When supply becomes an ecological value and demand becomes a value of human need, the new dynamics of society as a living system begins. James Quilligan Thinking about where and why we invest capital, and what it costs us, is one of the critical considerations in examining late stage capitalism. The sanctity of our concept of Read More
Category Archives: Say What?
Energy Source Comparison
Energy Source Comparison Energy Source Pros Cons Solar Energy Non-polluting Most abundant energy source available Systems last 15-30 years High initial investment Dependent on sunny weather Supplemental energy may be needed in low sunlight areas Requires large physical space for PV cell panels Limited availability of polysilicon for panels Wind Energy No emissions Affordable Little Read More
Use It or Lose It!
The goal of a post-carbon energy system, at least as we’re currently (ahem!) pursuing it, can’t happen without storage. Batteries where power can be kept until needed are woefully inadequate now, but incremental progress is being made. Whether it will mature quickly enough remains to be seen. Read about it here.
Pandemic Price Guide
It was widely reported this morning that Pfizer Pharmaceuticals is finding positive results in the Phase Two trials of a vaccine for Covid-19 protection. The federal effort to secure an effective vaccine may not play out as promised, however. The nearly $2 billion dollars it placed on the table sounds formidable but may in fact Read More
Food and Climate
Are you willing to change your diet to save the planet? What if you learned that farts are releasing as much methane into the atmosphere as oil & gas exploration? This is classically “food for thought.” In an article about the Paris Accords by Henry Fountain in today’s New York Times Digest (no link available), climate Read More
Robber Barons of the 21st Century
While high-tech Mandarins continue to accumulate staggering wealth, and the Revenge of the Nerds assumes dominance in the economy, service sector jobs make up most of the rest of what’s available in the marketplace and the pay sucks. The pandemic has convincingly demonstrated, among other notable inequities, that most of the “essential workers” keeping society Read More
Pay It Forward
The thing about change is that it usually is forced on us. Few of us go there willingly, foregoing the familiar for a venture into the unknown. When truly dramatic change happens, like the world wide pandemic we are suffering, all the pain is readily apparent. But sometimes, too, the sheer magnitude of the disruption Read More
Power Play
It may surprise you to know where your electricity comes from. This state-by-state look at the sources of power generation over the past 20 years is provided by Nadja Popovich and Brad Plumer in The New York Times edition of Oct. 28, 2020.
Police: their uses and abuses
Being a good cop might be the toughest job in the world. Maybe that’s why there are so few of them. Fortunately, there are some very good cops. Peace officers who walk the talk about “Protect and Serve.” Men and women in blue who do their level best to treat people, all people, fairly and Read More
World Population Through History
Our world is rife with problems. Many of them, some would say most of them, are related to the earth’s burgeoning population. A fascinating look at the growth of population world-wide from humankind’s earliest days to the present can be found HERE.