Special Note: 42nd District Legislator’ Telephone Town Hall Meeting Monday Night…

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Carbon Tax: where does government want us to go?

Carbon tax gets out of state legislature committee pushed by those pictured at the Left.  Left to right… Sen Guy Palumbo,1st District (East of Bothell) Sen Kevin Ranker, 40th District (South Whatcom and Skagit and San Juan Counties) Sen. Reuven Carlyle 36th district (Downtown Seattle)

THIS IS a follow up to the story on the Carbon Tax… The Fourth Corner has looked and looked and can’t  find any other reason for this new tax than new bureaus and to “adjust people’s behavior” to not use fossil fuels.  If someone has a different reason and goal for this tax… Please let the Fourth Corner know.

The following is a Fourth Corner subscriber’s input on this “no fossil fuel” ideology:

“A number of posts have appeared in my feed with photos of people holding signs like “oil: keep it in the ground”,

‘Signs’ of the times:“People, Not Oil”, “people>oil”,
“Water = Life; Oil = Death”, “NO COAL TRAINS”, “Stop LNG Now”, etc.

Observations:

  1. Most folks opposed to eating meat . . . don’t cook steak.
  2. Most folks opposed to consuming alcohol . . . don’t buy liquor.
  3. Most folks opposed to tobacco use . . . don’t smoke cigarettes.
  4. Most folks opposed to gambling . . . don’t go to casinos.

“Most folks opposed to . . . _______, just don’t _________.”

So, if you are convinced that oil, coal, and natural gas are killing you, your children, and the planet, . . . why are you using oil, coal, and natural gas?

Psychologists probably have a term they would use, like “conflicted”, “guilt-ridden”, “angst”, “self-destructive”. I call it plain old hypocrisy.

Here’s a thought: perhaps anyone committed to the end of fossil fuel use could commit to “being” the change they want to see. Call it a “fossil fuel fast”; you know, like a cleanse. Rid your life of the toxins. Get healthy. Restore your relationship with Mother Earth.

Take Action:

  • Call the electric company. Tell them you need to be disconnected until they are providing 100% fossil-free electricity.
  • Call the gas company. Tell them you want your line disconnected and the meter removed — their gas will never be fossil-free, so you needn’t worry about ever reconnecting. Plus, your neighbors will be able to see the hole where your gas meter used to be and know that you are doing your part.
  • Drive your car one last time . . . to a local salvage yard and sell it for recycling —remove it from the system altogether. Don’t forget to wear good leather shoes as you’ll be walking from here on. If you find a good-quality bicycle made of unvarnished/unlacquered/unpainted scrap wood, treat yourself to using it to get around a little faster.
  • Make sure to empty out your medicine chest – most pharmaceuticals originate in an oil well.
  • If your home was built (or modified) after 1920, it is probably loaded with fossil fuel products.   You will want to make sure you remove all plastic-coated wiring, PVC piping, asphalt shingles, vinyl windows, non-wool carpet, vinyl floor coverings, plywood, OSB, and (ugh) MDF products. All made of/with/via fossil fuels.
  • Permit yourself one last garbage pick-up. No more dirty diesel truck service for you.

Since you are now living electricity-free, gas-free, oil-free, steel-free, pharmaceutical-free, telephone-free, TV-free, computer-free, plastic-free, eyeglasses-free, and print-free, . . . you will have lots of time:

  • . . . to gather dung . . . to pound into little patties, then air-dry, for burning (for heat and cooking).
  • You will have time to walk to the creek to fetch water.
  • Time to dig trenches for your “compost”.
  • Time to make hay to feed your sheep — the ones you will need for wool.
  • Time for hand-shearing your sheep.
  • Time for carding, spinning, and weaving cloth.
  • Time for hand-sewing your clothes and knitting socks. (That old treadle sewing machine was made of steel — no cheating).

In Conclusion:

Those hand-grown turnips, parsnips, carrots, and beets will be tasty . . . cooked over

Is this where the “leave it in the ground” folks want us to end up?

your dung-patty campfire. If driftwood is within walking distance, you are in luck; if not, forget about harvesting wood – tree spirits do not take kindly to being chopped up for your selfish needs.

Sound dreary? No worries, it won’t last long. Scurvy or pneumonia will probably make this a short-term exercise. You will likely die before you reach 40 (maybe 30). But you will die happy in the knowledge that you . . . did the right thing. And left the world a better, safer place.

Good luck. And remember: Gaia is watching; do not let her down.”

Shawn VanDyken