Chautauqua

We spent most of the day, from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM
at Chautauqua. Climate and Energy Action Heroes was
the title of the conference. The morning session
was a panel discussion and the panelists included
Jim Kuntsler who wrote "The Long Emergency," Patti
Limerick a CU professor and head of the group
called "The American West," Gary Hart, former
Senator and presidential candidate, Hank Brown
who is the current President of CU and former
State Senator. The moderator was Richard Brenne.
Richard is a very energetic young man who has
become involved in convening all sorts of panels
and conferences and discussions on climate, energy
and sustainability of our lives and culture.

Kuntsler started out with his statement which, true
to his book was very depressing. He harps on Peak
Oil and how our technology won't solve the problems
we are facing and this time he added comments about
the stupidity of the American people and the Nazi
Palin. Patti added her concerns about the issues,
but suggested being totally pessimistic was counter
productive. Getting people to act was not likely to
happen if you tell them what they must do and that
they are stupid if they don't. She sighted examples
of her teaching philosophy of leading rather than
cudgeling. Gary Hart told of his frustration since
the 1970s of legislation not being passed to raise
the gas tax, among other things. And then it was
Hank Brown's turn and he immediately attacked Kuntsler
on his political hate language and how counter productive
that was and how that kind of language has gotten
us into the mess we are currently in because our
politics has become so polarized that if the Dems
want something the Republicans automatically say no and
vice versa. That calling Palin a Nazi was the height
of irresponsibility. Then Patti jumped in and
seconded everything Brown said and added more. It
was pretty hot and heavy for a few minutes and the
moderator was having no success in turning it around
when one of the other panelists whose credentials I
missed jumped in and radically changed the subject.

The only new thing I heard and I was grateful for
was that there should be a new definition of GDP and
that should include, instead of profit, the new
business model should be innovation,
sustainability, and social responsibility.

After the morning session we had lunch which was
a Texado barbecue catered by Daddy Bruce barbecue
stand and hosted by the Chautauqua residents from
Texas. It was good food and we sat with a young
couple and their two children who had moved to
Boulder a year and a half a go, from Virginia. They
love Boulder and I was reminded of my past when we
first moved to Boulder although the young man is
employed and she is a stay at home mom until the
kids, ages 3 and 5 are both in school. We told
them about our recent trip to DC and they knew
exactly where our motel was and the metro station
we used. He grew up in that area.

The after sessions were three panels, the first was
about Climate Change. It was really scary because
the climate is changing so much faster than any of
the earlier predictions, even since Gore's movie.

The second session was on Energy...and that was
pretty ho hum. I didn't hear anything new in
that discussion.

The third was on Agriculture and looking at the
panelists we decided to leave because we have
heard them all before.

It was a good day overall. We sat with the Mosburgs
which is always fun. They are leaving next week to
camp on Echo (I think that is the name) Island which
is in the Great Salt Lake. Their daughter and her
husband are joining them there and they, Earl and
Shirley Mosburg will be celebrating their 50th
wedding anniversary.