This is Aceyou's blog. I rant and rave here whenever I get ticked off....I get ticked off a lot...
Cookie Notice
This site uses cookies from Google to deliver its services, to personalize ads, and to analyze traffic. Information about your use of this site is shared with Google. By using this site, you agree to its use of cookies.
Didja ever wonder what happens when a whale takes a crap in the ocean? I didn't. But now, you're gonna think about it a lot differently; at least, you are if you watch the video at the link below which explains how whale poop helps to fight climate change.
And I thought all we had to do was stop driving cars.
Hey, I live in a place - Bakersfield - that has just about the worst air pollution in the country. It's pretty bad, but, at least I'm not in China - the air there is about a zillion times worse. Makes this place look like a pristine tropical paradise. Well, maybe I exaggerate a bit.
Anyway, government agencies are always proposing and adopting new laws to reduce pollution, and the people that have to comply with those regs are always bitching that they cost too much, will put them out of business, and/or they won't do what they are supposed to do anyway.
Sometimes those arguments get ripped to shreds.
Case in point: Today EPA and DOT announced some new rules for big ass trucks and other heavy duty vehicles. The rules are gonna reduce CO2 emissions by over 1 billion tonnes (that's the fancy schmantzy way of saying metric tons for you non-science types reading this). They're also gonna reduce oil consumption by over 2 billion barrels and the fuel savings from that alone will pay for the new controls in about 2 years.
So the new regs essentially pay for themselves!
In addition, the public will reap a net benefit of over $230 billion - that's a benefit-to-cost ratio of about 8:1.
Hey - have ya' heard the news about Bakersfield's (cough, cough) pristine environment? No, well, it turns out that Lake Ming, you know, that place where regular folks bring their kids and families for picnics and splashing around, where they have Iron Man swim competitions, where some people even practice yoga on paddleboards!!! (wtf is THAT all about), is CONTAMINATED with harmful bacteria!!!!
Photo: Lake Ming, Kern County website, Fair Use
You think I'm making this up? An announcement from the Kern County Public Health Department today says we need to stay out of the water. They've plastered signs all over the damn place to warn people about it.
Gee, maybe Bakersfield should try to get the next Summer Olympics, no? Sounds just like Rio, except instead of Samba music, we'll have the Bakersfield Sound.
Wow, I thought I'd heard everything until I picked up the Los Angeles Times today and learned that Elon Musk apparently went full out raving mad ballistic against the California Air Resources Board yesterday.
Musk is the CEO of Tesla and the company lost almost $300 million last quarter. He blamed the loss in part on "pathetically low" air pollution standards and said CARB should "...damn well be ashamed of themselves."
Geez - he also implied that the loss was because CARB was colluding with other car companies to rig the price of ZEV credits and associated air regulations.
