!
Bob in the wild
I love seeing Bob Inglis do his thing and this week the thing was a talk with the North Greenville University Young Americans for Freedom. Here he is shaking hands with Nick Long, the president of YAF at NGU.
I think we are breaking records for in-person events this year! Want to help us add to the tally? Let us know if you have an opportunity for Bob or another member of our team to speak!
Speaking of our team, Angela Larck was lucky enough to get some face-to-face Bob time this week! Our decentralized team doesn’t often get to see each other so it’s always exciting when these opportunities arise! I don’t have reflections from the field to share with you this week, but I will work on getting those from Angela and Bob for next week’s edition!
Parting shot…
Taken by last week’s podcast guest, Sam Lovall, moonbeams reflecting off the ice on Lake Huron during the last full moon.
Have a great weekend!