Is Our Demagogue-in-Chief Nearing the End of His Career?
The venerable 20th Century journalist and cultural critic H.L. Mencken left us with this: ‘The demagogue is one who preaches doctrines he knows to be untrue to men he knows to be idiots.’
Green Hydrogen
Hydrogen is a carrier of energy, not a source. In most cases in our world today, it’s made by electrolyzing water, i.e., breaking down the H2O molecule to its component gases, using electricity from the grid. Since most of our grid energy derives from the consumption of fossil fuels that have negative effects on the environment, efforts are big taken to replace them with low-carbon sources, e.g., renewables and nuclear.
As discussed here, green hydrogen, or hydrogen created from electrolyzing water with low-carbon power, will likely be an important component of our energy mix as we enter the middle part of the 21st Century.
True, the processes by which hydrogen is made and consumed (through fuel cells) have low efficiencies; in total, only about half of the energy going in is ultimately available for use. But hydrogen is portable, making it ideal for the transportation sector that consists of large, heavy vehicles: ocean-going cargo ships, aircraft, and Class 8 trucks.
Storing energy in batteries and discharging them through motors is a far more efficient undertaking, but will battery technology improve to the point it becomes feasible for these purposes, and hydrogen becomes obsolete? It’s possible, but it’s good to know that hydrogen represents a solid solution if required.
Tagged with: electrolyzing water, fossil fuels have negative effects on the environment, green hydrogen, Hydrogen carrier of energy, hydrogen created from electrolyzing water with low-carbon power, low-carbon sources renewables and nuclear, most of our grid energy derives from the consumption of fossil fuels
Damage from Environmental Rollbacks: Uncertain
Here at 2GreenEnergy we’ve been trying to make readers aware of the “100” rollbacks in environmental protection that the Trump administration is inflicting on our planet. Well, the correct number is 99, and linked above is the status of each.
This underscores the importance of the upcoming election. Note how many of these atrocities are currently held up in court. If Trump is removed in November, most of the damage he intended to wreak will never actually happen; if he is re-elected, the cost will be incalculable, and the destruction, in many cases, irreparable.
Tagged with: Environmental Rollbacks
Trump and the Pandemic
A reader notes:
I want to stress the relative success that we have had compared to other first world countries. Here are the stats from John’s (sic) Hopkins updated today.
The first chart shows deaths per 100,000 in population by country ranking. The second shows the mortality rate per number of cases ranked by number of cases, but if you look at the ration (sic) of cases to deaths, we rank 49th on the list, ranked from worst to best…we have performed better than the UK, France, Italy, Belgium, Sweden, Australia, etc. (more…)
Tagged with: Trump blaming the pandemic on a variety of others and his "I take no responsibility" statements, Trump calling for various states to be "liberated", Trump challenging Dr. Fauchi on the facts of epidemiology, Trump delaying testing, Trump dismantling the pandemic response team, Trump holding superspreader rallies with no masks and social distancing, Trump leading a "lock her up" chant against the governor of Michigan, Trump lying about the severity of the disease, Trump making assertions about the ingestion of disinfectants the use of light in the patient's lungs, Trump making ridiculous claims about the end of the pandemic ("Like a miracle it will all be gone."), Trump supporting the governor of Florida in his opening up the state in the midst of spiking COVID cases
Poor, Rich People Very Different in Nature
I think almost everyone has observed this. All you have to do is deliver pizzas to a few mansions and others to a few trailer parks, and see where your tips come from. You’ll see this principal in action immediately.
There are several factors that may contribute here:
• Poor people know how far a few extra dollars go. (more…)
Tagged with: Poor and Rich People Very Different in Nature
True Christianity
In our ongoing quest here at 2GreenEnergy to find the most clever statement pointing out the difference between true Christianity from the GOP/evangelic sort, we offer this guy’s shirt.
If you want to argue about the validity of endless wars or the chasm between rich and poor, go for it. But please don’t claim Christ would have supported the torture of 70,000 children, hundreds of them under four years old.
Tagged with: True Christianity
Understanding The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
The meme here speaks to an important issue in current-day American society. Does the First Amendment protect all our speech, and is it acceptable for anyone to block it? This issue comes up constantly, though most people realize it’s a bit more nuanced than the buffoonery depicted here.
First, there is a difference between liking or disliking what someone is saying and blocking the proliferation of harmful lies. Suppose you want to express the completely baseless claim that Joe Biden traffics cocaine and little boys. Go for it, if you’re prepared to deal with the resultant slander cases that may result.
But can you expect that all media institutions, that may have standards about truth, have the obligation to publish and help you disseminate that? Does the First Amendment force electronic or print media sources to publish your bull****?
No, it doesn’t.
Wind Energy Physics Quiz
Here’s a video that will test your understanding of physics, if you don’t have a 5th or 6th grade education. It’s a wind turbine on a kite powered by eight motors that push the device into and through the wind (or something like that).
If you respond, “Well, you’re not going to get more energy out of this than you put into it, you have what it takes to graduate into junior high school.
Tagged with: Wind Energy Physics Quiz
Reasons To Support Trump
Check out the meme here, and then realize: it’s not quite right.
This excluded the amoral rich. Most rich people know that Trump is terrible for the country and the world at large, but he’s fabulous for them personally, and they couldn’t care less about anyone but themselves.
They make huge campaign contributions in exchange for tax breaks, and those gifts are worth every nickel.
Tagged with: Reasons To Support Trump
Business and Climate
Here’s a fabulous graphical presentation on how economic growth going forward and the proliferation of clean energy solutions are, in fact, one in the same.
It’s from the Years Project, whose mission is “to compel measurable and effective action on climate change through trusted storytelling across all media.” And damn, they’re good at it.
