Read & Watch

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, uncertainty overtook us. Would the virus spread to our Happy Valley? What did this mean for day-to-day life? Uncertainty showed up at our grocery stores, with panicked neighbors navigating empty shelves to stock up on food; something I’ve never witnessed before. Though plenty of uncertainty remains, our grocery store shelves are full again, and farmers continue their essential work, though some have struggled. Nationally we’ve seen infection outbreaks and processing disruptions hit, but still, our food supply… Read More »Climate watch: With support, Pennsylvania’s farmers can deliver climate solutions

By Edward Cullen About 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, which are largely responsible for global warming, come from gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles.  To limit global warming, we need to develop and use electric vehicles (EVs), which don’t produce greenhouse gases.    In 2019, there were 326,644 electric cars sold in the US, representing 1.9 percent of the 17,053,566 car sales that year (up from 0.6 percent in 2013).  Progress is clearly being made with passenger EVs.  Trucks are more of a challenge because they move heavier loads.  Lordstown Motors, operating at the site of the former GM Lordstown Plant, recently unveiled its prototype for an electric pickup truck.  Lordstown plans to make vehicles available for sale in 2021. Tesla, Ford, and GM are also developing commercial vans or pickup trucks.   There are several ways to build… Read More »Letter: Making Progress with EVs

By Richard W. Jones Sixty-one percent of Pennsylvania households would see a net financial benefit if the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (EICDA) becomes law. And the gain would be greater than the state average for most families in the 12th and 15th Congressional Districts. Those are among the findings by a team of MBA students from Duquesne University’s Palumbo-Donovan School of Business. Passage of the act would also create jobs, they found. Read more at Centre Daily Times.

By Dan Alters The last time carbon dioxide levels were this high, trees were growing at the South Pole. A shocking line, but true. A recent National Geographic article reports on these facts and more. And what does it all mean? Well, unless something is done to reverse the course of greenhouse gas emissions, many birds of the northern hemisphere are marked for extinction, according to the National Audubon Society. And humans? More on that later. Read more at Centre Daily Times.

By Edward Cullen Two dams near Midland, Michigan failed this month after record rains, with 4.7 inches falling over 48 hours. Dow Chemical activated the emergency plan for its headquarters and production facilities in Midland, and reported that floodwaters were commingling with containment ponds at the site. There were concerns about effects of flooding on an associated US EPA SuperFund site just downriver of the Dow facility. Thousands of people were ordered to evacuate their homes. This sad and worrisome news is relevant to us.… Read More »Letter: Urge Passage of Bill to Fight Climate Change in PA