July has really come out swinging with hot weather. It came in hot and dry and now we get hot and humid. In reality, I do not know which one I prefer or, rather, hate less.
There is something pernicious about hot and dry weather in a place accustomed to a certain level of moisture. Here in eastern Iowa plants began to go dormant and things get all crinkly as it dries out. This is not western Colorado where the plants are adapted to this kind of weather. It was somewhat of a relief when some drenching rains happened over the past few days and the green returned.
On to the links…
Are We Having Too Much Fun?—I remember a discussion I had with an Iranian ex-patriate who was studying at the University of Minnesota when I was an undergraduate at the Minneapolis campus. He said that his biggest problem with American society was that we trivialized everything until, at seemingly random intervals, something began to matter. It did not make sense to him. It does not make sense to me when put that way.
The Life-Changing Magic of Making Do—Barring some major external event—depression, war, etc.—I doubt that we will ever embrace a relationship with our stuff that is fundamentally different versus today’s paradigm. However, it is something to strive for on an individual level and hope for the best.
America’s Addiction to Absurdly Fast Shipping has a Hidden Cost—Our addiction to stuff is just a problem. Why do we feel the need to buy so much stuff? When did shopping become an activity in and of itself?
Workers with Short or ‘Active’ Commutes are Happier Campers—From the land of “obvious conclusions from studies that did not need to be conducted” comes this gem. Spend a week in a long commute and you will understand why shorter commutes make for happier people.
US Energy-Related CO2 Emissions Expected to Fall this Year, Almost Solely Due to a Drop in Coal Use—So, how do we drive coal to zero? More solar. More wind. More energy efficiency. It is not a complicated blueprint.
Fiscal Collapse of Coal Towns Increasingly Likely, New Research Shows—States like Wyoming, which is reliant on coal dollars, are going to have to deal with the reckoning of coal’s collapse sooner rather than later. These declines usually happen in a stair step, as opposed to linear pattern, as major suppliers are driven out of business and no one steps in to resume operation.
The Game-Changing Spark Iowa’s Solar Industry Needs Could be in Louisa County—We have a lot of wind power built out in Iowa and more is on the way. Solar could be the next big buildout that pushes Iowa to a nearly carbon free electricity grid.
Minnesota Utilities Weigh Energy Storage as Substitute for Peaker Plants—We are now reaching a point when renewable energy storage, through a variety of mechanisms, is considered a viable alternative to conventional natural gas “peaker” plants.
Fossil Fuels Increasingly Offer a Poor Return on Energy Investment—The economics are turning against fossil fuels.
Former Rick Perry Staffer Raises Six-Figures for Trump’s Reelection Campaign—Donald Trump’s presidency is the best thing that money can buy for the energy industry.
Government Watchdog Fears EPA’s New Climate Scientists Are Not Vetted And Have Conflicts of Interest—I will save everyone the effort: anyone who goes to work in the Trump administration is likely to have not been vetted, probably lacks credible experience, and is riven with conflicts of interest.
Scotland Generated Enough Wind Energy to Power its Homes Twice—There was a time when pundits said that renewable energy could never power more than 5% of the grid. Then it became 10% and has been revised upward ever since. Now places like Scotland are generating more power from renewables than needed.
Can Mass Timber Reform Construction’s Carbon Footprint?—Combined with a program of extensive reforestation I believe that mass timber can be the construction method of the future carbon neutral world.
This Colorado Ranch-Made-Lab is Turning Beetle-Kill Trees into Lumber in the Name of Forest Health—Trinchera Blanca Ranch is a living, breathing example of how regenerative ecology can work.
Jump Aboard the eDumper, the World’s Largest Electric Vehicle—Most of us think of Tesla Model 3s or Nissan Leafs when we think of EVs, but maybe we should think of something like the eDumper?
The Humble Pea is America’s Favorite New Crop—One of the upsides to products like the Impossible Burger is that there is a growing demand in the marketplace for peas, which can supplant commodity crops like corn and soybeans.
Clothing You Don’t Have to Wash, Explained—Is this really a good idea?
San Francisco: Wealthy Opponents of New Shelter Claim Homeless are Bad for Environment—We have really reached peak California with this NIMBYism. At what point do we just call out California for the hypocrisy that permeates everything?
My Green Misadventure 