Relevant and even prescient commentary on news, politics and the economy.

Too cheap to meter

Lewis Strauss, former chair of the AEC, coined the phrase “too cheap to meter” referring to the potential for nuclear power. It was a phrase I grew up hearing in Oak Ridge TN, but it never came to be, there or anywhere else. Now, the Wall Street Journal claims that day has arrived, not because […]

California Sues Exxon Over Decades of Plastics Deception in First-of-Its-Kind Lawsuit

by Edward Carver Common Dreams In a first-of-its-kind lawsuit, California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Monday sued oil giant ExxonMobil for allegedly deceiving the public about the recyclability of plastics so as to continue increasing production. The 147-page lawsuit, filed in San Francisco County Superior Court, came following a yearslong  investigation that environmental groups were hoping would lead to […]

Exposure to Air Pollution May Increase Antibiotic Use for Respirator Symptoms

by Chris Dall University Minnesota.edu “ambient air pollution and heightened antibiotic use” A new study by Spanish researchers suggests that short-term exposure to air pollution may be tied to increased antibiotic use in people experiencing respiratory symptoms. The study, was published in JAMA Network Open, found that increases of daily ambient air pollution in 11 Spanish cities over […]

Under Each of the Last Three Presidents, oil and gas production was higher at the End of Their term than the Beginning

When you read this, pay attention to who is funding who for the presidency. It is surprising and it is not surprising. We have heard this person who longs to be a president again and people still support this person? The energy companies backing are profit and control mongers. They see an opportunity and they […]

“pollution does not discriminate,” and if a regulating authority had to consider race in its enforcement decision making, it will “indeed participate in racism.”

A federal judge in Louisiana declares a state can not use race as a reason to reject a project which may cause pollution. Stating “’Pollution does not discriminate,’ and that if a regulating authority had to consider race in its enforcement decision making, it will ‘indeed participate in racism.’” The new ruling bars Louisiana from […]

Carbon capture and storage is a fantasy — and taxpayers are footing the bill

A relatively long piece on Carbon Capture by Vox. It does touch on every topic concerning capture and storage. Oil companies sold the public on a fake climate solution — and swindled taxpayers out of billions by Amy Westervelt Vox This spring, Democrats wrapped up a nearly three-year investigation into the fossil fuel industry’s role in climate disinformation […]

Methane, the other greenhouse gas

About 15 years ago, we replaced our electric stove and range, which was breaking, with a gas stove and range. I prefer cooking on gas. In addition to the oven and cooktop, we had a gas furnace, water heater and clothes dryer. To be fair, >80% of the electricity in Missouri at the time was […]

Colorado crop fraud

Farming is a risky business. Always has been. A federal program to keep farmers in business during droughts seems like a good idea to me. Sadly, it’s also a target for fraud: “On a normal day, the promising storms produced snow or rain that would fall onto a system of official weather stations at airstrips […]

How Clean Energy Can Benefit Climate, Communities, and Conservation

By Garry George Audubon The goal of conservation is to protect biodiversity and prevent species from disappearing. We often associate this work with the maintenance of natural areas, but Audubon’s science shows that bird populations are feeling impacts of climate change even in protected places like wildlife refuges. As just one example, Burrowing Owls are projected to lose […]