Tag: Green Technology

Always Controversial

Closing Thought–29Apr20

Filmmaker Michael Moore seems to always be in the middle of some controversy or another……usually from the Right….but his new film has Green Power activists upset…..the Left is upset….WTF?

Michael Moore is used to taking all kinds of criticism over his films. His new one, however, offers a twist on that. Many environmentalists and other usual Moore supporters on the left are outraged over the documentary Planet of the Humans, while conservative sites, including Breitbart, are singing its praises. Coverage:

  • The film: You can watch it on YouTube. Moore is an executive producer, while Jeff Gibbs, who has collaborated with Moore frequently, is the director and narrator.
  • The premise: The film aims to call out hypocrisy in the green movement, particularly in regard to solar energy, electric cars, and big environmental groups such as the Sierra Club, per Gizmodo. It casts “renewables as no better than fossil fuels and environmental groups as sleek corporate outfits in bed with billionaires helping kill the planet,” writes Brian Kahn. The film argues that population control is perhaps the best answer to the planet’s problems, though Kahn complains that interviews conducted to buttress this point have “more than a whiff of eugenics and ecofascism.”
  • The criticism: Fellow documentary maker Josh Fox (Gasland) is leading the charge against the movie with a petition that is gaining steam. His letter calls the film “shockingly misleading” and says it “touts blatantly untrue fossil fuel industry talking points,” reports the Guardian.
  • Briefly pulled: One of the movie’s distributors, Films for Action, took down the film temporarily after declaring it was “full of misinformation.” However, the company later rescinded the move, saying it didn’t want claims of censorship to give the movie “more power and mystique than it deserves.”
  • Detailed critique: At Vox, UC Santa Barbara assistant professor Leah C. Stokes provides a detailed takedown of the movie. Among other things, she says it uses old data on electric cars and wind and solar energy, adding that “the largest share of the movie’s scorn goes to biomass—generally, burning wood—which supplied less than 2% of the US electricity mix last year.” The filmmakers, though, “obscure that fact, showing graphs that imply biomass is leading to forest destruction across the US.” The movie inexplicably goes after green groups instead of fossil fuel companies or utilities, she writes, and her essay’s headline calls the film a “gift to big oil.”
  • Al Gore a target: The film goes after green heavyweights, including Bill McKibben, co-founder of 350.org, who has fired back with a defense. It also lays into Al Gore, suggesting that his famous An Inconvenient Truth documentary might have been timed to help Gore’s green investments.
  • Moore’s take: Promo material for the film calls attention to the coronavirus pandemic. “This film is the wake-up call to the reality we are afraid to face: that in the midst of a human-caused extinction event, the environmental movement’s answer is to push for techno-fixes and band-aids,” reads a promo cited by Real Clear Politics. “It’s too little, too late.” The promo adds that “getting a grip on our out-of-control human presence and consumption” is “the only thing that MIGHT save us.”

Has Moore gone over to the Radical Right?

Moore gets raked over the coals…..https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/04/28/demoralizing-new-michael-moore-film-attacks-climate-movement-time-when-solutions

All this PR can only be good for the profits of the film….I know I am a cynic….but questions need answers.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

The Green New Deal

Now here is one of those topics that can be lied about for political gain. Most conserv carve out one small piece and make it the center of attention…..

I will admit that it is intended to fight the effects of climate change but there is more to the “Deal” than just that…….there is an infrastructure bill in there as well…(remember that promise by our Supreme Leader?)

The Green New Deal is a 10-year plan introduced by Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Markey to mobilize every aspect of American society toward 100% clean and renewable energy, guarantee a good job to all members of our society, and create economic prosperity for all. The goals of the Green New Deal are:

  • to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions through a fair and just transition for all communities and workers;

  • to create millions of good, high-wage jobs and ensure prosperity and economic security for all people of the United States;

  • to invest in the infrastructure and industry of the United States to sustainably meet the challenges of the 21st century;

  • to secure clean air and water, climate and community resiliency, healthy food, access to nature, and a sustainable environment for all people of the United States for generations to come; and

  • to promote justice and equity by stopping current, preventing future, and repairing historic oppression of indigenous peoples, communities of color, migrant communities, de-industrialized communities, depopulated rural communities, the poor, low-income workers, women, the elderly, the unhoused, people with disabilities, and youth.

You can bet that this proposal will be hit by all sorts of claims from both sides…the corporatists will fight it tooth and nail (watch who gets the most cash from corporations)…..

Soon to be released research from the United Nations is expected to place species loss, a/k/a mass extinction, as an environmental threat equal to or greater than climate change. Industrial agriculture— vast expanses of monoculture crops managed with chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides, will feature prominently as a cause. This plant agriculture supplies people with increasingly toxic and processed food and antibiotic and hormone dependent factory farms with animal feed.  Together, these link the model of capitalist efficiency economists have been selling for the last two centuries to environmental crisis.

Understanding the theoretical precepts of Western economics is crucial to understanding these crises. Capitalism is scientific economic production, a method in search of applications. Its object is to maximize profits, not to growth nutritious food sustainably. As industrial agriculture has demonstrated, these objectives are antithetical. Crop yields have increased as the nutritional value of the food produced has declined. But far more troublingly, the narrow focus on profits has led to a form of environmental imperialism where interrelated ecosystems are viewed atomistically.

https://www.counterpunch.org/2019/03/29/re-the-green-new-deal-first-shoot-the-economists/

(It is a shame that a disclaimer had to be inserted at the beginning of the above piece)

Are the media making a big deal out of the Green New Deal?

Nope!  They are not making much of something that is overwhelmingly desired by Dem voters…….

The global climate crisis and Medicare for All are top issues for a large majority of Democratic voters, according to new polling results published Tuesday by CNN.

The survey (pdf), conducted last week, asked Democrats and left-leaning Independents how important they considered certain policy items.

Most people polled said it is somewhat or very important that the Democratic candidate for president in 2020 support party priorities like stricter gun laws, tuition-free public college, impeaching President Donald Trump, paying reparations to slaves’ descendants, and restoring voting rights for all convicted felons.

But two issues stood out at the top.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/04/30/more-90-democratic-voters-want-2020-candidate-make-climate-action-and-medicare-all

And yet there are Dem reps that will not sign on to these bills and are always looking for ways to protect their donors in the corporate sphere (cowards in my book)……

Time for both these ideas to get the media they deserve and the media that the voter deserves.

One last thought…….

Is Ethanol The Answer?

My Earth Day continues………..

Of course, almost yearly we here some goon spout the energy dependency thing…..and after that we here all the bobble heads chanting……”Drill Bay Drill”……and as always I ask….who will do the drilling?   If the answer is BP or Shell or Exxon then there is NO independence from oil….these goofs control the price….no matter where they drill….stop!  And smell the manure that is being spread!

Then there is all the buzz about natgas and ethanol……..and ethanol is where this post is going today……

(Newser) – President Obama, and President Bush before him, fought hard to make ethanol a central part of American energy. But an AP investigation finds that the program as it stands may be doing far more environmental harm than good. The effort to grow corn for fuel has meant the destruction of more conservation ground than “Yellowstone, Everglades, and Yosemite National Parks combined”—some 5 million acres. Billions of pounds of fertilizer have tainted drinking water, rivers, and wildlife habitats; wetlands and prairies have been ruined; and the farming process releases carbon dioxide once held in the soil.

“This is an ecological disaster,” says an environmental advocate. In fact, some environmental groups and big oil companies are fighting on the same side against the ethanol mandate. The Obama administration argues that even if such programs take a toll now, they’re an investment in future renewable energy that may be cleaner. But the AP investigation indicates that the White House is taking an unrealistically rosy view of the program—boosting corn yield assumptions, for instance, to make ethanol sound as green as possible. In further ethanol news:

  • The White House may actually be poised to reduce the amount of ethanol required in fuel blends, Politico notes. A draft of an EPA document set for release today suggests a drop to 2012 levels amid clashes between top special-interest groups.
  • The AP is getting some serious flak for its investigation from the ethanol industry, which calls it “rife with errors.” “There is probably more truth in this week’s National Enquirer than AP’s story,” says an advocate. But the AP points to government data and peer-reviewed journal articles to back its claims.
  • For a brief overview, the AP offers up a fact sheet.

We can pretend all we like but ethanol is not the answer….may be, at best, one of the pillars of Independence….but by NO means a solitary solution.

Going Green!

I know that a lot of what I post is “doom and gloom”……sadly there is more of that than good news……but from time to time I do run across a story that has merit as good news……and those I try to share with my readers whenever possible.

Our dear Prez came into the Oval office with such promise he had a vision of a more green country……a country that would break its dependency on coal and oil…….he and his people wanted to help America fight its addictions.  Sad to say he has not been very successful……..GOp and its big oil and coal handlers were doing everything to make his agenda nothing more than a fleeting dream……at least he had a dream and the willingness to try and pursue it….that is a lot more than many of his predecessors had tried….

The US may be failing in its attempt to go green…..some are doing what we could not……ever hear of Bhutan, a tiny nation just north and west of India?  From an article in Natural Society……..

Perhaps you remember a nation that proclaimed gross domestic happiness was more important than gross domestic product? Well, the very same country, Bhutan, nestled in the Himalayan mountains, has decided to become the first 100% organic nation. Anthony Gucciardi previously reported on this exciting news, but it’s so exciting that we need to report on it again with some new information.

With a population of 700,000 people, Bhutan is known as a country of farmers. If they didn’t think they could feed a large population on organic crops, they wouldn’t declare organic farming to be the best form of agriculture for their country with a comprehensive plan to make the change.

Last month at the Prime Minister Jigmi Thinley told his government he is developing a National Organic Policy because the country’s farmers are increasingly convinced that “by working in harmony with nature, they can help sustain the flow of nature’s bounties.”

Many farmers like to use chemical fertilizers, even in Bhutan, because they believe it enriches their soil and helps to keep diseases and pest in check, but admirably, the Prime minister, as well as an Australian advisor to  Bhutan named Andre Leu, Bhutan says that all-out organic farming is very doable. Leu has said, “I don’t think it’s going to be that difficult given that the majority of the agricultural land is already organic by default.” This is because the expensive fertilizers used by U.S. farmers are not readily available to most farmers in Bhutan.

The World Food Program states that Bhutan grows primarily rice, corn, and potatoes as well as oranges, but is it possible as organic food demands increase, that farmers in Bhutan can start to enjoy demand for more varied crops? Currently most organic farms in Bhutan are not certified (only 1% of all organic food is currently ‘certified’ organic) but if the whole country becomes organic, might it not enjoy larger exports of pure, non GMO food? Right now Bhutan exports red beans to U.S. companies like Whole Foods, but as the new all-organic program spreads, and farmers in Bhutan are trained in new methods that will help them grow organic and become closer to self-sufficiency, we might see ‘made in Bhutan’ more often as a welcome change to the frankenfoods being offered by companies in our own country.

With current and past research finding that GMOs lead to tumor in rats, severe stomach inflammation in pigs, and increased disease rates, it’s more important than ever to spread to the word on the importance of going organic and shifting to sustainable, safe farm practices. It is you who will ignite change.

Okay I can hear all the twats yelling that it is a small backwards country that has little to lose by trying this……..I have only one thing to say to any criticism……at least they, the Bhutanese, have the courage to make change…..something the US has yet to muster……COURAGE!

Is There A Future For Electric Cars?

Business Week is reporting:

But beyond the hip music and snazzy displays, electric cars face some sobering realities that make them vehicles of the future rather than of the present. The biggest issues are price and usability. Costly batteries put these cars out of reach for most consumers, and infrastructure isn’t currently in place to allow owners to plug in and charge up cars when they’re away from home. Add to that speed and range limitations with electric technology, and it’s clear the electric future won’t come overnight.

That doesn’t mean there isn’t cause for excitement about electric cars, which offer the possibility of zero-emissions driving for a potentially large number of city dwellers. It does mean, though, that consumers will have to be patient.

Will VW have the answer?

VW has been talking for a long time about their L1 concept, so called because it uses a measly 1 liter of gasoline to go 100 km. For us Americans, that translates to about 230 miles per gallon. Of course, the amazing mileage comes at a price. The car is tiny, more of a tobaggon than a car. The single passenger actually sits behind the driver, like in a small airplane.

The tiny engine will only get the car up to about 75 mph and, as such, VW doesn’t expect to sell a lot of them. Safety concerns might also keep the car from being a best seller. But, since it does have four wheels, it will have to meet all of the normal safety regulations for cars.

Sorry….I digress…..back to electric cars…may I see a show of hands that think electric cars will become the norm in the future?  (lengthy pause for thought)

I say there is NO future for electric cars as we are today…..why do I say such a thing?  Look around the next time you are driving in traffic…….the answer should be obvious.

Global Treaty On Mercury Use

Now here is a great idea…….. finally.

The United States has shifted its stance to call for a legally-binding global treaty to phase out deadly mercury use that threatens the health of people worldwide, officials said on Tuesday.

Hopes had been high ahead of the conference that the new administration of U.S President Barack Obama would support the European Union’s calls for an international treaty to ban mercury. Some other states favor a voluntary approach.

The new policy was unveiled by the U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for environment and sustainable development, Daniel Reifsnyder, late on Monday at the start of a major U.N. gathering of environment ministers in Kenya.

About 6,000 tonnes of mercury — a heavy metal known for more than a century to damage the human nervous system — enter the environment every year. Mercury’s other effects include liver damage, memory loss or disturbances to vision.

It is about time that the US join into the fray to control the use of the killer mercury.  I need to point out one thing and ask a question. What about the new light bulbs that everyone is so gaga over?  You do know that they contain mercury right?  I wrote about this in a earlier post on Info Ink.

Truth About Your New Light Bulbs

Eventually all light bulbs will be these newer ones and eventually all that mercury will make it into the water table and into the food supply…how will the treaty handle that?  Someone, anyone answer that question.

Eco-Friendly Living

Believe it or not, condominiums may be some of the most environmentally responsible housing out there today, especially since more and more developers are paying attention to sustainability from the get-go.

By their very nature, many condo complexes adhere to some of the most basic tenets of green housing: density, to maximize surrounding open space and minimize buildings’ physical and operational footprints; proximity to mass transit, given their typical location in urban areas; and reduced resource use per unit, thanks to shared systems, walls and common spaces. Builders can elect to layer on other green elements, such as high-efficiency appliances and HVAC systems, green roofs and organic landscaping.
But not all developers need to break the bank to go green on their condo and apartment projects. Two-thirds of the units in Harlem’s much-publicized 1400 Fifth Avenue building—touted as New York’s first green condominium, are considered affordable, priced at $50,000 to $104,000 and restricted to families of moderate income. Also in the New York metropolitan area, Habitat for Humanity recently announced it has assembled a green design team to build “real affordable condos” in New Rochelle and other parts of Westchester County

Green technology Is Starting To Take Off

“Green chemistry” start-up Genomatica on Tuesday said that it has developed a process to use sugar, rather than petroleum, to produce a common industrial chemical.

The announcement, timed to coincide with the GoingGreen conference in San Francisco this week, is a milestone for the company which made a business strategy shift last year from developing software for genetic engineering to licensing specially designed micro-organisms.

Its first product is a bacteria tuned to turn sugar during fermentation into 1,4 Butanediol (BDO), a chemical used as an additive to textiles and car bumpers. The company expects to have its first customer next year.

By using sugar from sugar cane as a feedstock, industrial chemical companies can get a cheaper alternative to petroleum-derived chemicals, while investing in processes that are less polluting and nontoxic, said Genomatica CEO Chris Gann.

Gann said that the Genomatica uses simulation software to determine the most expedient way to customize E coli bacteria. Then genetic engineers manipulate genes so that the organisms grow while producing the desired characteristics.

He said that its process will be cost-competitive with petroleum-based products even if the price of crude oil goes down to $50.

Green Collar Jobs

If Obama is elected he has promised to create upwards of 5 million green collar jobs.  A noble endeavor, but in case one is interested there are places to go for them now.

So where do you start your green job search? We’ve collected some of the best websites for job listings and other resources for a new earth-focused career.

  • Grist Job Board: Environmental groups from around the country post their jobs here. Also, Grist’s Kevin Doyle has a series of articles about the green job market.
  • TreeHugger Job Board: Dozens of green business and organizations list their openings here. Subscribe to the RSS feed for the latest updates.
  • Jobs With the National Park Service: Love the great outdoors? You could work anywhere from Hawaii’s volcanoes to Yellowstone’s geysers. The park service has 16,000 permanent employees and another 10,000 seasonal employees each year.
  • World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms: If you’re interested in the fast-growing field of organic food (no pun intended), you could volunteer on a farm to get experience. This site connects volunteers with farms around the planet.

Another green tip: Many companies encourage applying online these days, so you can email your resume. But if you have to print it, look for high-quality paper made with recycled fibers. No point killing trees when you’re applying for an earth-friendly job!