Here are four very serious problems with natural gas: (1) drilling & fracking cause major emissions that harm the health of people and animals within a mile or so of the site; (2) indoor uses of natural gas (including in gas stoves) produce nitrous oxides that endanger people's health; (3) fracking wastewater is toxic and often highly radioactive; and (4) natural gas is a … [Read more...] about What’s so bad about natural gas?
Climate
Although many climate topics are intertwined with energy use, this category may include some posts that relate to both. The climate category can also include discussion of how the climate is changing, causes other than energy, such as releases of methane, nitrous oxides, and most refrigerants; also deforestation and agriculture that is not organic/regenerative.
Bright Green Lies
This book made me recall the line 'Stop the world — I want to get off'. (I think it's actually the title of a Broadway musical back in the 1960s.) I won't attempt to do a review of Bright Green Lies,* but the opening gives you a glimpse of the problem: “We need to stop being guided by the general story that we can have it all,” Derrick concluded, “that we can have an … [Read more...] about Bright Green Lies
Neocolonialism v. Stewardship & Rights of Nature
It's widely accepted that electric vehicles [EV] are a solution to the fossil-fuel problem. Unfortunately, the huge demand for lithium and other minerals is actually creating another massive wave of environmental degradation and environmental injustice. Have we learned nothing in the last 100 years about the disastrous effects of colonialism and irresponsible extraction‽ We … [Read more...] about Neocolonialism v. Stewardship & Rights of Nature
Reimagining our relationship with nature
Truthout just published a good story titled 'Let’s Accept Climate Science — And Also Reimagine Our Relationship to the Earth'. One thing the makes this article unique is its recognition that our relationship to climate change is not only a scientific one — in fact, for most of us, the science is not as important as other aspects. Science is critical in our understanding of … [Read more...] about Reimagining our relationship with nature
Urgent climate action can secure a liveable future
INTERLAKEN, Switzerland, March 20, 2023 —There are multiple, feasible and effective options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to human-caused climate change, and they are available now, said scientists in the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report released today. “Mainstreaming effective and equitable climate action will not only … [Read more...] about Urgent climate action can secure a liveable future
Plastics — a ‘toxics crisis’ from cradle to grave
We knew plastics are harmful, but a new report by the Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health makes clear just how much harm plastics do at every step of their lifecycles. As reported in Inside Climate News, "…global plastic production, use and disposal patterns are responsible for significant harm to human health, the environment, and the economy, and are … [Read more...] about Plastics — a ‘toxics crisis’ from cradle to grave
Will Democrats shape real climate action?
On Christmas Day, a natural gas processing plant in southwest PA caught fire, and several sources said that anyone calling the DEP emergency line to report the incident got only a voicemail. DEP denied these claims. DEP critics said the agency is ineffective in dealing with industry and communicating with the public. “They could have provided a much more detailed and … [Read more...] about Will Democrats shape real climate action?
A Template for Climate Action and Community Energy
While this story is set in San Diego, the strategies and actions used there are equally applicable here. Please take a few minutes to read this — and then see what you can do to bring about the needed changes here. (With respect to Community Choice Aggregation [CCA], our challenge here might include enabling legislation at the state level.) Here's an excerpt that introduced … [Read more...] about A Template for Climate Action and Community Energy
Global warming outstrips predictions
An environmental writer said that worst-case climate scenarios are now obsolete, since “if countries achieve the net-zero pledges that they have already put on the table, warming will stay under 2°C.” What are the chances that countries will meet their pledges‽ So far, the worst GHG emitters, including the US, are nowhere near being on track with their pledges. According to … [Read more...] about Global warming outstrips predictions
No Miracles Needed
How wind, sun, and water can power the world Mark Stanford, who teaches civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University, makes the case that existing technologies for renewable energy and energy conservation can meet all our energy needs. A January 23 article in The Guardian gives a brief recap: “ ‘No miracles needed’: Prof Mark Jacobson on how wind, sun and … [Read more...] about No Miracles Needed