Environment: Where US Weather Radar Sees Stuff
Where I live, the weather radar cannot see anything below 13,000 feet, due to the radar’s location and very mountainous terrain. I live in the 2nd red circle on the…
Energy: Almonds vs Data Center Water Usage
Almonds are remarkably water inefficient, are grown in water starved California orchards, and no one complains about that.
Energy: Why solar PV works well in some areas not so well in others
Red is best, yellow can be okay, green is not good.
Environment: Cumulative burned acreage up to July 27, 2026
Surprised to find acreage burned, so far, is well below average.
Climate: “Carbon offset” carbon capture scams
Last week, 500,000 "carbon credits" in a local forest burned up, releasing their sequestered carbon into the atmosphere.
Follow up: What happened to “microplastics”?
Recent studies indicate early panic over microplastics may have been due to false positives and contaminated samples.
Tech: Repair, reuse, recycle
Most people upgrade tech more often than they need to, partly due to "gotta have the new one" and because the battery is worn out.
Percentage of households having an air conditioner
Some countries have a high % of homes with AC.
Environment: Mandatory energy assessment before a home sale
More opportunity for fraud and corruption.
Consumer products: The lack of user replaceable batteries
Tons of tech products today are literally disposable - from Bluetooth headphones to cell phones to notebook PCs - because they lack replaceable batteries.
Federal government land ownership/control
The western half of the US is dominated by BLM and USFS.
Environment: The US is a net carbon sink
Due to forest and crops, the US contribution to global carbon emissions is apparently negative.
EVs: EVs have minimal to no impact on carbon emissions
Past estimates said EVs provide minimal benefits to carbon emission reductions.