A reader just sent me this terrific handbook for debunking myths. Though it applies to myths of any sort, the examples it provides pertain to global climate change. What an interesting coincidence that it was just yesterday that I came across PBS’s recent broadcast of “The News Hour” that had actively perpetuated myths in this space.
I had a conversation with an old friend last evening, in which we discussed how individuals can make a difference vis-à-vis sustainability in the choices they make in their lives. He told me about an associate of his, a realtor in New Jersey, who will not sell a house if it doesn’t have a “green designation.”
Apparently, the National Association of Realtors has created this designation, and offers advanced training in green buildings, so that realtors can seek out, understand, and market properties with green features.
Great idea. And kudos to that realtor for her commitment.
For American voters looking for guidance in the 2012 election, and yes, I mean all 17 of you, I present this app from the Sierra Club. If you click on your state, you’ll receive a discussion of the candidates’ positions on the environment. If you then enter your home address and the environmental issue that ranks as your greatest concern, you’ll get the name of the local candidates who best address that concern in the club’s estimation.
Tim Kingston just sent me this, an article on coal-fired power plants from an apparently credible author that compares coal with other forms of energy, while going out of its way to avoid mentioning the health and ecological consequences. Regarding coal’s apparent comback in Europe, he concludes:
Who is cheering? EU utility ratepayers who have been taxed and gouged by politically correct but still artificially high utility rates to pay for the green aspirations of their politicians. Call it common sense, call it the revenge of markets, call it economic reality—the Europeans just might be onto something.
Is this guy for real? I guess I respond:
Who is crying? The seven billion people and the (dwindling number) of plants and animal species that live on Earth — a planet that’s becoming less capable of supporting life with each passing day. Call it a tragedy, since that’s what it is.
This article, “What Is It Like to Live Next to a 136-Megawatt Wind Farm?” is not too condemning of the experience. I would have preferred its section “The Bats and the Birds” to point out that birds are many thousands of times more likely to get killed by plate-glass windows, automobiles, and house cats — but overall, I think the author did a fine job.
Though perhaps a more interesting question is: Would you rather live next to a wind farm or a coal-fired power plant?
PBS’s nightly show “The News Hour” drew vociferous attack for their recent 10-minute segment on climate change. At issue was their “balanced” program that included roughly equal time for the 97% – 98% of climate scientists who support the theory of anthrogenic global warming and 2% – 3% of remaining skeptics.
I can understand the rancor. There are people who think the Holocaust in Nazi Germany never happened, but can you imagine PBS giving them equal billing on a documentary on the subject? That’s precisely the error the show’s producers committed, from where I sit.
YouTube is continuing its work in replacing television for casual viewing as it pushes into every imaginable niche, allowing users to find the video content they want with an exactness not previously possible, and taking mere seconds to do it.
One group who is served particularly well by YouTube are is that of car enthusiasts. According to Mashabel.com, we spend around 2.9 billion hours on YouTube and based on cheapcarinsurance.net, automotive is the second most popular topic there (going after celebrities). With thousands of YouTube channels offering everything from car reviews to automotive event coverage, there are literally millions of hours of car-related content available on the website. (more…)
I’m headed up to one of my favorite cities in the world, San Francisco, for the Renewable Energy Finance Forum this Thursday and Friday. It’s about a four-hour drive from here, and so I’ll leave a bit before dawn and arrive on time for the opening keynote. I hope to write numerous posts through the two-day event; of all the conferences I attend, either as a speaker or simply as a member of the audience, this is one of the most pithy and relevant.
I’ll take the opportunity to speak with Dennis McGinn, the president of ACORE (American Council on Renewable Energy), the organization that puts on the show. I’ve met with him several times in the past year, and I know he’ll express his pleasure with the work I’ve done to promote the ACORE-driven website EnergyFactCheck.org; it’s always nice to get an “atta-boy” from a retired vice admiral from the US Navy.
If you’re in the Bay Area and would like to sit down for a chat, please let me know and I’ll try to make that happen.
I had a fairly heated disagreement on a few scientific points with a much younger man the other day that resulted in his later challenging me to search online for what he claimed to be the truth. “UTUBE IT, GRAMPS,” he wrote back angrily.
I swear to God Almighty, I almost fell out of my chair laughing. I don’t know how to begin describing why I found this terse little order so comical, but trust me, it took me a full minute to regain my composure, and for my sides to stop hurting.
It’s true that I’m more than old enough to be a grandfather (though, fortunately, neither my son Jake nor my daughter Valerie have brought me to that point). I guess the humor for me is that I don’t feel like anyone’s “Gramps.”
Gertrude Stein wrote: “We are always the same age inside.” Perhaps we should let that sink in for a moment.
In any case, I intend to keep plugging away in my pursuits until I can do it no longer. For what it’s worth, I want to be doing this to within minutes of my demise. Don’t we all? Do any of us want to see a rocking chair in our future?
Here’s an interview I conducted earlier today with Megan Birney, Energy Manager at Santa Barbara’s Community Environmental Council. Megan explains her organization’s program to encourage the installation of solar photovoltaics at local non-profits.
