I thought readers would enjoy the comments by an Instagram follower, as presented below.
Caption: That is Rex Tillerson, CEO of ExxonMobil, explaining how his company plans to extract every molecule of petroleum from the Earth and sell it as fuel, knowing with full certainty that this will destroy our civilization. If you know of a more detestable human being, please let us know. (more…)
My colleague Gary Tulie writes from his home in Buckinghamshire, England (pictured left): The point about air conditioning becoming essential with a warming climate is not an exaggeration. Wet Bulb temperature is the temperature a wet thermometer bulb in front of a fan cools to by evaporative cooling – the more humid the air, the closer together measured regular temperature and wet bulb temperature are. Scientists and doctors have calculated that a wet bulb temperature above 35 centigrade can only be survived by humans for a few hours beyond which you die. 
This summer in India, the hottest populated locations reached wet bulb 34 centigrade and a significant number of people died. This is right on the limit of survivability, any more, and people caught in the open even in the shade will not be able to survive. (more…)
Question: It’s no secret that climate change is in the process of creating severe droughts in many places around the globe, and, by extension, generating a significant increase in the number and intensity of wildfires. Here’s an article that explores how California, the state in the U.S. most profoundly impacted by this phenomenon, is dealing with this in a productive manner. But what exactly is California doing? (more…)
Making the decision to live in a green home can create a large, positive impact on your life, as well as the environment. For years, the world’s population has become increasingly focused on green initiatives, and, as technology advances, there are a number of opportunities for families to enjoy the comfort of their home, while remaining environmentally friendly. (more…)
In my recent post The Connection Between Rural Electrification and Environmental Devastation, I extol the importance of bringing electricity to the developing world so as to promote education, affluence and family planning, while reducing the size of the field for terrorist recruitment. In response, conservative reader MarcoPolo notes: Top down solutions seldom work… The big difference seems to be when the individuals in a community accept a duty to actively participate in community governance. Only then do individuals feel responsible for successes and failures within their society. (more…)
A reader asks for my viewpoint on this article, suggesting that one-third of the world’s oceans have been polluted from the radiation that continues to leak from the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
My take is that this is the typical hysteria about nuclear energy, driven, at least in part, by the folks who don’t want nuclear energy to replace what we have now. The oceans are “contaminated” in an extremely limited, virtually inapplicable sense of the word. (more…)
In response to my piece “Per Capita Energy Consumption” in which I extol the importance of bringing electricity to the developing world, a reader notes: Some may cynically observe the acquisition of electricity in third world countries seldom means a reduction of unhealthy hovels and crime ridden squalor, but an increase in watching TV!
There is no doubt that the connection between electricity and education (and between education and family planning) is a tenuous one in many cases. But here are a couple of things to consider: (more…)
As the weather gets warmer, you’re likely going to be using your air conditioning unit a lot more. However, this isn’t the only way that you can stay cool. There are several practical ways to keep your home comfortable during the summer season without raising your electricity bill. Here are a few practical tips you can start using today.
Don’t Close off Your Rooms (more…)
Advocates of renewable energy who may be interested in understanding the Obama Administration’s approach to energy storage should check out this recent “fact sheet.” You’re bound to be impressed that our government’s involvement here is extremely wide-ranging and robust.
Thanks to my colleague Joe Spease for sending this along. Joe’s particularly attuned to this whole arena because of the project he has under development that will integrate CAES (compressed air energy storage) with a large wind farm; it’s listed in my database of solid clean energy investment opportunities.
Those who correspond to me via email know that my “signature” contains the following:
“Few are the giants of the soul who actually feel that the human race is their family circle.” – Freya Stark, explorer and writer (1893-1993) (more…)
