76 Comments
User's avatar
Kathryn Berkowicz's avatar

You are such a breath of fresh air!! Please run for President and help create a better future for my grandchildren!!

Expand full comment
Kim's avatar

I came here just to say this!

Expand full comment
Twila Samborski's avatar

Boy did Missouri voters screw up big time by not electing an intelligent, forward thinking, & honest man in you Lucas.

Expand full comment
Kirsten Hockaday's avatar

We sincerely tried to elect Lucas last fall. But Misery/Missouri is a bleeding red states and it takes extraordinary circumstances to get a Democrat elected. Once he's released by the Marine Corps, we will try again.

Expand full comment
Gina S Meyer's avatar

Kirsten, I would definitely volunteer/vote for him again. But whether or not he wins, his ideas and influence are making a difference. Just like Jess Piper’s. And we can help spread them.

Expand full comment
Tom's avatar

I don’t think he wants to run again. 2 Senate Campaigns can take a toll on a dude with 3 kids and one more on the way

Expand full comment
Gary harmon's avatar

Thanks Twila. These are the same voters who voted out Senator Claire McCaskill for Josh Hawley six years ago. In my opinion she was one of the greatest Senators ever from MO. I was raised in Missouri when it was a great state run by Democrats. I'm so glad my wife and I moved to Illinois in 1986! Best to all... GH

Expand full comment
Gina S Meyer's avatar

MO voters screwed up and the whole world lost.

Expand full comment
Royal Graves's avatar

Another wonderful Substack article that helps me understand some of the craziness. Thanks for all you do. And please do more.

Expand full comment
George M's avatar

Visionary in the best sense. Also a very hard project to concentrate voters around. It could be a key part of a progressive D platform in 2026. Climate and energy responsibility to me are priority 1, but a poll of 2024's voters put climate and energy last in a list of matters that moved voters. Let's listen to people's need and wants. I'll bet financial security, affordable housing, living wages, lower-cost health care and education, voting rights and even immigration reform would rank higher than green wisdom. I'm with you, Lucas. Keep on plugging!

Expand full comment
Pam W's avatar

There has to be some way to educate voters about how many of those priorities (financial security, affordable housing, food prices) are tied into the climate and energy.

Expand full comment
George M's avatar

I'm no authority. Someone at Project Drawdown or 350.org may be able to connect these matters. From what I do know, green energy costs less and is less harmful to the environment than energy from fossil fuels. You can find statistics on that. Texas, a big source for fossil fuels, invests massively in renewable energy. California has made similar investments, as have Illinois and some eastern states. More in totals and over time, Europe and even China lead in green energy. Logic would connect healthier, more reliable crops with fewer pollutants accumulating on top of the current air and water conditions--which all contribute to global overheating, and from that more frequent devastating storms, floods, droughts, famines, insect burgeoning, species loss, coastal erosion and mass migrations. These costs are entangled.

Expand full comment
Gina S Meyer's avatar

George, you cannot depend on logic to make connections. Logic is a very limited resource. You have to make connections for people that do not have that ability. It’s up to us.

Expand full comment
Gina S Meyer's avatar

Pam, yes! Simple messaging for simple people.

Do you want forever wars, or financial security?

Expand full comment
Carol Glynn's avatar

If you truly wanted to meet THIS moment, You'd hold a town hall, ANYWHERE & tell the people the truth - Missourians Have been lied to for decades = Rush Limbaugh - WE NEED MORE THAN A SUBSTACK - just words!

Expand full comment
Howard Park's avatar

Lucas held dozens of town halls last year, more than anyone in MO that I can remember. He already told us that he was re-activated in the US Marines and is legally restricted from partisan activities like town halls. US Democrats follow the law. Lucas has sacrificed a lot, its his turn to provide for his family. Words matter, let's continue supporting him here and hopefully he can come back to help make Missouri competitive again.

Expand full comment
Gina S Meyer's avatar

Carol, I understand you want Lucas to speak the truth for us. But until he can, it’s up to us. There are empty chair town halls right now. We can bring his message to them.

Expand full comment
Kenneth Rosenauer's avatar

Dead in the water.

That's what any decarbonization plans likely will be under the Trump administration. Not surprising to anyone, of course, and not a reason to ignore the excellent explanation the Lucas offers here. However, it will be up to American industry to continue working to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, somewhat treading water until we can get rid of the nut in the White House.

Expand full comment
Richmond Adams's avatar

We made a twenty-years late small initial investment toward non-carbon energy with the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022. If SCOTUS had not stopped the recount in 2000 and Al Gore had become President, we would be that much farther as long and, most importantly for your generation, we would have avoided our colossal misadventure in Iraq.

Expand full comment
Gary harmon's avatar

Good point Richmond. If we go back even further to Jimmy Carter's early energy policies and re-elected him rather than the glib "love your country but hate your government" Reagan we would be light years ahead on the climate problem. Let's hope Lucas keeps up with his great comments. Cheers... GH

Expand full comment
Leigh Fredrickson's avatar

Excellent article but you miss a key point on decarbonization. Technology is of very limited value. What is needed is keeping carbon in storage and sequestering carbon as rapidly as possible which requires every person on this globe to do their part. Our planet is so unique where temps are warm enough that water is largely in a liquid or vapor condition. Also so cool that carbon is good to keep us in that zone but too much carbon leads to higher temps like we have experienced in past 60 years. Also fascinating that huge amounts of water was stored historically in montane areas as snow and ice with

slow release over a couple of months and more longer term storage (glaciers) at times as well. Another cool thing about this planet is that every 24 hours the sun hits every point on the globe where photosynthesis has potential to capture carbon and put it in organic matter that may be stored as food for day or a few years or in long term storage as in fossil fuels. Thus I suggest if every human understood that carbon must be used judiciously and every effort should be made to store as much carbon as possible we could make big changes rapidly by storing huge amounts

Expand full comment
Gina S Meyer's avatar

Leigh, thank you for the info. Science for the win!

Expand full comment
julia garrard's avatar

Yes. Have a townhall you could even attend this one by a local indivisible group. March 22nd Waldo Public library 130 to 330

Expand full comment
Howard Park's avatar

Lucas can't organize or participate in town halls because he was re-activated by the US Marines.

Expand full comment
Gina S Meyer's avatar

But we can bring his message. The waldo library has met capacity. Hopefully, they will find a bigger venue. But if not, we can line 75th street!

Expand full comment
Nannette Croce's avatar

In one of the 2016 primary debates between Hillary and Bernie, they were asked to each name the greatest current threat to U.S. security. Hillary said Russia. Bernie said climate change. David Axelrod, commenting live on Twitter or FB — can’t remember which — said he couldn’t believe that (implied, crazy) Bernie was actually claiming that climate change was a greater threat than Russia. The Biden administration focused on green policies more than any past administration but still opened the oil reserves to reduce gas prices. Neither party has ever made a serious commitment to green energy, and, if we were going to be honest with ourselves, neither have the American people. We talk a good game and then buy SUVs for the room and comfort.

Expand full comment
Gary harmon's avatar

Thanks Nannette. Today it looks like both Hillary and Bernie were correct. Russia is once again threatening the world because of their oil funded military policies. Any and all climate saving technology invented in the US has been has either been sold to China by our Republican businessmen or stolen by them. Keep up the good comments Lucas... GH

Expand full comment
Fred Jonas's avatar

Mr Kunce, I've said this very many times, and I'll say it again. When I was in medical school, one of the "joke" lines was that the approach to treating warts should be informed by the knowledge that warts go away on their own. Anyone who, say, amputated a limb to get rid of a wart that was going to resolve anyway, was an idiot. So now, we're going to all this trouble, destruction, and expense, including the expense of lives, to harvest a non-renewable source of energy, when we're going to have to replace that source of energy when it's all gone anyway. Did I say the word "idiot?" Yeah, I get it: for a while, there's money in it for some people. And after that, then what?

Expand full comment
Jazzme's avatar

I'm all for building out green energy. Let's do it. We need local, state, Federal and even international cooperation to do this. Individually get solar on your roof or property. Locally utilize off shore and terra wind and solar farms and good connection to grid and storage of excess locally produced energy for back up.

At state similar to local but at larger scale andbif course acting together for efficiency.

At the federal level need tosee the big picture of grid interconnectivity, storage, and the $$$ to make it all happen as a nation.

Internationally our comrades to our north and south need interconnectivity as well cause we are all in this together.

People

Planet

Peace

Refuse Fascism

Oppose Oppression

PS

blowing up the Nord stream pipeline that was fueling Europe's energy needs at a reasonable cost was so wrong. It represented a very efficient system in the intern as we move forward to maximizing green energy.

And please leave dirty toxic nuclear out of the pictuce unless you are OK with radioactive cooling water and fuel rods being stored (forever) in your local.

Expand full comment
longtimebirdwatcher's avatar

Well, Jazzme, my family has had solar on our roof since 2016. We have two Chevy EVs (my son hasn't paid for gas in 10 years). My brother-in-law died Thursday of many different kinds of leukemia brought about by working for Bechtel all his life, working on nuclear power plants, so you can imagine how happy we are. Now, we live in Berkeley, California, and this is an area which is 20 years ahead of the rest of the country, and California is at least 10 years ahead the rest of the country (we've already hit the 2030 climate goals, along with Denmark, Finland and Norway, I believe.) We're living on Social Security now, and were on one small income before, so it can be done with good budgeting, and a low income in a very high cost of living area. You have to understand consequences and how to shop.

Expand full comment
Ed Weldon's avatar

I, too, live in a high cost of living part of CA. I'm retired and living on a small pension and Social Security. Me and my puppy dog get along fine in the house that I own. Sweater in the winter, shades and fans in the summer. Long walks every day that my little dog is willing to go outside.

I too am experimenting with ways to save money on the cost of living. It helps that age makes most food taste the same whether it is expensive or not. And we have Costco here. I take care of my body; so it works well (Kaiser helps a lot). Especially my blood pressure since that enables me to use salt on my food (one of the few things I can actually taste at my age).

And then there is the importance of a frame of mind and a habitual practice of giving love. Much can be said in favor of that factor in one's life.

Expand full comment
longtimebirdwatcher's avatar

Absolutely. My parents' motto was "waste not, want not". Everything you are doing adds years and quality to your life.

Expand full comment
Jazzme's avatar

Ca: worked and live her their to 8 years. Loved San Fran but could not afford to buy housing. Tried to find employment in the Seattle area but not many biotech companies there. Head hunters got me back east ( Boston area my north site). Housing prices high her but few earthquakes, no mud slides and few forest fires. And I (we) kinda like 4 seasons.

Ca. net pop. are exiting the state. Best of luck and happiness if you stay in your 'progressive'😜 state.

Refuse Fascism

Oppose Oppression

People

Planet

Peace

dear comrade

Expand full comment
longtimebirdwatcher's avatar

You have to understand consequences if you want to live well. If you really can't save money to buy the cheapest house you can find (which is what we did) and you can't get any help from your parents, you may have to move, but it will cost you more in benefits in other states. We only looked for houses that were not in the woodland/urban interface, so we didn't have fire danger, we live in the flatlands, not near the hills, and we did not look near the Hayward Fault. The first thing we did was get the house bolted to the foundation to make sure it didn't slip off the foundation. We have earthquake insurance and have a full supply of earthquake supplies to survive for three weeks, which is what is estimated until we get meaningful relief. Hands down, California is the most progressive state and has already met the 2030 climate standards. Good luck in Massachusetts, I was born in Cambridge myself. I think you have quite a way to go climate wise, but I am not familiar with the climate threats in Massachusetts.

Expand full comment
Gina S Meyer's avatar

Jazzme, thank you for pushing back on nuclear energy. It is just as short-sighted and destructive as fossil fuel.

Expand full comment
Jazzme's avatar

Also the author(s) of this article are paranoid russianophobes. Don't you think.

Expand full comment
longtimebirdwatcher's avatar

Those of us who grew up post WWll in the West are pretty much all paranoid russiaphobes, and we have good reason to be. And then the people who took over russia turned out not to be any better. I love Yuri Gagarin and Valentina Tereshkova, Mikhail Gorbachev and have a very small warm spot in my heart for Nikita Khrushchev (!), but that's pretty much it.

Expand full comment
Kirsten Hockaday's avatar

Go somewhere else.

Expand full comment
John Mihalevich's avatar

What a great article on the importance of decarbonization from a strategic point of view. I fervently wish that you will be an important, influential, and powerful voice in our national conversation on this topic.

Expand full comment
Eric's avatar

An excellent post, filled with good arguments backed by detailed facts.

One small correction: Eritrea doesn't have a king, though it does have an extremely repressive government (one of the world's worst). You may be thinking of Eswatini, which does have a king (and is also pretty repressive).

Expand full comment
Joel Stegner's avatar

Not about oil per se but about oil profits, which our federal government subsidized.

Expand full comment
Rant Casey's avatar

Well stated.~! It’s Refreshing to have someone in politics to offer Solutions to a problem rather than just point fingers and play the blame game. Climate and Clean Energy Production is the #1 issue facing us, and the voters need ti make themselves heard… Otherwise our Children, Grandchildren and future generations are in for a World of hurt…

Expand full comment