“Ideas that matter,
since 1965.”

Ripon Forum
Vol. 52, No. 3

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In this edition

Twenty years ago, the notion that the U.S. could wean itself off of imported fuel to power its economy seemed like a pipe dream. But two decades later, all of that has changed.

By Ripon Society

America’s Great Lakes: An International Treasure Worth Preserving

With the Great Lakes accounting for more than 20 percent of the global fresh surface water supply, protecting and restoring them is in the best of both the U.S. and the world.

By Ripon Society

It’s Time to Get Creative to Solve the National Debt

While every child born today already inherits over $40,000 in debt, the next generation of Americans is on track to inherit a full-blown fiscal crisis.

By Ripon Society

Baseball, Unity, and George H.W. Bush

Throughout his life, America’s 41st President has never strayed far from the sport of baseball, which to him represents not just our national pasttime, but a way to bring people together, as well.

By Ripon Society

AMERICA’S ENERGY RENAISSANCE

With North America now an energy center rivaling the Middle East and Russia, a look at the policies that helped bring about this reality and what more needs to be done.

By Ripon Society

Baker’s Push for Clean Energy

Since taking office in 2014, the Governor of Massachusetts has pursued fiscally responsible policies to expand the state’s renewable energy industry and reduce greenhouse gas.

By Ripon Society

Why the Pentagon Cares about Climate Change

A recent vulnerability assessment by the Department of Defense revealed that climate impacts have damaged roughly half of the military installations surveyed.

By Ripon Society

How U.S. Companies are Investing in Renewable Electricity

The United States finds itself facing a clean energy revolution, spurred not by politics, but by good business sense. And that changes everything.

By Ripon Society

“Too Great an Opportunity to Miss.”

McDonald’s, Procter & Gamble, and Walmart are some of the world’s best-known brands. They are also becoming known as leaders in the fight against climate change.

By Ripon Society

Debate

The Science is Settled

“Heat in – heat out = change in heat.” Every climate change inferred from the geologic record is explained by this simple statement of the conservation of energy.

By Ripon Society

Debate

The Science is NOT Settled

The United Nations climate models are constantly being “updated,” and irresponsible climate predictions — like the starvation of 4 billion people during the 1980s — have not happened.

By Ripon Society

Ripon Profile of Don Bacon

The Nebraska Congressman discusses the challenge facing his District that he working to address and the part of the federal government he believes is in most need of reform.

By Ripon Society

Ripon Profile of Don Bacon

Name: Don Bacon

Occupation: Congressman for the Second District of Nebraska.

First job & lesson(s) learned from it: Farm Boy. It is best to get your work done early in the day before it gets too hot, and better to clean the animal pens frequently before it piles up.

Book(s) you’re recommending to friends: The Bible. Lincoln on Leadership. Good to Great.

Top issue(s) facing America that no one is talking about: The Executive Branch has grown in power at the expense of the Legislative Branch. At the same time, the Senate has selfrestricted the power of the legislative branch with the filibuster. Our forefathers created three equal branches with checks and balances to ensure the rights of the people were protected.

Challenge facing your District that you’re working hard to address: Workforce development and welfare reforms are needed in a district with less than 3% unemployment. By helping individuals who are out of the workforce today get the job skills training they need for full-time employment, we can help them gain independence from the government and help lift them out of poverty. The number one need I hear from our large employers is the need for a pool of qualified full-time workers.

Finish this sentence: “If I could reform any agency or department in the federal government, it would be…”…our defense acquisition system because it shouldn’t take a decade to field a weapons system. In the age of cyber, we must be more agile.

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