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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

Vermonters are known to be quirky, but in general they’re fine, intelligent people.  Is there another state in which Bernie Sanders could be the longest-serving independent in U.S. congressional history?

It took some time, but now we’re seeing extremely strong correlations between compliance with our scientists’ directions and reduced numbers of COVID-19 deaths.

Witness Florida, whose governor bucked CDC guidelines and is now facing a sharp spike in cases.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Climate Change

Biden’s saber-rattling with China is at odds with his wish to address the climate crisis, as discussed here.  From the article:

The Biden administration came into office promising a return to both climate action and diplomacy after years of confrontation and denialism under Trump. But when it comes to China, unfortunately, the administration has endangered both diplomacy and climate action by presiding over a reflexive bipartisan belligerence. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

There is a huge  hole in this analogy.  The disasters for which we buy insurance, e.g., injury, illness, fires, and car accidents happen to us.  Spreading COVID-19 happens to others.  Young people who refuse to get vaccinated, like the ass**** below, are selfish beyond words.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Fossil Fuels

Question: Here’s an update from Bloomberg Green on pension funds’ move to divest themselves of Big Oil and other corporate polluters.  Before you open it, take a cool guess: What percent of the total remains in these dirty investments?

Answer: Can be found at Clean Energy Answers.

Relevance: A great deal of progress has been made in this direction, which, of course, drives up polluters’ cost of capital, making their operations more expensive and thus less competitive.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

The New Yorker comedy superstar Andy Borowitz does it again.  If there is someone better at lampooning American stupidity, I sure would like to meet him.

At the same time that there are people in Kenya walking 30 miles to get vaccinations, there are tens of millions of Americans  who side with the QAnon folks and believe one or more of the following: (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

Though this is funny, it speaks to something very serious in me, and I rather feel I’m not alone.

I want to see Trump go down hard, but I often wonder if it’s for my own gratification, or the knowledge that it’s the only path by which the United States can regain its stature as a nation of laws.

I like to think it’s the latter but I may be kidding myself. I want it bad.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

The claim at left is completely untrue.  There are people who knowingly believe lies?  Some people wish to be controlled?  Ah….no.   Everyone rejects propaganda and manipulation.

What is happening here is that Trump supporters believe that their man is honorable and truly patriotic, and that the election was stolen from him by leftist radicals.  Anti-vaxxers believe that government and the medical community have formed a conspiracy to take away their freedoms.  Climate deniers believe scientists are corrupt, and are aggressively taking the country on an anti-capitalist, socialist path.

They’re wrong, of course, but they firmly believe all this, and there are entire “news” media outlets, as well as a still-popular ex-president, that support these beliefs.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

There must be dozens of online references to people’s claiming that their studies have qualified them to have an opinion on a subject that differs from those of trained experts in the field.

It’s sickening to hear a Trump supporter repeat the stolen election narrative, or an anti-vaxxer make some ridiculous claim about COVID-19, say, “Oh I’ve done my research.”  This means, of course, that, at best, they’ve Googled the subject and watched a few videos that re-enforce what they already believe.

Whoever wrote this gets extra kudos for its fabulous comedic value.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Nuclear

I participate in a pro-nuclear energy group, that, unfortunately, thinks solar and wind are a waste of time and money.  Though I’ve been unable to convince them otherwise, I like to hang around and read about the events that are occurring in the nuclear world.

Here’s a letter from one of the members to the Schiller Institute, a derivative of the far-right LaRouche Movement, a group that appears to favor nuclear energy. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Climate Change

Here’s a video that addresses an important form of adaptation to climate change: relocating entire communities. The U.S. federal government shelled out $48 million to move a low-lying community in Louisiana to higher ground.  Why?  Less than 10% of the land mass that existed 60 years ago remains today.

A Dutch university professor recognizes that such efforts, while necessary, are traumatic for those concerned and suggests a measured approach: “managed retreat.”

 

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