‘Raise Your Voice’ Archives
Enter the Corner Store
By Peter Molenaar At the height of his manhood, our Jesus would lead a nonviolent resistance to the Roman occupation. Then, three centuries later, the early period of Christian martyrdom would come to an end. 1189 ”“ 1192”¦ In the Third Crusade, evidently as a matter of convenience, Richard the Lionheart would slit the throats of 3,000 Muslims, children included. 1936”¦ George Dimitrov famously stated: Fascism is the open terrorist dictatorship of the most reactionary, most chauvinist and most imperialist elements of finance capital. 1963”¦ The CIA facilitates the systematic murder of Iraqi communists ”“ including hundreds of doctors, teachers, and technicians. 1979”¦ Saddam Hussein assumes the Iraqi presidency (and is handed a fresh slate for execution) even as we (yes, “we”) arm Osama Bin Laden in his war against a secular “socialist” Afghan government. 2001”¦ 2003”¦ “Shock and Awe.” November [...]
The Great Transition
By Peter Molenaar 403 - 221 BC”¦ The newly developed cupola type furnace emerged like so many mushrooms upon the land. Masses were rallied to the stacks”¦all available iron was to be sacrificed between layers of glowing coke (i.e., coal). Such was the Warring States Period in Chinese history. June 1979”¦ I would survive Smith Foundry”'s last “cupola campaign.” After which, under an environmental mandate, the beast was put to sleep. A new electric furnace was to draw its power from a coal-fired plant some distance away. Actually, Mother Earth was seen rolling her eyes and shaking her head. 2015”¦ “When the Clean Power Plan is fully in place in 2030, carbon pollution from the power sector will be 32% below 2005 levels,” so says the EPA. (32%?!) Meanwhile, Xcel Energy has announced plans to cut carbon emissions, by 60%, mainly by switching from coal to natural gas. (more…)
Clean Power?
By Peter Molenaar Tucked in the south-west corner of the Phillips Neighborhood is an impressive facility dubbed the Colin Powell Youth Leadership Center. The Center saw our Congressman Keith Ellison play host to a “celebration of the Clean Power Plan.” Yes, the aggrandizements were well distributed, to be sure. However, my inner voice rudely screamed, over and over: “What”'s the plan for the plan, man, what”'s the plan for the plan?” Let”'s assume, as some people do, that vast wind and solar farms might sustain a modern economy and prevent social disaster. Then, by what source of energy would we arrive at this happy conclusion? Answer: a heavy draw from coal fired plants. (Note: I worked 35 years at Smith Foundry.) Meanwhile, glaciers and icecaps disappear. True, existing coal fired plants might achieve a 30% emissions reduction by switching to natural gas. But, wait. Synfuel, derived from natural [...]
