Architects and homeowners have long assumed that the only way to keep houses cool and comfortable is to equip them with central air conditioning. However, as electric rates increase, many homeowners are looking for alternatives, especially in very hot climate zones. Some have resorted to so-called passive homes that rely upon massive … Read more
Polar bears used to dominate climate debates, with their images appearing everywhere. Fake scenes of polar bears in a zoo, not the Arctic, appeared in Al Gore’s dramatic 2006 film, An Inconvenient Truth. We were told the bears were on the road to extinction. Today, we can no longer find them on … Read more
As summer progresses, the national conversation is turned toward the weather. There seems to be no end to the extreme heat waves hitting the nation. Dramatic stories of heat alerts affecting tens of millions dominate the headlines. While the media inevitably link the “extreme” heat to climate change, others sensationalize and weaponize … Read more
Promoted as the future of renewable clean solar energy, the Ivanpah electric generating plant has less to boast about than first thought. With three massive towers rising 495 feet high and 352,000 mirrors focusing sunlight toward the tops of the towers to boil water with solar energy, Ivanpah is far less environmentally … Read more
The debate over global warming is now entering the classroom and its proponents are alarmed. It seems the “dogma” of the existence of global warming is running into problems as boards of education in several states have established a standard that requires the presentation of climate change “denial” as a valid scientific … Read more
The airplane pierced the ugly clouds that obscured the sky of Guanabara on this damp, winter evening. Somewhat tired from the affairs of the day, I prepared to nap in the tepid warmth of the airplane until our arrival in Congonhas. To my side, a happily unoccupied seat provided the most delightful … Read more