As you well know, I mostly focus on climate change in my postings. Not today. With the climate change crisis growing exponentially every minute, it’s easy to forget about all the other environmental issues that are a mortal threat to our personal health and that of the planet. I presume that you know that plastics mostly do not degrade and can…
I started going to the mountains as a little kid back in the 50’s when my family would spend summer vacations at Sun Valley, Idaho. I started camping and canoeing when I was 9 and backpacking when I was 19. I’ve never stopped. 1971 – My First Backpacking Trip: Shenandoah National Park along the Appalachian Trail Recently in Idaho It used to be…
In case you haven’t been paying attention, it’s becoming more and more clear that the horse is out of the barn: we’ve passed a tipping point. When you can read this in Forbes, things have changed. “After all the suffering of the pandemic, let’s make investments that will preserve life as we know in this planet and strengthen our…
The last couple of messages weren’t particularly encouraging. This one brings a better message: The message is getting through. The message is that climate change is REAL, something to be concerned about and will have a personal impact. “Nearly three-quarters of respondents also said they were worried about the current global climate, with 34 percent saying they…
The following Newsweek opinion piece’s principal message is that the current COVID-19 pandemic should teach us the lesson about the cost of failing to recognize foreseeable disasters and take actions to mitigate them. Denying the science behind pending catastrophes doesn’t make them go away. “The real discussion we should be having is not about the age-old debate of big government versus small…
Recently I wrote about what you can personally do to help protect the planet from the worst possible outcomes of climate chaos and leave our descendants a more hospitable and livable environment. https://franklytalking.com/quitting-your-hamburger-addiction-aint-gonna-cut-it/ One of the things I suggested was joining Sierra Club and helping in these pursuits. (Full disclosure, as you probably know, I have been a Club member since…
Getting away from climate issues for a moment, the following article reminds us once again that elections really matter to our personal lives and health. Who sits on the benches of our courts directly determines the quality and nature of the air we breath and the water we drink and in which we play. “The U.S. Supreme Court is set…
I’m sure you are aware that over half of US coal fired power plants have been closed since 2002 when the Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign began. (281 retired and 249 to go) And almost no new ones have been permitted for construction. This has not only reduced significant amounts of CO2 but also small particulate matter and other emissions…
It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything and this one is out of my normal lane. As you know, mostly I write about environmental news that is not reported in the mainstream media that is important to knowing and understanding about how we citizens are being effected by events. I try to alert you early on to trends that…