<div dir="ltr"><div><br></div><div style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:arial"><a href="http://www.idahostatesman.com/2015/07/06/3884343/letter-carbon-confession.html" target="_blank">http://www.idahostatesman.com/2015/07/06/3884343/letter-carbon-confession.html</a></div><div style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:arial"><h1 style="margin:20px 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-size:30px;font-family:Arial,Geneva,sans-serif;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(51,51,51);min-height:123px;overflow:visible;display:table-row"><span style="margin:0px;padding:20px 0px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:middle;display:table-cell">Letter: Carbon confession</span></h1><div style="border:0px;outline:0px;font-size:12px;font-family:Arial,Geneva,sans-serif;vertical-align:baseline;line-height:15px;color:rgb(102,102,102)"><span style="margin:0px 10px 0px 0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline"></span><span style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">July 6, 2015</span> </div></div><div style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:arial"><font size="2"><br></font></div><div style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:arial"><div style="margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:20px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-size:14px;font-family:Arial,Geneva,sans-serif;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:20px;max-width:620px!important">I just downloaded the pope’s environmental encyclical Laudato Si. I am already having nightmares about my future confessions:</div><div style="margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:20px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-size:14px;font-family:Arial,Geneva,sans-serif;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:20px;max-width:620px!important">Bless me father for I have sinned. In the past month I have used 1,500 kilowatt-hours of electricity, 25 therms of natural gas and 60 gallons of gasoline. I am sorry for these emissions and the carbon footprints of my past life.</div><div style="margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:20px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-size:14px;font-family:Arial,Geneva,sans-serif;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:20px;max-width:620px!important">The priest then replies: My son, I understand it is difficult to be holy and green. Seldom can we change completely overnight. I urge you to take small steps. For your penance turn up your summer thermostat to 90 degrees and your winter thermostat down to 60 degrees. Carpool once a week.</div><div style="margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:20px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-size:14px;font-family:Arial,Geneva,sans-serif;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:20px;max-width:620px!important">Our Holy Father will be visiting the United States this year. Please help him offset his own carbon foot print and assuage your guilt by donating $10 to the Vatican Bank’s carbon credit fund. But please, never refer to it as a carbon indulgence. Go in peace and emit no more.</div><div style="margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:20px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-size:14px;font-family:Arial,Geneva,sans-serif;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(51,51,51);line-height:20px;max-width:620px!important"><span style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-size:12px;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline;font-style:italic;text-transform:uppercase">GARY CARLSON, <span style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px 5px;border:0px;outline:0px;font-family:inherit;vertical-align:baseline">BOISE</span></span></div></div><div><br></div>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div>   <div style="height:auto;width:auto">   <div> <div><div><br></div></div></div></div></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><font size="2"><span style="font-size:10pt"><div><span style="font-size:13.3333330154419px">A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in. </span><br style="font-size:13.3333330154419px"><br style="font-size:13.3333330154419px"><span style="font-size:13.3333330154419px">-Greek proverb</span></div><div><br>
“Enlightenment is man’s emergence from his self-imposed immaturity. 
Immaturity is the inability to use one’s understanding without guidance 
from another. This immaturity is self- imposed when its cause lies not 
in lack of understanding, but in lack of resolve and courage to use it 
without guidance from another. Sapere Aude! ‘Have courage to use your 
own understand-ing!—that is the motto of enlightenment.<br>
<br>
--Immanuel Kant<br>
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