A few words about art and energy independence at the art exhibition “Petroleum Paradox.”

Transcript of the speech: I painted these paintings Dependence and Independence, to emphasize the contrast of our possible futures depending on which path decide to take concerning our energy needs.

We can continue down the path of using fossil fuels, and endure the consequences for as long as we can, or we can develop renewable clean energy technologies so we can stop destroying the very earth we depend upon for our survival.  (more…)

At a gun control themed art exhibit in Washington, D.C., I laid out the reasons why getting common sense gun control is so difficult in the U.S., and what we can do about it.

Transcript: I don’t know about you, but I’m angry. Angry that we live in a society that creates conditions that allow tragedies like Columbine and Sandy Hook to keep happening. Maybe it’s just me, but I find it appalling that as a nation, we are more concerned about protecting the right of an unbalanced individual to own an assault rifle than protecting our own children. If you were to read the death certificates of the victims of these mass shootings, I’m sure cause of death would read gun shot wounds. While technically accurate, that isn’t the real cause of death. The real cause of death is greed. The greed of the gun manufacturers, the greed of the NRA and the greed of the politicians who accept their money.

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