Celebrating “Human Achievement Hour” 2017

Earth Hour is being touted as the world’s largest grass roots movement for the environment.

On Saturday, from 8:30 – 9:30 pm, special snowflakes will turn off the lights in an effort to “make a difference” for the 11th year in a row.

More importantly, it is also time for the very successful counter-event: Human Achievement Hour. Independent-minded lovers of innovation, people, and capitalism have organized to take part in the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s annual celebration of progress and really making a difference.

So, during Earth Hour, CEI is encouraging supporters to:

Use the hashtag #HAH2017 to tweet examples and photos to @ceidotorg. Join the Facebook event today here.Ways to Celebrate:* Use your phone or computer to connect with friends and family* Watch a movie or your favorite television show* Drink a beer or cocktail* Drive a car or take a ride-sharing service* Take a hot shower* Or, in true CEI fashion, celebrate reliable electricity that has saved lives, by bringing heat and air conditioning to people around the world, and keep your lights on for an hour.

If there was only a way to do all of these at the same time!

As has become my tradition, I would like to feature a politically incorrect human achievement that should be acclaimed. This year, I plan to raise a glass of Trump wine and toast the penultimate human endeavor…the American space program.

This focus is especially timely, as President Trump just signed a budget for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) that eliminates many inane Obama programs.

…Under the new budget, NASA plans to accelerate plans to put U.S. astronauts to lunar orbit in 2019 and send a manned mission to Mars in 16 years. Trump previously requested NASA plan to return U.S. astronauts to the moon potentially by 2020 and go on to Mars soon after, according to leaked internal documents. The budget provides $3.7 billion for the development of the Space Launch System Mars rocket and capsule.This directly contrasts with Obama’s NASA budgets, which repeatedly tried to slash space exploration funding and redirect it to environmental research. Obama increased NASA’s budget for environmental programs by 63 percent at the expense of its exploration budget.

The bill, entitled the NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2017, was co-authored by Sen. Ted Cruz and Sen. Marco Rubio, both of whom were in attendance for the signing. Trump indicated that money will also be used to fund joint missions with companies in the private sector, such as SpaceX.

“For almost six decades NASA’s work has inspired millions and millions of Americans to imagine distant worlds and a better future right here on Earth,” Trump explained during the signing, which was attended by astronauts, lawmakers and scientists.“With this legislation, we support NASA’s scientists, engineers, astronauts and their pursuit of discovery,” he said. “It’s been a long time since a bill like this has been signed reaffirming our national commitment to the core mission of NASA, human space exploration, space science and technology.”

My son wants to be a real rocket scientist. He actually studies calculus for fun!

With the mission of NASA being redirected away from climate change and Muslim outreach, he may have wonderful career opportunities ahead thanks to Trump making our space program great again.

This is something I will truly celebrate.

Tags: Culture

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