Tag: sustainability

Does the Trump Administration Have Dumber People than Kennedy? – Why Yes, Yes They Do!

On By southwerkIn Business Ethics, corruption, Government Failure

I want you to read the following quote, so you can have the same reaction I had:

“Even if you wrapped the entire planet in a solar panel, you would only be producing 20% of global energy. One of the biggest mistakes politicians can make is equating the ELECTRICITY with ENERGY!”

I was amazed. My first response was “What??” My second response was to quickly mentally review the many articles I have read about the efficiency and practicality of solar panels. while noting that my high school physics text book “claimed” that electricity was a form of energy.

And don’t let the facts like the little tiny obscure fact that I’m typing on a machine powered by electricity confuse you.

Who is this public official?

It is Chris Wright, our Energy Secretary!

Wow, now there is a first rate intelligence!

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/energy-secretary-says-wrapping-earth-233101352.html

Shomik Sen Bhattacharjee writing for the site, Benzinga, wrote an article: Energy Secretary Says Wrapping Earth With Solar Panels Would Produce 20% Of Global Energy, X Users Swiftly Community Note Official.

Energy researchers at MIT note that Earth receives on the order of 173,000 terawatts of solar energy continuously, orders of magnitude more than humanity’s total energy use, highlighting that the constraint is not raw solar resource but economics, siting, transmission and storage.

Global solar already supplies a rising share of electricity and is projected to keep growing through 2030, according to the International Energy Agency.

So, Energy Secretary is “unfamiliar” with the nature of electricity. And there I was thinking that vaccine denial was bad. Foolish me.

And he also appears to believe that solar energy barely exists and is almost useless which is contrary to any simple examination of the facts.

You have to wonder what kind of decisions results from these two misconceptions. Just imagine how many other misconceptions he has.

It really makes you wonder. This is a very minor news story but before the age of Trump, it would be front page news and dominate the news cycle.

But it can’t. Because we as a nation have long ago come to the realization that competence, truth telling or even the most mediocre levels of ability are absent in those chosen for high office in this administration.

That cabinet secretaries can deny basic facts with complete certainty is not a surprise.

But it does bode ill for all of us who had come to expect capable public servants.

James Alan Pilant

When We Destroy Forests, People Die

On By southwerkIn Business Ethics, Capitalism, Economic Justice

In Brazil, organized crime and a wave of loggers and prospectors have murdered and raped their way across the Amazon Basin. In Asia, forest destruction and the immense fires that resulted have devestated many lives. These are terrible, terrible crimes but a twenty year study finds that there is collateral damage in the form of heat related illness.

(This is from a book of detective stories from more than 120 years ago. It is dramatic and indicates important issues are about to be resolved. I am using it for my writing on this occasion.)

In the United States, we have the largely unpunished and uninvestigated murders of indigenous women although there is a local, state and federal preference of a kind of quasi-legal seizure and destruction of natural resources. Of course, no intelligent human being can fail to mention the massive corruption of our current regime, its wholesale destructions of regulations and enforcement agencies, not to mention the “open for business” attitude that if a corporation has a problem, arrangements can be made.

I want you to understand that I am well aware that greed and evil are international problems and that while deforestation is a more dramatic crisis in east Asian and South America, the United States and its corruption are in no way exempt for causing and profiting from forest destruction.

What kind of collateral damage are we talking about? Over the last twenty years, over half a million have died from heat related illness and many, many millions more have suffered such illness.

I don’t see much need for a business ethics analysis. Destroying huge swaths of the planet to make money is wrong.

There should fines, imprisonment and shaming. The people who do these horrible things should have their pictures published and their names removed from colleges, dorms and cultural institutions. They should at all times be exposed for the destructive cockroaches that they are. But be well aware, a good and moral society would not just rely on shame but would punish them for their crimes.

James Alan Pilant

Jonathan Watts writing for The Guardian has an article: Deforestation has killed half a million people in past 20 years, study finds.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/aug/27/deforestation-has-killed-half-a-million-people-in-past-20-years-study-finds

Deforestation has killed more than half a million people in the tropics over the past two decades as a result of heat-related illness, a study has found.

Land clearance is raising the temperature in the rainforests of the Amazon, Congo and south-east Asia because it reduces shade, diminishes rainfall and increases the risk of fire, the authors of the paper found.

Deforestation is responsible for more than a third of the warming experienced by people living in the affected regions, which is on top of the effect of global climate disruption.

About 345 million people across the tropics suffered from this localised, deforestation-caused warming between 2001 and 2020. For 2.6 million of them, the additional heating added 3C to their heat exposure.

A One Billion Dollar Fine!

On By southwerkIn Business Ethics, Capitalism, Economic Justice

Environmental destruction is a world wide problem. Some nations are taking the problem seriously. I don’t live in one of those. I live in the United States where environmental rules and regulations are on the chopping block, victims of dark money, ruthless corporate officials and the right wing media machine.

But other nations have not given up the struggle and one of them is Sri Lanka.

I want you to know that fines as in this case are a good way of punishing miscreants who do severe harm. Money is useful in repairing environment damage and making victims whole.

But a message that resonates requires imprisonment and other directly personal penalties. It is one thing to require a corporation to pay a billion dollars but another to make the CEO pay money out of his own pocket, suffer travel restrictions and and an inability to do financial transactions or serve on corporate boards. Those kinds of penalties will get corporate officials’ attention. Corporations have a lot of money. What they don’t have are officials willing to suffer.

We can also destroy corporations who sin against the nation’s collective interest. The corporate death penalty where the corporation’s legal existence is ended and its assets sold as a penalty would also serve to get the attention of the wrong doers.

Corporations are creations of the state. Their charters can be revoked and they can be ended. It is a choice we should have. Corporate incompetence and villainy have resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, billions upon billions of dollars in damages and massive destruction eco-systems. If we “killl” a few, they might do less harm. We might at least get the idea across that we take their destruction of the planet seriously.

We have a responsibility as patriots to protect our nation. That includes the land, the water and the air. It is a profoundly moral duty. For those of us who believe in Christianity, we also have a responsibility to act as stewards of God’s creation. That also calls us to action.

Let us go forth armed with righteousness and a willingness to confront and defeat evil.

James Pilant

(Probably the proper attitude for hauling a dangerous cargo and chemicals and microplastics.)

In an article written for The Cool Down, Alexis McDonell, writes in an article entitled:

Shipping giant hit with $1 billion fine after causing one of worst marine disasters in history: ‘Unprecedented devastation’

The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka found a shipping company liable for a billion.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/shipping-giant-hit-1-billion-194500541.html

In June 2021, the MV X-Press Pearl caught fire and sank off the coast of Colombo while carrying a cargo of chemicals.

The Supreme Court described the result as “unprecedented devastation to the marine environment of Sri Lanka,” citing the deaths of 417 turtles, 48 dolphins, eight whales, and countless fish that washed ashore. Debris from the ship, including several tons of plastic pellets used to manufacture bags, spread across beaches and into the ocean.

“This marine environmental disaster … resulted in the widespread release of toxic and hazardous substances into the marine environment, poisoning ocean waters, killing marine species, and destructing phytoplankton,” the judgment stated.

He Astro Turfed his Lawn??

On By southwerkIn Opinion

I had to read the article below twice because I found it hard to believe that some one would replace real life vegetation like grass with a sort of artificial carpet.

What makes this even more bizarre is the fact that I have been writing and advocating for natural lawns of wildflowers and other alternatives to the carefully mowed lawns which cost so much in fuel and environment degradation. I had come to believe that there was a generally broad movement to a genuine appreciation of nature and then I see this man acquire an artificial lawn.

(It turns out I am little short of pictures of grass. So, this lion is sitting on “grass” and has expressed his lack of satisfaction in the Astro-Turfing as you can see. jp)

The article is highly critical of the practice and it doesn’t appear to save money or retain its “attractiveness” over time.

The article linked to below is entitled Homeowner sparks backlash after showing off newly landscaped yard: ‘Why would someone voluntarily live this way?’ and is written by Sarah Winfrey. It is from The Cool Down.

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/homeowner-sparks-backlash-showing-off-140000414.html

According to Clean Water Action, artificial turf poses health risks due to the plastics and other potentially damaging chemicals it contains.

Artificial turf and other plastic-based gardening solutions leach chemicals and toxins into the earth, which is harmful to human health and can contaminate soil for decades to come.

Per Real Homes, fake turf can be a deceptively high-maintenance approach to lawn care and landscaping, requiring significant maintenance to keep it presentable. On top of that, it can burn in the sun, and constant exposure to the elements degrades it over time.

Let me be upfront here. I live in an apartment and the only thing around this building is cement. But I live in a community with many homes and lawns. I live near parks and nature tracks and there is good sized federal park north of here.

I do appreciate nature and I want you, my kind readers, to make good choices so let me even thought I don’t have a lawn recommend a good lawn choice for you.

From the web:

Natural Lawns: A Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Alternative to Grass

This is a good way to build a good eco friendly and good looking lawn.

James Pilant

Only Ed

On By southwerkIn business ethics

“Only Ed” is the web site of Ed Mortimer. (It is subtitled – News and views on Environmental Sustainability.) He is an amazing blogger. He posts often and well. Mr. Mortimer is also topical and passionate about the issues. I constantly have to avoid the temptation to re-blog everything he puts up. Like me, he often includes posts of things that interest him off the path of his usual issues. I appreciate that. I often worry that my occasional attempts at humor and general interest stories damage my credibility. Nothing I have seen of his posting detracts from his general message. I hope my postings manage that as well.

Here are his last five postings –

1. Located here, the title link takes you to the news article.

Environmental Justice and Quality for All: Baldwin Hills Victory

Agreement Reached to Reduce Urban Oil Drilling in Los Angeles
Settlement Provides Greater Protections to Residents, Drilling Restrictions

2. Located here, the title link takes you to a news article.

Indigenous resistance is the new ‘terrorism’

In Ecuador, protesting for the rights of the Earth and trying to preserve natural resources may make you a “terrorist”.

3. Christian young people to be trained for eco-justice action

4.   Birds may show Japan nuclear disaster’s global effects

And 5.  Women, Poverty and The Environment in Latin America

It might be wise for many of you to favorite this site and maybe even subscribe. Of course, you may not share his environmental concerns, but even if this is the case, the news stories are from all over and are unlikely to be seen without his assiduous pursuit of them.

James Pilant

Human Development vs Eco-footprint (via design 2 good)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

I’m very fond of graphs and charts. So is this fellow. We need clarity to make good decisions and unfortunately words only go so far. Of course, we can do pictures but sometimes pictures don’t convey data accurately so we marry mathematics to words and pictures. Thus, we can,  sort of,  see facts and numbers in action.

And also, the Human Development Index is one of my favorite concepts, measuring human development not by per capita income but by a number of factors.

So, look at the graphs and read the comments. Best wishes!

James Pilant

Human Development vs Eco-footprint   A version of a favorite chart of mine… there are other versions with GDP vs Eco-footprint, Plastics/capita vs Eco-footprint and so on.  In this version, we have:   Human Development Index:  in simple terms, is a normalized average of a country’s life expectancy, ed … Read More

via design 2 good

Urban permaculture (via Only Ed)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

Permaculture is a relative recent concept (1960’s) but it has developed nicely in concert with our increasing curiosity into the advantages of living with nature as opposed to being in conflict with it.

This post offers some links to other sites with more information. If permaculture is something you have heard about or are curious about interesting concepts, this is an excellent starting point.

James Pilant

Urban permaculture Posted 27 April 2011, by Staff, Little City Farm, littlecityfarm.blogspot.com I’ve been doing more reading on urban permaculture, and getting wholly inspired by what is possible in cities and urban areas.  Urban permaculture design and initiatives are the next step beyond what is already taking place in the vastly expanding urban agriculture movement – permaculture addresses not just food production, but also sustainability, co … Read More

via Only Ed

Nuclear lessons for Malaysia (Part 2) (via For A Better Malaysia)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

To use or not to use nuclear power? This article focuses on Malaysia but the issues are the same everywhere on our planet.

Costs, safety, and most important, trust, are the primary elements. That trust is on the list might surprise you. But I can’t help but feel the soothing hand of corporate PR every time I read some right-wing blog’s assurances that the amount of radiation is inconsequential and the constant, continuous claims that the technology is better now. Didn’t they say that after Chernobyl? Didn’t they say that after Three Mile Island, etc? It’s one of the classics, reassuringly pointless.

I am tired of PR. If the nuclear industry had ever been in anyway honest over the last fifty years I would feel differently but there is no trust here and without trust there can be no agreement.

This posting is an intelligent analysis and I enjoyed it.

James Pilant

Radiation is invisible and cannot be recalled. In a nuclear crisis, there will be many questions about radiation. As the Japanese people are now discovering, it is a nightmare trying to make sense of the uncertainties. How do you know when you are in danger?How long will this danger persist?How can you reduce the danger to yourself and your family?What level of exposure is safe?How do you get access to vital information in time to prevent or mini … Read More

via For A Better Malaysia

New Paradigms Needed (via Zielona Grzybnia)

On By southwerkIn business ethics

Thinking allowed! Wow, I’d like to see more of this.

This essay is entirely correct. We are in the middle of a new age and those that wave the flag while endlessly repeating the failed answers of a disastrous last fifty years are simply out of touch. We are going to have to change and pretense doesn’t cut it.

It’s time to go to the next step. What are the paradigms? Let’s state what the basic principles are going to look like from the worm’s eye view.

As a member of the intelligentsia, I get the new paradigm thing. Around here, paradigms come and go like falling leaves.

Whether I understand them or not is not that important. How can they be stated in a way that is persuasive to a new generation? How can they be stated in such a way that those clinging to the nonsense of the past will realize they have to move on?

Read the essay. I’m sure we will see more from this blog.

James Pilant

Through all its history humanity has been facing challanges which often seemed unsolvable. Nevertheless, we have been able to achieve a solution every time so far – sometimes better, sometimes worse, but we’ve done it. Today again we face a whole spectrum of huge challanges: the climate change with all its facettes. Biodiversity reduction due to general damages to ecosystems all over the world. Poverty and undernourishment. There are many proposa … Read More

via Zielona Grzybnia