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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

As a subscriber, you probably noticed that I haven’t published this newsletter in quite a while (though the frequency of blog posts on the website hasn’t diminished; we have a total of 15,700+, growing daily).

Perhaps an explanation is in order.  When it was originally conceived, 2GreenEnergy focused largely on the business aspects of renewable energy, but over the years our mission changed considerably, becoming far broader.

While my associates and I remain poised to help our clients in any of dozens of different business disciplines, most of the new content on the site over the past few years has had little to do with commerce directly, but has concentrated on the need to phase out fossil fuels in favor of low-carbon alternatives so as to avert environmental catastrophe, and that normally means confronting the political issues that stand in the way.

Yes, there in an ongoing stream of posts on the ever-changing scene in business, technology, and economics, but today’s readers are more likely to see thoughts on:

• Putting an end to Big Oil’s stranglehold on our lawmaking processes and removing money from politics on a variety of different fronts, e.g., gun safety laws and healthcare.

• Accepting science as a core driver of policymaking in climate change mitigation, pandemic control, etc.

• Ensuring that Donald Trump never gets anywhere near the White House ever again, and, to whatever degree possible, removing “Trumpism” as an animating factor in American society.

• Understanding a variety of other related social issues, e.g., restoring quality education, and maintaining the separation of church and state.

• Looking at the subject of sustainability more generally: clean water, micro-plastics, mass transit, land use and sustainable agriculture, etc.

As we move through our 15th year, I want to thank everyone who’s contributed to furthering the cause of environmental responsibility, and that means you, regardless of the actual role you’ve played.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

The NRA and its Second Amendment fanatics have numerous maxims about the value of guns in our society, and one of them is referred to in the meme here.

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

As suggested in this cartoon by Erkki Alanen, a consequence of the ubiquity of guns in the United States is that they tend to get in the hands of children.

Tragedy often ensues.

Of course, there isn’t a goddamn thing that any of us can do about this, but I thought I’d note it anyway.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

From physicist and astronomer Galileo Galilei: In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual. 

This seems to be an idea that’s gotten lost in the shuffle of the last 400 years.

As Neil deGrasse Tyson likes to say, “What I like about science is that it’s true regardless of what you believe.”

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

Accepting the endorsement of a former president who’s facing 91 felony counts stemming from four indictments might carry some significant baggage.

Of course, this young man is in Montana, a state that Trump carried with 57% of the vote in 2020.  Keep in mind, however, that there are far redder states; Montana has a significant number of colleges and universities, and, though it’s generally rural and conservative, it’s nothing like Alabama, North Dakota, Arkansas and Oklahoma, that went for Trump by a factor of almost 2:1.

In any case, a more relevant consideration is this: what level of support does Trump have in the state now? Folks from rural states are generally honest and have a real tough time backing hardcore criminals.  Tim Sheehy might have made a career mistake here.

Let’s hope.

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Climate Change

Here’s another in a series of articles from the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI): 90 Percent of Euro Area Banks Are Out of Step with Paris Goals. How Can They Get on Track? An excerpt:

(An analysis) of 95 Euro area banks found that approximately 90 percent are misaligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement. Misalignment with climate pledges can expose financial institutions to significant risk as policy and market conditions increasingly reflect climate realities. For example, when carbon-intensive borrowers face carbon pricing, regulatory restrictions, or shifting consumer preferences, they can become less competitive against peers and more prone to default on loans.

We all wish banks would get on board with climate change mitigation and, at a minimum, refuse to lend trillions of dollars for fossil fuel projects around the world.  After all, this could have the effect of helping developing countries “leapfrog” over coal and natural gas power generation plants and move directly into nuclear and renewables.

Is this “misalignment” and its accompanying business risk going to be a factor?  Perhaps we should hold out hope.  It would be far better if taking action were done simply because it’s the right thing to do, but that doesn’t seem to be happening.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Fossil Fuels

I’m not privy to the strategic planning that goes on in the executive suite of the world’s oil giants, but it appears obvious:

a) Use price gouging to make as much profit as possible in the short-term.

b) Invest in lobbyists who are well-positioned to ensure that future profits streams are not interrupted by those who are trying to stem environmental collapse.

Rinse and repeat, meaning continue a) and b) above until the planet is largely uninhabitable.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

One of the many tragedies of Trumpism/MAGA is that so many of the icons of our society have been hijacked by hateful morons.  Yes, certainly a flag pin on the lapel is one of them, but what about the American flag itself?  Even the word “patriot” now means “Trump supporter.”

I know I’m joined by the majority when I say that I’m anxious to have all this stupidity behind us.

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

I don’t have a great deal to add here.

The danger that Trump represents to the safety and security of the United States is impossible to overstate.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

What RFK said here is true, but I think it might be useful to ask why certain people want to prevent our society from moving forward.

I would suggest that this is the notion of fear.  If you look at Trumpism as a whole, you have the fear that people of different skin colors, religions, sexual orientations, and countries of origins may be gaining at your expense.

Now, fear is not in and of itself, a bad thing.  Without it, our ancient ancestors wouldn’t have survived the legitimately dangerous situations that presented themselves.  They would have, for instance, been eaten by wild animals, thus removing their DNA from the gene pool.

Yet an unnecessarily high level of fear translates into the tribalism and racism we see all around us, and it opens us up to having our lowest, most reptilian emotions stirred up by would-be dictators like Trump. We need to recognize this for what it is.

This is why I tend to cut Trump supporters some level of slack; they are simply wired in such a way as to be particularly susceptible to messages that stimulate hate and fear.

 

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