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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

What’s the problem with treating everyone around you well, regardless of the circumstances?

We’ve all heard someone say, “I wouldn’t wish that (some sort of pain) on my worst enemy.”

I don’t have a worst enemy; in fact, I don’t have any enemies at all.  It’s not that I’ve never been mistreated, but who lives a better life by cultivating enemies and keeping their slights against us in our minds?

I hope that the sociopathic criminals in our world meet justice, but I think it’s gauche to hope that even a Donald Trump suffers a punishment any worse than what our justice system prescribes.

But take the advice of people far wiser than I could ever hope to be.  You can’t control what other people do, but you can control how you react.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

News Flash: Libs aren’t seething, though many feel sorry for these idiots.

Another point to be made is that shirts like these were far more popular two years ago, before thousands of morons stormed the Capitol and many hundreds were arrested, tried, convicted, and sent to prison.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

It’s not news that the United States’ political scene is deeply divided, to such a degree that, regardless of what Democrats want, Republicans will work hard to make sure it doesn’t happen.

In many cases, this has the potential to make sense.  If, for instance, the Biden administration wants to spend taxpayer money on programs to help the common American, feed hungry children abroad, or mitigate climate change, we can rightfully expect the GOP to protest that a big government creates more problems than it solves–in fact, as Ronald Reagan said, government is the problem.

But Russia and Ukraine?  Republicans support an authoritarian state that invades a neighboring democracy and murders innocent civilians?

I sometimes hear the Fox News talking points parroted by my mom, who never misses Tucker Carlson.  She’ll ask, for instance, “What do I have in common with the Ukrainian people?”

Well, how about this?  You and they live in countries in which citizens elect their leaders, we’re both willing to fight against foreign aggression, and we will protect our families and neighbors against wanton arrest, imprisonment, torture, and execution.  That seems pretty noncontroversial to me.

If I were advising the Republicans, I’d tell them to sit this one out, and stick with promoting AR-15s, and banning books and abortion.

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

The hat here is intended for the MAGA crowd, though I dare say that most Americans of all political stripes miss the “country they grew up in.”

I happen to be a progressive, but I miss the America that accepted science and rejected lies and overt racism.

I miss the America that existed while corporate greed was held in check, at least partially, by limitations on political donations.

Above all, I long for the days when a sociopath like Donald Trump would have been laughed off the political debate stage.   This was an America that featured some level of intelligence and honesty, and at this point it appears to be gone forever.

 

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

Here’s a fabulous article on hydrogen, which includes a graphic that lays out the many ways in which H2 is derived from natural and man-made processes.

Spoiler: Nothing here varies from my findings on the subject, i.e., that hydrogen, though not a carbon-rich fossil fuel, is expensive, hard to store and distribute, and environmentally challenging, and will therefore not be a major factor in our energy future, absent a few scenarios in which batteries are extremely poorly suited: cargo ships, Class 8 trucks, and aircraft.  Even these will eventually give way.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

At age 67, I think I’m probably a member of the same generation as the author of the meme here.  Yet I won’t forward this on social media platforms (other than my own).  It’s not a matter of offending someone; it’s a concern with looking like a moron.

When my kids were growing up, I presented them with my opinion that they (and I) were lucky to have been born in the United States, since it has qualities that make life better here than it is in most countries around the globe.  Our constitution, for instance, guarantees us many important freedoms and rights that are denied to other people.  I also mentioned our wealth of economic opportunities (though they were more abundant then than they are now).

On the other hand, the United States is an extremely aggressive nation in terms of using its military to advance its financial interests, and we’re more or less indifferent to the suffering of others.  We’re also a society built around systemic racism and other forms of hatred and bigotry.

On top of that, we’re a country in which rule of law means very little; the wealthiest among us enjoy a level of “justice” that is completely unavailable to “the other 99.99%.” This has been a problem in America since its inception, though it’s hardly unique to our nation.

The problem in America is that it’s gotten worse over time.  My kids had advanced into their early 20s when Trump was elected; just look at what’s happened since.

In addition, we’ve destroyed our public school system to the point that a huge percentage of working-class Americans reject many of the most important elements of science, including those focused on epidemiology and the climate.

Pledging allegiance to the country in which one happens to have been born is a concept unbefitting of intelligent, self-determined human beings, and it’s made far worse by bringing God into the equation.  Is there a reason that God should favor the United States in its struggles?  Are we to suppose that He loves us more than the Latvians or the Algerians? Again, this is an idea constructed for idiots.

We would all be much better off pledging our support to the other eight billion members of the human race, regardless of their place of birth. We are, however, as far from realizing that ideal as we are from reaching into the sky and touching the moon.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

It’s never been clear to me why anyone should be proud of an accident of birth.

Now, imagine having pride in your hatred of those born less fortunate.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

There are no limits on what Congressional Republicans will do to show voters that there are pro-gun.  That’s the only conclusion that can be drawn from Alabama’s Rep Barry Moore’s proposed legislation.

Moore made this announcement at a local gun shop (rather than at an elementary school), so I suppose that shows some restraint.  From the event:  “One rule to remember: any government that would take away one right would take away them all.”

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been seeing this meme for over a year now, and every time I happen upon it I become less sure that it’s going to happen.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

When we look at the corporate world around us, we see precious little effort being made to make this planet a safer, healthier, and happier place to live.

From investopedia: Those looking to launch a new McDonald’s franchise can expect to shell out between $1,314,500 and $2,306,500. Existing franchise operations can cost upwards of $1 million.

This may be not be a bad investment decision, especially considering that robotics will soon replace all those nasty employees.  But decent people don’t want to spend their careers making our children fat and sick.

 

 

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