Living in the United States and being told that this is the “best country on Earth,” it’s easy to conclude that this is true, and that any instance of injustice, unfairness, insanity, etc. that exists here also lives elsewhere–in spades. (more…)
If it’s true that there are guy-things and girl-things, trains most certainly fit into the former category. But in addition to their mysterious appeal to the male instinct/libido/whatever-it-is, trains provide numerous other benefits to our society, mainly that they offer the best deal in terms of carbon footprint per mile-ton; it’s somewhere between a 5:1 to a 16:1 advantage vs. air travel, and about a 2:1 advantage over truck. (more…)
For those who like to debunk fraudulent claims in renewable energy, here’s a thing of real beauty. It’s a device that uses solar energy to boil (thus purify) 5000 liters of water per day. (more…)
A crime against humanity? Climate change denialism is part of Trump’s very brand. It’s an expression of who and what he is; it’s actually an important aspect of maintaining what remains of his political strength.
The Trump brand is an ultra-consistent set of positions that have fabulous appeal to a small group of the amoral rich, and a very large group of hateful, ignorant people who adore their leader’s:
• Overt racism
• Rejection of science
• Exploitation of the environment for profit
• Cruelty to the poor, Muslims, and LBGTQs
• Dismantling any aspect of the federal government that provides actual service to people who need it
• Support of the world’s tyrants
• Bullying those who criticize him or, especially, investigate his alleged criminal activity
• Threatening wars all over the globe
• Creating asinine economic positions like skyrocketing national debt and self-destructive trade wars
• Abuse of women
One could say that he is a “walking crime against humanity,” but to single out his failure to fight climate change is a strange position to take, IMO.
According to a report recently published by the nonprofit think tank International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD):
• On a worldwide basis, coal, oil and gas get more than $370 billion per year in support.
• This compares with roughly $100 billion for renewables. (more…)
Southern California’s City of Glendale, just northeast of downtown Los Angeles, has scrapped plans for a $500 million 262 MW gas peaker plant in lieu of an array of clean energy alternatives that include battery energy storage that when implemented, this integrated solution will save ratepayers $125 million compared to the initial plan. (more…)
The circulation of high pressure air, or “heat dome,” that toasted Europe in the past couple of weeks is now hovered over Greenland, the home of the planet’s most important sheet. How important? (more…)
There may be certain ambiguities about the intention of America’s Founding Fathers. Does the Second Amendment grant the right of all individual citizens to own automatic weapons? (Doesn’t seem reasonable to me that the answer could be yes, but apparently, some interpret it that way.) (more…)
Discussions that assert that a certain thing (e.g., the migration from fossil fuels) is “possible” or “impossible” are interesting, but news that a certain thing is actually happening are even better, in that they are based on fact, rather than speculation. This is rather like the old adage, “People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.” (more…)
According to the Writer’s Almanac:
It’s the birthday of writer Alexis de Tocqueville, born in Paris (1805). He was 25 years old when the French government sent him to America to study the prison system. He spent nine months touring towns and cities and taking notes. A few years later, he published his famous book, Democracy in America (1835). (more…)
