Or both — it could be both. — These are the times that try men’s souls . When Thomas Paine penned those words in 1776, he didn’t have kitchen appliances in mind, yet that is the focus of the most recent cultural war of independence. As with most issues related to energy and the environment, there has been…

The grass is greener on the other side of the class divide. — We’ve been going through a dry spell here in southeastern Pennsylvania and, if you hadn’t noticed, it’s been very dry and hot in many places across the United States and around the world this year. The photos of the dry bed of the Loire River in France have been disturbing……

There is work but much reward in creating a pocket pollinator paradise in your backyard. — I am happy to share my experiences with you, even though I am a relative newcomer and novice on the subject of pollinator-friendly property. Perhaps, then, you’ll feel more comfortable listening to the green advice of a person lacking credible green thumbs. A few years back, when my youngest kids…

The climate crisis is fueled by a lack of political accountability. — I do not like to view climate change with a political lens, because it is not political, not inherently. It is one of those issues that is played by powerful interests in the United States in an effort to influence public policy, with a goal of protecting and promoting profits…

The personal, public experience of national parks — In the middle of winter, as pandemic shutdowns shuttered and sputtered, my husband and I determined to make the best of it. For most of my adult life, I’d hoarded my money and vacation time to visit family in Germany every few years. Yet here was COVID, shutting my overseas…

There are many potential solutions to abate climate change, and some of them involve playing God. — Geoengineering is a weighty term that may evoke an image of massive built structures or colossal movements of soil or earth. Alternatively, it may raise a fear of chemtrails in the sky, of ulterior motives by unknown or uncontrollable forces. In the case of climate change, geoengineering, also known as…

A global pandemic has allowed for re-shaping of where we work, which is a potential win for the environment. — Many of us have been following the well-worn paths of parents and grandparents and generations past. This path has led us, 9 to 5, from our front door to the car or bus, from the car or bus to the office door, and back again. Rinse, repeat, for years and…

My personal story of purchasing an electric vehicle. — For most of my adult life, I didn’t give electric vehicles much thought. My first recollection of seeing any type of electrified vehicle, hybrid or otherwise, was the Prius. It seemed like the type of car bought by very serious people or by modest, well-intentioned people who wore comfortable shoes…

Balmy days and sprouting bulbs frame a season that seems to be slipping away. — When I scroll through the comments on area weather service announcements, I find myself feeling a mixture of emotions. There are the typical replies to forecasts of warmer-than-usual winter days from the “I’ll take it!” climate cheerleaders. I have the sense that I am a trespasser in their field of…