Subsidies for Oil Drillers

How do you shore up one of the most destructive industries on Earth at a time when it is facing challenges by cheaper alternatives, that also happen to be better for the environment and human health?

Step one is to look the other way as the industry wreaks havoc on our planet. Recent spills from the Keystone XL Pipeline and a tanker off the coast of Brazil should remind us of the destruction that follows in the wake of oil transport. A new study of the far-reaching impacts of fracking on the environment and human health is expanding our understanding of the dangers of drilling for fossil fuels. While those impacts spread across the planet, we are seeing another pernicious side of the industry exposed in court proceedings that reveal the industry (Exxon, in particular) knew that it was destabilizing global climate.

Step two, is to throw caution to the wind and accelerate the pace of exploitation. Recent expansions of permissions for oil and gas exploration on federal lands is exposing all of us to greater risks. When it is not enough to just make the resources available, the next step is to discount the resources and dump them on the market at a loss. This endangers our health, our climate, our national security, and our economy. That is bad policy.

Click here for a recent article on below-cost sales of oil and gas.

50 Countries Surpass 50% Mark

There are already 50 countries worldwide generating more than 50% of their electrical power from renewable sources, with a dozen of those rejecting fossil fuels for over 90% of their electricity. That is amazing, but where is the US? The US generates less than 15% of its electricity from renewable sources.

That leaves us lots of room for improvement. Europe is on pace to generate 90% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2040. Developing nations across the planet are passing us by. China and the rest of our geopolitical rivals are well ahead of us.

The US does not lack the public will or the technological ability. What we do lack is democracy and transparency. Until the US begins to act responsibly regarding energy use and generation, the actions of the rest of the world will mean little. The US is the driving force behind the climate emergency and must be the driving force in the solution. The power of fossil fuel corporations, international development banks, and corporations with business models based on the exploitation of people and the planet over our elected officials is preventing the implementation of effective solutions. Our pathway to a sustainable future depends on replacing elected officials at every level from city commission to the White House and continuing to do so until we get elected officials who will listen to the needs of their constituents over the desires of the exploitative corporations.

It is well-past time for an economy based on sustainability.

https://thinkprogress.org/renewables-now-cheaper-than-new-coal-or-gas-across-two-thirds-of-the-world-c4980412cb53/

Bug bites

Summer is here and all of the rain we've had means the mosquitoes and their blood-sucking friends are out in force. Every year we get new hypotheses on why insects prefer biting some people more than others. All I know is that I'm one of those people who seem to attract mosquitoes. Because of that, and my dislike of using dangerous chemicals, I'm always looking for new repellent options that are effective and safe. The article attached below is a good assessment of some of the most popular and some of the most effective natural insect repellents. Here's to a great summer, free from bug bites!

5 deet free ways to protect yourself from biting insects