I got involved in the climate movement because I saw the connection between climate disruption and war:
disrupted climates -> inability to grow food -> hunger -> war.
So, stop #ClimateChange and you stop that path to war. 1/5

The manuscript for today’s #sermon, “Son of Mary,” is on my blog. jeffsjottings.wordpress.com/2025/12/14/s... In this sermon, I take a closer look at Mary, her social reality, and her radical protest song of hope for world turned rightside up.

December 14, 2012. That's the day a man walked into an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., and shot and killed 28 people, most of them young children. 1/4

Always at her best when she connects what’s happening now in the USA with our history, in this “Letter,” Dr. Heather Cox Richardson @hcrichardson.bsky.social teaches us about the ongoing contest between democracy and racism. heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/december-1...

I’m glad that the six injured in the fossil gas explosion in Hayward, CA (a city a little north of Fremont) will likely survive. It’s also worth noting that Solar PV systems don’t explode. abc7news.com/post/hayward...

Yes, cable news—and especially Fox News—is largely responsible for the culture wars that have broken U.S. politics. Likewise, a diverse array of media that are independent (especially from corporate direction) is important for a healthy democracy. Dr. Heather Cox Richardson explains.

I do love it when Dr. Heather Cox Richardson gives us an history lesson in her “Letter from an American”—and that’s exactly what she did with her December 10 Letter. heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/december-1... 1/4 @hcrichardson.bsky.social

The purging of an independent, rules-based military in favor of a military loyal to a single leader is a crystal clear step toward authoritarianism.

Some of us are old enough to remember the George W. Bush administration's work at getting us (the US) ready for a war in Iraq with all their lies and propaganda. John Stewart does an excellent job of showing how the Trump administration is going the exact same thing -> 1/2

If it seems to you like everyone is having a wonderful Christmas time, while you’re feeling blue, the Longest Night Service may be just what you need. Dec. 21, 7:30PM (Pacific) at Niles Discovery Church & on Zoom. Learn more at nilesdiscoverynews.wordpress.com/2025/11/25/l...

The manuscript for today’s #sermon, “The Silent Word,” is on my blog. In this sermon, I look at the story of Zachariah being silenced (Luke 1) and how it is a reminder both to listen to people who are silenced by the powers that be, and to speak up on behalf of Jesus, “The Silent Word.”

On this, the anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, which brought the U.S. into World War II, it is good to reflect on what happened then, the America that came out of the war, and ongoing fight in America: -> 1/3

The current federal US administration is not just petty. It’s mean and purposefully cruel, which makes is sinful. www.npr.org/sections/sho... 1/2

On December 4, the Trump administration released the 2025 National Security Strategy (NSS) of the United States of America. In her “Letter from an American” on December 5, Dr. Heather Cox Richardson gives us an overview of this racist document and puts it in an important historic context. 1/6

This is cool—in the summer, and warm in the winter. There is now a heat pump (from, yes, China) that can be installed in a window, without a lot of help. You can learn more about it at www.fastcompany.com/91448042/mid...

Sad news. Direct air capture technology—essentially sucking carbon out of the atmosphere—seems increasingly unlikely to save us, because scientists can’t drive the cost down anywhere near fast enough. 1/3

One of the biggest problem with American right now is the emergence of “the Epstein class.” Representative Ro Khanna explains, “[T]he Epstein class is a group of people with extreme wealth who have donated to politicians and been part of a system where -> 1/5

“President Trump on Wednesday threw the weight of the federal government behind vehicles that burn gasoline rather than electric cars, gutting one of the country’s most significant efforts to address climate change and thrusting the automobile industry into greater uncertainty.” 1/2

Ya gotta love it when Dr. Heather Cox Richardson cuts through the chatter about what’s going on in one sentence. heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/december-2...

If you agree that the death penalty is immoral (and especially if you live in California), you can easily send Gov. Newsom calling on him to commute every death sentence in California before he leaves office, at this link. secure.ngpvan.com/HiXTY98fmUex...

Local police officials feeling obligated to encourage locals to call local police if they're unsure if they're encountering federal law enforcement — because of federal law enforcement tactics — strikes me as significant development.

Read all of what Dr. Heather Cox Richardson had to say at Dr. Heather Cox Richardson at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/november-3...

Singing with GGMC keeps me sane. Join me in supporting sanity in these crazy times. givebutter.com/o0PJJe

If you want a serious look at the war on science, read #ScienceUnderSiege by @peterhotezmdphd.bsky.social and @michaelemann.bsky.social. If you want parody look at the war on science, leave it to @randyrainbow.bsky.social - youtu.be/lDHpbnbmaME?...

Read this skeet AND the second skeet in this two-skeet thread. The second skeet has a GREAT gift-giving guide.

In case you needed even more motivation to vote in the Midterm elections... #AccountabilityIsComing

If you have heard claims that members of the Trump administration have committed “war crimes,” you may wonder about what a “war crime” is and where that category of crime came from. I found this brief essay by Dr. Susan Thistlethwaite helpful. You might, too.

The manuscript for today’s #sermon, “King of Kings,” is on my blog. In a sentence, the sermon says, “The problems is kings, and if you insist that Jesus is a king, make sure claiming him as king (or Lord) means that you’re rejecting all the Caesars of the world.”

No need for me to repeat the invitation; I’ll let Elphaba speak for herself. youtu.be/P2UXlUZXbf0

Good news for agrivoltaics, otherwise known as ‘growing stuff in between solar panels.’ A new study finds increases in water retention and crop yields—and reductions in opposition to new solar farms. I’m thinking it’s time for a second crop in California’s Central Valley. ieefa.org/articles/agr...

The Australian government has announced on November 3 that, beginning next year in much of the country and spreading to the rest by 2027, all residents will get three free hours of electricity every afternoon. 1/6

It’s just stunning how antisemitic the Trump administration can be in how they claim to be anti-antisemitism, and how racist they can be in how they claim to be anti-racism.

My late-step-mother would have loved this “Letter from an American,” both for the history lesson and for the reporting on the "We Ain’t Buying It” movement. heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/november-2...

In California, and in other parts of the USA, it’s getting harder and harder for some people to get home owners insurance because of #ClimateChange impacts. And, it turns out, it’s happening in Great Britain, too. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

The remote Alaskan village of Kipnuk was supposed to receive $20 million in federal aid to protect against flooding, but the White House—equally scornful of climate change and indigenous rights—cut the funding. Then in early October: inundation! 1/6

This bad news only increases my resolve to decrease carbon pollution. We experienced a record increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere last year, up 3.5 parts per million (the fastest one-year climb since we started taking measurements). Obviously the biggest part of that -> 1/2

“Far too many people think climate change is caused by (or at least can be seriously addressed through) personal actions like recycling, eating less meat, shopping at thrift stores, turning off the lights when you leave a room, taking fewer airplane trips, -> 1/3

The manuscript for today’s #sermon is on my blog. jeffsjottings.wordpress.com/2025/11/23/t... 1/2

“This was the week from hell for environmental policy in the United States.” ~ Pat Parenteau, professor emeritus and senior fellow for climate policy at Vermont Law and Graduate School. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/22/c... 1/3

A presidential threat to hang congressional representatives (as Trump has done) is not new. It happened after the Civil War. Once again, Dr. Heather Cox Richardson offers a history lesson worthy our attention in her November 22, 2025, “Letter from an American.” @hcrichardson.bsky.social

Now, here’s an idea I can get behind: tax private jets and high-priced commercial jets extra money at the airport (to land and take off), with the money raised going to help nations adapt to warming climates. Yes, it’s essentially a wealth tax, that’s one of the things I like about it.

In a depressing yet clear-eyed essay, Dr. Timothy Snyder explains that Trump and Vance are working a grift and the danger that poses to democracy and to the Union of the USA. I recommend it. 1/3

Looking for a little inspiration? How about these interviews with people who have come to this country because they were displaced from their homes by the climate crisis? You might not think that could be inspirational, but really, give it a try. partnershipfornewamericans.org/climate-disp...

When I first learned about the impacts of #ClimateChange, I realized this was ultimately an issue of war and peace. Changing climates would change where food could be grown and where potable water would be available, which would lead to mass migrations, which could easily lead to war. 1/3

Fellow clergy folk, This is a great little thread about hope. Good fodder for the first Sunday of Advent.

This is probably the skeet of the day.

Time for some good news: Over 30,000 Charlotte students absent from school in protest of ICE operation, according to reports. www.wect.com/2025/11/18/o...

In 2017, when Hurricane Maria slammed Puerto Rico and wiped out almost all of the electric grid, I emailed my US Rep asking him to file legislation that would allow FEMA money to be used to build microgrids, powered by renewables (primarily solar and batteries) across the island. 1/3

Follow the money: discovery the corruption. heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/november-1...

This will make you angry (so you might want to scroll on by). “Unlike China’s state-run coal companies, which never attacked climate science, in the United States, Big Oil began implementing a massive scheme to poison the public with climate denial in order to, -> 1/2