Here’s a great article in The Economist that covers what China is (and isn’t) doing to put an end to the world’s consumption of coal, by far the most toxic source of energy.
From the piece: China has good reason to prioritise the climate. Some of its biggest cities, including Shanghai, lie on the coast and could be swallowed by rising seas. The arid north lacks drinking water. And extreme weather is already taking a toll. Last year deaths associated with heatwaves in China increased by 343% compared with the historical average, according to a study published by the Lancet, a medical journal. This summer floods damaged much of China’s wheat crop.
This calls to mind the reason we have this problem in the first place: money, and the fact that each of the world’s 200+ sovereign nations is essentially on its own to prioritize, fund, and implement its own climate change mitigation strategies.
China Lies at the Crux of the Effort to Mitigate Climate Change
A few times a week, I flick on Fox News for a minute or two just to see how they’re seeing current events under Trump. What I notice is that they seldom mention Trump at all; most of their content is about Democrats. You member them–the group that is powerless in the White House, the Senate, the House, and the Supreme Court.
They cover Joe Biden in great detail; they call him “Pothole Joe” now, I guess for his $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, some of which may have been misspent?? I honestly don’t know.
The point is this: If you’re trying to make sense of the world around you today, how much do you need to understand about a man who has been out office since last January, and has no more effect on your political or financial lives than Daffy Duck?
The presence of Trump in our lives can be compared to the “chicken and egg” phenomenon. Did Trump cause our immorality, ignorance, and lies, or did an intellectually and morally failing electorate bring Trump into power?
The author of the meme here believes it’s the latter of the two, though I would say that it’s impossible to make the call here, as neither could have happened without the other.
In any case, all this leads to another discussion that Americans have constantly with one another: Is a difference in politics worth losing friends over? In my own mind, I frame the question a bit differently: How close do I want to be to someone who, for whatever reason, honestly believes that Trump is a good, honest, and effective leader of the United States?
I’d far rather have an evening martini and watch Jeopardy with my wife–even on a night when I really hate the categories.
From The Other 98%:
Environment groups welcome new enforcement powers and increases in penalties for nature laws
Revealed: Only a third of national climate pledges support ‘transition away from fossil fuels’
How Fox News Does Its Thing
Spanish-language misinformation on renewable energy spreads online, report shows
Guest post: Why China is still building new coal – and when it might stop
The toxic gas flares fuelling Nigeria’s climate change – BBC News
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Climate Change2 years ago
Spanish-language misinformation on renewable energy spreads online, report shows
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Climate Change2 months ago
Guest post: Why China is still building new coal – and when it might stop
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Climate Change Videos2 years ago
The toxic gas flares fuelling Nigeria’s climate change – BBC News
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Greenhouse Gases1 year ago嘉宾来稿：满足中国增长的用电需求 光伏加储能“比新建煤电更实惠”
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Greenhouse Gases2 months ago
Guest post: Why China is still building new coal – and when it might stop
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Climate Change1 year ago嘉宾来稿：满足中国增长的用电需求 光伏加储能“比新建煤电更实惠”
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Carbon Footprint2 years agoUS SEC’s Climate Disclosure Rules Spur Renewed Interest in Carbon Credits
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Renewable Energy3 months ago
US Grid Strain, Possible Allete Sale