Looking out my window here in Vermont, I can see the storm clouds are gathering, and they are not pretty. There are two storms that I see, but they are are not weather. I hope they will not hit here too badly. I expect one will hit Washington D.C. pretty hard. And with it, I expect the Republican Party will be hurting.
I was delighted to discover, shortly after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico on September 20, that Donald Trump understood that the island commonwealth is part of the United States. Perhaps he knew that all along, or perhaps someone told him. Either way, the island is entirely without grid power and has the prospect of remaining without grid power for months. It is appalling that citizens of the United States are so exposed to hardship.
Imagine being at a really great indoor rock concert. You got a really good seat, about 5 rows back from the stage and right in the center of the theater. Exiting out will be a chore, because there are 10 or 15 seats between you and either aisle, but the seat is so good that you are willing to take a few minutes longer getting out.
In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Ben Van Beurden, the CEO of Royal Dutch Shell, said his company had changed its mindset to a “lower forever” price of oil. Perhaps the most significant thing about his new position is that it refers to a change in “mindset,” rather than mere adoption of a new business plan.
A number of people made some really interesting comments on my recent CleanTechnica article, “Mark Z. Jacobson & The 100% Renewable Energy Naysayers.” Some of these had to do with the problem of getting the last 20% of our energy from renewable sources, after we got to the 80% mark.
A study by Prof. Mark Z. Jacobson of Stanford and 9 others, 100% clean and renewable wind, water, and sunlight (WWS) all-sector energy roadmaps for the 50 United States (Roadmap), has been very much in the news over the past few weeks. It was published just over two years ago, but a controversial article in response appeared only in the past few weeks. It is clear to me that much reported in the wider media on these two articles has been wrong.
Researchers from Michigan Technological University (MTU) recently published a study, “Potential Lives Saved by Replacing Coal with Solar Photovoltaic Electricity Production in the U.S.” According to the study, ditching coal in favor of solar power would save nearly 52,000 lives in the United States each year. The deaths arise from such medical conditions as asthma, lung cancer, other pulmonary diseases, heart attacks, congestive heart failure, and strokes.
A small loss of revenue can sometimes produce large financial losses, putting profits into negative territory. In a stressed company, this can end in complete collapse.
The Vermont Public Service Board has sent recommendations to the legislature for new sound standards for utility-scale wind projects. Critics say the standards are so strict that the effectively kill development of wind power in the state.
In my experience, when an educated person denies that human-caused climate change is happening, the reason can usually be traced to something that has to do with money. You can argue about science, ethics, national security, religion, or whatever else you might like, but their politics revolve around the issue of ownership, and the bottom line is the bottom line. Most conservatives are unmoved unless issues are expressed financially in some way.
