By Peter Molenaar
For the Dakota, a ”˜bdote”' was most frequently the convergence of two rivers (a place where two waters come together). In today”'s world, “great bdote” refers to the ongoing meltdown of the polar ice caps.
Unfortunately, close to 100 million people in Bangladesh stand to be inundated. How many millions of our own people might be reduced to refugee status? Moreover, in what spirit will those with power and guns respond?
Is catastrophe inevitable? Actually, some sectors of the ruling class are behaving accordingly. Yet there is a glimmer which suggests that solar energy will ascend to displace coal via market forces. However, these “forces” tend to be finicky.
Meanwhile, we dare not sleep before the dawn “beyond coal.” To put it mildly, carbon dioxide emissions must be suppressed immediately. It”'s like putting a man on the moon”¦only infinitely more important.
So”¦
Contact your nation and demand that it concentrate resources in the Department of Energy, with instructions that it develop and put in place the necessary technology. It should not require a thorough revolution to remold and redirect this department.
Coming soon to a motion picture screen near you”¦
In “Beyond the Great Bdote” enclaves of the old ruling class emerge from their Antarctic bunkers. Alone with nobody left to exploit, they suffer a collective epiphany: Wasn”'t it two centuries ago that some fellow predicted the inevitability of communism?
So it was that the most vile creatures of humanity were transformed into the most beautiful.
