View of the Earth as seen by the Apollo 17 crew -- astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, commander; astronaut Ronald E. Evans, command module pilot; and scientist-astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt, lunar module pilot -- traveling toward the moon. This translunar coast photograph extends from the Mediterranean Sea area to the Antarctica South polar ice cap. This is the first time the Apollo trajectory made it possible to photograph the South polar ice cap. Note the heavy cloud cover in the Southern Hemisphere. Almost the entire coastline of Africa is clearly visible. The Arabian Peninsula can be seen at the Northeastern edge of Africa. The large island off the coast of Africa is the Malagasy Republic. The Asian mainland is on the horizon toward the Northeast. (Photo: NASA)
Earth Day 2020 comes at a time when our own hubris regarding our environment has met its match. Some experts consider our steady destruction of biodiverse habitat resulting in a “jump” of the SARS-CoV‑2 virus to humans as replacement hosts for animals under threat by our destructive habits and behaviors.
But do our past sins mean we’re doomed? No. Far from it.
Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden had a climate justice call today with Vice President and Climate Reality founder Al Gore, and two points stood out.
One is the dramatic change in the cost and orientation of our energy use from fossil fuels to wind and solar energy.
Al Gore made the point that five years ago, only 1% of energy projects using fossil fuels could be replaced cost effectively with wind and solar energy.
As of now, that’s risen to two thirds of all such projects. By 2025, all such projects should be more cost effective using wind and solar rather than fossil fuels — in 2019, 72% of all new energy projects were based on wind and solar energy.
The other salient point was when Joe Biden, borrowing a quote from Martin Luther King, said that “We should say, as a nation, ‘I refuse to postpone’” when it comes to protecting our environment and reducing pollution.
And while cutting emissions is important, seeking greater energy efficiency through conservation is relatively simple and far more effective over the long run. Amory Lovins, who wrote the classic Soft Energy Paths: Towards a Durable Peace in 1977 and has been promoting this cause successfully ever since, discusses where things are and where they can go next in this Earth Day 2020 interview.
What can you and I do in this time of self-isolation?
Curbed has a checklist. Some of their ideas aren’t new. A few might surprise you and make you think about how to make it part of your daily lives.
And once you’ve done what you yourself can, what can we do, as a society, to make a livable planet, one that’s abundant for all, a reality again?
This Foreign Policy article reviews what happened over fifty years ago to bring Earth Day into being in the first place, with possible clues as to what might make it more a universal, and less a political issue.
It’s also a good day to watch one of our favorite documentary shorts, The Story of Stuff, with the always fabulous Annie Leonard.
Perhaps as soon as next year, 2 Line trains will cross Lake Washington, making it…
Depriving states of the means to modestly regulate national banks would further tilt America’s already…
Biden will headline a reception for the Biden Victory Fund, a joint fundraising committee, and…
The administration's action keeps roads out of the Brooks Range and lands of the caribou…
Couldn't join the opening festivities on Saturday, April 27th? Replay the speaking program on-demand and…
The Puget Sound region's second light rail line opened to riders on Saturday, April 27th,…