CIRCLE WITH A DOT

@CelloMomOnCars "Now family, we're not going to mention the [Major Threat to Our Future]. We don't want Uncle Sammy to throw a tantrum like he did at out last get-together."Uncle Sam needs a time out.

@Feral_3D @gareth ICE cars have 100 times more moving parts than e-cars. https://www.alphamotorinc.com/about/ev-vs-ice-fewer-moving-parts-less-maintenanceIt's actually a minor engineering miracle that a bunch of controlled explosions (!) gives the energy that gets transferred through a complicated drive train to eventually move the wheels!

This explains episodes I've had at this time of year lately. Thanks! @CelloMomOnCars

"The secret weapon of the “coalition of the willing” is its potential to function as an economic superpower.At least 85 countries at Cop30 backed developing a roadmap to phase out fossil fuels.Combine the gross national products of those 85 countries and the total is $33.3tn. That’s larger than the $30.6tn GNP of the US [and] the $19.4tn GNP of China, the world’s [largest economies].That amount of economic heft gives those 85 countries enormous potential leverage. "https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/07/iran-war-oil-phase-out-fossil-fuels

"Opening up of parts of the public estate for renewable energy projects, including brownfield, industrial and railway sites, would potentially allow up to 10 gigawatts of new ⁠capacity, according ​to the government's plans.It will overhaul planning and land-use rules to ​speed up grid connections and infrastructure upgrades, and aim to make it easier for renters and apartment dwellers to install EV chargers, solar ​panels and heat pumps."https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/uk-accelerates-clean-energy-protect-against-fossil-fuel-price-shocks-2026-04-20/

"Lead author Ted Scott said the data showed the [Sidney's] summers had lengthened by about 15 extra days every decade since 1990, when compared with the 1961-1990 period."Another way to think about that is in 20 years, Sydney has been on average adding a whole month of summer," he said."https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-14/nsw-sydney-climate-longer-summers-study/106561816There's got to be a nice - if scary - graphic about this somewhere: strips of daily temps for each year.

This is at the crux:Macroeconomics: from fossil import drain to electric abundanceAnd the question for future energy choice: Fast-track or detour?This is IMO one of the most compelling graphics on the leapfrogging:Developed countries have made a fossil fuel detour on the way from biomass to clean energy, but countries who have not committed to fossil fuels can make a shortcut straight to clean energy.https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/the-electric-fast-track-for-emerging-markets/

@DavidM_yeg Among other things, there is the alfalfa grown in Colorado for export as animal feed to the Middle East. The fact that that is happening, in the face of a water crisis and a climate crisis, tells you that water and energy are not priced correctly.e.g. There are places - Brazil, Tunisia - where the price of water goes up with your water consumption. That protects the poorest families and sends a clear signal.