There has been all sorts of talk about the failure of this law suit to demand a higher minimum legroom standard from the FAA on commercial passenger flights. But it was doomed to fail with an agency like the FAA. And why it failed is important to understand if we are to improve the situation
PM 2.5s In Ulan Bator
For the past six months there have been a ton of stories in all the big papers and magazines as well as NPR and PBS about Mongolia–Ulan Bator to be precise. Depending on who you ask, the capital of Mongolia is now the most polluted big city in the world. And why that matters to
Strategy #1: Honest Reporting
Last time, I said that I would finally get down to some strategic strategery. Despite the appearance of endless bloviation, I’ve really tried to give a whole bunch of tactical advice, ie. learning the history, who are your real friends in all this (virtually no one) and so forth. I’m going to give you a
#10 The Matrix
Last time we talked about having a real strategy and being intentional in everything you do. This time, I want to mention sort of the elephant in the room when people wonder whether or not we can succeed. Namely, that we’ve been here before–more than once. What a lot of people don’t seem to realize
#9 Be Intentional
Last time we talked about a Food Pyramid of different protest activities. I said that that some tactics yield more bang for the buck than others. I said that you need to have a game plan that is intentional so you use the little time you have most effectively. And I said that the most
# 8. Triage
So far it’s been almost all about doom and gloom. It’s not hopeless, I assure you–although time is running out. But before we can get to talk about what to do, we need to discuss ‘triage’–basically how to maximize the impact of your work. After all, most of us only have a little bit of
#7. The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
Last time I said that the only people worth listening to are people with ‘good goals’. I said that a ‘good goal’ was one that actually lowered noise and pollution. And I likely offended any number of you by questioning whether or not –you- are on the team. I did not actually list my ‘good
#6. What Are Good Goals?
OK, we’re now getting a –little- closer to the finish line in this novella. Last time I said there were ‘good goals’ and ‘bad goals’ in this fight. If you don’t buy into this notion, you may as well stop reading. But as a freshman philosophy student might say, “Hey pal, define your terms.” Fine.
#5. Leaders Far And Near
I’ve gotten some PMs basically saying “Stop gassing on about what’s –wrong-. What do we –do-?” We’re getting there. I want to cover all the obvious ‘strategies’ people have already tried because I want you to understand why they can never work in the case of fixing SeaTac before moving on to what actually -will-
#4. Intentions
III INTENTIONS No one works for the Port beyond a certain level without actually –believing- in the mission. If you ever wonder “How can Commissioner X sleep at night?” Because they –believe- in the Port’s Mission. They are –not- ‘evil’. Their goal is to benefit King County and the State Of Washington. They –really- believe