Thank you for your work, Bill. It gives me hope. In Australia in 2026 I am working to reduce Labors majority at a state and federal level, replacing them with Greens and Independents. A " balanced" parliament is our best hope, since Labor, too, seems to be controlled by the fossil fuel industry.
Wishing all Americans who stand with you the best of luck in the midterms and beyond... everything depends on the gains u can make! 🤞🤞🤞
As a fellow Aussie, yes, definitely. The Federal Labor Party has been a huge disappointment - held hostage publicly by the MSM, noisily by the hollowed out shell opposition, and silently by the fossil fool industry. Even though many independents are not inherently Labor-leaning, they are all climate-aware, and can work with the Greens to actually start making a difference.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. It helps to keep things in perspective and where to focus the most effort.
I still think that too many Americans are unaware of the massive progress taking place in China and Australia and elsewhere and that this knowledge is the key.
Why?
Nothing seems to inspire Trump (and many others) like jealousy.
Yes, I am aware that he is trying to create conditions to favor his fossil fuel enablers, but he is also known to quickly abandon anything he might be widely seen as a "loser" and then attempt to tie himself to what is perceived as a "winner."
Honestly, the best thing that could happen would be for 60 minutes to make a large segment on how China and Australia and others are leaving us in the dust on green energy (with soaring views of the scale of their efforts) and how American business will not be able to compete with far more expensive old-hat fossil fuels to power their businesses, factories, and AI data centers. It takes relatively a short time to get solar going compared to drilling new wells or building nuclear power.
Even better would be if CBS pulled it at the last minute it and it got aired in Canada. There is nothing people want to see more than something people try to hide from them.
Miles O'Brien on PBS NewsHour also pointed out that shutting down offshore wind also made no sense in that many were already built - and were going nowhere. So how does them not producing energy change anything (security wise) not that I'm saying that is a valid argument as you point out above with your maps.
The other option would be some kind of global green energy awards show with the same incredible imagery and statistics as one might see from a 60 minutes program (and a very large very gold award statue).
Trump always wants an award too, as we have all seen. It could work.
Perhaps a new Nobel prize for green energy?
It is sad that facts alone do not work and one must resort to ego manipulation, but one can do both at the same time.
I am hopeful that plug in solar may help some and although I know it will not be a large percentage (or so they say) once people get started with solar they tend to get addicted to energy saving and producing.
When I started by backyard solar, I saved as much from conserving as I produced since I wanted to see if I could go off grid with what I had bought. Buying a watt meter was an eye opener.
So even now that they are not producing in mid-winter rain, since they are not a permanent set up, I am still saving 25%+ compared to last year on my electric bill from the strategies I learned and low watt appliances. Prices are falling fast for batteries and panels it seems too. My version of "plug in" was to plug into EcoFlow power banks rather than a wall and this is already legal to do since there is no grid or permanent installation. I wrote about it but no one seemed interested, oh well.
I have read and watched Saul Griffith's substack and enjoyed it in the past, so I will follow the link above. It seems he and I both have very old oil stained copies of "How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive: A Manual of Step-By-Step Procedures for the Compleat Idiot" from many many decades ago that we cherish. I got mine in the 1970s and keep it with my most prized possessions like my son's baby shoes.
mahalo, Bill for your life long work that ur doing for those that feel the same but don't talk about it much. I've been following you since the beginning of 350.org. Thanks for all that u have accomplished in your numerous jail visits for a bunch of "70 year old hippies"
Keep up your great work and thanks for writing about it in the crucial years.
Thank you for all you do, including passing Robert Frost’s cottage in the snow and telling us, way down here in Aotearoa NZ, where the pohutukawa trees are blooming and everyone is at the beach. Good luck for the battles ahead.
Thank you so much for using part of your "holiday rest" to once again educate, guide, and inspire all of us who "pledge their allegiance to the earth" (as I found on a beautiful postcard). You have guided my climate education ever since you launched 350.org, and your energy and example keep my activism going. Loved your reference to Robert Frost's poem.
Here in Maine we just got the first year of fence line data on hazardous VOC emissions from petroleum tank farms and it shows that neighborhoods near those fence lines are being subjected to harmful levels. The Maine DEP has been ignoring the threat but now we have the data thanks to Senator Anne Carney and LD 71. Just one more good reason for the solar revolution.
" My little 🐎🐴 horse must 🤔 think it weird to 🛑 stop without having a 🍺🍻 beer ‼️❓❓👌👹🎄🙏😇🎄💪🐯🐯🎄🎄♥️" The woods 🪵🪵 are lovely 🌹, dark 🕶️ and deep. But I have promises to keep, and miles to go B4 I sleep... Robert Frost Bite🎄🎄🐻🐻
C'mon 💵💸 Bill ‼️❓❓👌🤠You started the " Stopping by woods on a ❄️🌨️ snowy evening 🌆" jag. According to biographer Jay Parini, Frost commented that the poem is about a despondent man stopping to commit suicide, but his horse 🐴 🦜 talks him out of it. " He gives his harness 🔔🔔 bells a shake 🪇🤝 to ask if there is some mistake". " They will not see me 🛑 stopping here..." 🖖🦁
1. Regarding the North Slope energy equation etc: an oft-ignored fact is the the TAPS( trans Alaska pipeline system) has, like most pipelines a minimum flow rate below which energy intensive ($)measures like heating are required to keep the crude flowing. Today due to 45 years of depletion, the flow rates may be approaching this limit.
2. I never see this discussed in the press, but assuming it's correct cannot forsee any private investment without govt support to keep the pipeline open and profitable for the firms involved.
3. Opening up environmentally sensitive areas to keep the flow rate up and revenues flowing into Alaskan Government coffers seem a forgone conclusion .
4. I keep hearing so much about SMR etc- and never hear any discussion about the need for the US Government to indemnify nuclear operators and power plants as they have since the late 1950s. The pro business press seems to trumpet the 'new' nuclear development- if it's so good and safe, then let's demand private insurers and lenders offer coverage and fight against further govt subsidies.
Thank you for these helpful reports. It's easy to get mired in depressing news and hard to pull out of it with any hope for positive efforts on the part of our politicians and leaders of "big" business. Please continue to collect and spread crucial facts to arm citizens with the ammunition needed to destroy circulating lies.
Incredible framing on the centralization angle here. The fasict mindset favoring control over distributed systems is spot-on and honestly not discussed enoguh. I've noticed how local energy independence terrifies certain political structures because it literally removes leverage points. When northeast states start generating their own power like California has, they're basically becoming harder to economically coerce. The timing of these shutdowns isn't random at all.
Hi, Bill. I love your newsletter and was surprised when I saw your quote, 'If you commute on an e-bike 20 km a day, five days a week, your charging cost would be about $20—annually.' because I have an electric scooter with a range of about 100 KM. I was trying to add up to see if your numbers worked out for me; they do, with a couple of caveats. You'd need to have sufficient range to be able to charge at the lowest cost, rather than being forced to recharge at peak hours; you'd also need to take account of seasonal variability, other than that and even with those caveats, if never go back to a stinky, noisy petrol scooter. It would cost me about $8 a week, just for the inefficient fuel!
Let’s work to make the best happen. Please don’t ever give up, you’re the best.
You’re amazing. You’re pulling a lot of weight; I realize that. I have the utmost respect for you and your work. Thank you.
Thank you for your work, Bill. It gives me hope. In Australia in 2026 I am working to reduce Labors majority at a state and federal level, replacing them with Greens and Independents. A " balanced" parliament is our best hope, since Labor, too, seems to be controlled by the fossil fuel industry.
Wishing all Americans who stand with you the best of luck in the midterms and beyond... everything depends on the gains u can make! 🤞🤞🤞
As a fellow Aussie, yes, definitely. The Federal Labor Party has been a huge disappointment - held hostage publicly by the MSM, noisily by the hollowed out shell opposition, and silently by the fossil fool industry. Even though many independents are not inherently Labor-leaning, they are all climate-aware, and can work with the Greens to actually start making a difference.
Good summary! Where r u? Whats ur electorate?
S.E.NSW, on the coast: Bega Valley. Eden-Monaro. Kristi McBain tries hard, but the end point delivery overall is very disappointing. You?
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. It helps to keep things in perspective and where to focus the most effort.
I still think that too many Americans are unaware of the massive progress taking place in China and Australia and elsewhere and that this knowledge is the key.
Why?
Nothing seems to inspire Trump (and many others) like jealousy.
Yes, I am aware that he is trying to create conditions to favor his fossil fuel enablers, but he is also known to quickly abandon anything he might be widely seen as a "loser" and then attempt to tie himself to what is perceived as a "winner."
Honestly, the best thing that could happen would be for 60 minutes to make a large segment on how China and Australia and others are leaving us in the dust on green energy (with soaring views of the scale of their efforts) and how American business will not be able to compete with far more expensive old-hat fossil fuels to power their businesses, factories, and AI data centers. It takes relatively a short time to get solar going compared to drilling new wells or building nuclear power.
Even better would be if CBS pulled it at the last minute it and it got aired in Canada. There is nothing people want to see more than something people try to hide from them.
Miles O'Brien on PBS NewsHour also pointed out that shutting down offshore wind also made no sense in that many were already built - and were going nowhere. So how does them not producing energy change anything (security wise) not that I'm saying that is a valid argument as you point out above with your maps.
The other option would be some kind of global green energy awards show with the same incredible imagery and statistics as one might see from a 60 minutes program (and a very large very gold award statue).
Trump always wants an award too, as we have all seen. It could work.
Perhaps a new Nobel prize for green energy?
It is sad that facts alone do not work and one must resort to ego manipulation, but one can do both at the same time.
I am hopeful that plug in solar may help some and although I know it will not be a large percentage (or so they say) once people get started with solar they tend to get addicted to energy saving and producing.
When I started by backyard solar, I saved as much from conserving as I produced since I wanted to see if I could go off grid with what I had bought. Buying a watt meter was an eye opener.
So even now that they are not producing in mid-winter rain, since they are not a permanent set up, I am still saving 25%+ compared to last year on my electric bill from the strategies I learned and low watt appliances. Prices are falling fast for batteries and panels it seems too. My version of "plug in" was to plug into EcoFlow power banks rather than a wall and this is already legal to do since there is no grid or permanent installation. I wrote about it but no one seemed interested, oh well.
I have read and watched Saul Griffith's substack and enjoyed it in the past, so I will follow the link above. It seems he and I both have very old oil stained copies of "How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive: A Manual of Step-By-Step Procedures for the Compleat Idiot" from many many decades ago that we cherish. I got mine in the 1970s and keep it with my most prized possessions like my son's baby shoes.
mahalo, Bill for your life long work that ur doing for those that feel the same but don't talk about it much. I've been following you since the beginning of 350.org. Thanks for all that u have accomplished in your numerous jail visits for a bunch of "70 year old hippies"
Keep up your great work and thanks for writing about it in the crucial years.
With aloha, jimskyguy
Thank you for all you do, including passing Robert Frost’s cottage in the snow and telling us, way down here in Aotearoa NZ, where the pohutukawa trees are blooming and everyone is at the beach. Good luck for the battles ahead.
Thank you so much for using part of your "holiday rest" to once again educate, guide, and inspire all of us who "pledge their allegiance to the earth" (as I found on a beautiful postcard). You have guided my climate education ever since you launched 350.org, and your energy and example keep my activism going. Loved your reference to Robert Frost's poem.
Next year’s primaries are the most important elections of our lifetimes.
Here in Maine we just got the first year of fence line data on hazardous VOC emissions from petroleum tank farms and it shows that neighborhoods near those fence lines are being subjected to harmful levels. The Maine DEP has been ignoring the threat but now we have the data thanks to Senator Anne Carney and LD 71. Just one more good reason for the solar revolution.
Thank you for all your work, your research and writings are very important to me.
Yes, to me too, in northeast England.
" My little 🐎🐴 horse must 🤔 think it weird to 🛑 stop without having a 🍺🍻 beer ‼️❓❓👌👹🎄🙏😇🎄💪🐯🐯🎄🎄♥️" The woods 🪵🪵 are lovely 🌹, dark 🕶️ and deep. But I have promises to keep, and miles to go B4 I sleep... Robert Frost Bite🎄🎄🐻🐻
His house 🏡 is in the village though...
C'mon 💵💸 Bill ‼️❓❓👌🤠You started the " Stopping by woods on a ❄️🌨️ snowy evening 🌆" jag. According to biographer Jay Parini, Frost commented that the poem is about a despondent man stopping to commit suicide, but his horse 🐴 🦜 talks him out of it. " He gives his harness 🔔🔔 bells a shake 🪇🤝 to ask if there is some mistake". " They will not see me 🛑 stopping here..." 🖖🦁
1. Regarding the North Slope energy equation etc: an oft-ignored fact is the the TAPS( trans Alaska pipeline system) has, like most pipelines a minimum flow rate below which energy intensive ($)measures like heating are required to keep the crude flowing. Today due to 45 years of depletion, the flow rates may be approaching this limit.
2. I never see this discussed in the press, but assuming it's correct cannot forsee any private investment without govt support to keep the pipeline open and profitable for the firms involved.
3. Opening up environmentally sensitive areas to keep the flow rate up and revenues flowing into Alaskan Government coffers seem a forgone conclusion .
4. I keep hearing so much about SMR etc- and never hear any discussion about the need for the US Government to indemnify nuclear operators and power plants as they have since the late 1950s. The pro business press seems to trumpet the 'new' nuclear development- if it's so good and safe, then let's demand private insurers and lenders offer coverage and fight against further govt subsidies.
Thank you for these helpful reports. It's easy to get mired in depressing news and hard to pull out of it with any hope for positive efforts on the part of our politicians and leaders of "big" business. Please continue to collect and spread crucial facts to arm citizens with the ammunition needed to destroy circulating lies.
Incredible framing on the centralization angle here. The fasict mindset favoring control over distributed systems is spot-on and honestly not discussed enoguh. I've noticed how local energy independence terrifies certain political structures because it literally removes leverage points. When northeast states start generating their own power like California has, they're basically becoming harder to economically coerce. The timing of these shutdowns isn't random at all.
Hi, Bill. I love your newsletter and was surprised when I saw your quote, 'If you commute on an e-bike 20 km a day, five days a week, your charging cost would be about $20—annually.' because I have an electric scooter with a range of about 100 KM. I was trying to add up to see if your numbers worked out for me; they do, with a couple of caveats. You'd need to have sufficient range to be able to charge at the lowest cost, rather than being forced to recharge at peak hours; you'd also need to take account of seasonal variability, other than that and even with those caveats, if never go back to a stinky, noisy petrol scooter. It would cost me about $8 a week, just for the inefficient fuel!
I did a blog post about my scooter's range here - https://benvost.fr/2025/08/05/scooter-range/
maybe put up information about THIRD ACT here so people can donate and sign up to help…Peace in all things..