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

Investing in Clean Energy and Sustainable Land and Resource Use

The last few weeks in Arizona, we have experienced higher than normal temperatures. Well, of course we are in Arizona, what would you expect? I am hearing from the longer term residents, about 10 degrees lower. It is not terribly hot. just unusual. I believe we face a greater danger from the building of more […]

Gasoline Prices, Trump Says . . .

As Americans Struggle With Soaring Prices, Trump Says $4 Gas Is ‘Not Very High,’ Common Dreams President Donald Trump on Thursday brushed off Americans’ concerns about paying $4 per gallon of gas, telling a group of reporters that this price is “not very high.” While speaking with journalists on the White House lawn, Trump was asked by a reported […]

“We make ourselves Poorer, Technologically Backward, and Less Influential”

The goal for China was always to be a global leader. Nothing has changed. My trips to various Chinese facilities building automotive components for US automotive countries, I could see how their technology was evolving. The United States did help them real such heights by sourcing production to their overseas plants. China could copy the […]

water security and food production

In Arizona, we are starting to see many proposals for data centers, Chip, etc. and similar manufacturers. It is interesting as there is a lot of obvious large building going on in Arizona. I would not think there is a lot of natural resource available to sustain the type of industry coming to Arizona. It […]

Supreme Court to hear arguments from oil and gas companies to block climate change lawsuits

– by Lindsay Whitehurst Public Broadcasting Service Associated Press  Supreme Court (Monday, February 23) it will hear oil and gas companies’ grievances and their attempt to block lawsuits holding the industry liable for billions of dollars in damage linked to climate change. The court agrees to take up the Boulder, Colorado case. This case is one […]

TVA clings to coal

I grew up in the land of the TVA in East Tennessee. While the TVA is famous for hydroelectric power, it also built several coal-fired generators and nuclear power plants. A couple miles from our house was the Bull Run steam plant, a coal-fired plant. Its iconic smokestack was visible for miles. Recently the plant […]

Trump as King Cnut

King Cnut (Canute) famously ordered the incoming tide to stop. It was an exercise in futility (to be fair, Cnut knew this and staged the event to prove that his royal power was worthless compared to the power of God). Donald Trump is the modern King Cnut, pretending to order away climate change. Trump, however, […]

Trump administration says scientists are wrong about the dangers of ‘climate change'”

Back to the future past: “Since Trump took office in January 2025, U.S. emissions have increased 1.9% largely because of the renewed use of coal, the dirtiest of the fossil fuels. The Environmental Protection Agency revoked the scientific finding that has been the basis for regulating emissions from cars and power plants since 2009.”  Climate […]

Pollution Costs vs Benefits of Clean Air

It has been a while since I have seen a rather good presentation analysis on how benefits gain out way the costs of pollution. In its brevity the analysis by Prof. McCabe offers up an excellent cost analysis which makes one wonder why? Why has the nation delayed in doing this if there is such […]

Congress and Administration Move Forward on Oil & Gas Leasing

A move by the Trump administration is unneeded as yield is less than the cost of producing. Taxpayers will be paying for a government boondoggle. “two lease sales generated less than one percent of the $905 million the taxpayers were promised.” Reiterating what was going on in 2017, stopped in 2020 (Biden), and back again in 2024 […]