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Many Voices, One Freedom: United in the 1st Amendment

March 19, 2024

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University of Florida linguist M. J. Hardman tells us that “language is inseparable from humanity and follows us in all our works. Language is the instrument with which we form thought and feeling, mood, aspiration, will and act[ion], the instrument by whose means we influence and are influenced.” (Language and War, 2002)

It is not surprising then that language has always been an important weapon of war. Delivered with rhetorical flair, language has driven ordinary citizens to perform heroic acts of self-sacrifice in defense of their countries while pushing others to incomprehensible acts of stupidity and barbarism.

Rhetoric is also key in the political battle over climate change. For example, we are often told we must reduce “carbon pollution.” To do this, we need to engage in “carbon trading” and “carbon capture and storage” and even build up “carbon credits” to offset our “carbon footprint.”

What is all that about? Carbon is a solid, naturally occurring, non-toxic element found in all living things. Carbon forms thousands of compounds, much more than any other element. 

Everything from medicines to trees to oil to our own bodies and those of all other creatures is made of carbon compounds.

Of course, what is really being addressed is one specific compound of carbon, namely carbon dioxide (CO2). 

This is not merely an academic point but is part of the way in which language has been distorted to bolster concerns about human-caused climate change. Calling the gas “carbon” encourages people to think of the gas as pollution or something dirty, like graphite or soot. Calling CO2 by its proper name would help people remember that it is really an invisible gas essential to plant photosynthesis and so all life.

Leading the charge to help us all understand the true nature of this benign gas is the CO2 Coalition, a 501(c)(3) organization created for the purpose of educating thought leaders, policymakers, and the public about the important contribution made by carbon dioxide to our lives and the economy. Our guest this week is Ryan Nichols, Vice-President of Operations of the CO2 Coalition. Ryan drafted the Secretarial Order on Critical Minerals for the Dept. of the Interior and wrote portions of the Executive Order on Critical Minerals that was issued in 2017. He was also the point of contact for the federal list of critical minerals published in the Federal Register. Ryan also served on the drafting committee for the Invasive Species Strategic Report at the Dept. of the Interior, which ties closely to climate change as well.

Tune in this week to learn the real nature of the gas that governments around the world are wasting literally trillions of dollars trying to reduce.

References relevant to this show:

  • CO2 Coalition Executive Director Gregory Wrightstone’s Inconvenient Facts app can be found on the Google Play Store for Android devices and Apple’s App Store for Apple devices. 

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MANY VOICES, ONE FREEDOM: UNITED IN THE 1ST AMENDMENT

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