Testifying before Senate next week, Entine on genetic literacy, Goldfinches

Testifying before Senate next week, Entine on genetic literacy, podcast update, Lesser Goldfinches

Wow. There’s a lot going on these days. There's a leadership vacuum in Washington, an energy crisis in Europe that shows no sign of abating, rampant coal shortages in India and China, skyrocketing inflation for commodities of all kinds, and an ongoing refusal by the political elites in this country to acknowledge that our economy depends on hydrocarbons. The good news from the past few days is that the Clean Electricity Performance Program appears to be a non-starter after Sen. Joe Manchin declared that he was opposed to the legislation. As you may recall, I wrote about the CEPP in Forbes on October 13, and pointed out the myriad problems with the legislation. The CEPP hasn't been declared dead yet, but Manchin's opposition is a very good sign. 

This week has been busy with meetings, phone calls, and lectures. On Wednesday, I did a virtual lecture to Tom Russo’s class on energy security at George Washington University. On Thursday, I was in Houston speaking to the Society of Independent Professional Earth Scientists. On Sunday, I am heading to Oklahoma to shoot some interviews for a project I am developing with my colleague, Tyson Culver, who directed Juice. From there I will drive to Little Rock for a speaking engagement, which is the first of several over the next few weeks. Four items today:

• Preview of my US Senate testimony 

• Jon Entine on the podcast

• Podcast downloads now at about 13,000 per month

• Lesser Goldfinches and golden eyed daisies

The photo of the Lesser Goldfinch above was taken by Carlos Echeverría in 2017, in Petén, Guatemala.

Preview of my Senate testimony next Wednesday regarding "Improving Critical Energy Infrastructure"
Earlier this week, I was asked to testify before the US Senate. It’s an honor to be asked and one that I take seriously as both a citizen and a journalist. It’s the third time I have been asked to testify before Congress over the past year. I testified before the House Subcommittee on Energy on October 1, 2020 on the issue of improving clean energy access and affordability. On June 30, I testified in front of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis in a hearing captioned “Transportation investments to Solve the Climate Crisis.”

Next Wednesday, October 27, I will testify in front of the Senate committee on Government Operations and Border Management, which is a subcommittee of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee. The caption for the hearing, which will be done virtually, is “Strategies for Improving Critical Energy Infrastructure.” I’m one of five witnesses. For more on the hearing, which should be broadcast on the subcommittee’s website, click here. 
 
From my viewpoint, the timing of hearing could scarcely be better. The surging number of blackouts in the US are proof that our critical energy infrastructure is being undermined. As I explained in the article I published last month in the Wall Street Journal, the number of blackouts in the US has skyrocketed over the past two decades. I wrote about the soaring sales of  stand-by generators, noting “Generac’s soaring sales are evidence that the U.S. electric grid is becoming less reliable, which will make Americans less wealthy and less secure. Consumers are spending billions of dollars on generators to have on hand when the power goes out.” In that article, I mentioned the Department of Energy data that shows the increase in “major disturbances and unusual events” (read: blackouts) which have jumped nearly 13-fold since 2000. I converted the DOE data into the graphic above. I've used it in almost all of speaking engagements that I’ve done this year. I will submit this graphic in my written testimony. The other issues regarding critical energy infrastructure that I will cover include many of the ones I touched on in my August 1 article in the Dallas Morning News.

As a a side note, during my presentation yesterday in Houston, I asked the audience of about 100 people for a show of hands asking how many were planning to buy a stand-by generator. About half of the hands in the room went up. In any case, I will write more about the hearing in next week’s “news” letter.
 

Jon Entine on how "our genes carry meaning" 

Jon Entine is the author of several books including, Abraham's Children: Race, Identity, and the DNA of the Chosen People, as well as the founder and executive director of the Genetic Literacy Project, a non-profit that promotes science literacy and supports “transparent, ethical, science-based regulations of biotechnology and related sciences.” In this episode, Jon talked about the “disinformation industry” that makes money by promoting catastrophism, why Africa is a “cold spot” for Covid-19 infections, and why we are only in the second inning of the genetics-led revolution in agriculture and medicine. I was particularly struck by Jon’s own history and how the death of his mother, grandmother, and aunt within a few months became a key motivator for him to become a journalist. We also discuss some beautiful lines that he wrote for Abraham’s Children: “Our genes carry meaning. This ancient script now being deciphered is literally lifting the curtain on God or Nature’s plan. While often at odds, religion and science are spinning an interlaced narrative of identity.” As you can tell, Jon is a fine writer. He’s also a dedicated journalist. It was a fun episode. Please give it a listen and share it. Oh, and if you want to watch the episode, here's the link on YouTube. 

Media hits and podcast update

I was on the Fire Time Podcast a few weeks ago but just recently got a link to the episode from the host, Tim Reed. Here’s a link. Also, last week, I recorded a segment for Scott Tinker’s upcoming energy discussion-debate show, “Energy Switch,” which will be on PBS. The episode we recorded focused on the mirage of the all-renewable economy and will air in early 2022. The other side of the discussion was carried by a person from the Rocky Mountain Institute, an outfit that has been consistent (and consistently wrong) about renewables (and biofuels) for decades. I’ll keep you posted about the air date.

Finally, the numbers for Power Hungry Podcast continue to grow. We are now getting about 13,000 downloads per month. So while we aren’t in Joe Rogan territory – yet – I have upgraded my gear and am now using the same microphone that Rogan uses, a Shure SM7B. So look out, Rogan, I’m I try not to focus too much on the numbers that we are getting and just focus on the content. But I won’t lie. It’s great to see the numbers continue to grow. So please share the podcast with your friends and colleagues. I’m having great fun with it and I’d love to keep those numbers growing. 

Spinus psaltria and golden eyed daisies in the yard 

A year or two after Lorin and I moved to Austin back in 1985, we visited the Wildflower Research Center (now known as the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.) While there, we bought some potted plants, including several golden eyed daisies, which we took home and planted. I recall that a lady who was working at the center told us that the daisies were Lady Bird Johnson’s favorite flower. That made sense to me as the daisies are common in Central Texas and are particularly abundant in shaded areas along waterways like the Pedernales River and Barton Creek. I haven’t been able to confirm the claim about it being Lady Bird’s favorite flower. Nevertheless, I often think of her when I see them. 
 
Last week, we got a drenching rain that lasted several hours and flooded Barton Springs. Since then, our backyard has exploded with a riot of golden eyed daisies. I mention the daisies because they attract Lesser Goldfinches (Spinus psaltria). Dozens of species of birds pass through our yard. But the residents that I never tire of watching are the Goldfinches. The contrast between their black bodies and bright yellow breasts is breathtaking and I’ve yet to see a photo that does that contrast full justice. They visit our feeders and birdbaths, but it’s a particular joy to see them feeding on the seeds of the golden eyed daisies. The yellow on their breasts is very similar to the brilliant yellow of the daisies. The photo above is from a page in my vintage copy of Peterson’s A Field Guide to the Birds of Texas. It’s kind of cool to note that my first record of seeing a Lesser Goldfinch was a bit more than 30 years ago. We saw it at Waltonia, which is a small resort on the Guadalupe River in Kerr County. 
 
Allaboutbirds.com says this: Lesser Goldfinches are tiny, stub-billed songbirds with long, pointed wings, and short, notched tails... Males are bright yellow below with a glossy black cap and white patches in the wings; their backs can be glossy black or dull green (particularly on the West Coast). They have a black tail with large, white corners. Females and immatures have olive backs, dull yellow underparts, and black wings marked by two whitish wingbars.... They feed on seeds and grains, both in weedy fields and at bird feeders. Their flocks mix with other seed-eating songbirds, especially at bird feeding stations.”
 
Have a great weekend.
 

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