I will begin with the premise that we all would do what we can to prevent the devastating effects of global warming, that is, if it seems reasonable. But what is reasonable? For many people anything that requires a significant change in behavior is not reasonable. The Guardian, in an…
Earth Day 2024 has come and gone and in the last year there were some accomplishments. At COP28 in Dubai a deal was finally reached to globally transition from fossil fuels, which will require rapid and sustained reductions in greenhouse emissions. Key participants agreed to the goal of tripling renewables…
It is spring, and my attention has returned to my neglected compost pile. It’s a 4-by-4 foot rather unsightly area in my background where I toss things like coffee grounds and vegetable scraps and wait for it to miraculously turn into wonderful fresh smelling compost. The last time I looked…
Plastic recycling is, for many of us, a guilt provoking topic. I try to be careful of what I toss into my recycling bin, even so, I do not believe that all of it is recycled. Contrary to what the waste management websites say, I know there is no recycling…
In some ways, the state of Maine and the state of New Mexico are similar. They both have a population of about 2 million. The median household income for Maine is $68,251 — higher than New Mexico’s at $58,251. But households in Maine are going to be able to access…
What is happening with EVs? There has been a lot of negative commentary about EVs lately — some of it filled with misinformation. Be wary of those who call themselves “independent consultants.” It is well understood that most fossil fuel emissions are caused by the cars we drive and the…
The largest clean energy investment the U.S. has made, the Inflation Reduction Act, IRA, is now a year old. President Joe Biden was recently in New Mexico touting the benefits of the IRA. As 350 New Mexico says on its website, “The IRA offers consumers, companies and contractors a once…
Our planet is our life support system and we have interfered with its complex mechanisms in ways we do not understand. Our finite brains are not designed to comprehend complexity at this level. We need a full systems-level view of our world. AI — artificial intelligence — will not solve…
According to the New Mexico State Wetland Summary, we used to have about a million acres of wetlands. We have lost 52%. Now only 0.6% of our land base is wetland. In our high desert communities those remaining should be considered our crown jewels. They have always been vulnerable, but…
I recently heard a TED talk by Yuval Noah Harari, the historian and author who wrote “Sapiens.” I was struck by what he said. “If Humanity invests just an extra 2% of the global GDP in developing eco-friendly technologies and infrastructure every year, this would be enough to prevent catastrophic…
