Taking A Look Outside Our Window

By Mary O’KEEFE

Over the weekend it was released that former President Jimmy Carter is now in hospice care at his home in Georgia surrounded by family. Mr. Carter had a series of short hospital stays, according to statement. He decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family.

I was lucky to have met Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter when I was in high school. The Iowa caucuses in my home state had always played a huge role in mine and my friends lives. Caucuses are a series of meetings between not just voters but all residents, including those too young to vote. There was a kind of “the circus is coming to town” feeling when the events began. Candidates whose campaign may have ended in Iowa were still full of hope and opinions as they walked through local diners and tromped through farms. I think the caucus is why I still have a hope for the American election process because it brought politicians to our level, not on a stage yelling at us but actually having a cup of coffee and talking to us. It seemed slower than the campaigns I have seen in other states, more personal. There is something about looking someone directly in their eyes, asking them a question and watching them come up with an answer that allows you see this candidate as a person. Now I know a lot of that has changed and that people seemed to have made up their minds of who is “good” and who is “evil” but when I was in high school and met Mr. Carter, at least from my experience, Iowa minds were open and their concerns were honest.

I had this amazing teacher named Terry Sheesley. He was the type of teacher who would dress up as historical figures and challenge your ideas of the world. He arranged to take our class to a big Democrat caucus gathering in Des Moines where I got to meet the many candidates running in the 1976 Presidential election. I was on the floor of the convention center with my friend Mark as we were trying to ask candidate Carter a question. His was about legalizing marijuana, mine was about overpopulation and environmental concerns. Climate Change and Global Warming weren’t well known terms back then but environmental concerns, especially for a farming community, had been a topic for quite some time.  I had my hand up to ask a question when suddenly someone took my hand, pulled me out of the crowd and placed me next to Mr. Carter. He was smiling and nice but there was so much commotion around us I couldn’t hear what he was saying, and I am certain he couldn’t hear me. I did hear one of his campaign people direct a comment to me about “youth.” Mr. Carter shook my hand, cameras began going off and then it was over. He was whisked away and I went back to my friend Mark who laughed, hugged me and said welcome to politics.

We continued the night meeting and greeting, but the campaign machine that surrounded candidate Carter really bothered me. A few days later we heard he was coming to our hometown and this time it was completely different. We had tea with Mr. Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, and he listened to residents. He even answered my questions on the environment and spoke about how important protecting the environment was for my future. He is very smart and that could have been intimidating but he had this kindness about him. He and his wife really listened to everyone that was there. His faith was also very evident. He felt the Earth was a gift from God.

As president, Jimmy Carter really was an environmental leader, at least for the 1970s. In 1979 the Carter administration installed solar panels at the White House and used the power to heat water.

At the time President Carter said, “In the year 2000, the solar water heater behind me, which is being dedicated today, will still be here supplying cheap, efficient energy. A generation from now, this solar heater can either be a curiosity, a museum piece, an example of a road not taken or it can be just a small part of one of the greatest and most exciting adventures ever undertaken by the American people: harnessing the power of the Sun to enrich our lives as we move away from our crippling dependence on foreign oil.”

President Ronald Reagan dismantled the solar panels when he took office but President George W. Bush brought solar back and President Barrack Obama added more solar power to the White House.

It was the 70s though and although the dream may have been to move away from fossil fuels, the reality was oil was still the lifeline of the country and it was needed. President Carter had to walk that fine line between the present need vs future consequences.The 1977 Climate Change Memo crossed the desk of the President. It was written by Frank Press, the President’s chief scientific advisor, and warned with accuracy what would happen if we continued to ignore the signs of climate change. You can find a copy of the memo with this article online at www.cvweekly.com

Although President Carter couldn’t save the planet in the four years he was in office, he did sign 14 major pieces of environmental legislation that included the first ever funding of alternative energy, the first federal toxic waste cleanup, known as the Super Fund and the first fuel economy standards. He also protected open spaces including 100 million acres of protected land in the Alaska Lands bill, which doubled the size of the National Park Service.

And anyone who has driven through the Redwood National Park should know they have President Carter to thank for the protection of many of the majestic trees. In 1978 he signed into law the addition of 48,000 acres to the Redwood park.

“I have never been happier, more exhilarated, at peace, rested, inspired and aware of the grandeur of the universe and the greatness of God than when I find myself in a natural setting not much changed from the way He made it,” from “An Outdoor Journal” by Jimmy Carter.

Mr. Carter did so much for humanity itself, he was someone who cared about people and about peace. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, and we all know his volunteer spirit that included Habitat for Humanity.

I know every President has their supporters and their doubters, but I think in this world of very loud campaigning, name calling and just plain meanness it might be a good time to take a look back at a time when the White House was home to an intelligent farmer who respected humans and the Earth as a gift from God, and didn’t judge you if you didn’t agree.

For us now, the weather continues to be a constant canary in coal mines warning us of what the future holds if we ignore the signs.

We are looking at many rainy days from today through Saturday, then a bit of a break on Sunday into Monday with more rain possible beginning on Tuesday into Wednesday, according to Kristan Lund, NOAA meteorologist.

“It’s a slow moving [storm],” she added. “It’s a trough coming down the coast, low pressure, gusty winds but doesn’t have much moisture.”

This slow moving storm is predicted to bring about 1.75 to two inches of rain, with wind gusts in the mountains to reach 60 to 70 mph. Snow level is expected to be at 1,500, although the snow is not expected to accumulate at that level. However altitudes from 2,500 to 4000 and higher could see quite a bit of accumulated snow.

“Higher eastern San Gabriel [mountains] could see five feet of snow,” Lund said. “Roads not normally seen closed could be closed due to [ice] especially overnight.”

Lund added that the storm is changing quickly so continue to monitor either with noaa.gov or other weather services.

  Mary Okeefe