Farmers across the world are desperate to grow genetically modified crops (GM) in their fields. So much so that in some countries farmers have bypassed existing bans on these crops and even made harvests from them.Image: Creative Commons under UnsplashWhy do these farmers risk being prosecuted, and what compels them to grow GM food crops? The answer is straightforward: GM crops give higher yields, are resilient to deadly plant diseases, and can withstand tough environmental conditions.Optimum … [Read more...]
Welcome to Cold War II
Trying to Save the Planetfrom the People Who Are Trying to Save the PlanetTwo scenes from my toddlerhood in Calcutta, India, have flashed in my mind thousands of times over the last 60-plus years. The first was of a beautiful tree with a red-flowered vine hanging from its branches. The second was of the emaciated bodies of people who had died overnight of starvation and disease.I saw the tree and its vine as my aia, or nurse, led me by the hand through the courtyard of the building housing my … [Read more...]
California Charges Forward with Energy Disasters of Biblical Proportions
On August 31, just days after Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a mandated switch to electric vehicles (EVs), the California Independent System Operator, which runs the state’s power grid, called for a Flex Alert asking residents to voluntarily reduce their power consumption by avoiding “large appliances and charging electric vehicles” during peak usage hours of 4 to 9 pm.The unforeseen problem, it seems, in addition to increasing power demands and anemic, unreliable wind and solar … [Read more...]
Science returns to the Middle Ages with a vengeance
Touring Britain's Cotswolds region in Gloucestershire, England, and beyond can be downright inspirational. Castles long ago conquered, now in ruins, recall a cold, hard past — a past that relied on the sun and wood for heat, coupled with wind and water for power. And mostly only feudal lords and royal gentry could comfortably afford even paltry luxuries on a regular basis. Today it's back to the future of medieval times with a vengeance and a modern twist. Not only are we moving … [Read more...]
Could Glacier Melt Cause a Pandemic?
“Bacteria species found in glacial ice could pose disease risk as glaciers melt from global warming.”Such was the headline at Phys.org for an article announcing that Chinese researchers obtained snow, ice and cryoconite from several glaciers; attempted to grow the bacteria they scraped up; and sequenced all the DNA they found. The article went on to identify four potential threats that could lead to a new pandemic:I think the risk of glacier melt causing another pandemic is greatly exaggerated, … [Read more...]
Germany’s Green Energy Fixation Should Teach US a Lesson
Germany’s new Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government vice chancellor and economic minister Robert Habeck, a leading member of his country’s Green Party, has experienced a rude lesson regarding the disastrous consequences of his years of naïve opposition to fossil fuels.After tasking his top officials to assess the energy security implications of Germany’s dependence on Russian supplies in the event of a then-looming Ukraine invasion, their conclusions were desperately dispiriting.Habeck reportedly … [Read more...]
Does Climate Change Threaten a Surge in Low-Salt Hospitalizations?
Researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Solna, Sweden, speculate that an increase in global average temperature of 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit could cause heat waves that would boost hospitalizations for hyponatremia (insufficient amount of salt in the bloodstream to sustain proper body electrical function) by 6.3%, and warming of 3.6 degrees F would boost hospitalizations by 13.9%."Without adaptive measures, this suggests that over the next decades rising global temperatures alone will increase … [Read more...]
The Only Question That Matters: Is It Correct?
Recently I had a conversation about scientific claims in a field I haven't mastered. We all find ourselves there once in a while. Whenever we speak outside of fields we know fairly well, the confidence with which we hold our convictions must drop. Because I don’t have much training in said disciplines, I haven’t thoroughly investigated the claims offered and nuances they imply, and I might very well be overlooking something. I can’t, by virtue of not having researched it much, have a … [Read more...]
Climate Change Contributes to Another Year of Record Crop Production in India
One of the largest agricultural countries in the world, India, expects its highest summer crop production for 2021–2022.This comes at a critical juncture when energy shortage crippled food production in China. The record numbers will play a critical role in maintaining global food security.The record harvest also challenges claims that climate change will reduce global crop production.For example, the Observer Research Foundation—an organization that is partnered by Apple, Bill Gates, Uber, … [Read more...]
How Should We Think about Air Pollution?
Email from a subscriber:I am a believer in Jesus Christ living in the state of Minnesota. I am contacting you because I have had great struggles in understanding how to steward creation for God’s glory and the good of others.The biggest thing I’ve been struggling with is air pollution. I’ve heard from various sources that our cars pollute and this pollution can cause cancer and other health issues, even death, especially with older cars (my wife and I own a 2005 Toyota Corolla). However, … [Read more...]
