Technology
Blackouts
California’s Big Battery Bet
Following a 2020 summer of blackouts, the darkest since early this century, California is hoping that it can avoid replays in the future by investing in batteries. Big batteries. That are expensive. And come with significant energy storage limitations. Bloomberg News is reporting that by August, there will be 1,700 megawatts ...
Kerry Jackson
April 22, 2021
Blackouts
California’s Big Battery Bet
Following a 2020 summer of blackouts, the darkest since early this century, California is hoping that it can avoid replays in the future by investing in batteries. Big batteries. That are expensive. And come with significant energy storage limitations. Bloomberg News is reporting that by August, there will be 1,700 megawatts ...
Kerry Jackson
April 22, 2021
Agriculture
Let’s Return Earth Day To Its Roots
The first Earth Day celebration was conceived by then-U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson and held in 1970 as a “symbol of environmental responsibility and stewardship.” In the spirit of the time, it was a touchy-feely, consciousness-raising, New Age experience, and most activities were organized at the grassroots level. Sadly, today’s Earth ...
Henry Miller, M.S., M.D.
April 20, 2021
Agriculture
KMVT Idaho Interviews Steven Greenhut on the West’s “Mega-Drought”
Much of the western United States is running out of water with much of Southern Idaho in the abnormally dry or moderate drought categories. Nearly 80% of the American West is in a drought and now is the time to think about the future of Idaho water. With much of ...
Steven Greenhut
April 16, 2021
Commentary
Violating intellectual property rights jeopardizes quality health care
Policymakers across the globe are attempting to vilify the same private companies that have been invaluable partners in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. If these efforts are successful, it will be patients who are harmed the most. Globally, the World Trade Organization (WTO) wants to waive the patent rights for the ...
Wayne Winegarden
April 14, 2021
Blackouts
California’s Energy Policy Risks Tilting at Windmills as Electric Car Sales Grow
A cosmic policy convergence is brewing a nasty storm that will hit California hard in a few years. With deadlines for an all-renewable electricity grid as well as the end of sales of new gasoline-powered cars bearing down on the state, we’re facing a future of commonplace blackouts and energy ...
Kerry Jackson
April 14, 2021
Blog
Winners and Losers – April 9
Tim Anaya – Senior Director of Communications and PRI’s Sacramento Office Winners: Stanford University’s Women’s Basketball Team – They had to withstand two one point, nail biter victories in the Final Four, but Stanford University’s women’s basketball team emerged victorious this week in the NCAA Women’s Basketball championship and delivered ...
Pacific Research Institute
April 9, 2021
Climate Change
Fund coronavirus research, not a climate change musical
I’ve been a science nerd almost all my life. In graduate school, I was the co-discoverer of a bacterial enzyme essential to DNA replication and of a key enzyme in the influenza virus. I have written more than a thousand articles concerned with science and science policy. I’m convinced that America’s prosperity is based on post-WWII ...
Henry Miller, M.S., M.D.
April 8, 2021
Blog
What’s an ESG Fund to Do? Bitcoin’s “Dirty” Secret
Bitcoin has a dirty little secret says business channel CNBC. Apparently, “mining” bitcoins takes up huge amounts of energy. Bitcoins are “mined” or created by people all over the world using their computers to solve complicated math problems. Every 10 minutes, someone, somewhere, solves a problem and is rewarded with ...
Rowena Itchon
April 6, 2021
Blog
California’s Tomorrowland Of Energy Won’t Be Arriving On Time
California’s mandate to transition to an all-renewables electricity portfolio has always seemed like a fantasy. A just-released report “charting” the path to 100% clean power does nothing but confirm those suspicions. A joint summary released March 15 by the California Energy Commission, the California Public Utilities Commission and the California ...
Kerry Jackson
March 24, 2021
California’s Big Battery Bet
Following a 2020 summer of blackouts, the darkest since early this century, California is hoping that it can avoid replays in the future by investing in batteries. Big batteries. That are expensive. And come with significant energy storage limitations. Bloomberg News is reporting that by August, there will be 1,700 megawatts ...
California’s Big Battery Bet
Following a 2020 summer of blackouts, the darkest since early this century, California is hoping that it can avoid replays in the future by investing in batteries. Big batteries. That are expensive. And come with significant energy storage limitations. Bloomberg News is reporting that by August, there will be 1,700 megawatts ...
Let’s Return Earth Day To Its Roots
The first Earth Day celebration was conceived by then-U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson and held in 1970 as a “symbol of environmental responsibility and stewardship.” In the spirit of the time, it was a touchy-feely, consciousness-raising, New Age experience, and most activities were organized at the grassroots level. Sadly, today’s Earth ...
KMVT Idaho Interviews Steven Greenhut on the West’s “Mega-Drought”
Much of the western United States is running out of water with much of Southern Idaho in the abnormally dry or moderate drought categories. Nearly 80% of the American West is in a drought and now is the time to think about the future of Idaho water. With much of ...
Violating intellectual property rights jeopardizes quality health care
Policymakers across the globe are attempting to vilify the same private companies that have been invaluable partners in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. If these efforts are successful, it will be patients who are harmed the most. Globally, the World Trade Organization (WTO) wants to waive the patent rights for the ...
California’s Energy Policy Risks Tilting at Windmills as Electric Car Sales Grow
A cosmic policy convergence is brewing a nasty storm that will hit California hard in a few years. With deadlines for an all-renewable electricity grid as well as the end of sales of new gasoline-powered cars bearing down on the state, we’re facing a future of commonplace blackouts and energy ...
Winners and Losers – April 9
Tim Anaya – Senior Director of Communications and PRI’s Sacramento Office Winners: Stanford University’s Women’s Basketball Team – They had to withstand two one point, nail biter victories in the Final Four, but Stanford University’s women’s basketball team emerged victorious this week in the NCAA Women’s Basketball championship and delivered ...
Fund coronavirus research, not a climate change musical
I’ve been a science nerd almost all my life. In graduate school, I was the co-discoverer of a bacterial enzyme essential to DNA replication and of a key enzyme in the influenza virus. I have written more than a thousand articles concerned with science and science policy. I’m convinced that America’s prosperity is based on post-WWII ...
What’s an ESG Fund to Do? Bitcoin’s “Dirty” Secret
Bitcoin has a dirty little secret says business channel CNBC. Apparently, “mining” bitcoins takes up huge amounts of energy. Bitcoins are “mined” or created by people all over the world using their computers to solve complicated math problems. Every 10 minutes, someone, somewhere, solves a problem and is rewarded with ...
California’s Tomorrowland Of Energy Won’t Be Arriving On Time
California’s mandate to transition to an all-renewables electricity portfolio has always seemed like a fantasy. A just-released report “charting” the path to 100% clean power does nothing but confirm those suspicions. A joint summary released March 15 by the California Energy Commission, the California Public Utilities Commission and the California ...