I feel this issue acutely: I lived in north & central Florida for nearly 3 decades, and began my teaching career there in 1999. There are many excellent teachers in FL who are no doubt facing the crucial and heartbreaking choice now of whether to change careers or move out of state due to the foolishness they're being asked to display in their classrooms. I know several teachers who have left the profession due to low pay, lack of respect, and overall frustration.
Prager U is a tragic joke - a classic example of putting lipstick on a pig. Instead of honestly portraying itself as a conservative "think tank" (even that is a grotesque misnomer), it mispresents itself as an institute of higher learning. There is no attempt to hide the overt deception - it is right there in the name, for all to see. And yet millions of Americans still cite it as an authoritative source of information.
Speaking of Africa, there are a lot of very good things happening on that continent. Now that the colonizers have been mostly eradicated and the young people of the continent are being exposed to the Internet, I believe the next generation or two will produce some major accomplishments.
Because in the end, very good things tend to occur in spite of the best efforts of the monied interests.
Keep bashing Biden, nuclear, CCS, and prepare to enjoy swimming in 105 degree oceans. Just like the "Green" Party elected W and TFG, the inability of so many climate activists to be constructive serves the fossil fuel industry better than anything else.
I liked the article you cite from the Guardian as well, which is why I spread it around via this newsletter. And I note that it says: "we need to be more generous when dealing with our rivals. Intellectual disagreements can quickly descend into name-calling. Real conversation stops and we talk past one another instead. We become more focused on winning the argument than understanding the other side. This makes the climate solution space hostile, which is counterproductive considering we want the world’s best minds to be there."
It strikes me that you're probably the one coming close to the descent to name-calling here, and I hope, if you're going to stay engaged with this community, that you try not to do that. Communities are easily eroded, not by intellectual disagreement, but by carelessness and ego, as social media has long since shown. I do not want that to happen here.
As for not being constructive, I attempted to highlight and point people in the direction of someone--Jeff Berardelli--that I thought was doing an exemplary job of climate communication. He also seems to be a nice guy.
thank you Bill. Do you have access to figures that point to actual reduction of power being generated by fossil fuels even as we increase power produced by renewable fuels. My fear is that our society/economy is just adding on "green energy" use and increasing total energy demand and use, and total resource use - but not facing the need for reduction in total energy use - ie. degrowth in the industrial rich nations is essential - this is unfortunately happening with cars and trucks - the addition of electric vehicles is ADDING TO THE TOTAL NUMBER of vehicles around the world and in the US - not actually reducing the number of ICE vehicles....ie. these huge hunks of metal and other materials that we like to have as our personal transport pods (even if we plug them in) - are still not really changing how we operate in our biosphere. thanks, Jo Wright
You make two good points. In yesterday's Süddeutsche Zeitung there was an article about China, noting that while their installed base of photovoltaics is greater than the rest of the world combined, they are still building coal-fired power plants, and their emissions continue to increase. (They deserve at least a little sympathy on this because they are an emerging economy and are doing much of the emissions-intensive manufacturing formerly done in the west; unlike us, who continue to increase our lead as the highest per capita emitters on the planet.) As to cars, the ICE powered ones will start disappearing in a few years. As to their size, two factors are involved. Li-ion batteries have 1/20th the energy density of gasoline, so an EV needs a big, heavy battery for autonomous operation (but there is another way.) Compounding this is the consumer desire for long range between charges and the utterly absurd belief that bigger is better. The manufacturers encourage both aspects so they can sell big, expensive cars.
this was addressed to Jo's first post. As to the suggestion that people should abandon their principles in an election, I find it reprehensible. Instead of responding to Green positions, founded on science, the Democrats say, take it or leave it.
I realize as I reread my entry above it may sound like I am saying there's no point in transforming to electric vehicles and clean green sourced electricity - I am not saying that -I believe it is critical and extremely urgent that we immediately stop using all fossil fuels - urgently phasing out plastics as well as fossil fueled electricity generation and heating and cooking and so on - BUT I am wondering why in our general "green oriented" media we are not focusing more on the need for transformation of the way we use energy and the quantities of energy we use to fuel our way of life and being, even as we transform the source of energy production. Sorry to take up so much space - Jo
So excited for all the fashion info included. I’ve been looking into this for a newsletter to find I am WAY BEHIND things in progress already including the UN! Will keep working anyway especially watching ad after ad for SHEIN on platform X previously known as Twitter! Newsletter cannot possibly hurt; bring out practical aspects immediately as in water shortage 💦💦💦 by 2030 if changes in production not addressed! Bless you, Bill! 💃🏼💃🏼💃🏼
Fish and soft shell everything will be coming up precooked pretty soon, the Gulf states that keep electing idiots are going to lose their livelihoods and seafood lovers everywhere will be sol. Vote 💙
I feel this issue acutely: I lived in north & central Florida for nearly 3 decades, and began my teaching career there in 1999. There are many excellent teachers in FL who are no doubt facing the crucial and heartbreaking choice now of whether to change careers or move out of state due to the foolishness they're being asked to display in their classrooms. I know several teachers who have left the profession due to low pay, lack of respect, and overall frustration.
Prager U is a tragic joke - a classic example of putting lipstick on a pig. Instead of honestly portraying itself as a conservative "think tank" (even that is a grotesque misnomer), it mispresents itself as an institute of higher learning. There is no attempt to hide the overt deception - it is right there in the name, for all to see. And yet millions of Americans still cite it as an authoritative source of information.
Speaking of Africa, there are a lot of very good things happening on that continent. Now that the colonizers have been mostly eradicated and the young people of the continent are being exposed to the Internet, I believe the next generation or two will produce some major accomplishments.
Because in the end, very good things tend to occur in spite of the best efforts of the monied interests.
Yeah, I'm very glad I'm not teaching in Florida. Or truthfully anywhere else, because I'm not sure I've got the stamina to do it.
My brother retired as a public school teacher two years ago; I've rarely seen anyone work harder.
Keep bashing Biden, nuclear, CCS, and prepare to enjoy swimming in 105 degree oceans. Just like the "Green" Party elected W and TFG, the inability of so many climate activists to be constructive serves the fossil fuel industry better than anything else.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/jul/10/the-big-idea-why-climate-tribalism-only-helps-the-deniers
I liked the article you cite from the Guardian as well, which is why I spread it around via this newsletter. And I note that it says: "we need to be more generous when dealing with our rivals. Intellectual disagreements can quickly descend into name-calling. Real conversation stops and we talk past one another instead. We become more focused on winning the argument than understanding the other side. This makes the climate solution space hostile, which is counterproductive considering we want the world’s best minds to be there."
It strikes me that you're probably the one coming close to the descent to name-calling here, and I hope, if you're going to stay engaged with this community, that you try not to do that. Communities are easily eroded, not by intellectual disagreement, but by carelessness and ego, as social media has long since shown. I do not want that to happen here.
As for not being constructive, I attempted to highlight and point people in the direction of someone--Jeff Berardelli--that I thought was doing an exemplary job of climate communication. He also seems to be a nice guy.
Thank you
Thanks for your reply, Bill. I'm not sure where I called names. More:
https://www.mattball.org/2023/08/i-hate-it-when-right-is-right.html
thank you Bill. Do you have access to figures that point to actual reduction of power being generated by fossil fuels even as we increase power produced by renewable fuels. My fear is that our society/economy is just adding on "green energy" use and increasing total energy demand and use, and total resource use - but not facing the need for reduction in total energy use - ie. degrowth in the industrial rich nations is essential - this is unfortunately happening with cars and trucks - the addition of electric vehicles is ADDING TO THE TOTAL NUMBER of vehicles around the world and in the US - not actually reducing the number of ICE vehicles....ie. these huge hunks of metal and other materials that we like to have as our personal transport pods (even if we plug them in) - are still not really changing how we operate in our biosphere. thanks, Jo Wright
You make two good points. In yesterday's Süddeutsche Zeitung there was an article about China, noting that while their installed base of photovoltaics is greater than the rest of the world combined, they are still building coal-fired power plants, and their emissions continue to increase. (They deserve at least a little sympathy on this because they are an emerging economy and are doing much of the emissions-intensive manufacturing formerly done in the west; unlike us, who continue to increase our lead as the highest per capita emitters on the planet.) As to cars, the ICE powered ones will start disappearing in a few years. As to their size, two factors are involved. Li-ion batteries have 1/20th the energy density of gasoline, so an EV needs a big, heavy battery for autonomous operation (but there is another way.) Compounding this is the consumer desire for long range between charges and the utterly absurd belief that bigger is better. The manufacturers encourage both aspects so they can sell big, expensive cars.
this was addressed to Jo's first post. As to the suggestion that people should abandon their principles in an election, I find it reprehensible. Instead of responding to Green positions, founded on science, the Democrats say, take it or leave it.
I realize as I reread my entry above it may sound like I am saying there's no point in transforming to electric vehicles and clean green sourced electricity - I am not saying that -I believe it is critical and extremely urgent that we immediately stop using all fossil fuels - urgently phasing out plastics as well as fossil fueled electricity generation and heating and cooking and so on - BUT I am wondering why in our general "green oriented" media we are not focusing more on the need for transformation of the way we use energy and the quantities of energy we use to fuel our way of life and being, even as we transform the source of energy production. Sorry to take up so much space - Jo
i think it's just the right question, and i think we're at the point in the curve where those numbers should start to appear over the next two years or so--but you're right, the less total energy (and stuff) we use the better. some reflections of mine here https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/to-save-the-planet-should-we-really-be-moving-slower
So excited for all the fashion info included. I’ve been looking into this for a newsletter to find I am WAY BEHIND things in progress already including the UN! Will keep working anyway especially watching ad after ad for SHEIN on platform X previously known as Twitter! Newsletter cannot possibly hurt; bring out practical aspects immediately as in water shortage 💦💦💦 by 2030 if changes in production not addressed! Bless you, Bill! 💃🏼💃🏼💃🏼
Fish and soft shell everything will be coming up precooked pretty soon, the Gulf states that keep electing idiots are going to lose their livelihoods and seafood lovers everywhere will be sol. Vote 💙