Quick Empathy Test
Suppose you’re:
A parent of a 9-year-old girl who was brutally raped, or
The wife of a man killed by a hit man his business partner hired, or (more…)
Tagged with: Quick Empathy Test
Quick Physics Problem Debunks Claim
Can 60 minutes on this bicycle power your home for a day? Let’s think about that for a moment. Let’s assume the guy in the pic here is a trained Olympic athlete and can generate 350 Watts. Thus in 60 minutes he can generate 0.35 kWhrs of energy. Since the average house uses 29 KWhrs of electricity per day, 83 cyclists would be required to meet the claim.
Tagged with: Physics Problem
Trump and Military Injustice
I recently realized that I should reach out to a boyhood friend who had spent his entire career in military justice and ask him about one of the important matters of the day. A few years ago he retired after serving more than 30 years in the U.S. Marine Corps’ Judge Advocate system, handling criminal cases involving USMC personnel of all types and ranks. (more…)
Tagged with: Trump and Military Injustice
No Checks, No Balances
As young Americans grow up, we are told that their country is superior to all others, largely on the basis that we are all free to act according to our wishes, and the only thing reining in our choices is rule of law, i.e., that there is one set of laws that applies equally to each and every one of us. (more…)
Is It Possible for Trump to “Cross the Line?”
U.S. President Donald Trump Impeachment
A few days after he was inaugurated President of the United States, Donald Trump said about his base, “I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters.” To our horror, it appears to be true. (more…)
Tagged with: trump criminal
News in Energy Storage
Energy storage consulting group CleanHorizons offers this week’s top five projects in this space: (more…)
Tagged with: integrating large percentages of variable energy these resources, methane leakages releasing large amounts of this highly potent greenhouse gas into the atmosphere, microgrids, storage completes with gas peaker plants, Storage is a key ingredient in dealing with the variability of solar and wind
From Guest Blogger Mattea Jacobs: How to Beat the Winter Cold in Your Home by Keeping Things Energy Efficient
As much as I love summer, I welcome the winter with open arms as it is that cozy time of year when my family and I can enjoy some quality time indoors and snuggle up with a warm cup of cocoa under the blankets in front of Netflix. (more…)
From Guest Blogger Emily Folk: Why Agriculture Can Be Hugely Influential In Energy Transformation
Agriculture – Warning sign posted in celery field
While farming and agriculture do provide benefits to the environment through the production of healthy crops, there is a more negative impact too. Through the use of heavy machinery and fuel-powered equipment, it also contributes significantly to environmental problems via emissions and the like. A great deal of energy is necessary to keep equipment operational even off the field. (more…)
Ever-Widening Wealth Inequality Spells Trouble
As we look at the graphic here, comparing wealth inequality in the United States with that of Western Europe, we need to understand that there are both moral and practical problems associated with this phenomenon.
Most people have ethical issues with the idea that, in the richest country in the history of humankind, 21% of children (that’s 15 million) live in poverty, and people who can’t afford prescription drugs are dying of treatable diseases. (more…)
Tagged with: Wealth Inequality
Trump Appalling? Isn’t That the Entirety of His Brand?
This morning, the President of the United States sent a tweet to his followers mocking Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old girl with Asperger’s, who stands at the center of the rally for climate change mitigation.
Thunberg was named Time magazine’s Person of the Year earlier this week over Trump, and thus 60+ million twitter readers saw this on the feeds: “So ridiculous. Greta must work on her Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Greta, Chill!”
Now, of course, there are those who say this is appalling behavior, referring, one presumes, to its pettiness, its meanness of spirit, and its urinating on the dignity of the presidential office.
What these people are failing to understand, however, is that this is precisely what got Trump into office, and what has kept his approval rating from falling below 40%. He’s a small, nasty, emotionally deranged bully, and that’s precisely why almost half of this country thinks he’s a terrific president. If you want to be appalled at something, this is where you might want to focus your attention, not on Trump himself.
