Cowtown Chronicles

Sent today via his webform:

I’m extremely disappointed that you did not heed the will of your constituents in supporting the Climate Security Act (S. 3036) this week. Poll after poll has shown that the desire for action on climate change crosses party, locality, income, religious, and race boundaries, but somehow it still gets slammed for being some kind of “extremist environmentalist” position.

And this week when you had the chance to stand up to the partisans in your party who are creating fear, uncertainty, and doubt, you chose to stick your head in the sand instead of standing up for what’s right.

This is even more disappointing and exasperating because you claim to be an outdoorsman and to love the natural environment of Texas. I’ve read your articles in various newspapers and outdoors groups’ newsletters. I can tell that you truly love the diverse and rich natural environment we enjoy in Texas, so why won’t you work to protect it?

Your stated reasons, jobs and gas prices, aren’t good enough. I’ll remind you that in the words of WWII veteran and staunch environmentalist David Brower - “There is no business to be done on a dead planet.” If we continue to destroy the world we live in, it won’t matter how many jobs there are in Texas, because no one will want to live here.

As for gas prices — I’d really appreciate it if you and your fellow Senators would provide some context when speaking about opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Here are a couple of points that are NEVER addressed when this is mentioned by either side (I’m afraid they don’t look good for your stated position):

1. Drilling in ANWAR (or off the continental shelf) would not produce oil or refined gasoline soon enough to do anything to affect the current price of oil, yet whenever high gas prices are mentioned, ANWAR (in the form of increased domestic oil production) is given as the solution.

2. There is only enough oil in ANWAR to supply 7 months (maybe 13 if you go by the most hopeful estimates) of the daily oil consumption in the US. Do you really think such a small amount of oil will have any affect on the price of fuel? (I know your answer to that is “NO,” but you could never say that publicly.)

Please, give the dogma a rest and start working with the Democratic party to find REAL, LONG-TERM solutions to our energy needs. Climbing up on the backs of your struggling constituents to make a speech about how “I’d love to help, but the Democrats won’t let me” is not the job you were elected to do.

Thank you for your time, I sincerely hope you actually read this message.

Pete Wann
Fort Worth

Does this guy seriously not understand the words (or perhaps the order of the words) that are coming out of his mouth? No, it’s not the order. He just doesn’t understand the meanings of the words he’s speaking.

But it turns out that my loathing of making left turns is good for the environment AND more efficient.

w00t! Pete turning right FTW!

I like taking pictures! I need a better camera, though.

Here are a few shots from our wander around the Tandy Hills Nature Area. If you haven’t been out there, YOU MUST GO! (I highly recommend Sunday mornings.)

The definition of tenacity.

It looks like aliens just dropped the city on the prairie.

There was a bit of stress today among the folks who have been following the “Trinity Trees” situation. Word got out mid-day today that Chesapeake was starting to bulldoze trees on the well site. As it turns out, what they were really doing was planting the new trees that will act as the barrier around the actual pad site.

I can’t help but think that if only they would stop at the point they’re at now, they’d ACTUALLY be doing Fort Worth a “World of Good.”

One of the “Proposed Future Trees” next to an existing tree which may or may not be bulldozed.

Just landscapers doing a job… You can’t blame the guys who are doing the work, only the guys who paid to have them out there.

The grass around the new trees was torn up in several places because of the equipment used to haul in the new trees. I have no idea what the TV is there for.