Hey kids, we're live again! Book chat time, and a reminder to please focus on talking about the book or about climate and clean energy. News of your cats, annoying neighbors (god they're so annoying!) and other open-thread content is of course cherished and should be posted in the Nice Times post coming at 1:00 EST.
Also too, I just updated the piece with a nifty chart comparing ALL the estimated material extraction necessary for the next 25 years of the energy transition, to the amount (in metric shit tons) of fossil fuels we're already mining/pumping in just one average year. Reload yr browser to see that!
I am reminded of the Kafka story "The Coal-Bucket Rider", in which the protagonist has to drive his flying coalbin to his dealer's place to beg for a nugget to stave off freezing bitter winter night. The dealer tells him to fuck off, iirc.
The oligarchy get a 'double dividend' because they're investing in both the cause$ and recovery cost$ of Earth's climate crisis. So they're sure in no hurry to make permanent fixes.
The Utah legislature in it's last session approved a bill where homeowners can purchase photovoltaic (PV) panels that you can plug into your 100-120 volt alternating current wall receptacle. You now have disrupted the utility grid. A utility line person can be electrocuted by your stray electrical amperage from your PV arrays.
My reason for this is that if you decide to use PV and make the investment, make sure the work is done with the approval of your electricity provider. No one wants to die because of stupid shit like this. That includes your local utility crews and firefighters.
So permitting bill is pitting renewable energy companies against land preservationists, it seems. Current consensus is it may die in Senate due to the latter successfully lobbying the Dems post election (it needs 7 Dem votes).
"And it often turns out that their objections to wind and solar are based on outdated notions about the technology," because too many people form an opinion and never look back. My parents still talk about solar costs as if it was the 90s, and I know damn well they've never even called around to contractors to see what it would cost to do it now.
My solar system was around 11k. It’ll pay for itself in less than 10 years. My electric bill in summer is effectively zero. I still have morans telling me solar won’t work in maine.
Hey kids, we're live again! Book chat time, and a reminder to please focus on talking about the book or about climate and clean energy. News of your cats, annoying neighbors (god they're so annoying!) and other open-thread content is of course cherished and should be posted in the Nice Times post coming at 1:00 EST.
Also too, I just updated the piece with a nifty chart comparing ALL the estimated material extraction necessary for the next 25 years of the energy transition, to the amount (in metric shit tons) of fossil fuels we're already mining/pumping in just one average year. Reload yr browser to see that!
I am reminded of the Kafka story "The Coal-Bucket Rider", in which the protagonist has to drive his flying coalbin to his dealer's place to beg for a nugget to stave off freezing bitter winter night. The dealer tells him to fuck off, iirc.
Make of that what you will.
But what if using greater than 50% renewable energy makes my penis fall off?
https://youtu.be/KEgBMTMUanU?si=0Zbanq6MwxhudLXP
Incredible collaboration!!
But what about 'Clean, Clean Coal'????
Meanwhile, with these greedy, treacherous parasites:
𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿-𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗴𝗲𝘁 ‘𝗱𝗼𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗱’ 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀, 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀
𝘖𝘹𝘧𝘢𝘮 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/oct/27/super-rich-double-dividend-climate-crisis-oxfam
The oligarchy get a 'double dividend' because they're investing in both the cause$ and recovery cost$ of Earth's climate crisis. So they're sure in no hurry to make permanent fixes.
“Two licks at the spoon”
The Utah legislature in it's last session approved a bill where homeowners can purchase photovoltaic (PV) panels that you can plug into your 100-120 volt alternating current wall receptacle. You now have disrupted the utility grid. A utility line person can be electrocuted by your stray electrical amperage from your PV arrays.
My reason for this is that if you decide to use PV and make the investment, make sure the work is done with the approval of your electricity provider. No one wants to die because of stupid shit like this. That includes your local utility crews and firefighters.
Random, solar-adjacent thought:
Eating steak and ale pie at the 𝘚𝘶𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘶𝘳 pub on Notting Hill in London...
YUM!
So permitting bill is pitting renewable energy companies against land preservationists, it seems. Current consensus is it may die in Senate due to the latter successfully lobbying the Dems post election (it needs 7 Dem votes).
Knocking down fossil fuel plants and using the real estate and existing distribution point for solar seems like a good idea.
I wrote a brief review of /Here Comes the Sun/, as I do for every book I read. Here it is:
https://www.brok3nengines.com/p/here-comes-the-sun-by-bill-mckibben
“Walking on Sunshine”- Katrina and the Waves! Deep in the 1980’s…
Oh, what a timeline we could have been on had it not been stollen and enabled by those that profit from the (hydrocarbon) status quo . . .
"And it often turns out that their objections to wind and solar are based on outdated notions about the technology," because too many people form an opinion and never look back. My parents still talk about solar costs as if it was the 90s, and I know damn well they've never even called around to contractors to see what it would cost to do it now.
Once solar panel efficiency tipped above 20 percent, the economics changed. Now it’s above 30 percent for some technologies. Stand back..
My solar system was around 11k. It’ll pay for itself in less than 10 years. My electric bill in summer is effectively zero. I still have morans telling me solar won’t work in maine.
Oh do I hate Katrina and The Waves!
I remember that song because it seemed to be repeatedly played every 20 minutes on multiple stations.