Archive for the Environment Category

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Weather / Climate.  Oh, And Have A Happy Solstice! (June 17, 2019)

Posted in Climate, Environment, Global Climate Change, Global Warming, Google, Solstice, Weather on June 17, 2019 by e-commentary.org

[After more than a dozen tries today, Google is not providing access to www.e-commentary.org when searching for www.e-commentary.org.]

. . .

Climate is what you expect.  Weather is what you get.

Weather is what you wear.  Climate is what’s in your closet.

Weather is the day-to-day state of the atmosphere and its short-term variation in minutes to days to weeks.  Folks regard weather as the combination of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, visibility, and wind.  Climate is the overall weather of a place averaged over a period of time such as 10 to 20 to 30 years.

. . .

[See the e-commentary at “Solstice (June 21, 2010)”, “Another Solstice (June 20, 2011)” and “Darkness . . . And Light.  Oh, And Happy Winter Solstice! (December 17, 2018)”.]

 Bumper sticker of the week:

 “Everybody complains about the weather, but no one does anything about it.”  Mark Twain

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People, Plastic, Planet (May 6, 2019)

Posted in Collapse, Environment, Plastic on May 6, 2019 by e-commentary.org

. . .

K          “While each and every legislator was sucking water out of a single-use plastic water bottle without any sense of self-awareness or shame, they tried to outdo each other debating and for some denying climate destruction and devastation.”

J          “Years ago, they covered their save-the-planet garden with plastic sheeting which has now deteriorated and shattered into a million shards spread like seeds of death that shroud their entire farm.”

. . .

J          “The blue marble has not been photographed lately and now may shimmer like a planetary disco ball reflecting a gazillion tiny plastic particles.”

K          “These realizations may make my head explode, but that would release millions of mega-microscopic plastic particles floating around in my brain into the room.  That’s just not good.”

. . .

[See the research paper titled “Atmospheric transport and deposition of microplastics in a remote mountain catchment” in “Nature” magazine by eight researchers dated April 15, 2019 and “There’s just no getting away from microplastic contamination” in “Ars Technica” by Cathleen O’Grady dated April 22, 2019 discussing the research.]

[See the e-commentary at “Salvaging Our Blue Marble (July 24, 2017)”, “Stealing Resources . . . Through Time . . . and Across Space (February 20, 2017)” and “Living In The ‘Peoplocene Age’.  The Inconvenient Truth:  Renewable Energy Is Not Sustainable; The Population Must Be Restrainable. (December 12, 2016)”.]

Bumper stickers of the week:

Eschew plastic

People + Plastic = Planet ; People – Plastic = Planet

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Darkness . . . And Light.  Oh, And Happy Winter Solstice! (December 17, 2018)

Posted in Economics, Education, Energy, Environment, Politics, Society on December 17, 2018 by e-commentary.org

. . .

J          “There is far too much darkness.  I know what needs to be known and I know what needs to be done.  And I know what needs to be known because I rejected so much of what I was told I needed to know.  And yet what needs to be done cannot be done.  The whole system is laced with so many checks and balances that keep a concerned citizen in check and everything out of balance.”

K          “And there is far too little light.  I understand so much, yet I do not understand why I do not have the good sense and the maturity to quit caring.”

. . .

[See the e-commentary at “The Power Of Small Thinking (March 12, 2018)” and “On Standards & Quality (July 20, 2015)”.]

Bumper stickers of the week:

Think big!

I think big, therefore I am

Happy Winter Solstice!

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Carbon Fee And Dividend Imagined.  Oh, And Happy Saint Nicholas Day! (December 3, 2018)

Posted in Carbon Surcharge & Dividend, Climate, Coal, Energy, Environment, Global Climate Change, Global Warming on December 3, 2018 by e-commentary.org

. . .

K          “In the last few days, a few congressmen introduced a bill to price carbon just a few days before St. Nicholas decides whether to put coal or candy in one’s sabot.”

J          “If the price of coal goes up, St. Nick may modify his behavior and give candy to the kids at the margin of the Naughty-Nice Scale.”

K          “If the bill passes, we all get candy in our shoes.”

. . .

[See the e-commentary at “Coal (December 2, 2013)”, “Happy Birthday Earth Day (April 23, 2012)”, “One Hundred Year Storms.  Biennially? (October 29, 2012)”, “Energy Manhattan Project:  The Carbon Tax And Dividend (March 25, 2013)”, “Global Climate Craziness (GCC) And Taxation (March 23, 2015)”, “Stealing Resources . . . Through Time . . . and Across Space (February 20, 2017)” and “Save The Planet; Save The People?  Oh, And Happy Earth Day! (April 23, 2018)”.]

Bumper stickers of the week:

H.R. 7173 – Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act of 2018

Price carbon

Alaska Shaker – November 30, 8:29 a.m.

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The Promise Of AI (Artificial Intelligence) (August 20, 2018)

Posted in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Book Reference, Collapse, Energy, Environment, Movie Reference, Society on August 20, 2018 by e-commentary.org

. . .

K          “The inevitable consequence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the greatest science fiction cautionary tale of our time . . . and of all time.”

J          “We will know we have truly created Artificial Intelligence when AI either eliminates Homo sapiens from the planet or culls almost all but a few select Homo sapiens who are then kept on a very short and easily retracted leash.”

K          “Clearly that is the definition of Big ‘I’ Intelligence.”

J          “In the interim, we should try to create Big ‘R’ Intelligence.  Real Intelligence.”

K          “When you think about it, Real Ignorance has not been all it is cracked up to be.”

. . .

[See the movie “Colossus:  The Forbin Project” and the novel “Colossus” by Dennis Feltham Jones (as D. F. Jones) for a more benign vision that involves a supercomputer preventing us from killing each other directly through war rather than indirectly but very effectively through our current life styles.]

[See the e-commentary at “Save The Planet; Save The People?  Oh, And Happy Earth Day! (April 23, 2018)” and the many other e-commentary linked there.]

Bumper stickers of the week: 

There is no PLANet B

Today’s science fiction is tomorrow’s science fact.

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Save The Planet; Save The People? Oh, And Happy Earth Day! (April 23, 2018)

Posted in Climate, Environment, Global Climate Change, Global Warming on April 23, 2018 by e-commentary.org

. . .

K          “What if the only way to salvage the planet is to sacrifice the plunderer?”

J          “Sacrifices must be made to salvage the mess.”

. . .

K          “What if 1000 species that would otherwise go extinct could be saved by sacrificing 1 human who will be replaced tenfold before the question is even answered?”

J          “Natural law does not bestow upon mankind any right to plunder, exploit and destroy Nature.  Mankind is not very kind and is breaking the natural law.  There will be consequence.”

. . .

J          “Mother Nature may have had it with the predations of the apex predator.”

K          “So something like ebola is a savior and a salvation not a scourge.”

J          “Mankind will not make the final decision.”

. . .

[See “Cow could soon be largest land mammal left due to human activity – study” in “The Guardian” by Reuters dated April 19, 2018.]

[See the e-commentary at “Global Environmental Something (February 16, 2009)”, “‘It’s Only A Rental.’  The Earth As A Cosmic Doormat.  De-Immanentizing The Eschaton. (September 28, 2015)”, “Prepping:  Public And Private Perspectives (April 27, 2015)”, “Stealing Resources . . . Through Time . . . and Across Space (February 20, 2017)”, “Eroding Coastal Villages:  Consolidate And Create Community (July 18, 2016)” and “Happy Birthday Earth Day (April 23, 2012)”.]

Bumper stickers of the week:

April 22 – Earth Day

Finite resources are just so . . . confining

“Men argue.  Nature acts.”  Voltaire.  Nature is acting while man is arguing.

A good planet is hard to find.

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Harvey Hits Houston Hard (August 28, 2017)

Posted in Carbon Surcharge & Dividend, Climate, Environment, Global Climate Change, Global Warming on August 28, 2017 by e-commentary.org

. . .

K          “The great philosopher Michael Tyson observed that ‘Everyone has a plan ‘till they get punched in the mouth.’”

J          “Harvey packed that punch.  A right and a left right to the boca.  And no one ever really had a plan.”

K          “In Houston, ‘urban planning’ has always been an oxymoron and a national joke.”

. . .

K          “The four most populous cities in America emerged at the cardinal points of a compass and are the Mega-Metropolitan capitals of the four geographic regions.  Three of them, the (North)Eastern, Southern and Western anchor cities, are on salt water.  The polis up North in the heart of the Midwest is on fresh water.  New York, Los Angeles and Chicago are as vulnerable.”    

J          “From sea to warming sea, the storms are accentuated and accelerated by the warmer seas and the warmer air temperatures.”

. . .

K          “The formula is formidable and forbidding.  Unchecked Growth + Global Climate Change = Bad News.”

J          “And the news is bad.  Floodplains are so described because they are plains that are prone to flooding.  That should be a clue.”

. . .

K          “The area is now pickled with effluents and other toxins that are escaping from and perhaps being released by the chemical plants and heavy industry refineries.”

J          “All of the electrical connections are corroding in every house and substation.  All of the houses and buildings are developing mold and mildew.  All of the area may need to bulldozed.  They need to start over.  Elsewhere.”

. . .

K          “Mother Nature does not seem happy with an area that is developing and overseeing the development of fossil fuels and other threats to her.”

J          “Many of Momma N’s kids who are otherwise merely trying to survive another day are experiencing a horror show worse than anything they have ever witnessed at the Saturday night flicks.”

. . .  

[See “Harvey Is a Major Still-Unfolding Disaster” in “Peak Prosperity” by Chris Martenson on August 28, 2017.]  

[See the e-commentary at “Beans and Bullets (April 6, 2009)”, “We Ain’t Ants; We Are Grasshoppers (April 9, 2012)”, “On Community (June 3, 2013)”, “On Roiling And Rolling Collapse (March 9, 2015)”, “Lights Out:  Renegade Nuclear Plants (September 21, 2015)” and “Prepping:  Public and Private Perspectives (April 27, 2015)”.]

Bumper stickers of the week:

Planet Earth, we have a problem

Why not plan?  Why not prepare?

There is no PLANet B.

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Salvaging Our Blue Marble (July 24, 2017)

Posted in Environment, Global Climate Change, Global Warming, Plastic, Population on July 24, 2017 by e-commentary.org

. . .    

K          “We need to salvage our Blue Marble.  Even if we are required to sacrifice humanity.”

J          “The great challenge is creating an appreciation of our planetary circumstance without overwhelming the person.  Someone can easily shut off emotionally and shut down intellectually.”

. . .

K          “Leaving the planet in better shape than I found it . . . is getting vexing.”

. . .

[See “The Immense, Eternal Footprint Humanity Leaves on Earth:  Plastics” in “The New York Times” by Tatiana Schlossberg dated July 19, 2017.]

[See “The Uninhabitable Earth:  Famine, economic collapse, a sun that cooks us:  What climate change could wreak — sooner than you think” in New York “Magazine” by David Wallace-Wells dated July 10, 2017.]

Bumper stickers of the week:

Save The Blue Marble

Save the Marble

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Dear Costco:  Please Pull Plastic Bottles (June 12, 2017)

Posted in Boycott Series, Consumerism, Environment, Oceans, Plastic, Water on June 12, 2017 by e-commentary.org

Costco Wholesale Corporation

P.O. Box 34331

Seattle, Washington 98124

Dear sir or madam:

          Costco impacts the lives and livelihoods of your customers and other citizens.  Plastic threatens the lives and livelihoods of your customers and other citizens.  As part of your “Sustainability Commitment,” would you do your part to reduce the threat of plastic to the lives and livelihoods of your customers and other citizens?

          Using plastic bottles to transport water creates pollution and public health problems that often are unseen and threaten the very water they fleetingly transport.  Plastic bottles roam and range the seas.  The bottles break down into little particles and shards ingested by birds, whales and other critters.  Lead shot in birds is discernible via x-ray, yet plastic particles go undetected except by chemical analysis.

          Issue a major public statement that you will no longer carry bottled water.  For ninety days, post a statement in the area of each of your stores that otherwise would house the bottles above a palette intentionally left empty.  You will perforce lose business and make fewer profits.

          Thank you for your attention to this request.  Best wishes.

. . .

[June 8 was World Oceans Day.]

[See the e-commentary at “Playa Plastica / Plastic Beach (September 13, 2010)” and “Plastic Pirates (August 6, 2012)” and in the category “Plastic.”]

Bumper sticker of the week:

Boycott bottled water

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Marching For Science And Momma (April 24, 2017)

Posted in Environment, Gender, Global Climate Change, Global Warming, Greece, International Finance, International Monetary Fund, Journalism, Newspapers, Press/Media, Trumpi on April 24, 2017 by e-commentary.org

. . .

K          “What if as many folks had rallied in support of Galileo?”

J          “Signs intoning ‘No sides in science’ and ‘Science not silence’ and ‘Don’t let scientists go extinct’ floated amid and among the rising sea of concerned citizens.  ‘Free Galileo’ was raised toward the heavens.”

. . .

K          “In January, the pink pussy hats responded to the red Make America Great Again baseball caps.  On Saturday, a few white lab coats and many rain coats shielded the folks who marched peacefully on a gray rainy day.” 

J          “The women’s jaunt planned on the Mall in January gestated into an impromptu march from the foot of Capitol Hill to the White House and spawned the March for Science in April.  The March for Science and Earth Day Network started south of the White House and moved to the Capitol.  Going full circle.  And going forward.”

K          “The Women’s March was an emotional release and catharsis.  The March for Science was an intellectual rally and resurgence.”

J          “A walk is an antidote to insanity and irrationality.”

. . .

K          “At the same time the people were marching in the streets, the big money players were machinating in the suites.  The ‘green eye shade’ types at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded that Greece has recovered slightly and thus needs to be burdened substantially.”

. . .

K          “The next public gig in Washington is the ‘(Former) Bikers for Trump Rally’ on October 14 to ride to the White House and Congress from all over the country.”

J          “The ‘What happened Donnie?  Ride and Rally’.  Everyone hates to be conned, yet so many of his supporters simply cannot repudiate him because he is their last hope.  By October, a few of his black leather and blue collar supporters may accept that they were bamboozled.”

K          “Sturgis runs from August 4 until 13 and Daytona from March 9 until 18, 2018.  October is a great time for the last long fall ride.”

J          “Somebody needs to inflame and inspire the national imagination.”

. . .

[See the e-commentary at “Happy Birthday Earth Day (April 23, 2012)”, “Women’s March On Washington (Woodstock With Conviction) / Coronation (January 23, 2017)” and the discussion of some of the underlying issues involving Greece and the IMF at “‘Grexit’, ‘GrexEUnt’, Percolating Problems:  PIIGS, BRICS, EU, EC, ECB, IMF, NATO, WTO, WTF, WAR (February 23, 2015)”.]

Bumper stickers of the week:

March on

“There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been.  The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that ‘my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.’”  Isaac Asimov, “A Cult of Ignorance”, Newsweek, January 21, 1980.  

Signs of the times on the Washington Mall:

Free Galileo

You must be smoking deGrasse if you de-Nye the facts

Science is good

Good science is better

Great science is best

Geology rocks

There is no PLANet B

This is not a moment, it is a movement

Make America 90   49   18 Again

Evidence based governance

What do you call a female scientist?  Scientist

4   28 58   To   1 68

Ignorance is a dish best served at absolute zero

Delusion is not the solution to pollution

Support 21   53   E   7   58

Factism Trumps Fascism

Facts are non-partisan

Make 95   68   53   20 Scientific Again

You can fool the voters but not the atmosphere

Repent the end is NIH

The elements of outraged disbelief  74   90   9

Science:  Because you can’t pray a rocket into space.

Free entropy

So bad that even introverts are here

Resistance is not futile:  It is voltage divided by current

Fact-based policy not policy-based alt.facts

In science we trust

Clinical research is healthy for children and other living things (on a yellow poster with a flower)

The Endangered Species Act is endangered

No science, no chance

This is what a scientist looks like

More mitosis, less division

Save our planet, plant a tree

Stem cells have potential and without them our children don’t

Science Trumps ignorance

Noah saved us once  Let NOAA save us now

They drowned the last climate deniers

Atoms and Trump both make up things

Science is not an opinion

Make America hypothesize again

It’s not rocket science, actually it is

Defiance for science

Extinction is forever  Animals need science

Don’t let science go extinct

Alternative facts are for quacks

Evolution:  Happened.  Climate change:  Happening.  Recognition:  Must happen

There are no jobs on a dead planet

I love science because God created it

I’m with her [arrow pointing to picture of the beautiful blue marble]

Make Earth great again

No science no beer

Dear future generations:  We’re sorry

Science is peer-reviewed not politician-reviewed

Not a sign type of person but geez

Let the forest be with you

Distinguish sense from nonsense

Science fights bad shit with evidence

I’ve reached my 100º C (212º F)

Your momma’s so hot

All the good chemistry jokes argon

Make America think again

Stop plate tectonics

Don’t frack with our future

Act like a proton; think positively

Keep calm and trust science

Resist [resistance symbol]

Veterans for science

_________________________________________________

“Proper press credentials”; “Are your papers in order?”:

From: e-commentator
Sent: Thursday, April 13, 2017 1:37 PM
To: International Monetary Fund SEC, Press <PRESS@imf.org>; IMF Media Relations <Media@imf.org>
Subject: IMF Meetings – Press Credentials

Dear sir or madam,

I am a journalist whose work appears weekly at www.e-commentary.org. and includes regular commentary on and about the IMF (e.g. https://e-commentary.org/category/international-monetary-fund/ and the AIIB, CFETS, NDB, CIPS and SWIFT.

I am interested in applying for press credentials for next week’s IMF meetings.

Thank you for your attention to this request.  Best wishes.

[e-commentator]

 

From: Elnagar, Randa Mohamed [mailto:RElnagar@imf.org]
Sent: Thursday, April 13, 2017 9:52 AM
To: [e-commentator]

Cc: COMMRAST
Subject: RE: IMF Meetings – Press Credentials

We will need proper press credentials issued by a US media organization and a letter of assignment from them to approve your accreditation.

Thank you.

 

From: e-commentator
Sent: Friday, April 14, 2017 2:40 PM

To: Elnagar, Randa Mohamed <RElnagar@imf.org>
Cc: COMMRAST <COMMRAST@imf.org>
Subject: RE: IMF Meetings – Press Credentials

Dear Mr. Elnagar,

The nature of news, news gathering and the media has changed and expanded in America.  www.e-commentary.org provides weekly electronic commentary that has been uploaded since the first week of January, 2005.  You can confirm this contention by reviewing the site.  This note authorizes [e-commentator] to attend the IMF public press conferences.  He can provide a passport and valid state driver’s license for identification.  This note suffices to obtain press credentials.

Thank you for your attention to this request.  Best wishes.

[e-commentator]

 

From: Elnagar, Randa Mohamed [mailto:RElnagar@imf.org]
Sent: Friday, April 14, 2017 10:51 AM
To: [e-commentator]
Cc: COMMRAST; Gaviria, Angela
Subject: RE: IMF Meetings – Press Credentials

Dear Mr. [e-commentator],

Unfortunately, the IMF does not issue register press/media without proper press credentials issues from either the country of origin (in case of non-U.S. nationals), or press credentials issues from the U.S. State Department, the White House, or the U.S. Treasury.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

Thank you.

Randa

 

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