Save Some Lives
Part 1 – The idea
I’m a lucky guy. I married into a large family of truly smart and loving relatives. This week we were having a seaside lunch with two of my wife’s cousins. Cousin “E” handed me a gift. A 2026 calendar from “The Union of Concerned Scientists”.
Ironically, I recently received a large envelope from the UCS requesting money. At least 50% of our “snail mail” is of this nature. I normally just recycle all of it because we usually make our modest donation decisions once a year near the holidays. I kept the envelope for future consideration. I hadn’t read about the UCS in years. Maybe later.
But our cousin sparked my curiosity. I decided to research “The Union of Concerned Scientists”. I opened the envelope.
A little sticker fell out. It struck a chord. When you were in school, or for that matter for most of your life, did you really think that “science” would be denied by millions of Americans? Denied by the President of the United States? Holy shit. Say it ain’t so.
Part 2 -The insanity
Would you have ever believed that the Secretary of Health and Human Services would be literally insane and embrace wild ass conspiracy theories – endangering the lives of millions of people? But I digress…
Part 3 – The Pitch for a Solution
UCS: “Who we are”
“Our founders knew science and evidence-based decision making was critical to solving many of the biggest challenges facing humankind. To make progress we would need to work persistently in the face of often daunting odds. That’s just what we’ve done.
We combat climate change and seek to alleviate harm caused by the heat, sea level rise, and other consequences of runaway emissions,
We strive to develop sustainable ways to feed, power, and transport ourselves,
We work to reduce the existential threat of nuclear war,
We ensure our solutions advance racial and economic equity, and
We fight back when powerful corporations or special interests mislead the public on science.”
Please follow this link to see some of the work the UCS is doing. You will find documentation of the damage done to our scientific communities by the Fascists in just six months. You will read recommendations for action on our part.
Part 4 – Checking it out
We typically use “Charity Navigator” before donating to an organization.
Rating Information for The Union of Concerned Scientists:
“Great”
“This charity’s score is 100%, earning it a Four-Star rating. If this organization aligns with your passions and values, you can give with confidence.
This overall score is calculated from multiple beacon scores, weighted as follows: 60% Accountability & Finance, 25% Impact & Measurement, 10% Leadership & Adaptability, 5% Culture & Community. Learn more about our criteria and methodology.”
I just made a donation to UCS. We don’t have deep pockets or a lot to give, but maybe the planet itself should be our primary focus. Maybe we can all save a few lives. And we get a tote that says it quite well:
Part 5 – Opinion
We should be as worried about this….
And this:
And this:
As we would be worried about this:
An intelligent, educated and benevolent president of the richest nation to have ever existed should wake up every morning asking this question:
“What can I do today to help this Earth and all its inhabitants deal with a rapidly changing climate?”
And Congress as well. It is their constituents that are suffering the ravages of bizarre, violent and highly destructive weather driven events. Isn’t protecting them job Number One?
There is nothing more important. Nothing.
86 47.
Fund the science.
https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/042535767
Bill's Focus 
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