40499976245_f2f9bccf6b_o-e1523679377993What are the good things about living in the 21st Century, and how does it compare, say, with the late 20th?  Are people more honest and trustworthy? Is government more transparent and attuned to the needs of the people it serves?  Are stress levels lower?  Are we safer from nuclear war or environmental collapse?  Are our children more affluent? Is leisure time more abundant? Is society more just and harmonious?  The answer to all these questions is no. (more…)

1185202_10151807463614805_947035749_nI love this meme.  So true.

Our attempt at public transportation here in the U.S. is spotty.  (more…)

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BLM-acting-director-William-Pendley_840x480Question:  This past week, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt signed an order making Wyoming native William Perry Pendley the acting director of the Bureau of Land Management. What is so predictable, yet so ironic about this assignment?

Answer: Can be found at Clean Energy Answers.

Relevance:  Here’s a hint: It’s the equivalent of making a coal lobbyist the administrator of the EPA.

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UntitledA first grader who found his grandmother’s loaded gun at school last spring pointed it at another student. The 9-mm handgun belongs to his grandmother, Vicky Nelson, the district’s transportation director, who is permitted to carry the weapon as part of the district’s concealed-carry plan adopted last year to arm administrators and select staff members to protect students from potential gun violence. (more…)

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68632746_2540466785999028_1771699895367892992_nI sometimes ridicule product concepts for which I can’t think of a single use, and wearable solar tries the imagination.

OK, suppose you’re alone, out on a long hike, and you get lost.  You’re making so many calls out of desperation for help that your cell battery is depleting.  Could happen.

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69012573_2554189551268358_3688300158962892800_nWho doesn’t like a cool graphic, when it is both beautiful and inspiring at the same time?

Fortunately, there are several long-term trends that lead us to believe that sustainable ag has a real chance for success, one of which is the development of so-called “superfoods.”

From a piece I wrote for a client a couple of weeks ago: (more…)

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68603112_2833748990017331_3274307608466423808_nHorrifying indeed.  And that quote came from Ansel Adams half a century ago, when things were actually starting to look pretty good: the publication of Silent Spring, the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency, the early warnings that climate change would eventually cause catastrophe, and so on.    (more…)

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shooting-1Here’s an article called “California governor signs law hoping to limit police shootings,” which is explained as follows: “The measure signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom will change California’s existing standards to require that deadly force may only be used when necessary.” (more…)

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family-solar-oven jpgI’m normally not a fan of solar-powered gadgets, because in most cases there’s a more convenient way to accomplish the task at hand using a minimum of energy, and the device in question has more value as a novelty than a practical tool.  In this, however, I admit that this is cool; especially in off-grid situations, solar-powered ovens make sense.

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Cheerful black female in outdoor setting holding up credit card and smiling at camera. Smiling portrait of smart, financially independent young woman posing with laptop and card. 4kAs presented in this extremely well made video, it appears that the UK is wrestling with some of the same taxation and broader economic issues as we face here in the States. (more…)

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