I so love your columns. My husband makes breakfast and I read your column to him while he cooks.
I wish there were more opportunities for those on the lower income bracket to take advantage of solar. We have almost qualified, to be stymied by some wrench being thrown in at the last minute.
What Biden did was laudatory, but it seemed those already with higher incomes were the ones who got to take advantage, as few on the lower income scale could afford to.
Thank you again, for your uplifting and extremely informative posts.
Yes, I had the same issue with the incentives not providing enough for lower income folks, so I found some workarounds which also save me money on utilities.
I bought the RV style solar panels and simply put them in the yard and hook them up to camping style power station batteries which I got on sale. I then use them while they are charging as well as overnight and plug certain appliances into them.
Also, buy a watt tester for 15 dollars or less. This is good for finding out which appliances use more than they should. Most of my savings is from conserving.
Now, I live in a mild climate, so I am lucky.
I could not afford a heat pump, so I use a dehumidifier for heat in winter and ones that are large enough to heat a room run between 250 and 230 watts and cost between 150-200 dollars. I have smaller ones for summer since I live in a damp climate and they use 115 watts and keep my home dry but do not produce much heat, they are my biggest energy use appliances in summer since they have to run when it is foggy and damp. Because of my massive mature trees, I do not need AC, but I live in a mild climate, as well.
However, they do make portable heat pumps which are not expensive that you can vent out a window, but they use a bit more energy than a dehumidifier, but they also provide more heat, as well as cooling if need be, but I do not need more. If I need a bit more I pair my dehumidifier with a small 250 watt heater that I bought a thermostat for.
My largest home savings was simply turning off the water heater and by getting more efficient air cleaners since they run 24/7 at now about 8-14 watts each. Then it is using the dehumidifiers for heat in winter, of course.
I heat water on an induction cooktop for a shower in a 12 qt stockpot and use a camping USB showerhead pump combo. This is roughly 300 watts or less to heat and the pump is almost zero in energy use, I rarely have to recharge it. (compared to thousands of watts a day for a water heater). One can use the same stock pot to heat water for dishes or put water in a cup in the micro and use that to wash a few items.
Now, this may seem extreme, but it was nice to get a 12 dollar electric bill last summer.
Sadly, this year, they have added a service charge to my electric bill, more than doubling my electric bill, but still cheap-ish. I wish they would give us a free hour midday to charge up from solar from the grid like they do in Australia, and if they did that, I would get another battery.
So, right now I am using about 1 - 1.5 kWh from the grid per day and about 2-4 from my solar and batteries (since I can use while charging I get more). Like I said, they were cheap, so not much in kWh, but enough to run a small fridge long enough to freeze ice in 1 gallon bottles to use overnight and turn my fridge into an ice box.
For travel, I simply have set aside one day per week to make a loop for groceries and hardware and I seem to be getting it down to less than a week, meaning only 2 tanks of gas for the whole year in my economy ICE vehicle. I do dream of an EV though so I can go places again. I love to go places, but we can't be putting more in the air if we can avoid it at all.
What works for me will not work for everyone, since it depends also on the size of your household. For example, an induction cooktop runs at 1500 watts/5 = 300 watts for 12 minutes of heating for hot dish water or 1/5 of an hour of heating.
However, if you have a large number of people showering, obviously the savings starts to erode for heating on a cooktop, and simply getting a timer for your water heater and being more scheduled about it might work better. It depends on if your main concern is time or money, as well.
I have the time to do these things. Heating water hot enough for a shower is only abt 8 minutes or abt 200 watts.
These tips are also ways for some in mild climates who are still using natural gas for water heating and house heating to ditch the gas and shut it off by using a cooktop for water heating and dehumidifier for home heat in winter, as a way to not get a massive electric bill when switching to all electric, if you can't afford all the bells and whistles like rooftop solar, and a installed heat pump, etc. The small dehumidifiers can also be used to dry clothes hanging in the bathroom to replace a gas clothes dryer, but I often simply opt for the laundromat for larger items anyway. If you live where it is dry in winter, an ultrasonic humidifier (only 17 watts) paired with the dehumidifier works well, too and solves that problem, they are not expensive.
What you have done is exactly the sort of inspired adaptation that will be the most important force in moving to alternative energy. The fundamentals of energy use and technology should be included in every school curriculum. If even children can pick up how to use a smart phone they should easily grasp the basics of energy use.
Thank you, but it is also that necessity inspires invention and other less affluent people globally are doing what I am doing, but did not have to perhaps shut off appliances they never had, like a gas stove or large water heater. They often, just like me, are going to YouTube to find out how to set up solar in their yards, etc. since it is now a cheap form of energy for one's home. I went to solar lab and Jasonoid on YouTube for how to hook up in parallel and series so I did not have to buy the far more expensive on-brand panels that come with the power stations. It is far more affordable to do the RV style, etc. I do not go over 400 watts and end up staying well under 60 volts and under 15 amps so my system is pretty darn safe. People should still be cautious and connect them while shading them since shade simply turns them off. Some use cardboard to cover while connecting or you can connect in the early morning hours and wait for the sun. My level of charging is not very dangerous though. If I had all 4 panels in series though it would not only be more volts than recommended for my power station, it could be dangerous. I also put fuses in the line, although my panels could handle the amps based on how I have them connected, but I am over cautious, because if I do something dumb one day, and connect them wrong, I do not want to ruin my panels.
Yes, you were able to collect information and make it work for you, as well as going beyond conventional commercial solutions. I've been working from a similar playbook. The limits for safety must be understood in all technology, hence the need for including it in a readily accessible form as an option in schools, say middle grades. My basic education started with books published in the 70's, and then keeping up as things evolved. I knew when I reached my limit because the cost got too high. Cruising at a workable and cheaper speed suits me well enough, and as prices drop I can upgrade.
It is ironic that in his stubborn determination to recreate the world of his childhood, Donald Trump is undermining the American strength he values so highly. He is doubling down on coal and oil just as the world leaves them behind, and abandoning the growth industries of the future, wind and solar. America will end up poorer and weaker for his efforts.
I'm not sure if he really values anything highly other than money, but if you mean what he pretends to value or an industrious prosperous nation, yes, the hypocrisy of them not embracing all of these wonderful new and green innovations is quite clear.
Let's not get stuck on thinking about Trump and the USA. We will not lead the transition, instead poor countries will. They need your help.
In Africa most cars are old cars imported from a rich country. Gas guzzlers. Between that and all those backyard electricity generators 24% of what Africa imports is fossil fuels. Too much. If you have $25 parked long term in a savings account, you could join the crowd financing these 2 electric cars for taxi drivers in Africa. Repayment expected over 38 months. The taxi drivers will make lots more money. In Africa, financing is difficult to get.
Which, of course, is his only goal. He has no interest in anything else - the whole purpose of installing himself as president was money & power - period!
In climate change politics, Trump is just a front man for the petro-plutocracy. As a matter of public record, the campaign of public disinformation and political subversion by fossil fuel producers and investors began in the 1950s, when scientists funded by an industry group informed them that their product's socialized emissions costs "may ultimately prove of considerable significance to civilization" (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/jan/30/fossil-fuel-industry-air-pollution-fund-research-caltech-climate-change-denial). In the ensuing decades, while the Koch family weren't the only carbon capitalists to invest in obstructing collective intervention in their profits, they've wielded the greatest influence on American politics. Again, this isn't just conspiracist ideation, but abundantly documented. Award-winning investigative reporter Jane Mayer ("Dark Money") said, in a 2019 book review (https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/kochland-examines-how-the-koch-brothers-made-their-fortune-and-the-influence-it-bought):
"If there is any lingering uncertainty that the Koch brothers are the primary sponsors of climate-change doubt in the United States, it ought to be put to rest by the publication of 'Kochland: The Secret History of Koch Industries and Corporate Power in America,' by the business reporter Christopher Leonard. This seven-hundred-and-four-page tome doesn’t break much new political ground, but it shows the extraordinary behind-the-scenes influence that Charles and David Koch have exerted to cripple government action on climate change."
Good news (?) Bill, we here in Canada share American blindness to the trend of direction for energy. We are both on the wrong road, but at least we are not alone!
The Iran is estimated to cost 100 billion and not all settled yet, and 300 billion to rebuilt. The cold event that hit Texas in 2017 from worsening events such as this due to climate change impact on the Jet Streams, Arctic Vortex changes, and influence of now,Quasi Ressonace Rossby waves, cost about 200 million, that one smack alone. These type events happening much more often and will get worse.
Good point. Geopolitical pressures will certainly be felt differently in energy-producing regions like Texas. Still, the definition of energy security itself may be changing.
Someday…SOME DAY…Republicans will pay a price for severely damaging America’s climate , economy and public health on behalf of the fossil fuel corporations
We are all one. One Planet. One climate. One World. One Earth. Not just America, but the whole planet. And those who contribute least and gain the least will be hit the hardest. But we will ALL pay the price. We go down together. ... or we can rise UP together too.
Until that happy day when more Republicans become climate activists, we can be planetary citizens. For example, will you help finance these 2 electric cars for taxi drivers in Africa? https://www.kiva.org/lend/3192962 There most cars are used ones imported from some rich country. Africa is the dumping ground for old cars. So 24% of what they import is fossil fuels. So much it holds them down. Once we get these two drivers into new electric cars, they will make lots more money and the air in their city will be a hair cleaner. In Africa financing is difficult to come by.
Outstanding Journalism. I am so grateful to be on your follower list. Thank you for the work you do to inform, inspire and shine a light, a beacon of hope.
The number of Americans who are very worried about climate heating is horribly low because of the mass production of ignorance by right wing media and lack of ethics and professional competence in “mainstream” media. Sadly, a critical mass of voters will not realize that right wing media and corrupt right wing politicians have been lying to them about the climate until there is overwhelming catastrophe. Mainstream media will not effectively educate the public until there are multiple overlapping catastrophes. This society is proving that appropriate policies to end the dominance of fossil fuels will not happen without numerous rapid-fire climate disasters. If this El Niño makes that happen, I will send it roses.
While "mainstream" media has a lot to answer for historically, some outlets are now more honestly addressing climate politics. The NYTimes, for example, pushed journalistic false balance into the 2010s. But in a company memo in 2016, the NYT's Executive Editor officially declared climate change "the most important story in the world". By 2017, the NYT news division was explicitly calling out false statements by the first Trump administration in the lead paragraphs of its climate stories. Climate coverage is now copious on its online front pages. Commenting on those articles is lively, and overwhelmingly in favor of collective decarbonization.
My concern is with the non-mainstream, social-media outlets, that capture their audience by telling it only what it wants to hear. But attributing America's lack of progress toward decarbonization solely to "the media", mainstream or otherwise, elides a lot of qualifying clauses. And it denies individual voter agency. For Trump's working-class base, skepticism of climate change and opposition to green regulations are deeply tied to cultural identity and job security (e.g., in coal and manufacturing states). Trump acts as a populist champion tapping into genuine (however misguided) voter resentment against "elites" and global climate initiatives. IMHO, we've got the government a bare majority of us deserves.
Excellent response. Thank you. However, I might add that corrupt dissemination of disinformation about the climate and fossil fuels by right wing media needs to become the story. Even the NYT has not yet made it an ongoing front page story that, for example, Fox “News” works diligently on behalf of the “Merchants of Doubt,” to use the phrase from Naomi Oreskes.
I agree the role of communications media in promoting obstructionist disinformation needs more exposure. Are you familiar with the Covering Climate Now journalism initiative (https://coveringclimatenow.org)? The Guardian (formerly the Manchester Guardian) is a partner. I've come to rely on the venerable 'Graun', now a non-profit corporation supported by an endowment and donations, for continuing coverage of for-profit decarbonization obstructionism.
Also, I'm a lifelong New Yorker magazine subscriber. I consider it a highly credible source for in-depth analyses of plutocratic skullduggery. For example, I frequently cite Jane Mayer, author of 2016's "Dark Money", a longtime investigative reporter for the magazine. You might like this New Yorker item from 2020: "How Should the Media Talk About Climate Change?" (https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/how-should-the-media-talk-about-climate-change). I didn't have to log in to read it.
Yale found that lots of folks are alarmed but alarmed alone, with nearly nobody to talk to about it. And most aren't doing anything about it. They would if someone asked them to. Do you help people gather together for our climate? Do you ask people to do something specific?
The most consequential private action any US voter can take is to vote Democratic in every election, at least until some Republican candidate publicly endorses collective decarbonization.
How about a pitch for the soil carbon sequestrion of using organic no till with cover crops. It has worked for me for fifteen years. The increase of worms and improved soil texture added to the carbon which no till soils sequester could make a big reduction in our carbon polution. Added to this home or local no till provides a way to say no to profit maximizing corporations which don't care about our climate or healthy food.
Thank you for the link to Daniel Swain’s forecast. Greater possibility of heat domes plus already droughty conditions have me thinking I’ll see some smoky skies in Seattle this summer. We’ve had days when we had the worst urban air in the world. Looks like they may be coming back.
My prior comment had a "bigly" error. The climate event that hit Texas in 2017, the estimated damage was not 200 million, but 200 BILLION, more than the cost of the attacks on Iran, so mother nature can smack very hard. and not yet showing her strength
There is just no end to the ignorance, (of our #stupidestpresidentever), evil & corruption of this American gov't. I am so ashamed of our country — I don't even know if we can ever redeem ourselves.
I appreciate reading well-informed, well-argued, clearly written pieces that find a real bright side in an otherwise gloomy-seeming situation. It is encouraging to know that we are approaching a tipping point with respect to our dangerous dependence on fossil fuels, and that the slope down the renewable side (particularly solar and wind) looks promising. Promising because realistic.
I so love your columns. My husband makes breakfast and I read your column to him while he cooks.
I wish there were more opportunities for those on the lower income bracket to take advantage of solar. We have almost qualified, to be stymied by some wrench being thrown in at the last minute.
What Biden did was laudatory, but it seemed those already with higher incomes were the ones who got to take advantage, as few on the lower income scale could afford to.
Thank you again, for your uplifting and extremely informative posts.
Yes, I had the same issue with the incentives not providing enough for lower income folks, so I found some workarounds which also save me money on utilities.
I bought the RV style solar panels and simply put them in the yard and hook them up to camping style power station batteries which I got on sale. I then use them while they are charging as well as overnight and plug certain appliances into them.
Also, buy a watt tester for 15 dollars or less. This is good for finding out which appliances use more than they should. Most of my savings is from conserving.
Now, I live in a mild climate, so I am lucky.
I could not afford a heat pump, so I use a dehumidifier for heat in winter and ones that are large enough to heat a room run between 250 and 230 watts and cost between 150-200 dollars. I have smaller ones for summer since I live in a damp climate and they use 115 watts and keep my home dry but do not produce much heat, they are my biggest energy use appliances in summer since they have to run when it is foggy and damp. Because of my massive mature trees, I do not need AC, but I live in a mild climate, as well.
However, they do make portable heat pumps which are not expensive that you can vent out a window, but they use a bit more energy than a dehumidifier, but they also provide more heat, as well as cooling if need be, but I do not need more. If I need a bit more I pair my dehumidifier with a small 250 watt heater that I bought a thermostat for.
My largest home savings was simply turning off the water heater and by getting more efficient air cleaners since they run 24/7 at now about 8-14 watts each. Then it is using the dehumidifiers for heat in winter, of course.
I heat water on an induction cooktop for a shower in a 12 qt stockpot and use a camping USB showerhead pump combo. This is roughly 300 watts or less to heat and the pump is almost zero in energy use, I rarely have to recharge it. (compared to thousands of watts a day for a water heater). One can use the same stock pot to heat water for dishes or put water in a cup in the micro and use that to wash a few items.
Now, this may seem extreme, but it was nice to get a 12 dollar electric bill last summer.
Sadly, this year, they have added a service charge to my electric bill, more than doubling my electric bill, but still cheap-ish. I wish they would give us a free hour midday to charge up from solar from the grid like they do in Australia, and if they did that, I would get another battery.
So, right now I am using about 1 - 1.5 kWh from the grid per day and about 2-4 from my solar and batteries (since I can use while charging I get more). Like I said, they were cheap, so not much in kWh, but enough to run a small fridge long enough to freeze ice in 1 gallon bottles to use overnight and turn my fridge into an ice box.
For travel, I simply have set aside one day per week to make a loop for groceries and hardware and I seem to be getting it down to less than a week, meaning only 2 tanks of gas for the whole year in my economy ICE vehicle. I do dream of an EV though so I can go places again. I love to go places, but we can't be putting more in the air if we can avoid it at all.
Wow, you are so ambitious and industrious. Good for you!
Good tips, thanks.
I hope it helps.
What works for me will not work for everyone, since it depends also on the size of your household. For example, an induction cooktop runs at 1500 watts/5 = 300 watts for 12 minutes of heating for hot dish water or 1/5 of an hour of heating.
However, if you have a large number of people showering, obviously the savings starts to erode for heating on a cooktop, and simply getting a timer for your water heater and being more scheduled about it might work better. It depends on if your main concern is time or money, as well.
I have the time to do these things. Heating water hot enough for a shower is only abt 8 minutes or abt 200 watts.
These tips are also ways for some in mild climates who are still using natural gas for water heating and house heating to ditch the gas and shut it off by using a cooktop for water heating and dehumidifier for home heat in winter, as a way to not get a massive electric bill when switching to all electric, if you can't afford all the bells and whistles like rooftop solar, and a installed heat pump, etc. The small dehumidifiers can also be used to dry clothes hanging in the bathroom to replace a gas clothes dryer, but I often simply opt for the laundromat for larger items anyway. If you live where it is dry in winter, an ultrasonic humidifier (only 17 watts) paired with the dehumidifier works well, too and solves that problem, they are not expensive.
My home is now electric only, as well.
What you have done is exactly the sort of inspired adaptation that will be the most important force in moving to alternative energy. The fundamentals of energy use and technology should be included in every school curriculum. If even children can pick up how to use a smart phone they should easily grasp the basics of energy use.
Thank you, but it is also that necessity inspires invention and other less affluent people globally are doing what I am doing, but did not have to perhaps shut off appliances they never had, like a gas stove or large water heater. They often, just like me, are going to YouTube to find out how to set up solar in their yards, etc. since it is now a cheap form of energy for one's home. I went to solar lab and Jasonoid on YouTube for how to hook up in parallel and series so I did not have to buy the far more expensive on-brand panels that come with the power stations. It is far more affordable to do the RV style, etc. I do not go over 400 watts and end up staying well under 60 volts and under 15 amps so my system is pretty darn safe. People should still be cautious and connect them while shading them since shade simply turns them off. Some use cardboard to cover while connecting or you can connect in the early morning hours and wait for the sun. My level of charging is not very dangerous though. If I had all 4 panels in series though it would not only be more volts than recommended for my power station, it could be dangerous. I also put fuses in the line, although my panels could handle the amps based on how I have them connected, but I am over cautious, because if I do something dumb one day, and connect them wrong, I do not want to ruin my panels.
Yes, you were able to collect information and make it work for you, as well as going beyond conventional commercial solutions. I've been working from a similar playbook. The limits for safety must be understood in all technology, hence the need for including it in a readily accessible form as an option in schools, say middle grades. My basic education started with books published in the 70's, and then keeping up as things evolved. I knew when I reached my limit because the cost got too high. Cruising at a workable and cheaper speed suits me well enough, and as prices drop I can upgrade.
Sounds to me like your husband drew the short straw, Mary. Bill McKibben is indefatigable.
???
I dont see either of you "drawing the short straw" - sounds to me like a perfect marriage!! And believe me, there arent a lot of those.
AI can read the articles now. Sorry Mary you're no longer needed. 😄
But, who wants to listen to AI? Maybe an IA robot.
It is ironic that in his stubborn determination to recreate the world of his childhood, Donald Trump is undermining the American strength he values so highly. He is doubling down on coal and oil just as the world leaves them behind, and abandoning the growth industries of the future, wind and solar. America will end up poorer and weaker for his efforts.
I'm not sure if he really values anything highly other than money, but if you mean what he pretends to value or an industrious prosperous nation, yes, the hypocrisy of them not embracing all of these wonderful new and green innovations is quite clear.
Let's not get stuck on thinking about Trump and the USA. We will not lead the transition, instead poor countries will. They need your help.
In Africa most cars are old cars imported from a rich country. Gas guzzlers. Between that and all those backyard electricity generators 24% of what Africa imports is fossil fuels. Too much. If you have $25 parked long term in a savings account, you could join the crowd financing these 2 electric cars for taxi drivers in Africa. Repayment expected over 38 months. The taxi drivers will make lots more money. In Africa, financing is difficult to get.
https://www.kiva.org/lend/3192962
Yes, but he will end up richer.
Which, of course, is his only goal. He has no interest in anything else - the whole purpose of installing himself as president was money & power - period!
Yes, although I suspect a highly narcissistic ego motivates him as well.
Apparently he is unaware that he can't take it w/ him. I don't believe he gives a damn about his family.
In climate change politics, Trump is just a front man for the petro-plutocracy. As a matter of public record, the campaign of public disinformation and political subversion by fossil fuel producers and investors began in the 1950s, when scientists funded by an industry group informed them that their product's socialized emissions costs "may ultimately prove of considerable significance to civilization" (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/jan/30/fossil-fuel-industry-air-pollution-fund-research-caltech-climate-change-denial). In the ensuing decades, while the Koch family weren't the only carbon capitalists to invest in obstructing collective intervention in their profits, they've wielded the greatest influence on American politics. Again, this isn't just conspiracist ideation, but abundantly documented. Award-winning investigative reporter Jane Mayer ("Dark Money") said, in a 2019 book review (https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/kochland-examines-how-the-koch-brothers-made-their-fortune-and-the-influence-it-bought):
"If there is any lingering uncertainty that the Koch brothers are the primary sponsors of climate-change doubt in the United States, it ought to be put to rest by the publication of 'Kochland: The Secret History of Koch Industries and Corporate Power in America,' by the business reporter Christopher Leonard. This seven-hundred-and-four-page tome doesn’t break much new political ground, but it shows the extraordinary behind-the-scenes influence that Charles and David Koch have exerted to cripple government action on climate change."
I'm so glad the NSA reversed course on that ocean monitoring system.
Thank you for another fine report, Bill.
Good news (?) Bill, we here in Canada share American blindness to the trend of direction for energy. We are both on the wrong road, but at least we are not alone!
History may remember this period as the moment when clean energy ceased to be merely an environmental choice and became a geopolitical necessity.
Yes, but that will happen first in countries that mostly import their fossil fuels. That's most countries. But not my place, Texas.
The Iran is estimated to cost 100 billion and not all settled yet, and 300 billion to rebuilt. The cold event that hit Texas in 2017 from worsening events such as this due to climate change impact on the Jet Streams, Arctic Vortex changes, and influence of now,Quasi Ressonace Rossby waves, cost about 200 million, that one smack alone. These type events happening much more often and will get worse.
Good point. Geopolitical pressures will certainly be felt differently in energy-producing regions like Texas. Still, the definition of energy security itself may be changing.
Someday…SOME DAY…Republicans will pay a price for severely damaging America’s climate , economy and public health on behalf of the fossil fuel corporations
We are all one. One Planet. One climate. One World. One Earth. Not just America, but the whole planet. And those who contribute least and gain the least will be hit the hardest. But we will ALL pay the price. We go down together. ... or we can rise UP together too.
Until that happy day when more Republicans become climate activists, we can be planetary citizens. For example, will you help finance these 2 electric cars for taxi drivers in Africa? https://www.kiva.org/lend/3192962 There most cars are used ones imported from some rich country. Africa is the dumping ground for old cars. So 24% of what they import is fossil fuels. So much it holds them down. Once we get these two drivers into new electric cars, they will make lots more money and the air in their city will be a hair cleaner. In Africa financing is difficult to come by.
Your blog today goes to the mayor of my city. He may well want a tip on where to seek info on solar panels.
Thanks so much for every word you write and then we can read and then do what we must‼️
Outstanding Journalism. I am so grateful to be on your follower list. Thank you for the work you do to inform, inspire and shine a light, a beacon of hope.
The number of Americans who are very worried about climate heating is horribly low because of the mass production of ignorance by right wing media and lack of ethics and professional competence in “mainstream” media. Sadly, a critical mass of voters will not realize that right wing media and corrupt right wing politicians have been lying to them about the climate until there is overwhelming catastrophe. Mainstream media will not effectively educate the public until there are multiple overlapping catastrophes. This society is proving that appropriate policies to end the dominance of fossil fuels will not happen without numerous rapid-fire climate disasters. If this El Niño makes that happen, I will send it roses.
While "mainstream" media has a lot to answer for historically, some outlets are now more honestly addressing climate politics. The NYTimes, for example, pushed journalistic false balance into the 2010s. But in a company memo in 2016, the NYT's Executive Editor officially declared climate change "the most important story in the world". By 2017, the NYT news division was explicitly calling out false statements by the first Trump administration in the lead paragraphs of its climate stories. Climate coverage is now copious on its online front pages. Commenting on those articles is lively, and overwhelmingly in favor of collective decarbonization.
My concern is with the non-mainstream, social-media outlets, that capture their audience by telling it only what it wants to hear. But attributing America's lack of progress toward decarbonization solely to "the media", mainstream or otherwise, elides a lot of qualifying clauses. And it denies individual voter agency. For Trump's working-class base, skepticism of climate change and opposition to green regulations are deeply tied to cultural identity and job security (e.g., in coal and manufacturing states). Trump acts as a populist champion tapping into genuine (however misguided) voter resentment against "elites" and global climate initiatives. IMHO, we've got the government a bare majority of us deserves.
Excellent response. Thank you. However, I might add that corrupt dissemination of disinformation about the climate and fossil fuels by right wing media needs to become the story. Even the NYT has not yet made it an ongoing front page story that, for example, Fox “News” works diligently on behalf of the “Merchants of Doubt,” to use the phrase from Naomi Oreskes.
I agree the role of communications media in promoting obstructionist disinformation needs more exposure. Are you familiar with the Covering Climate Now journalism initiative (https://coveringclimatenow.org)? The Guardian (formerly the Manchester Guardian) is a partner. I've come to rely on the venerable 'Graun', now a non-profit corporation supported by an endowment and donations, for continuing coverage of for-profit decarbonization obstructionism.
Also, I'm a lifelong New Yorker magazine subscriber. I consider it a highly credible source for in-depth analyses of plutocratic skullduggery. For example, I frequently cite Jane Mayer, author of 2016's "Dark Money", a longtime investigative reporter for the magazine. You might like this New Yorker item from 2020: "How Should the Media Talk About Climate Change?" (https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/how-should-the-media-talk-about-climate-change). I didn't have to log in to read it.
Thank you
You are right. It is the movie Idiocracy in real time.
Yale found that lots of folks are alarmed but alarmed alone, with nearly nobody to talk to about it. And most aren't doing anything about it. They would if someone asked them to. Do you help people gather together for our climate? Do you ask people to do something specific?
https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/segmenting-the-climate-change-alarmed-active-willing-and-inactive/
The most consequential private action any US voter can take is to vote Democratic in every election, at least until some Republican candidate publicly endorses collective decarbonization.
Here in Houston we are addressing postcards to voters that don't always vote. Our card asks them to vote. It's a campaign of Third Act. https://thirdact.org/act/write-postcards-to-voters-main/
Thanks for the great e-newsletters.
How about a pitch for the soil carbon sequestrion of using organic no till with cover crops. It has worked for me for fifteen years. The increase of worms and improved soil texture added to the carbon which no till soils sequester could make a big reduction in our carbon polution. Added to this home or local no till provides a way to say no to profit maximizing corporations which don't care about our climate or healthy food.
Yes, as the oil age ends, the soil age begins. Here's a way to support sequestering carbon in soil in Africa.
https://www.kiva.org/lend/3179522
Thank you for sharing this link!!! I LOVE this. I will be participating in this one.
Thank you for the link to Daniel Swain’s forecast. Greater possibility of heat domes plus already droughty conditions have me thinking I’ll see some smoky skies in Seattle this summer. We’ve had days when we had the worst urban air in the world. Looks like they may be coming back.
My prior comment had a "bigly" error. The climate event that hit Texas in 2017, the estimated damage was not 200 million, but 200 BILLION, more than the cost of the attacks on Iran, so mother nature can smack very hard. and not yet showing her strength
There is just no end to the ignorance, (of our #stupidestpresidentever), evil & corruption of this American gov't. I am so ashamed of our country — I don't even know if we can ever redeem ourselves.
I appreciate reading well-informed, well-argued, clearly written pieces that find a real bright side in an otherwise gloomy-seeming situation. It is encouraging to know that we are approaching a tipping point with respect to our dangerous dependence on fossil fuels, and that the slope down the renewable side (particularly solar and wind) looks promising. Promising because realistic.