What moves us more? A carrot or a stick? The old image of the horse with a carrot in front of its nose encouraging it to walk to get it says something more than about the horse. It says something about ourselves. And based on that idea, the climate law passed by Congress has more carrots than sticks.
The law rests on the idea that paying people and industries to make better, cleaner choices will result in a better, cleaner environment. It offers tax credits to utilities for investing in renewables. Some of us may think that industry gets enough tax credits as it is, but the law reflects reality.
Princeton’s ZERO Lab, which models the effect of climate change, estimates that as a result the U.S. will cut carbon emissions by42%, 15 points more than before. Let’s hope so for the sake of the future. Perhaps many of us will not live into that future, but many of the people we love will. And that is what counts, doing something important for the people we love.
Prayer for the Day
God of all good presence around us,
Make our lives sacred as we resolve to enter your life;
Spirit of Life, open us to celebrate the simple joys around us
So we can return some goodness to this new day.
Give us purpose in all our wanderings,
Grant us your wisdom so we may share your peace.
In the name of the One shares your peace with us,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
Master of beauty, craftsman of the snowflake ... endower of Earth so gorgeous & different from the boring Moon, thank you for such as it is my gift ... Unknowable, as I am unknown to my guinea pigs: How can I 'love' you? I only as far as gratitude & awe confidently & absolutely go.
- John Berryman, from his poem "Address to the Lord"
We create our lives out of our past and out of the present … We are our ancestors when we heal ourselves. When we heal ourselves, we also heal Mother earth and we heal all future generations.
- Rita Pitka-Blumenstein, Yup’ik elder, Alaska (1936-2021)
Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength;
Ascribe to the Lord the glory of god’s holy name, worship the Lord in holy splendor.
Psalm 29: 1-2