“Sniffing out individually dropped seeds on the ground is a nuisance.  I used to be able to sit right in the feeder and fill my cheeks.  But Jones got clever, and now I’m stuck with the leftovers.  I’ll outsmart him yet.  Hmm…maybe if I leap from…. “
- Squire Squirrel
 
       “Without the foliage, the view from this perch is pretty sweet.  And to think I probably wouldn’t be here if fifty years ago our ground-dwelling benefactors ignored our plight.  But they didn’t, and now my family has grown so much that I can visit cousins in nearly every county of this fine state.  Thanks guys; I tip my feathery crown to you.” – Ellie Eagle
 
        “January thaw - time for a stroll. Yikes!  Not Fritz the farm dog again!  I think I’m going to fain…. “ – (The unscathed) Oscar Opossum
 
        “One more row in this cord, and it’ll be my turn.  It’s been a great life!  One hundred plus years - from acorn to home for creatures in my cracks and hollows to now resting quietly cut, split and dried.  I salute you Great Grandpa Jones.   You wisely set aside a portion of the farm for my towering friends and me.  May we both rest in peace.”
– Omar Oak 
 
       Fluttering wings, tail feathers to beak, sideways, bottom side up, catawampus, atwitter.  Flitter in, slide off, fill your beak, gone again. – Goldie Finch & Friends at the feeder.
 
       “Blankets of snow and ice, the almost impenetrable peace and security of being frozen into place, the cleansing of my pores of invasive critters and disease, and the nearly total absence of trampling hooves and feet.  A brief respite of serenity in preparation for the annual explosion of productivity that is my contribution in helping Jones feed the world.”
– Penelope Pasture
 
       “Already five weeks since old Sol reversed his course from the farthest point south on the horizon; now he’s headed back north.  Some humans find it hard to appreciate me at this juncture in the year.  But those who are content have found ways to harmonize my cyclical rhythms with the pulse of their lives.” – Samantha Seasons
           
            Iowa County, Wisconsin - a cornucopia of biodiversity and a tribute to our forefathers who nurtured this landscape.  May we shoulder our inherited stewardship responsibly because this is the only home we’ll ever know.  We’re here forever…Earthbound.

Jan. 21, 2021
 
Dear President Trump (Ret.),
 
            I have to admit…just four years ago at your inauguration I was more than a little nervous about your views on the environment.  It seemed like the possibilities for a future with a stable climate were as elusive as the inevitable missing black sock on laundry day.

           And then… in that unorthodox manner you’re so famous for, you unexpectedly tweeted, “For far too long we’ve ignored the fact that America - along with China, Russia and others - is damaging the climate by the excessive use of fossil fuels.  That’s a HUGE mistake. We’re going to fix it and make this country great again.”  And those few words made all the difference.

            Up until then, many Republicans felt it was political suicide to admit the reality of climate change because it had become tainted as a Democrat issue.  But you’re a master at shaking up the status quo.  Like magic, with those few words you gave permission to Republicans to own and get credit for a solution.  And Voila!  - Congress set to work.

            But you’ve got to tell me.  Where did the inspiration for that tweet come from?  Was it the open letter from 48 mayors of major American cities urging you to support the actions they were already taking?  Or was it because you’ve always been a sucker for the loving adulation of crowds, and once you realized the great majority (65%) of Americans wanted action on the climate you unleashed a tweet that you knew would make them gush?  If not that, could it have been the influence of Rex Tillerson, your Secretary of State?   He had actually supported placing a fee on carbon emissions back when he was president of Exxon-Mobile.  Hmm…could it be you learned that putting a fee on carbon and distributing that money as a dividend to every American household would actually create jobs and grow the economy?  Or was it when you learned that the melting West Arctic Ice Sheet would raise sea levels by 10 ft. ruining all your beachfront properties? 

          Whatever it was, your tweet was sweet!  History will treat you kindly for making a HUGE positive impact toward sustaining a livable planet.  Because this really is the only home we’ll ever know.  We’re here forever…Earthbound.

Sincerely,

Everett E. Mann, Everywhere, USA

              Last time… the evil entity, Destructo, was plotting to unleash his record-breaking 13th billion-dollar disaster of 2016 upon the unsuspecting citizens of the U.S.  His strength continues to grow as more and more greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels accumulate in the atmosphere.  Can anything slow this unholy terror?

            High in their glacial retreat Team Climate assembles on the eve of a new year - determined to strike back.  Compassionator is the first to speak.  “Destructo’s devastation will be hardest on those least able to protect themselves – the weak, the politically disconnected, and the poor.  With every major religious tradition teaching compassion for others our core strength comes from the very hearts and souls of every person on Earth,” she concluded.

            “And I make it easy to help,” Efficination piped in. “These days, everything from cars and trucks to refrigerators and TVs do more work using less energy. Utility companies across the Midwest are adding new customers yet their sale of electricity remains flat because of efficiency.  Want to stick it to Destructo?   Find ways to save a gallon of gasoline and a few kilowatts each week; that’ll burst his bubble!”

            “But here’s the fun part,” interjected Innovato.  “Have you seen the cool stuff I’m coming up with?  Solar panels now cost about 1/3 as much as just 7-8 years ago.  Want to roof your house with solar shingles or walk on solar sidewalks?  They’re coming soon! And whoa…I almost forgot to mention carbon capture and storage technology that keeps Destructo from getting his hands on more greenhouse gas.  Sweet!”

            “Gentlemen, I applaud your enthusiasm.  But I do believe I hold the Trump card,” Marketron interrupted.  “With the easy-to-get-at oil mostly gone, companies now labor at extracting hard-to-get-at dirty oil such as trying to squeeze it from shale rocks.  So the ‘energy return on energy investment’ (EROEI) for fossil fuels keeps dropping.  It’s now about equal to solar, so that makes it hard to justify the costs of fossil fuel extraction and processing.  As a result, financial markets will drive investors away from fossil fuels and toward clean energy options,” Marketron surmised.

            “A new year is dawning,” Compassionator concluded.  “It can signal the beginning of a new era. We have all the pieces; all we need is the will to deflate Destructo here on the only home we’ll ever know where we’re forever…Earthbound.”