On June 13th, www.meer.com (formerly Wall Street International Magazine) published my new piece, “When utilities warn of blackouts: options for ratepayers who expect electricity 24/7.” The piece discusses utilities’ warnings of blackouts this summer; it reports on the related, overlooked problems with solar PVs—including forced Uyghur labor to manufacture solar panels and the perfluorinated chemicals (PFAs, the forever chemicals) that coat four layers of every panel. It proposes reducing our electricity demands rather than increasing dependence on systems that require fossil fuels for manufacturing and operation. Here’s the updated version, posted on my website: www.OurWeb.tech/letter-40
The next day, on substack, renewable energy critic Michael Shellenberger published “Why the Biden Administration Wants Censorship of Renewable Energy Critics: National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy calls on Big Tech to censor renewable energy critics in the name of ‘public health.’” McCarthy claimed that the critics of renewables are funded by “dark money” fossil fuel companies, which she compared to Big Tobacco. She claimed the critics are being paid to “fool” the public about ‘the benefits of clean energy…. We need the tech companies to really jump in,” she said, because criticizing renewables is “equally dangerous to denial because we have to move fast.” https://michaelshellenberger.substack.com/p/why-the-biden-admin-wants-censorship?s=r
As a critic of “renewable” energy (who has not gotten paid for my reports about technology’s impacts on nature), I still believe we need to investigate our assumptions and reduce our overall energy demands. I still question the ecological impacts of solar PVs, industrial wind and e-vehicles. I still believe in respectful discussion.
To get informed about problems with “renewable” energy systems, I recommend, again, Jeff Gibbs’ “Planet of the Humans” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk11vI-7czE. Please also see Julia Barnes’ “Bright Green Lies,” based on the same title by Derrick Jensen, Lierre Keith and Max Wilbert. https://www.brightgreenlies.com/film
Around the world, telecom corporations are deploying 5G cellular sites. People are fighting these installations—on public-rights-of-way, in backyards and near homes—on their own. My best offering toward these efforts is a gallery of images of cell tower fires and collapses. While laws prevent legislators from denying a telecom permit based on health or environmental concerns, no law—that I know of—prevents denying a permit when fire hazards have not been evaluated and mitigated. The gallery posts images of cell tower fires and collapses that people have sent me over the years. I also name questions to ask of legislators; and I point to Malibu, California’s model ordinance. Www.OurWeb.tech/cell-tower-fires-and-collapses
Ed Yong’s Atlantic cover story, “How Animals Perceive the World,” reports on the impact of artificial lighting on wildlife. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2022/07/light-noise-pollution-animal-sensory-impact/638446/?utm_medium=cr&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=july/august_coverstory_expires/cancels2022&utm_content=B&utm_term=Expired/Cancelled%20Subscribers
Katie Singer’s and Miguel Coma’s reports about tech’s impacts on nature are available at www.OurWeb.tech/letters.
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