Some things make strong imprints on the mind. I treasure the 5 hour lectures and classes with Dr. Michael Buonanno that involved watching films of Dr. Jane Goodall’s tenacity, longevity, brilliant endurance, and comprehensive study of the natural world through a knowledgeable lens and a wealth of anthropological background.
We are currently in a state of national emergency thanks in no small part to the Trump administration’s muzzling of public health experts and slow response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As we all do our part to limit the extent of this outbreak, the Department of the Interior (DOI) instead appears to be more focused on advancing oil and gas interests and abusing the situation to avoid public scrutiny and input on its actions.
Elon Musk has purchased 1,200 ventilators from China and had them air lifted to Los Angeles. He says Tesla is gearing up to produce more at its factory in Fremont.
This sunshine week I would like to express my appreciation for all of the work that Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) officers at federal agencies have done and continue to do to ensure public access to government communications, records, and documents.
First, I am not a scientist. I think I have a knack for making a logical picture of a situation. Those pictures are often usable, and sometimes completely wrong.
We learned that the White House has held dozens of meetings on coronavirus that were considered “classified,” meaning that federal health officials, including experts, were unable to enter the room. Without experts in the room, how can we expect our government to follow the best available science on this rapidly developing issue and enact science-based policies that protect our health and safety during this pandemic?
I’m one of the extremely lucky ones on this planet to have been sent home with full pay during this coronavirus pandemic. I sit in the quiet isolation of my home and watch the world through my digital tools, and I’m puzzled by what I see — on many levels — ranging from toilet paper to trading stocks.
Tesla is well-placed with cash reserves for several months for several reasons.
Elon Musk’s ventilators and N95 masks can’t come quickly enough. The other day, I woke up to two news stories, one from The Advocate and one from CleanTechnica. The Advocate reported harrowing news, while CleanTechnica gave us a bit of hope. Here in Louisiana, our doctors and nurses are out of protective gear and fear they are infecting patients. Not to mention themselves. This is why the good news that CleanTechnica reported — Elon’s plans to deliver thousands of ventilators and hundreds of thousands of masks — brings a touch of relief. Hopefully, some of our hospitals can get some of those masks.
I spend probably far too much of my day reading about the COVID-19 pandemic. Sometimes I find stuff that’s uplifting and hopeful. Sometimes I find stuff that’s more or less terrifying. Much is up in the air because much is still unknown about the virus and its effects across a representative sample of humanity. A one percentage point difference on a variety of matters, including hospitalization rate of those infected and death rate of those infected, can result in an enormous difference across society. As far as I have seen, no one yet has a clear handle on some of these key factors, so keep that in mind as you read on (and share data in the comments if you think you have answers).
