Tag Archives: Climate Crisis

Breaking News, Climate Solutions

Australia Ablaze: Aussies Endure Hottest Day in History, Deadly Wildfires amid Political Inaction

Photo / Adobe Stock

Record Breaking December Summer Down Under…

2019 will undoubtedly go down as one of the hottest years on record. However, in the final weeks of the decade, the planet has surpassed yet another sweltering milestone, this time happening Down Under as Australia witnesses its hottest day ever. On Tuesday, December 17th, the Oceanic country experienced average temperatures of 40.9C (105.6F). This is .6 degrees higher than the previous national record of 40.3C, which took place on January 7th, 2013.

Being in the southern hemisphere, Australia experiences summer between December and February. Therefore, it is not a complete anomaly to see such frighteningly high temperatures this time of year. Nevertheless, these figures are unprecedented and potentially dangerous, and their causes, effects and meaning transcend the immediate sphere.

The foremost culprit for Australia’s recent heat waves is the Indian Ocean Dipole, an effect where the surface seawater is warmer in the western half of the ocean than it is in the east. Because Australia lies on the eastern edge of the Indian Ocean, it is engulfed in cold water. The air, however, compensates for this cold surface water with less precipitation, leading to droughts and intense heat. Meanwhile, land along the western Indian Ocean is experiencing a surplus of rainfall and treacherous floods linked to thermal expansion.

To call the Indian Ocean Dipole a natural occurrence is misleading. It is largely an effect of manmade climate change taking its tolls on the sea and atmosphere. When carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere, it traps the heat, creating dangerous conditions on land and jeopardizing ecosystems on all levels.

A Large Fossil Fuel Producer and Carbon Burning System

Australia is, although it seems rarely mentioned, one of the most fossil fuel dependent countries on the globe. With over twenty-four million people in just under 3 million square miles, the nation emits more carbon pollution per capita than most. It is also the world’s largest exporter of coal, and the third largest exporter of all fossil fuels worldwide, trailing behind Russia and Saudi Arabia.

Consequentially, Australia is feeling the effects of climate change firsthand. As a result of its scorching temperatures, seemingly the entire country has found itself ablaze in bushfires. Around the time of the hottest day on record, Australia endured over one hundred wildfires nationwide—an inextricable result of the heat waves and dry climate.

Bafflingly, the Australian government has been basically silent on these issues. Prime Minister Scott Morrison refuses to answer questions about climate change, and has hardly even addressed the heat waves’ relation to global warming. In the wake of the fires, he even fled the country to Hawaii, causing Australians to attack him on social media for his absence.

Likewise, Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, the Australian government’s second in command, is a climate denier. A member of the country’s conservative National Party, he openly calls the climate crisis a leftist hoax, and claims that its links to the current fires are ungrounded.

Sadly so often the Case, Politics Continue to Lag Behind Science

Such lackluster political representation made Australia far from a progressive member at the recent UN Climate Conference in Madrid. This is ironic given the fact that the country is experiencing such extreme conditions. The nation has reportedly warmed more than 1 degrees Celsius in the last hundred years, making the droughts, fires, and heat more frequent. Based on the shortage of governmental response, we can assume that the Australian federal buildings are well air-conditioned.

Nevertheless, many Australian citizens have expressed outrage that their leaders are failing to take action against these environmental disasters. Heat waves are Australia’s deadliest natural phenomena. They have killed more people than the brush fires by a wide margin. When more people are dying from the heat in places that were temperate just decades ago, it is clear that the causes need to be addressed. If the government can’t or won’t respond, perhaps the people will start to act, and as in many countries currently, rebel against the prospect of going extinct, slowly and inexorably, fire by fire and drought by drought.

Find books on Big Tech, Sustainable Energy, Economics and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Enjoy Lynxotic at Apple News on your iPhone, iPad or Mac and subscribe to our newsletter.

Climate Solutions

The European Union Sets Its Own Eco Standards With Green Deal

Euro Attempts to Lead in Climate Fight

While leaders from around the globe were coming together to seek climate consensus at the UN Climate Conference in Madrid, the European Union is making its own efforts in Belgium. On Tuesday, December 11th, the EU met in Brussels and introduced what it is calling the “Green Deal,” an outline of policies for the bloc to implement in the fight against climate change. 

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented the Green Deal at the EU meeting. It is her first major proposal (and a bold one at that) since she first took office on December 1st. The plan is part of an overarching ambition for the EU to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.

The Green Deal aims to achieve this ambition through fifty policy measures. Among them are a $110-Billion fund to help transition away from coal, updated production standards to eliminate waste, and a carbon border tax for imports. There would also be more money set aside to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and decrease the level of trade dependency on air travel. 

When von der Leyen introduced the Deal, she called it “Europe’s ‘man on the moon’ moment,” likely alluding to United States President John F. Kennedy’s famous “We Choose To Go To The Moon Speech” that kicked off the Space Race in 1962. Like Kennedy’s declaration to put a man on the moon, the Green Deal is unprecedentedly daring. It consciously sets out to challenge the nations involved and bring out the best in their politicians and citizens alike. If all goes well, then the end result could be beyond anything mankind has achieved in the past.

The irony in von der Leyen referencing JFK in her remarks, however, is that part of the Green Deal states that the EU will no longer engage in trade agreements with nations not participating in the Paris Climate Accords—that means to United States. Thanks to President Trump’s recent withdrawal from the global agreements set upon during the Obama Administration, the Green Deal could leave the U.S. without a few vital trading partners in Europe.

Man on The Moon is an Understatement: Resistance is a Factor

With any luck, maybe this economic incentive will convince the United States to hop back on board the Paris Accord. After all, one of the Green Deal’s primary aims is to inspire other places around the world to politically prioritize the climate crisis and lower carbon emissions. While certain governments have already made progress in these areas, the Green Deal marks the first time that a multi-nation bloc this big is directly attacking the issue on such a wide, in depth scale.

That being said, not everyone is a fan of the Deal. Although it won the support of the conservative European People’s Party (the most prevalent party in Parliament), the Green Deal has its cynics on both sides of the political spectrum. The far-right wingers fear the Deal’s potential effect on extractive industries and the economy. Meanwhile, far-left parties like the Green Party and the European United Left, are weary that the plan is not enough and that it needs to offer more solutions to additional issues. 

Still, all but three of the 28 countries in the EU have agreed to the Green Deal’s 2050 carbon neutral goal. The outliers are Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary, three Eastern European nations that rely heavily on coal and other fossil fuels. 

Understandably, the Green Deal will not get adopted and accepted overnight. There are a lot of countries that have a say in its guidelines and not all of them see eye-to-eye. Nevertheless, the fact that an entity as large and influential as the EU is proposing such a plan—and that it is getting received relatively well—is a big step for environmental progress. Soon enough, maybe the rest of the world will fall in line too, realize the dangers at hand, and compromise for the betterment of the entire planet. 

Find books on Big Tech, Sustainable Energy, Economics and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Climate Solutions

The European Union Sets Its Own Eco Standards With Green Deal In Midst Of Madrid’s UN Climate Conference

Collage / Lynxotic

Green Deal is the Real Deal? Probably Not

While leaders from around the globe are coming together to seek climate consensus at the UN Climate Conference in Madrid, the European Union is making its own efforts in Belgium. On Tuesday, December 11th, the EU met in Brussels and introduced what it is calling the “Green Deal,” an outline of policies for the bloc to implement in the fight against climate change.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented the Green Deal at the EU meeting. It is her first major proposal (and a bold one at that) since she first took office on December 1st. The plan is part of an overarching ambition for the EU to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.

The Green Deal aims to achieve this ambition through fifty policy measures. Among them are a $110-Billion fund to help transition away from coal, updated production standards to eliminate waste, and a carbon border tax for imports. There would also be more money set aside to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and decrease the level of trade dependency on air travel.

When von der Leyen introduced the Deal, she called it “Europe’s ‘man on the moon’ moment,” likely alluding to United States President John F. Kennedy’s famous “We Choose To Go To The Moon Speech” that kicked off the Space Race in 1962. Like Kennedy’s declaration to put a man on the moon, the Green Deal is unprecedentedly daring. It consciously sets out to challenge the nations involved and bring out the best in their politicians and citizens alike. If all goes well, then the end result could be beyond anything mankind has achieved in the past.

Potential Huge Impact of New Front in Trade Wars?

The irony in von der Leyen referencing JFK in her remarks, however, is that part of the Green Deal states that the EU will no longer engage in trade agreements with nations not participating in the Paris Climate Accords—that means to United States. Thanks to President Trump’s recent withdrawal from the global agreements set upon during the Obama Administration, the Green Deal could leave the U.S. without a few vital trading partners in Europe.

With any luck, maybe this economic incentive will convince the United States to hop back on board the Paris Accord. After all, one of the Green Deal’s primary aims is to inspire other places around the world to politically prioritize the climate crisis and lower carbon emissions. While certain governments have already made progress in these areas, the Green Deal marks the first time that a multi-nation bloc this big is directly attacking the issue on such a wide, in depth scale.

That being said, not everyone is a fan of the Deal. Although it won the support of the conservative European People’s Party (the most prevalent party in Parliament), the Green Deal has its cynics on both sides of the political spectrum. The far-right wingers fear the Deal’s potential effect on extractive industries and the economy. Meanwhile, far-left parties like the Green Party and the European United Left, are weary that the plan is not enough and that it needs to offer more solutions to additional issues.

Still, all but three of the 28 countries in the EU have agreed to the Green Deal’s 2050 carbon neutral goal. The outliers are Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary, three Eastern European nations that rely heavily on coal and other fossil fuels.

Understandably, the Green Deal will not get adopted and accepted overnight. There are a lot of countries that have a say in its guidelines and not all of them see eye-to-eye. Nevertheless, the fact that an entity as large and influential as the EU is proposing such a plan—and that it is getting received relatively well—is a big step for environmental progress. Soon enough, maybe the rest of the world will fall in line too, realize the dangers at hand, and compromise for the betterment of the entire planet.

Find books on Big Tech, Sustainable Energy, Economics and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Business, Stock Market

Shifting to a Sustainable Energy Infrastructure: Saudi Aramco’s IPO shares are a bad Investment for the Planet

Literally Trillions are Staked on a Carbon Nightmare Future

Saudi Aramco is Saudi Arabia’s largest national oil company and one of the wealthiest, if not the wealthiest, corporations in the world. On Sunday, November 30th, 2019, Saudi Arabia’s Capital Market Authority stated that Aramco is going to be turned into a publically traded corporation and start making initial public offers of 1 to 3 percent of its shares sometime in December.

Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman initially boasted the Aramco’s worth at $2 trillion. Further research, however, deems the valuation somewhere between $1.3 and 1.7 trillion. Nevertheless, these enormous figures—mixed with the projected IPO of $8.53 per share—still make Aramco more fiscally valuable than Apple or Microsoft.

Putting Aramco in the public sector is a huge move for Saudi Ariabia’s economy and is inextricably linked to the Crown Prince’s “Vision 2030” socioeconomic reform plan for the kingdom. It will make oil a larger money-maker than it already is for the nation by attracting additional foreign investors and combatting the shift towards alternative energy sources.

At the same time, though, this move is not the most environmentally progressive, and although it creates a short-term economic boost for the country, it may not be sustainable in the long run.

Right now the world is trying desperately to reform its energy practices and emissions standards. The 2015 Paris Climate Accord outlined bold plans to address the global climate crisis and currently, the UN Climate Conference in Madrid is working on updating and evaluating those goals. A big part of these initiatives puts focus on transferring global energy away from fossil fuel burning and towards cleaner and more renewable sources and methods.

While Saudi Arabia has made some investments in alternative energy sources, it remains overwhelmingly focused on oil—its most profitable commodity. The nation’s slight investments in solar power are dwarfed compared to its ongoing oil extraction. Then, even when the country does employ solar energy, it often uses it to fund or power oil wells and refineries.

When asked about Aramco’s response to the Paris Climate Accord, the company’s Chief Executive Amin Nasser practically laughed it off, boasting that with all other parts of the world being held to stringent energy conditions, Aramco would easily become the global leader in gas.

Not a Question of When but rather How Fast can the World Switch off the Oil Pumps?

The corporation should not be so quick to celebrate, though. While the planet still has a long way to go when it comes to environmental protection and security, more investors are turning away from oil and starting to consider alternatives. With the scarcity and conflict surrounding the resource, oil is becoming less reliable. The recent surge in electric vehicle adoption is just one example of alternative energy sources affecting the oil economy.

Nasser responded to this observation by calling it a “crisis of perception” facing oil firms. Cynically, he explains that ideas of oil going away anytime soon is a highly exaggerated theory, and that fossil fuels remain the most secure form of energy.

Perhaps this is the case for now. But if big oil continues to pump the Earth without regard for ecological fragility, then there will eventually be nothing “secure” about the practice at all, and economic influence will mean quite little in the face of Armageddon. All humans will be affected, not just the “green” ones.

Even in less dramatic terms, studies suggest that “Peak Oil” will arrive at some point in the next twenty-five years. When this happens, it will severely hurt Aramco’s prices, as demand will go down and investors will have a greater economic incentive to move on from oil. The company will not seem so high and mighty when that happens. Geopolitical dangers will almost certainly rise.

All of this is not even to mention the socio-political risks that come with investing in Aramco. Environmental issues aside, Aramco still faces international competition with the U.S. and Russia, stagnant output for the past five years, warlike attacks from Iran, and a lack of corporate autonomy against the Saudi Arabian government.

From an immediate money-driven perspective, investing in Aramco might seem like an easy buck and a booming economic development for Saudi Arabia. However, money (like oil wells) can dry up quicker than one thinks, and when that happens, investors might be left with nothing in their pockets but a long list of political, sociological, and environmental problems.

Find books on Big Tech, Sustainable Energy, Economics and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Climate Solutions, Entertainment, Music, Observation

Takin’ it to the Streets to Save the World – XR uses Saturday Night Fever to Wake up Planet Earth

Video
https://video-lynxotic.akamaized.net/Madrid-December7-2019.mov
Short Video illustrating the disco-bedience protest in madrid around the climate conference

Civil Disco-Bedience: Inspired Dance Protest Outside UN Climate Conference in Madrid

When it comes to the climate crisis, there is an unfortunate oversaturation of negative news. Rising temperatures, polluted oceans, wildfires, hurricanes, floods and more—all against the backdrop of political inaction. It does not always paint the most uplifting picture.

Even protests are often (rightfully) fueled by frustration and anger. While climate rallies are in the world’s best interests, their participants are usually an aggressively determined and ambitious crowd. Such is what it takes to fight the systemic behemoths that are behind climate change.

A first phase consisted of a kind of shock tactic to try to emphasize the seriousness of the dangers faced by all. “Die-ins” were a way to illustrate, almost literally, the consequences of inaction. Stopping traffic or blocking commerce was a way to force the public and the media to take notice.

The Extinction Rebellion has been putting on protests since May 2018, but it has become particularly active in the past few months. Its rallies can sometimes be perceived as extremism. Multiple members of the group have been arrested for their uncompromising actions and their protests have been made illegal in the city of London.

Then the floods, droughts, fires and extreme weather events started to become commonplace. Scientific reports showed the undeniable connection to man-made climate change. Global Warming became Climate Change then a Climate Crisis. The fear became palpable.

It appears that, even as at least some attention is being paid at the UN Climate Conference in Madrid, a major shift could be emerging in world opinion. World leaders are coming together to follow up on the 2015 Paris Accords and seek to come to sound agreements for the planet’s future.

More importantly, there is a massive shift in the auto industry with carmakers anticipating an eventual end to internal combustion engine (ICE) production in favor of electric vehicles (EVs).

Sometimes it’s necessary to look past the threats and the doom and try to imagine a world where the human race rises to an extinction level threat and not only survives but prevails. To imagine a world where energy is abundant and comes from the sun, from wind power and as yet unknown clean, sustainable energy sources.

Like driving a beautiful, clean, zero emission Tesla on beautiful mountain roads, charged from solar sources, and marveling at a better world all around. A Great fantasy today, but what kind of changes, to our ways of thinking, to our current corrupt infrastructure, to all that stands in the way, would it take to make it a reality?

A tiny first step could be for those that no longer need convincing that the Climate Crisis is real to come together and announce to the world, and more importantly to one another, that the journey towards, not just survival, but to a better life has begun. And what better way to do it than by….. dancing.

This week, the grassroots environmental organization known as the Extinction Rebellion blocked out Madrid’s busy Gran Via to dance in the street—enacting what they are calling “civil disco-bedience.”

Following the Unspoken Ethos of Elon Musk “Save the Planet and have Fun Doing it” is the new Mantra

In Madrid the protestors expressed nothing but upbeat vibes, as hundreds flooded the roads to jam out and move their bodies to songs of celebration and life, not death.

As several members of the party stated, the Extinction Rebellion has tried just about every option in the book to get politicians on board with prioritizing climate change. Sadly, very few of its efforts have been rewarded. Now that all of the leaders are at the conference talking out potential solutions, there is not much left for the organization to do.

Always savvy when it comes to public backlash and highly motivated for a more than righteous cause, it appears that the group has decided that there must be joy, exuberance, energy and even a celebratory atmosphere to the consciousness raising efforts, if they are to succeed.

So they dance. In the cold December air, some go shirtless and all express sentiments of optimism for the future. They stand for saving the world, and are having fun doing it. Hopefully, the politicians meeting inside Madrid’s IFEMA facilities are feeling as progressive as the protestors are, and will find some sort of innovative compromise before the Conference ends on December 13th.

As various groups come together searching for ways to act against the threats of the Climate Crisis and in favor of solutions and changes that will enable a life on earth that does not depend on burning carbon to live, they are realizing, it appears, that finding each other and reinforcing their mutual love for life and this planet may be the first, best, test in what will be humankind’s greatest challenge.

The citizens of earth ultimately have the power to decide the future. Now, and soon, that decision will be made, one way, or another. Perhaps celebrating this certainty by dancing on the streets of Madrid in the winter of 2019 may not be a bad way to acknowledge and affirm those truths, and begin the dance toward changes for the better.

Find books on Big Tech, Sustainable Energy, Economics and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Breaking News, Climate Solutions

UN Climate Conference Kicks Off in Madrid: U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says America is Still on Board

Taking stock after a 4 year Pause

On December 2nd the 2019 UN Climate Conference began in Madrid, Spain. Called COP25, this Madrid Conference is the first worldwide meeting focusing on the climate crisis since 2015’s COP21—also known as the Paris Climate Agreement. The Chilean Government is heading the Conference with Minister of Environment of Chile Carolina Schmidt acting as Conference President. As locational hosts, the Spanish government is also helping the Conference with logistical matters.

Shortly before the Conference began, the World Meteorologist Organization released a report showing that the amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere is at an all time high. Around the same time, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres set the tone of the meeting by claiming that the “point of no return is no longer over the horizon.” This is but a glimpse of what is at stake at COP25.

Over the next two weeks, the Conference expects to receive over 29,000 guests, among them are fifty heads of states and representatives from over two-hundred nations. As for the United States, President Donald Trump and key members of his administration have been absent from the event so far. However, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi entered the meeting with a strong message of reassurance. Beside a team of fifteen U.S. Democratic lawmakers, Pelosi promised the UN that America is still on board with the fight against climate change, even through President Trump recently withdrew the nation from the Paris Climate Accord.

When COP21 took place four years ago, President Obama was still in office, and he agreed to cooperate with the conditions set about at the Conference. These conditions included keeping global temperatures levels within no more than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, limiting greenhouse gas emissions to what is naturally sustainable, and wealthier countries supporting developing nations in their switch to renewable energy

Trump’s Oil Driven Agenda Rejected by Pelosi and her Constituents

After Trump entered office in 2016, though, his conservative administration immediately campaigned to pull America out of these terms. Prioritizing the U.S. economy and wanting to support domestic fossil fuel producers, Trump officially removed America from the plan in November.

Pelosi’s opening message on behalf of the American government is therefore a bold one, going against the intentions and outlook of the country’s sitting president. Nevertheless, it is one that both Americans and people across the world can take comfort in. After China, the United States produces more carbon dioxide than any other country. Thus, our participation in the battle against climate change is crucial if worldwide change is ever to be achieved.

Also within the first day at the conference, leaders from the European Union spoke up, expressing the bloc’s concern for the environment and its eagerness to prioritize the issue going forward. Overall, the rhetoric is strong on day one.. all the same, this is only the beginning, the tasks are daunting and there is lots of work left to do.

Even if we as a planet do come to a diplomatic agreement on how to lower our carbon footprint, there is no guarantee that every nation will live up to expectations. Although the outlook for international cooperation seemed promising immediately following the Paris Conference, five years later, progress has been halting and breakthroughs hard to some by. 2019 is still expected to be one of the hottest years on record, and the 2010s will undoubtedly be the warmest decade of all time.

The Conference will continue through Friday, December 13th. By that time, the world will hopefully have made some progress toward an intergovernmental plan for how to attack this global challenge. Far more will, in any event be needed, as a plan, however well intentioned, is only as good as the action it evokes.

Find books on Big Tech, Sustainable Energy, Economics and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Climate Solutions, Lifestyle

Government and Industrial Responsibility vs. Private Guilt in the Climate Crisis

Image by Angela Yuriko Smith

Personal Guilt Misconceptions and “Mind Control by the Alligators”

With the entire world soon to be in a state of emergency due to the climate crisis it is government and industry that must lead the way in enacting drastic reforms for survival. If that leadership is not forthcoming then we all must begin fighting against the system that threatens our own extinction.

The idea that the problem is based on a lack of “voluntary” climate footprint reduction by individuals is not only absurd but an intentional method used to prevent the implementation of any systemic changes.

While individuals and individual consumption is clearly a meaningful factor and cause, it is a propaganda ploy to play on individual guilt and responsibility over a massive, essential change in world energy infrastructure.

Even pointing to the differences in carbon burned by rich vs. poor serves only to produce a scapegoat that is an imaginary individual as opposed to starting a real discussion about how government, industry to society as a whole can solve the problem.

Should a person choosing to fly from LA to NYC be shamed or feel guilt and cancel the trip instead? Why are there no high speed, carbon neutral transportation options?

No different than in 2008 at the depth of the financial crisis when 700 billion was gifted to big banks and Insurance companies, who promptly proceeded to award themselves massive bonuses for nearly destroying the entire world economy.

Not only was the “man from Main Street” blamed in much of the media for “irresponsible” used of credit that was, in reality, foisted on him but that same demographic suffered most and was clearly the victim of the systemic greed that was the true cause of the contagion.

Stay tuned, as this theme will re-emerge with a vengeance as none of the underlying causes of that crisis were addressed, let alone corrected.

Photo by Karsten Wuerth

Simple examples of top down success stories abound but they are rarely mentioned

In Germany, for example, a goal of 65% reliance on clean renewable energy sources is within sight, set as a goal for 2030, but likely will be reached or even surpassed before then.

How was this achieved? Was there a spontaneous surge in individual choices that led to this shift away from Oil and Coal? Of course not. Taxes played a role, industry cooperated, individuals were encouraged, and in some cases required by law, to follow suit.

A very large factor, however, was the lack of Oil interests relative to other countries. In Germany percentage of dependence on foreign oil at very high prices was far above the US or even most of the rest of Northern Europe since WW II. That war itself was lost by the German Axis partially due to the lack of access to cheap oil.

This served, in the short run, to force people to use energy more carefully than in the US. Anything from non essential lighting to refrigeration and air conditioning and individual travel options were limited for the second half of the 20th Century. This was partly due to the market price, but also to the added taxes, which were used to help fund projects like mass transit, and reduce the dependence on oil by having, as a society, a more energy efficient transportation infrastructure.

It’s No Accident that the US has been Lagging Behind in Much Needed Changes for Decades

During the obvious shift in awareness toward this existential challenge facing humankind, with massive predatory greed as its root cause, there can be no foisting of responsibility onto the backs of the common citizen.

It is up to the media to quash and reject the idea that no one can complain about systemic failures unless they lead a private lifestyle that is virtually “carbon free”.

The idea is patently absurd on its face, as if we should all wake up one day and personally replace the freeways with mass transit, for example, even while politicians and industry continue to block sustainable transportation or green lifestyle options for average people through greed and vested interests of the fossil fuel industrial complex.

There is Precedent for this Struggle, and Not a Nice One

Rather, governments, industry and citizenry must all come together against a common enemy, as was done in WW2 in the fight to stop Hitler and the Nazis.

Hitler in this scenario is not the climate crisis itself but rather the corrupt cabal running governments and industry and quietly asserting all its might to prevent positive change from happening.

“If you belong to that small group of people who feel threatened by us, then we have some very bad news for you, because this is only the beginning. Change is coming whether they like it or not.” – Greta Thunberg

A major method the sociopaths of the status quo use to stop positive change is the ridiculous argument that only individuals can solve the problems that are root the cause of the climate crisis.

This is, in fact, true, but not in the way that they are selling. The real and only way that the problems can be solved is by individuals standing up and demanding the worldwide systemic changes necessary to reverse the environmental causes of the crisis.

And if the powers that seek to block those changes stand in the way, they must be removed from power, until they join the dinosaurs they resemble, otherwise all of us face extinction together.

And that goes double for any media outlet that tries to sell you the false narrative the personal, individual actions are primarily to blame, rather than the corrupt decisions of those in power.

It is not just an abdication of responsibility it is willful criminal negligence that would destroy the earth in suicidal destruction, along with the entire human race. Those elements of society blocking the positive changes need to be stopped by any means necessary.

Find books on Big Tech, Sustainable Energy, Economics and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Observation, Tech

Tesla Cybertruck Pre-Orders pass Quarter Mil, a.k.a. Any Press is Good Press

Memes and Ridicule are spreading the word: There’s a New Truck in Town…

It’s been quite a week in Tesla news since the Cybertruck was unveiled near the SpaceX headquarters on November 21st. There’s been a rollercoaster of love and mocking, most of which has been entertaining. Once the initial barrage of silly memes hit like an avalanche on Twitter, auto insiders piled on, in a nice way with tongue in cheek, and all seemed to combine to take an already massive press event to an even higher level.

While pre-orders for the Model 3 peaked around half-a-million, and as all would know by now, that model is a huge success story, 250k in pre-orders in less than a week for Cybertruck is not a bad start. Yes, the pre-orders for the Cybertruck are only $100, more a token of appreciation than a hard reservation, and are fully refundable at that, but for a truck that was roundly derided and even scornfully laughed at, this cannot be considered an insignificant number.

There has been much speculation, as the pre-order tally kept growing, that this could all be a ruse and that the publicity would spur on accelerated development at other automakers, which does appear to be the case. However, amid all the noise and squawking, the name, the image, the logo and the concept are splashing across the world like a tsunami of retro-nostalgic-futurism gone wild.

And, deep deep below the surface of that wave, there is something more. Much more. As is often the case with Elon Musk led projects, an attempt was clearly made to break the mold when it comes to the engineering and feature-set capability, not just the aesthetic ethos.

“So, normally the way that a truck is designed, you have a body on frame, you have a bed on frame and the body and the bed don’t do anything useful. They’re carried like cargo, like a sack of potatoes. It was the way that aircraft used to be designed, when they had biplanes, basically. The key to creating an effective monoplane was a stressed skin design. You move the stress to the outside skin.”

– Elon Musk at the Tesla Cybertruck Unveil Event

As can be seen by looking online at the stats, or reading some good Teslarati articles that go further into the deeply practical innovations, there’s a lot more here than meets the eye.

2019 has been a Watershed Year for Tesla and Elon Musk and 2020 will see more Massive Changes

The 250k pre-orders represent, at the very least, a massive world-wide focus group on the idea of the Cybertruck, if not the truck itself. This focus group is very, very enthusiastic about the idea. How much of this is celebrity love? How much is tree-hugger-meets-mad-max eco-rescue lovers? How many are tired of the macho-hillbilly-redneck pro-gas-guzzling Marlboro-Man image of “Made-Ford-Tough”? A lot, clearly.

“So if you think about a truck, you want a truck that’s tough. You want a truck that’s really tough, not fake tough.”

– ELON MUSK AT THE TESLA CYBERTRUCK UNVEIL EVENT

And what if it is just a lot of people with a C-note to spare that would like to vote for an overthrow of the old guard and see the transition to a sustainable energy transportation infrastructure at least get off its ass?

In Southern California you get on the freeway anytime, anywhere and you will see old guard 19mpg, 40 gallon per tank monsters with fat, stupid oversized clown wheels as far as the eye can see. What if they were mixed with Tesla Cybertrucks, in addition to the Model S and Model 3s that are already a California freeway mainstay. Would that be “Blade-Runner-esque? And what of it? At lease a new day will look new and be different.

Haven’t we seen enough of the Status Quo? Haven’t the Dinosaurs had their day? Change can be refreshing, even while retro in a cyberpunk kind of way, and in the end, Saving the Planet and Having Fun Doing It is a much better way than the way we had.

Find books on Big Tech, Sustainable Energy, Economics and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Enjoy Lynxotic at Apple News on your iPhone, iPad or Mac and subscribe to our newsletter.

Climate Solutions

Carbon Dioxide Levels Reach Record High: Dire Statistics ahead of Climate Change Conference

Important Metrics that Measure the Danger Timeline…

The World Meteorological Organization released a new report stating that the amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere has reached a record high. According to scientists, the planet’s atmosphere had an average greenhouse gas concentration of 407.8 parts per million in 2018. This is an all time high and a significant increase from the 405.5 parts per million average from 2017.

These figures are not a natural occurrence, and they are indeed very dangerous. The last time the Earth had these levels of greenhouse gases trapped in its atmosphere was over three million years ago, and the climate then was certainly not hospitable for humankind.

The level of carbon dioxide amongst other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has increased tremendously since pre-industrial times, showing a direct correlation between human emissions and climate change. As more fossil fuels are burned on Earth, more carbon enters the sky, thus trapping heat and disrupting the environment.

Therefore, as emissions increase, we can expect the climate crisis to accelerate. Higher CO2 levels will take a greater burden on natural carbon drains like forests and oceans. Likewise, with the temperature spike, polar ice will melt quicker, sea levels will rise, air will dry up, and the world will face more severe natural disasters—the recent floods in Venice and fires in California are already evidence of this occurring.

Based on the way world leaders are responding to the climate crisis right now, it is unlikely that the trend of increased carbon emissions will be reversing itself anytime soon. As 2019—soon to be one of the hottest years on record—comes to a close, we can expect that the annual average amount of carbon in the atmosphere to go up yet again. 

UN Climate Change Conference in Madrid will Address many issues, Including this Data

This unfortunate news comes at a pressing time, as the UN Climate Change Conference takes place next week in Madrid, Spain and will continue through December 15th. Currently there is a drastic gap between the world’s climate goals set in the 2015 Paris accord and the amount of actual progress that has taken place. The UN recently reported that global greenhouse gas emissions would need to drop 7.6 percent each year after 2020 in order to stabilize the atmosphere and reach the ambitions we settled on in Paris. 

The UN’s proposition is directly antithetical to the emission-increasing trend that has been going on since the Industrial Revolution. It may seem like a reversing of progress, but it is a step that the world needs to take in order to maintain the human race. Nevertheless, it is still a step forward, by taking it the world will come up with new ways to solve problems and produce energy without burning fossil fuels. 

Thus, even in these ecologically treacherous times, a shred of optimism remains. Rethinking our practices and prioritizing environmental conservation is not a suggestion, but a necessity in the modern era. But by making such changes, we will also be making innovations and continuing to grow. Despite the bleak horizon, if addressed properly, this challenge has the potential to bring out the very best of humanity.

Find books on Big Tech, Sustainable Energy, Economics and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Enjoy Lynxotic at Apple News on your iPhone, iPad or Mac and subscribe to our newsletter.

Climate Solutions, Politics

More Than Meets the Eye: Our National Parks are not Expendable in the Fight Against Climate Change

Zion National Park, Utah – Photo / Adobe Stock

President in the Pocket of Big Oil stands in charge of National Treasures

When it comes to environmental issues, Donald Trump has not been a friend of the environment, and that is putting it lightly. Since entering office, Trump has pulled America out of the Paris climate agreement, repealed several eco-friendly acts from the Obama administration, and opened up federally protected land for privatization and extractive industries. 

Most of this new real estate comes from National Parks, Forests, and Wildlife Refuges, all managed by the Department of the Interior. Aside from being areas of dense plant and wildlife, these spots are crucial parts of the American experience. They preserve some of the nation’s most breathtaking landscapes and deepest natural history. They are America’s last piece of what Henry David Thoreau would call “the sublime”—a term he barrowed from Immanuel Kant to describe nature’s unfathomable and soul captivating beauty. 

Understandably, in a world undergoing a climate crisis, it may not seem imperative that world leaders preserve beauty per-se. Environmentally speaking, there are certainly bigger fish to fry right now. However, as stunning as National Parks are, they offer far more than just beauty. The Parks have ecological significance beyond measure and ignoring their importance now could actually have immense detriments to our ongoing battle against climate change.

Historically, the reason that Congress created the National Parks Service at the turn of the twentieth century was to preserve nature. Seeing the environmental detriments of overhunting and overfishing in certain areas of the country, conservationists realized that some of America’s most luscious wildernesses would soon disappear if they did not press for protection. 

Because of this precedent, the National Parks to this day are places where animals and plants can run wild and fulfill their natural duties. Collectively, the Parks are homes to millions of trees across the nation. These untouched forests are enormous natural carbon drains. If we were to open up this land for consumption, we would run the risk of deforestation and losing these carbon-sucking plants, thus contributing immensely to global warming.

“We’re never going to solve the climate crisis … he is an oil president, his cabinet is an oil cabinet. He is bought off by fossil fuels, and a lot of people in the Senate, a lot of Republican candidates, are too, we can’t solve the problem when we have elected officials who are paid by the fossil fuel industry.”

– Jane Fonda

Similarly, if we allow for private industries to drill, mine, or develop on the land, then habitats would be lost, water could be contaminated, and lots of the Earth’s rich nutrients would be infringed upon. The same could go for hunting and fishing. While each of these latter two activities are sustainable in small doses, if overdone (particularly on corporate levels), then the victimized species could become threated quite quickly. 

Consequentially, with an already unbalanced ecosystem, we cannot expect the world to respond to these changes in natural ways. Therefore, when we disrupt the pristine National Parks, we could inadvertently be accelerating the climate crisis.

Sunrise over Schwabachers Landing in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming – Photo / Adobe Stock

Priceless Resources could be lost, Forever

Of course, the Parks have not gone entirely untouched in their hundred-plus year existence. With the advent of the automobile, the government built roads through the land, cleared campsites, and erected service buildings, allowing travelers to journey through and see everything the Parks have to offer. Throughout all of this, though, the Department of the Interior has always prioritized sustainability, making sure that the development is minimalist and that the guests remain frugal during their visits.

Trump, however, even wants the to privatize the Parks’ campsites. This means that the price of pitching a tent could go up—potentially making the traditionally affordable Parks an exclusive luxury. More importantly, though, if the camps become privatized, there is hardly as much of a grantee that they will remain eco-friendly. For one example, the privately owned camps could have more lenient rules when it comes to sanitation and littering. Clutter and trash will not only hurt the Parks aesthetically, but it will also hurt them environmentally, as ecosystems will not be able to thrive with improperly disposed plastic and Styrofoam taking up space. 

Moreover, if the Trump privatizes the camps, who’s to say that the buck will stop there? Given Trump’s environmental record and business mind, perhaps the “camps” will eventually not be “camps” at all. Perhaps they will evolve into full-on resorts with hotels, pools, and parking lots paved over the land that Americans have treasured and fought so hard to protect for generations.

Granted, there is nothing wrong with a little tourism in our National Parks. In fact, even extractive industries have their merit at times. If people did not have the chance to appreciate and gain from the Parks, then we would probably not prioritize them as much as we do. Nevertheless, the Parks do more than just please the eye. They are natural oases for many species, each contributing a vital part to an ecosystem. This keeps the natural world in check and if it goes unchecked, then we will be sacrificing far more than just the animals, plants, and views. The ultimate burden will always come back to people.

Find books on Big Tech, Sustainable Energy, Economics and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Enjoy Lynxotic at Apple News on your iPhone, iPad or Mac and subscribe to our newsletter.

Business, Earth and Ecology

California Creates New Plan to Lower Emissions Despite being Denied Right to set own Standards

Tesla Semi Rendering / Photo / Tesla

If State Legislation Doesn’t Work, Hit the Offenders Where it Hurts…

A couple of weeks ago, California lost a battle with the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. Wanting to set its own standards for vehicular carbon emissions, California campaigned for statewide legislation that would call for lighter, more fuel-efficient cars. The Trump administration, however, backed by car manufactures such as General Motors, Toyota, and Fiat Chrysler, eventually ruled that it was unconstitutional for California to set independent criteria when it came to carbon emissions, and that the state could not create a standard inconsistent with the federal rules.

The Golden State, however, has not given up in its battle to become more eco-friendly. Given the new stipulations, the state has come up with a reactionary plan to continue lowering emissions. Essentially, California is going to block out the car companies that stand in its way and instead use vehicles that already fall in line with its environmentally conscious goals.

This means that the California State government will no longer be purchasing vehicles from GM, Toyota, Fiat Chrysler, or any other company that helped the Trump administration revoke its emissions policy. Likewise, the state will only be using low-emission vehicles and will be transitioning to electric vehicles as much as possible. 

Tesla, Rivian and Other Auto Companies’ Benefit by supporting CA’s Green Initiatives

In opposition to the handful car companies that are at odds with California right now, a few other enterprises actually benefit from the state’s eco-friendly plan. Honda, BMW, Ford, and Volkswagen have all backed California and they already make vehicles that fit in with the state’s environmental prerogatives. At the forefront of the situation, however, are Tesla and Rivian—the two premiere electric car manufacturers who can supply Cali with zero-emission vehicles.

Tesla and Rivian have even gone the extra mile, teaming up with charging companies and electric companies to form the National Coalition for Advanced Transportation (NCAT). This group’s goal is to advocate for California’s low-emission standards and try to spread fuel-efficient innovation around the world. It is currently trying to get additional U.S. states to follow in California’s footsteps, and it has filed a lawsuit against the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration for repealing Cali’s right to set its own rules when it comes to clean air.

Admittedly, these electricity-based companies and carmakers might have fiscal motives for pushing environmentally conscious agendas. Perhaps these auto-manufactures are just as interested in greasing their palms as they are in saving the planet or combatting climate change. Even if that is the case, though, and these companies do have ulterior motives, it does not put them in the wrong. In fact, their economic investment in being environmentally sustainable could be a huge step forward, for it shows that going green can be good for business—an eight letter word that has not always been the kindest when it comes to ecological consideration.

The California state government owns over fifty thousand vehicles from snowplows, to school busses, to police cars, to ambulances, and more. The fact that they are ghosting GM, Toyota, Fiat Chrysler and other brands that opposed its initiatives is a big loss for those companies. At the same time, the fact that they are investing in environmentally conscious car manufacturers will launch these eco-friendly companies to greater heights. With fifty thousand vehicles following these stringent emission standards rules, it is possible that the trend will spread outside the Golden State and end up fostering a legitimate shift forward in the ongoing fight against climate change.

Find books on Big Tech, Sustainable Energy, Economics and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Enjoy Lynxotic at Apple News on your iPhone, iPad or Mac and subscribe to our newsletter.

Climate Solutions

Destroying the Planet Will Cost More than Saving it: The Paradox of Suicidal Shortsighted Financial Gain

Photo / Adobe Stock

Whenever a solution to climate change is proposed, one of the first questions is “how much does it cost?” Perhaps the premiere reason that the world perpetually fails to prioritize the climate crisis is because of money; countries, corporations, and individuals around the planet do not want to spend more in order to combat an issue that feels so removed.

This, however, is a paradox. When the effects of climate change come to fruition (as if they have not already), they will affect everyone. The environment will not discriminate. Obviously, developing nations with low GDPs will be the most vulnerable to the nature’s wrath, but the impact will make a dent in the global economy, hurting everybody’s wallets.

A new study from the Economist Intelligence Unit says that over the next generation, climate change could reduce the world’s economic growth by 3%. It will hit parts of Africa, South America, and the Middle East most severely, but it will also affect wealthy parts of the world in significant ways.

The United States, for example, could see its growth reduced by 1% in the next thirty years. If global temperatures continue to rise, that figure could increase to over 10% within the next century.

This should be an economic wake up call for governments and people around the world to start taking the battle against climate change seriously, and to start investing in the fight now because the cost is only going to go up over time. 

The fact that 2019 is likely to go down as one of the hottest years on record should also signal that global warming is not as removed as some might think and thus demands more immediate action. Events in 2019 such as the floods in Venice, the wildfires in California, Hurricane Dorian, and the ongoing melting of the polar ice caps have already cost the world billions of dollars. Natural disasters like these will start happening at greater frequencies as carbon emissions increase—and the money will keep pouring out of our pockets as a result. 

Sadly, another study (this one from the UN Environment Programme) reports that despite ambitions of sustaining global temperatures at 2 degrees Celsius, we are still burning 50% more fossil fuels than necessary to achieve that goal by 2030. Then, if we change the temperature goal to 1.5 degrees Celsius—as many climate scientists have suggested is required—then we are burning 120% more fossil fuels than needed.

These are harrowing figures not just for our global health, ecosystems, and well-being, but also for our currency. Right now, burning fossil fuels is a big money maker, and switching to alternative energy sources could be costly. If we keep relying on non-renewable energy, though, then we might as well be throwing dollar bills into the furnace. Evidently, our financial and ecological priorities are correlated.  Industry, Governments and politicians need to realize this connection and act upon it before it’s too late. And we all need to remind them, as loud and often as necessary.

Find books on Big Tech, Sustainable Energy, Economics and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Enjoy Lynxotic at Apple News on your iPhone, iPad or Mac and subscribe to our newsletter.

Climate Solutions, Politics

150 year Epic Floods in Venice Foreshadow what’s in store for Coastal Cities as Sea Levels Rise

Venice Gondolas / Affinity Photo Stock / Pixabay

Floods are Seasonal in Venice, But they’re Not Normally Devastating

Residents of the beautiful, canal-lined city of Venice, Italy usually take pride in their immediate access to the water. Even if every autumn the high tide comes in for flooding season, the wash-over is typically manageable enough for Venetians to cope with it and carry out their lives. 

This past week challenged the city’s relationship with water, though, as Venice experienced some of the harshest floods it has ever seen.

Between Wednesday and Friday, Venice became submerged in 6 feet and 2 inches of water. This is the second highest flood in the city’s history, just two inches away from the city’s highest flood on record, which took place in 1966.

Flood Exacts Ironic Revenge upon Far-Right Climate-Change-Deniers in Venice Regional Council Building

The salty water rode over the city’s aged barrier security system and ran through the streets. It destructively made its way into houses and stores and even did some damage to the famous St. Mark’s Square and its historic cathedral. Poignantly, the water also flooded the Venice Regional Council building—soaking the very chambers where members of Italy’s far-right League party turned down a number of propositions to combat climate change and protect the region’s environment.

Granted, Venice’s floods were not the direct cause of climate change. Their severity was more due to gravitational and astronomical idiosyncrasies that dramatically affected the tide. Nevertheless, global warming leading to rising sea levels may mean that floods like these could be happening more often. The fact that Venice saw these massive events in episodes over the course of just three days already shows that something is ecologically off. 

The vast majority of the world’s population lives by the coast, and most of the globe’s major cities are ports. Therefore, Venice could be a harrowing foreshadow of what is to come for many people once the effects of climate change come to fruition. Venice may be the first of many environmental disasters that bring glorified cities down to their knees.   

Floods and More Disaster likely as Governments Continue Passivity in the Face of Climate Crisis

There is a certain poetic justice to the fact that this happened so recently after Venice’s government decided to sideline environmental policies. The conservative council has avoided all efforts to make the region more eco-friendly, and now they are facing the tangible consequences. It is a microcosm of governments around the world denying or refusing to address climate change—their inaction will soon lead to demolition.

From Venice, we can also take away the fact that climate change is no longer a future issue. These disasters are happening right now and in real time. This changes the temporal frame of climate change, granting it immediacy and sounding the alarm for people in power to prioritize it before it’s too late.

Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro is currently witnessing firsthand how offsetting ecological issues helps no one in the long run. He has declared a state of emergency for the city and expects that repairing damages will exceed €1 billion. If we continue not to act on climate change, this number (like the tide) will only get higher and will submerge more cities around the world, drowning us perhaps to a point where no amount of money will be able to keep us afloat.

Find books on Big Tech, Sustainable Energy, Economics and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Enjoy Lynxotic at Apple News on your iPhone, iPad or Mac and subscribe to our newsletter.

Business, Climate Solutions, Cutting Edge, Tech

Bring It On: Elon Musk & Tesla and the EV Explosion of New Models across the Auto Industry

Video
https://video-lynxotic.akamaized.net/What-is-Mach.mp4
Ford MUSTANG Mach-E SUV Scheduled Announcement for Nov. 17

Ford Announcement is Harbinger of Avalanche of New EV Models are on the Horizon from virtually every Major Automaker

With today’s scheduled announcement of a new Ford Mustang EV and a slew of other companies rushing into the fray, the transition into more sustainable automotive transportation has gone into hyperdrive.

Since it’s founding in 2003, Tesla has been about two things: all electric zero emission electric cars and making them fun, fast and sexy.

The genius of this cannot be overstated. In retrospect, it can even be said that the auto industry intentionally tried to make EV’s, to the extent that they were developed at all, an experience like eating broccoli while everyone else at the table feasted on a cornucopia of delights. The idea appeared to be to intentionally fail and thereby take away the need for EV’s to be produced at all (and ICE vehicle production to continue uninterrupted)

Elon Musk and Tesla put a stop to all that. Facing incredible resistance and negative press bordering on sabotage, nevertheless the company persisted and stuck to the concept: EVs must be not only have a long range and be powerful but also be fast and fun like hell to drive.

Also, could it be that all the boring, staid productions and designs were built specifically to fail? That the fossil fuel industrial complex wanted to perpetuate itself (automakers included) and stop or at least slow down the transition to EVs?

For years, there was not much more than a trickle of projects at other manufacturers trying to follow suit. No more. Not only are there huge and growing numbers of new models either in production or soon to be produced, but longer term commitments and infrastructure investments, particularly by the top German automakers are being announced virtually by the day.

https://www.tesla.com/ns_videos/roadster_videos/roadster-loop-imperial.mp4?20180329
Tesla Roadster

Theses commitments follow not only close attention to the sales numbers and successes of Tesla’s Roadster, Model 3, S and X, but, with a high likelihood, huge companies are seeing that the tide is turning in awareness of the need for sustainable energy infrastructure among the general public.

Although there is plenty of debate as to whether battery based individual cars can be powered by primarily sustainable energy sources (Solar, wind, etc), it is clear that reducing CO2 emissions by phasing out, and eventually eliminating, ICE vehicles is a positive step forward.

Photo / Tesla

The Future can’t wait, and thankfully, Elon and Tesla Survived and Brought us All to this Moment

But the genius and power, seldom singled out for praise of any kind (even among Tesla fanatics), in finding “sexy” ways to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels and of waging war against the capitalist world that itself created the problem of Global Warming, is mind-bendingly fantastic.

While this sounds almost insane at first blush, Elon Musk and Tesla are proving that, by focusing on making products that are not only environmentally progressive but also attractive to consumers, (using a marketing style straight out of Apple and Steve Jobs playbook) the “free market” can bring extreme pressure to bear on polluting fossil fuel behemoths and force them to change.

The brilliance of this is deep and formidable. In the end, it is “the people” that must stand up and act to change the ways that we travel and use transportation. It has been clear for half a century that a “top-down” approach where a kind of energy austerity is forced on the public is not possible and would bring great hardship. And voluntary change by the power structure went virtually nowhere in the last 50 years.

Why not find ways to make sustainable energy solutions and products that improve the transportation systems into aspirational objects of desire and status? Why not make green more than just politically correct but also cutting edge and satisfying to the lifestyles of the affluent and mobile in the G7 member countries?

Tesla Store in Hamburg, Germany

One Step Forward is better than Excuses not to Act, which has been the Stance of Government and Industry until now

And so what if battery factories are not yet able to run on 100% sustainable energy sources? Isn’t it better to start now and accelerate the transition to a better way? Tesla is also a solar company and a battery manufacturing company and is doing everything possible to upgrade all available technology to make its entire operation more completely sustainable and “green”.

Wouldn’t it be fantastic to see the rest of the auto industry (and indeed other industries and companies) to follow this path of prioritizing sustainable energy production and use?

Now, today, we see that a miracle has happened. Using great technology and product designs and marketing them with emphasis on the driving pleasure, speed and sexy fun, just as much as the environmental benefits Tesla has pulled and prodded the rest of the auto industry toward the future, and forced them to abandon all efforts to delay or impede the transition to sustainable energy in automotive transport.

In a war with a single company / entity against almost literally the entire world infrastructure, the war was won by the underdog, hands down.

Perhaps this is a lesson for the future: that winning the hearts, minds and the wallets of the general public, by creating products people love, can be an even better catalyst for positive change, than preaching suffering and guilt while clinging to the obsolete structures of the past.

You can watch the live unveiling of the Mustang Mach-E at 5:15 PM (PST) Nov. 17, 2019 below:

https://youtu.be/o0F9Uktpgtk

Find books on Big Tech, Sustainable Energy, Economics and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Enjoy Lynxotic at Apple News on your iPhone, iPad or Mac and subscribe to our newsletter.

Climate Solutions, News

Lynxotic Climate Crisis Updates: Global & Celebrity Activism from Extinction Rebellion, Greta Thunberg and Leonardo DiCaprio

Video
https://video-lynxotic.akamaized.net/OnelifetimeXRMaster.mp4

If you’ve missed our recent coverage of the climate crisis, here’s a compilation of some of our noteworthy articles that’ll help you get up to speed on the issue, especially in regards to how global citizens and celebrities are getting involved in the movement for climate action.

The Extinction Rebellion Brings Global Civil Disobedience to the Modern Matter of Climate Change
Climate Crisis reaching Critical Mass: Extreme Events, Massive Protests and Celebrity Activism
Extinction Rebellion Video Increases political pressure as Elections Loom and Climate Survival is at Stake
Greta Thunberg Declines Nordic Council Environmental Prize, Says “Climate Movement Doesn’t Need Awards”
Leonardo DiCaprio headlines Global Citizens Festival, in Climate Crisis awareness fight
XR Logo

Find books on Big Tech, Sustainable Energy, Economics and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Enjoy Lynxotic at Apple News on your iPhone, iPad or Mac and subscribe to our newsletter.

Climate Solutions

Climate Crisis Weekend Update: Unbending Corporate Politics & Scary Scientific Findings

11,258 Scientists sign Foreboding Report that Declares a Climate Emergency for the Planet
Auto Companies Back Trump in Fight against California’s Statewide Carbon Emissions Mandates
October 2019 is the Hottest Month on Record, continuing the Year’s Trend Towards a Climate Emergency
Former Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson on Trial for allegedly Deceiving Investors about Climate Change
Climate Change fuels California Wildfires as Photochemical Smog evolves into Smoke in LA
Climate Crisis: Report Reveals New and more extreme Dangers to our Oceans

Find books on Big Tech, Sustainable Energy, Economics and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Enjoy Lynxotic at Apple News on your iPhone, iPad or Mac and subscribe to our newsletter.

Climate Solutions, News, Politics

Extinction Rebellion Video Increases political pressure as Elections Loom and Climate Survival is at Stake

Video
https://video-lynxotic.akamaized.net/OnelifetimeXRMaster.mp4

XR Celebrity Allies Demand from Governments ‘#WhereIsYourPlan’

As we head into election season, the impending climate crisis demands immediate action, especially by our world governments. Extinction Rebellion (XR) is well aware of this as they release this celebrity collaboration short film that calls for everyone to demand their government’s plan to address the climate crisis, with the hashtag #WhereIsYourPlan.

“Through voices representing a lifetime, aged 8 to 80, the film demands that leaders around the world act on the climate and ecological emergency, including stopping the destruction of our forests, our oceans and our wildlife, reducing to global zero carbon emissions within 10 years and in investing in a green economy.”

Extinction Rebellion

This globally significant film was developed by legendary filmmaker Richard Curtis and world-renowned British photography agency RANKIN. Curtis is known for the famous works that include “Love, Actually”, “Notting Hill”, “Four Weddings and a Funeral” and “Bridget Jone’s Diary”.

The celebrities featured include recognizable faces from “Downton Abbey” to “Love Island,” as well as Ellie Goulding, Jaime Winstone, Chris Packham, Daisy Lowe, Imelda Staunton, Stephen Frears, and Jim Carter.

Together, these high-profile entities from every generation raise their voices to unite everyone — no matter their race, age, gender, or nationality — against the current threat of the climate crisis. They stress that, collectively, we only have “one lifetime” to make an impactful change to evade the worst of what the crisis has in store at the current state of our environment.

From a Letter to the Media to a Video Message to the Government, XR Continues Fight Against Climate Crisis

This isn’t the first time that celebrities collaborated with XR in the campaign for climate action. Together, they wrote and signed a letter addressing the media, saying that they will not stop fighting for climate action no matter how many times the media tries to discredit the movement by inciting their unavoidable hypocrisy.

It’s not enough to wait for individual choices to line up with collective environmental values. We need mandated collective action against the corporate entities that continue to make matters worse for everyone on Earth, and this cannot happen without governments’ taking action on our behalf. Unfortunately, it takes a lot to get the government to collectively pay attention.

Even as XR continues to be banned from protesting by their own law enforcement in London, they refuse to let that stop them. On November 6th, they plan to defend their right to peaceful protest as the High Court delivers its official judgment on the Metropolitan Police’s decision to ban all XR protests in London during XR’s second week of the October Rebellion.

Photo / Ella Myers / Extinction Rebellion

Find books on Big Tech, Sustainable Energy, Economics and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Enjoy Lynxotic at Apple News on your iPhone, iPad or Mac and subscribe to our newsletter.

Entertainment, Movies

5 New Movie Releases this Weekend: Check out the future fare from Lionsgate, Focus Features and More

Video
https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/lionsgate/knives-out/knives-out-trailer-2_h1080p.mov
New Official Trailer for “Knives Out”

This weekend has a number of new movie releases to look out for so we decided to choose five to showcase and feature in this post.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/lionsgate/knives-out/knives-out-trailer-1_h1080p.mov
Original Official TraileR for “Knives Out”
https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/focus_features/dark-waters/dark-waters-trailer-1_h1080p.mov
Official Trailer for “Dark Waters”
https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/universal/last-christmas/last-christmas-trailer-1_h1080p.mov
Official Trailer for “Last Christmas”
https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/paramount/playing-with-fire/playing-with-fire-trailer-1_h1080p.mov
Official Trailer for “Playing With Fire”

Find books on Big Tech, Sustainable Energy, Economics and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Enjoy Lynxotic at Apple News on your iPhone, iPad or Mac and subscribe to our newsletter.

Lynxotic may receive a small commission based on any purchases made by following links from this page.

Breaking News, Climate Solutions, News

October 2019 is the Hottest Month on Record, continuing the Year’s Trend Towards a Climate Emergency

Looking for tangible evidence of global warming? According to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, which studies temperature data from around the globe over time, this past month has been the hottest October on record, palpably indicating the world’s changing climate.

The EUCCCS’s records go back to 1979, and in their forty years of data, they have never had an October as hot as this year’s. 2019’s October was 0.69 degrees Celsius (1.24 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than the average for the EUCCCS’s data. It was .01 degrees Celsius (0.018 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than the previous warmest October, which took place in 2015.

Alongside October, 2019 also saw the hottest July on record, surpassing its 2016 predecessor. It was overall a record hot year. Each month in 2019 ranked among the top four hottest for the respective month. The past twelve years in total averaged 1.2 degrees Celsius (2.16 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than pre-industrial temperatures. This is particularly eerie considering that the Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change recently released a warning about the catastrophic effects of temperatures rising 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-industrial levels. 

It is also worth noting that all of the EUCCCS’s data is based on global averages. Thus, some areas of the world may have experienced a colder 2019 than average, but these are the outliers to the worldwide trend. 

Of course, a 1.2 degrees temperature increase may not sound that alarming on the surface. However, this yearlong heat spike will actually have immense effects on climate change. The arctic ice will melt faster; wildfires will spread quicker; and biodiversity will diminish at accelerated rates. That is just to name a few of the ways such a small temperature boost might severely impact the planet if gone unchecked. 

Find books on Big Tech, Sustainable Energy, Economics and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Enjoy Lynxotic at Apple News on your iPhone, iPad or Mac and subscribe to our newsletter.

Lynxotic may receive a small commission based on any purchases made by following links from this page.

Cutting Edge, Earth and Ecology, Lifestyle, Tech

A Mass Tesla Fleet Invasion into Multiple Industries has Begun

Video
https://www.tesla.com/sites/tesla/files/curatedmedia/the_future_of_autopilot.mp4
Tesla promotional video showing the future of autopilot

Your Next New York Taxi ride? It will likely Soon be a Tesla…

The Model 3 has just been approved to join New York City’s taxi fleet.

Among the 40 vehicles approved, Model 3 is the only fully-electric car on the list. Usually, cars only get this kind of certification whenever an automotive manufacturer or individual requests it, but that’s not without some specific standards.

Man Texting in front of Tesla Amsterdam Showroom – Photo / Lynxotic

The qualifications for a vehicle to be certified as a New York taxi cab are simple: it must meet a certain minimum of interior space, have air conditioning installed for, have space for the clear partition between the driver and passengers, and also have its seats covered with an easy-to-clean material. Once approved, these cars can have their official taxi cab equipment installed, which requires a standardized paint job, exterior taxi lights, taxi signage, taxi meter, and interior partition.

Previously, electric cars were seldom used as taxi cabs because of their limited range and power. This was found in an experimental program with Nissan Leaf electric cars that ended in 2015. The problem that the Taxi & Limousine Commission noticed was that drivers were burdened by the significant limits of electric-powered vehicles compared to gas-powered vehicles. It was an especially big burden during hot weather that required extensive use of the air conditioner, which became another battery-draining source that would shorten the vehicle’s already short range even more.

However, Elon Musk’s Tesla vehicles could represent a solution for that problem since the Model 3, for example, has a range of at least 220 miles, which is significantly longer when compared to the Nissan Leaf‘s estimated meager range of 84 miles. The future Long Range Model Y is planned to have an even longer range at 300 miles on a full charge, which matches the average range of a traditional gas-powered vehicle.

Police Department Investigating Tesla Fleet Purchase: Acceleration is Key

As an Allegheny County Sheriff experiments with using Tesla for their police department in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Tesla proves that it could compete in both power and performance against traditionally gas-powered vehicles.

The Allegheny police have reported to particularly enjoy the many technologically advanced features that Tesla has to offer, like its computer monitor, smooth handling, quiet engine, quick acceleration and automatic safety features.

Indeed, many of these Tesla features are particularly handy when it comes to the specific job requirements for police cars to perform at a standard well above the average vehicle. Their only caveat is its average range. Although its range has yet to rival gas-powered vehicles, Tesla has gotten close to the average range of traditional cars that range from 300 to 400 miles on a full tank of gas. This puts Tesla’s foot in the door of the car competition, and who knows how much Tesla’s range will increase in the future as their technology continues to advance and improve.

However, a long range isn’t the only requirement for a police car. It also needs to be incredibly fast, and this is where Tesla dominates. An average gas-powered vehicle could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 8 seconds, while Tesla’s electric vehicles (EVs) could reach that in as little as 5 to 3 seconds. At this rate, Tesla EVs are definitely capable of chasing and catching runaway vehicles before needing to recharge.

Additionally, Tesla EVs are a lot safer than traditional vehicles. Many of the Allegheny police deputies have noted how the Tesla would immediately start to break on its own after they put their foot off the gas pedal and before they even hit the breaks. Additionally, Tesla EVs are a lot more cost effective by saving money without the use of gasoline in the long run. The Allegheny sheriff deputy also calculated that Tesla EVs would save them about $17,000 over a period of five years compared to their gas-powered vehicles.

Reflection in Tesla showroom window in Cologne, Germany – Photo / Lynxotic

Tesla Scores #1 among EVs for a Low-Carbon Future

According to Moody’s Carbon Transition Assessments (CTAs), which measures an automotive company’s ability to transition into a more sustainable “low carbon future,” Tesla was the only car manufacturer to receive the highest possible score.

The multi-point scale, with the highest rating being CT-1 and the lowest being CT-9, determines how ready the company is to transition to producing cleaner vehicles with zero emissions. Although BMW, Honda, Toyota, Geely, and Beijing Automotive group also received high CTA scores among the 20 surveyed, they are significantly lower than Tesla’s top spot at CT-1.

Notably, electric car sales have increased three-fold, while diesel vehicle sales have lost appeal and plummeted at rapid rates. With this in mind, the future of electric vehicles looks brighter as their demand and production continues to grow significantly, and every other automotive company needs to catch up.

Moody’s predicts that we will need more intensive carbon emissions testing on global car manufacturers in the near future. This comes at an important time when countries have set out crucial deadlines for petroleum phase-out goals during the expedited transition to clean, sustainable energy in light of the present climate crisis.

Moody’s 20-car-manufacturer assessment also puts an end to the circular argument that many critics of the electric vehicle movement have through the faulty narrative that EV production does more harm to the environment than good.

As Tesla’s production and technology becomes more advanced and sustainable, they are knocking over the barriers that previously held electric vehicles back from popular use. Tesla is well on their way to rivaling the range, speed, power, and performance of gas-powered vehicles. The future of clean transportation no longer has to settle for a lower quality of life and has the potential to create something even better than what we have now.

Find books on Big Tech, Sustainable Energy, Economics and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Enjoy Lynxotic at Apple News on your iPhone, iPad or Mac and subscribe to our newsletter.

Lynxotic may receive a small commission based on any purchases made by following links from this page.

Entertainment, Movies

Mark Ruffalo as Defense Attorney who takes on DuPont Chemical in ‘Dark Waters’

Video
https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/focus_features/dark-waters/dark-waters-trailer-1_h1080p.mov
Official Trailer for “Dark Waters”

An Eco-thriller told through the Eyes of a True American Underdog

In the latest upcoming movie from Focus Features and “Carol” director Todd Haynes, Mark Ruffalo plays corporate attorney Rob Bilott, a corporate defendant who represented DuPont for the better part of his career. When a small West Virginia town shows Bilott the chemicals that DuPont is dumping in their water, though, he changes allegiances, embarking on a harrowing true story that becomes the central narrative for “Dark Waters.”

“Dark Waters” is an eco-cinematic adventure disguised as an intense, informant style crime movie. While most “environmental films” center on either the vast wonders of the natural world or post-apocalyptic nightmares, “Dark Waters” takes the sub-genre in a more grounded and familiar direction.

There is nothing sublime about “Dark Waters”—except perhaps the performances and the cinematic art. The film’s setting switches off between a corporate office and a lowly West Virginia town. There are no beautiful mountaintops or thrilling action fights; just a daringly authentic image of America meddling in corruption. It may be slow moving, but that measured pace creates suspense and an uncommonly candid depiction of what it takes to fight people in power for the sake of eco-friendly reformation—something we’ve come all too familiar with in the modern fight against the climate crisis.

An Honest Look at Real life Environmental Heroism

As Ruffalo’s character turns his back on DuPont and starts to file cases against the company he once worked for, he uncovers more and more disturbing details about the conglomerate’s lack of environmental consideration. In the small West Virginia town, he learns that cows are dying in fields, that the streams are running with chemicals, and eventually, that this contaminated substance may be in the community’s drinking water. All throughout the investigation, though, DuPont grows more suspicious and Bilott more paranoid, believing that the company may stop at nothing to hide their wrongdoings.

The movie has echoes of “All The President’s Men” and “The Post,” but with a plot placed on a much smaller scale. Bilott is not a celebrated hero that earned national praise for his bravery. He is an unsung hero who did the right thing, and challenged the almighty masses for the sake of a few defenseless people. 

Rob Bilott is a real person. He is still alive today. Sadly, you probably won’t find his name in the history books. On the other hand, DuPont remains a multi-billion dollar company and a household name in America. In today’s movie market filled with superheroes and warriors, “Dark Waters” gives us an honest illustration of what heroism really looks like, and the thanklessness that can often come with making the right decision.

Find books on Big Tech, Sustainable Energy, Economics and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Enjoy Lynxotic at Apple News on your iPhone, iPad or Mac and subscribe to our newsletter.

Lynxotic may receive a small commission based on any purchases made by following links from this page.

Climate Solutions

Greta Thunberg Declines Nordic Council Environmental Prize, Says “Climate Movement Doesn’t Need Awards”

Photo / Greta Thunberg

“what we need is for our rulers and politicians to listen to the research.”

In October, sixteen-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was selected to receive the Nordic Council Environmental Prize. The prestigious award is given once a year to a Nordic person, company, or organization that shows great initiative on the environment’s behalf. Winning it is an honor, filled with deep sentiment and 350,000 Danish kroner ($52,000). Greta Thunberg, however, is not interested in making money off of her cause, and she is way past sentiment.

In an Instagram post made earlier this week (see embed below), Thunberg expressed her gratitude for being offered the award, and she applauded the Nordic countries for their environmental ingenuities so far. However, she declined to accept the Council Prize, stating that “the climate movement doesn’t need awards” and that the governments handing them out should show their support by listening to science and creating more effective environmental policies.

She specifically called out the Nordic countries for the fact that despite their efforts, they could still be doing more to protect the environment. Bitingly, she posted, “In Sweden we live as if we had about 4 planets according to WWF and Global Footprint Network. And roughly the same goes for the entire Nordic region.”

Calling out the Richest Countries to do the most – and Lead the Way to Solutions

Thunberg’s declination to accept the award and its accompanying money is emblematic of her message—less rhetoric, more action. Instead of focusing on symbols, Greta campaigns for concrete change, meeting with world leaders to push for policies that directly combat the climate crisis.

During the time that she could have been accepting the award, Greta was doing what she does best: working restlessly on the other side of the globe. While two other climate activists spoke on Thunberg’s behalf at the Nordic ceremony, the young activist herself was in California, addressing the Golden State in the wake of its wildfires. 

Thunberg has been a leading climate activist for over a year now. She dropped out of school to pursue this career on a global scale, inspiring many people to follow in her footsteps and realize how urgent of an issue climate change really is. We don’t know what the future holds for Miss Thunberg, but all indications are that we can expect it to be propitious, and will root for her no matter how many awards she receives or refuses. 

Find books on Big Tech, Sustainable Energy, Economics and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Enjoy Lynxotic at Apple News on your iPhone, iPad or Mac and subscribe to our newsletter.

Lynxotic may receive a small commission based on any purchases made by following links from this page.