{"id":55,"date":"2016-11-14T18:41:35","date_gmt":"2016-11-14T18:41:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/facultysites.etown.edu\/bowned\/?page_id=55"},"modified":"2016-11-16T15:49:01","modified_gmt":"2016-11-16T15:49:01","slug":"henry-ford-hated-glaciers","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/facultysites.etown.edu\/bowned\/publications\/ecological-short-stories\/henry-ford-hated-glaciers\/","title":{"rendered":"Henry Ford Hated Glaciers"},"content":{"rendered":"
All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without express permission of author.<\/h5>\n

HENRY FORD HATED GLACIERS<\/h2>\n

David R. Bowne, Ph.D.<\/h2>\n

Department of Biology<\/h5>\n
Elizabethtown College<\/h5>\n
Elizabethtown, PA 17022<\/h5>\n
Office: (717) 361-1317<\/h5>\n
bowned@etown.edu<\/u><\/a><\/h5>\n
November 14, 2016<\/h5>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYes!\u201d Fred pounded his hands on the well-worn library table and then raised them in victory. \u201cI got it!\u201d An older gentleman sitting at a neighboring computer glared in disapproval. \u201cSorry to disturb you, dude,\u201d Fred said, smiling. \u201cI\u2019ll let you get back to your work.\u201d He gathered his books and strutted towards the circulation desk, winking at the reference librarian as he passed. \u201cMan, I can\u2019t wait to tell Jim about this,\u201d he said to himself.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jim sat at the second-hand kitchen table, one hand rubbing his forehead and the other one holding a tuition bill. He hoped pursuing a MBA would help him realize his entrepreneurial dream, but so far it was only putting him deeper into debt. \u201cIt\u2019ll work out,\u201d he said to himself. \u201cYou\u2019ll come up with a plan.\u201d He threw the bill onto the pile of others. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a red X marked on the wall calendar, a picturesque freebie from the Nature Conservancy, and groaned. Rent was due too. Jim stood and marched towards his roommate\u2019s bedroom, sighing as he kicked aside an empty beer can. He was never sure what he\u2019d find on the other side of the door and was usually disgusted by the answer.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jim knocked. \u201cHey Fred, you in there?\u201d No answer. \u201cFred?\u201d\u00a0 He banged the door. \u201cFred?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jim turned the knob, eased open the door, and immediately regretted it. The room reeked of soiled cat litter. He quickly shut the door and retreated to the living room. The lingering stench convinced Jim that it was time to move out. Rent be damned, but the damn rent was due. Where was he?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A moment later the front door flew open and a voice bellowed, \u201cHey Jim-boy, you home?\u201d Fred burst into the apartment, dumped his backpack on the couch, and strode over to Jim.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cJim, you won\u2019t believe it. I got it!\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat, the rent?\u201d Jim asked as he walked past Fred to sit in a beat-up recliner.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Fred turned to face his roommate. \u201cNo man, not the rent. The answer.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cTo why you don\u2019t have the rent?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cScrew the rent. Listen to me,\u201d Fred implored. \u201cI know how he did it.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWho did what? Is this about JFK\u2019s suicide?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cJFK? Man, I solved that one last month,\u201d Fred said, staring at Jim. \u201cDon\u2019t you ever listen to me?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The honest answer was no. Why bother listening when Fred would either complain about callers to his IT help line or babble on about his latest conspiracy theory. Fortunately, Fred\u2019s question turned rhetorical.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cJimbo, I know my ideas seem outrageous, but this time I\u2019m really onto something.\u201d Fred pleaded with big, brown, puppy dog eyes. \u201cCome on, hear me out.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jim sighed. \u201cAll right, explain away. But then we need to talk about rent.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cFair enough. Okay, check this out.\u201d Fred sat on the couch to be at eye level with Jim. \u201cI figured out Henry Ford\u2019s secret mission.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t know he had a secret mission.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cDuh, no one did.\u201d Fred rolled his eyes. \u201cThat\u2019s why it\u2019s a secret.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Fred\u2019s face sported a huge grin, one of immense self-satisfaction, confidence, and joy. Jim couldn\u2019t help but think he was completely delusional.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Fred continued. \u201cHenry Ford\u2026drum roll please \u2026 wanted to destroy glaciers.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cGlaciers?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, glaciers. Isn\u2019t that awesome, in a twisted James Bond, super villain sort of way.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jim dropped his chin and placed both hands on his forehead. He spoke softly and slowly, as if appeasing a child, \u201cWhat glaciers?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAll of them of course.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jim grimaced. \u201cWell then, let\u2019s be glad he failed. Now about the rent\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cBut he didn\u2019t fail,\u201d Fred said as he jumped up from the couch. \u201cThat\u2019s just it. The bastard succeeded. Glaciers are melting.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve been watching Al Gore again.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, but listen\u2026.\u201d Fred stopped when he saw the deep skepticism on Jim\u2019s face. He reached into his backpack and pulled out a book. \u201cRead this.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jim grabbed the book and glanced at the title.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cSlaughterhouse-five? <\/em> I didn\u2019t know you were a Vonnegut fan.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Fred shrugged. \u201cI picked it up during banned-book week. Check out the highlighted passage on page three.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jim flipped to the page and read the lines aloud.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou know what I say to people when I hear they\u2019re writing anti-war books?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cNo. What do you say, Harrison Starr?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI say, \u2018Why don\u2019t you write an anti-glacier book instead?\u2019\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

What he meant, of course, was that there would always be wars, that they were as easy to stop as glaciers. I believe that, too.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jim looked up from the book. \u201cOkay, glaciers, war, Vonnegut cynicism. What\u2019s this have to do with Henry Ford?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Fred\u2019s eyes lit up as he moved around the living room, caught up in the moment. \u201cWell, it got me thinking. We\u2019re doing a pretty good job stopping glaciers, aren\u2019t we? What with global warming and all. Everyday there\u2019s a news story about it. Antarctic ice shelf breaks into the sea. Ski resorts with less snow. North Pole becoming ice free, polar bears stranded, international conflict over possible Northern Passage shipping lanes. Crazy stuff. It\u2019s almost as if mankind had declared war on glaciers.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cA war on glaciers?\u201d Jim said as he leaned back in the chair, arms folded across his chest.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, well, not a war, but something far more effective – because it\u2019s working right? How many wars can say that?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cFred, no one\u2019s even sure humans are causing global warming. Natural variation \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Fred waved his arms in dismissal. \u201cOh, don\u2019t give me that crap. Human fingerprints are all over climate change.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe so,\u201d Jim said. \u201cBut what\u2019s Ford got to do with glaciers?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWell it got me thinking. Glaciers are melting because of global warming and global warming is caused by greenhouse gases, which are increasing because of our addiction to fossil fuels.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cSo they say.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWell then how did we get addicted? Did someone push it on us?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cFred, what are you talking about? We don\u2019t need someone \u2026.\u201d Jim buried his face in his hands as realization dawned. \u201cYou think Henry Ford pushed oil on us, is that where you\u2019re going?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Fred nodded. \u201cExactly, or some other big industrialist. Rockefeller, Mellon, Ford. They all had more power than most governments. It\u2019s just an idea, so I started doing research and found this.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Fred reached into his backpack for another book. Jim grabbed it and looked at the title, Combustible Personalities \u2013 the Minds behind Machine Marvels <\/em>by Montgomery Washington.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cSounds exciting,\u201d said Jim.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cJust read it.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Reluctantly, Jim turned to the page marked by an old candy wrapper. The chapter began with a straightforward biography but evolved into an interesting exploration of the personality quirks of his subject. Washington claims that Henry Ford, creator of the Model-T, innovator of mass production, hated glaciers. He surmises that Ford didn\u2019t hate glaciers because of what they were (the guy wasn\u2019t crazy \u2013 how can anyone be passionately disturbed by ice?), but rather what they did \u2013 nothing. Glaciers just sit there covering up perfectly good land. Ford saw it as an affront to his guiding principle of efficiency. He believed it would be much better to take the land hidden under tons of snow and ice and convert it into farmland. Increasing agricultural production was a subject that increasingly obsessed Ford. But Ford, Washington states, was a practical man. He focused on improving the mechanization of farms not on some quixotic quest to till moraine.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jim sighed as he looked up from the book. \u201cFred, did you bother reading the whole thing? Ford didn\u2019t do anything about glaciers.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cJim, Jim, Jim.\u201d Fred shook his head as he repeated the name. \u201cOf course Washington said that. Did you expect him to find Ford taking a blowtorch to Greenland? Think of what the press would have said about that – \u2018Ford Freaks at Fjord.\u2019 No, if Ford was intent on getting rid of glaciers, he\u2019d be more subtle.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cOr more interested in making cars than wasting his time on this crap.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNo, man. You\u2019re missing the point.\u201d Fred moved to the window, gesturing towards it, as if imploring his roommate to view deeply the world outside. \u201cFord did both, but only one was obvious. His manufacturing techniques completely revolutionized the world. Ford made cars and other goods affordable for the common man, but he didn\u2019t do it for the sake of making stuff or getting rich. He did it to melt glaciers.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve lost me, Fred.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Now it was Fred\u2019s turn to speak slowly, if not softly. \u201cIt\u2019s simple. Carbon dioxide gets emitted from car exhaust, from the manufacturing process, from massive deforestation to obtain rubber to make tires. Every step puts CO2<\/sub> into the air and enhances the greenhouse effect, every step raises the planet\u2019s temperature, every step melts glaciers. Don\u2019t you see? Vonnegut was wrong, stopping glaciers is easy. We don\u2019t need an anti-glacier book, we\u2019re living it.\u201d Fred was getting excited again, fueled by his own voice breathing life into his ideas.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jim closed his eyes and rubbed his temple with his left hand. He couldn\u2019t believe he was having this conversation. \u201cFred, you\u2019ve got to be joking. You\u2019re just playing me, right.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNo, man. I\u2019m serious. Ford wanted to destroy glaciers and he succeeded.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cBut, that\u2019s insane.\u00a0 I mean, Ford couldn\u2019t have even known about the greenhouse effect. It was discovered long after his death.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNah, you’re wrong.\u201d Fred said with apparent delight. \u201cA Swedish chemist named Arrhenius figured out the basic principles in 1896. The guy later won a Nobel Prize. Someone as knowledgeable as Ford would have read his work.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cBut come on, how could\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cFord knew what he was doing. He sold cars, got everyone hyped up about mass production, and in the process secretly altered climate and destroyed glaciers. It\u2019s brilliant! Everyone helps but no one knows.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cExcept you.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cExcept me.\u201d Fred said as he grinned, then added \u201cAnd now you.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m honored.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cSo what do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI think you\u2019re crazy!\u201d Jim paced the room. \u201cYou\u2019ve no proof, just the most contrived, circumstantial evidence. It doesn\u2019t make sense.\u201d He stopped and directly addressed Fred. \u201cFor one thing, Ford was a businessman. What businessman waits 100 years for his plan to work?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cBut that\u2019s his brilliance. His expressed business succeeded from the start. He made a fortune. And once the cars started rolling, once mass production caught on, his ultimate plan, his secret mission, couldn\u2019t be stopped. Emitting CO2<\/sub> doesn\u2019t affect the price of a car or anything else, so who would object? It\u2019s a free by-product that changes the world, just as Ford intended.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cFred, you\u2019re talking about externalities. No one bases business plans on externalities.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t go throwing your business school vocabulary at me,\u201d Fred said. \u201dI don\u2019t know anything about exter-whatevers. What I do know is that Ford made cars to release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. That\u2019s what happened, that\u2019s what he did. And I can prove it.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cOh really, you can prove it? Do it then. Show me real evidence. Go ahead. I would love to see it. But until you do, stop trashing a great American hero and wasting my time. I\u2019ve got things to do.\u201d Jim marched off to the kitchen.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Fred, annoyed, followed. \u201cI should have known you couldn\u2019t handle the truth. If it doesn\u2019t make you money, you\u2019re not interested. Well, truth is more valuable than money.\u201d Without waiting for a reply, Fred stormed off to his room.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t forget the rent!\u201d Jim called just as Fred slammed his door.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What an idiot, Jim thought as he went about preparing dinner.\u00a0 The guy is completely unhinged. He\u2019s pathetic really. Jim grabbed fresh clams from a bag in the refrigerator. How could anyone believe Ford wanted to cause global warming? It\u2019s ridiculous. Still, he thought as he placed the clams in salt water, if Ford had<\/em> wanted to change the climate then promoting industrialization was the way to go. Make money off cars but change the world by releasing massive amounts of carbon dioxide – two outcomes from one plan. And as Jim saut\u00e9ed garlic in butter, he realized that maybe the solution to too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is to reverse Ford\u2019s supposed tactic \u2013 sell something that had captured carbon. Make carbon the raw material for a product that people want. He\u2019d make money off the product and remove carbon from the air at the same time. That was it! In an instant, he knew what he wanted to do. Jim smiled for the first time that day as a business plan took shape; all he needed was a product. What could take carbon in and people would buy? He started thinking about what he knew about carbon dioxide – it wasn\u2019t much. He knew it was in soda, but then couldn\u2019t figure out why it went flat. Wouldn\u2019t the CO2<\/sub> in the air enter the soda and keep it bubbly? His ignorance didn\u2019t damper his excitement at the entrepreneurial potential of his idea. He looked out the window at the clear blue sky and chuckled, not believing he was inspired by Fred\u2019s far-fetched conspiracy theory, but that was the truth.\u00a0 He would make this work, but first he had serious research to do.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Over the next month, Jim spent every spare moment researching and developing his idea. He hadn\u2019t seen much of Fred, who had barricaded himself in his room when he wasn\u2019t at work. Jim hoped that Fred took his criticism to heart and abandoned his ridiculous idea. But one day after Business Accounting, a classmate named Jill came over to him and asked if he had seen the video.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat video?\u201d Jim replied.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThe one by your roommate.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jim\u2019s stomach twisted. \u201cNo, I haven\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou gotta see it \u2013 everyone else has. It\u2019s gone viral.\u201d She grabbed Jim\u2019s laptop, opened YouTube and typed \u201cFord glaciers\u201d into the search box. The top hit was a video called \u201cHank\u2019s Secret Mission\u201d posted by DreadFred last week. Jim looked on in disbelief as he saw the number of views.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cFour million! In one week. How is that possible?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI told you it went viral.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cBut\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cJust watch it. It\u2019s hilarious.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jim pressed play and watched with apprehension as a crude cartoon version of Fred spoke. It was all there \u2013 Fred\u2019s entire theory in a 4 minute cartoon. A deranged Henry Ford drove a Model T over a glacier, ignited a blowtorch while dancing and singing \u201cHot Hot Hot.\u201d Ford then swam in the glacier melt, smiling happily as the water flowed over corn fields on its way to the sea. The corn fields gave way to development, the number of cars grew exponentially until the whole planet looked like an overfilled parking lot and a guy who couldn\u2019t find a spot for his Expedition yelled, \u201cWe need to build another lot.\u201d Then the cars filled with water as the oceans rose and men in business suits with \u201cVote for Me\u201d buttons sat on car roofs, playing violins. When it stopped, Jim sat dumbfounded, his jaw slack.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIsn\u2019t it hilarious?\u201d Jill asked. \u201cWhere does he come up with it?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jim ignored her and looked again at the number of hits. \u201cUnbelievable.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jill stood up, slightly offended. \u201cYeah, well, I gotta go. When you see Fred, would you give him this?\u201d She slipped Jim a piece of paper. He glanced at it and saw her phone number. Unbelievable. \u00a0He threw the paper away as he walked out the door.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When Jim got home, he found Fred in the kitchen eating a bowl of cereal. Jim sat down across from him.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cSo after class today, Jill just showed me something interesting,\u201d Jim said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMan, I wish she would show me something interesting. She is fine!\u201d Fred replied as he poured another magically delicious bowl.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jim ignored the comment. \u201cShe played a YouTube video by some goofball named DreadFred.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Fred burst into a huge grin. \u201cOh yeah, did she like it?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, she liked it. Thought it was hilarious.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHilarious?\u201d Fred said. \u201cI wasn\u2019t trying to be funny.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNo? What were you trying to do?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cJust spreading the truth,\u201d he said as he walked to the refrigerator to get a beer.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThe truth? I thought you were going to lay off your conspiracy theory until you had proof.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cProof is overrated.\u201d Fred popped open the can. \u201cA cool video and slick webpage are far more effective.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cSo that\u2019s it?\u201d Jim asked. \u201cWhat do you expect the inspired masses to do with your truth?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI dunno, rise up against him.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThe dude is long dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cBut his influence isn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cGeez, Fred. This is insane.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNo, man. Getting the world hooked on fossil fuels is insane.\u201d He sat back down and resumed eating. \u201cI\u2019m trying to get us off.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Fred, you\u2019re just trying to get yourself\u2026\u201d Jim paused and reached into his briefcase and tossed a large file onto the table in front of Fred. \u201cIf you really want to help the environment, take a look at this.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cMy business plan to save the planet.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Fred smirked and took the file. \u201cSince when did you care about the planet? It\u2019s always been about money with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWho says I can\u2019t do both?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Fred flipped through the papers. \u201cWhat is all this? You\u2019re going into the seafood business?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd construction.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cSeafood and construction? What the hell. How\u2019s that going to help.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cCome on, Fred. You\u2019re the grand theorist. Can\u2019t that big brain of yours make the connection?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Fred put down the papers and slurped a spoonful of sugary cereal. He licked the bluish milk off his moustache and stared at Jim. After a few moments, he gave up. \u201cOkay, you win. Fill me in. What\u2019s the connection?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to raise clams.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cSounds yummy.\u201d Fred said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou do know sarcasm is a sign of a weak mind, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cNo, really?\u201d Fred replied as he downed the beer.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAnyway, I\u2019ll sell the clam meat in a variety of products.\u201d Jim tapped his fingers on the table as if pressing buttons on a calculator. \u201cLots of value added stuff \u2013 that\u2019s where the big money is.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHow innovative,\u201d Fred said as he picked out a misshaped pink marshmallow from the bowl.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then I\u2019ll use the discarded shells to make concrete.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cConcrete?\u201d Fred looked up in surprise.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYeah concrete. People in the South used to do it. It\u2019s called Tabby.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, so you\u2019re recycling your waste. Very eco-hip of you, but how does it address climate change?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cFred, any idea what\u2019s in a clam shell?\u201d Jim said in a failed attempt to not sound condescending.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cOther than the clam?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cCalcium carbonate. Clams incorporate carbon dioxide into themselves. With a business growing clams, I\u2019m going to remove carbon dioxide from the environment. And since the shells are then turned into concrete, the carbon stays trapped for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Fred wasn\u2019t impressed. \u201cEven if that works, which I doubt, you\u2019re not trying to help the environment. You\u2019re just trying to make money.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cSo? What\u2019s wrong with doing both? My business plan projects profitability of both the seafood and construction material operations in their own right. But once a carbon tax or cap and trade, or whatever other carbon control scheme the government implements, I\u2019ll be perfectly positioned to benefit from it.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Fred snarled. \u201cThe only position I\u2019d like to see you in is flat on your face as your business crashes.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s your problem Fred?\u201d Jim asked. \u201cIt was your stupid theory that inspired me. You claim Ford made cars to release carbon dioxide. I grow clams to remove it. Our goals are hidden in externalities.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThere you go spouting off economic lingo again. Stop trying to show off.\u201d Fred said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cBut \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThe only way to stop climate change is to get people to stop driving and start conserving energy. Period. That\u2019s it.\u201d Fred proclaimed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, good luck with that, Fred. Your little video is going to make everyone take up walking.\u00a0 And even if everyone heard your message, there\u2019d still be too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. My business will remove it and \u2026..\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cBusiness. It\u2019s always about business with you. It\u2019s business that got us into this mess.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cBusinesses make money by providing solutions to people\u2019s needs and people need a solution to climate change.\u201d Jim paused, collecting his thoughts. \u201cMy approach is just to offer a solution that will work even if one doesn\u2019t want to help. No guilt, no resistance. Why would you object to that?\u201d asked Jim.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Fred said nothing, just continued to flip through the pages. \u201cIt\u2019s not going to work. It\u2019s too small to be effective.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a start Fred. And as my business grows, so will its benefit to the planet. It\u2019ll work,\u201d Jim said looking directly in Fred\u2019s eyes. \u201cAnd I could use your help.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Fred was taken aback. \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYour video.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI thought you hated it.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI did, but apparently four million people don\u2019t agree with me.\u201d Jim said. \u201cI could use that kind of publicity.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Fred sat straight up and pointed his spoon at Jim. \u201cLet me get this straight. You make fun of me, call my idea crazy, then get inspired by it, and want my help promoting your own crazy idea.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Jim replied.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, I can deal with that.\u201d Fred slurped more cereal. \u201cTell you what. I\u2019m going to read the rest of your business plan. If I like it, if I think it\u2019s actually going to help the environment and it isn\u2019t just greenwashed BS, then I\u2019m in. But I\u2019m still going to push my truth. I gotta be me.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t want it any other way. So go ahead and read it, just\u2026\u201d Jim paused as Fred scooped up another helping of cereal, right over his papers.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat now Jimbo?\u201d Fred asked.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cJust don\u2019t drip milk on my plan! Come on, show some respect.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Fred smirked as he pushed the papers aside. \u201cAnything else, your highness?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Jim smiled. \u201cRent\u2019s due.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without express permission of author. HENRY FORD HATED GLACIERS David R. Bowne, Ph.D. Department of Biology Elizabethtown College Elizabethtown, PA 17022 Office: (717) 361-1317 bowned@etown.edu November 14, 2016   \u201cYes!\u201d Fred pounded his hands on the well-worn library table and then raised them in victory. \u201cI got it!\u201d … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":0,"parent":50,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"full-width-page.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-55","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/facultysites.etown.edu\/bowned\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/55","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/facultysites.etown.edu\/bowned\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/facultysites.etown.edu\/bowned\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/facultysites.etown.edu\/bowned\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/37"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/facultysites.etown.edu\/bowned\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/facultysites.etown.edu\/bowned\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/55\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":82,"href":"https:\/\/facultysites.etown.edu\/bowned\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/55\/revisions\/82"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/facultysites.etown.edu\/bowned\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/50"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/facultysites.etown.edu\/bowned\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}