Search Results for: "Steve Goreham"
Relevance | DateScientists Haven’t ‘Saved’ the Ozone Layer
By Steve Goreham -- November 13, 2024 4 Comments“In 2015, scientists at NASA predicted that the Ozone Hole would be half closed by 2020. That hasn’t happened. Other scientists have forecasted that the hole will not begin to disappear until 2040 or later. But the longer the hole persists, the greater the likelihood that the ozone layer is dominated by natural factors, not human CFC emissions.”
Another year has passed, and that stubborn Ozone Hole over Antarctica refuses to go away. Data from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) shows that the area of the Ozone Hole remains about the same as it has been over the last 30 years. But will scientists admit that they didn’t save the ozone layer?
Background
Ozone is a gas made up of three oxygen atoms (O3). Ninety percent of the ozone in the atmosphere is found in the stratosphere, a layer of atmosphere between about 10 and 50 kilometers in altitude.…
Continue ReadingNo Gov. Inslee, Repeal of Washington State’s Climate Law Won’t Hurt the Climate
By Steve Goreham -- July 31, 2024 2 Comments“The Climate Commitment Act will have a negligible effect on the climate, but if not repealed, it will continue to significantly raise fuel, food, and utility prices in Washington State.”
Washington State’s Climate Commitment Act (CCA) faces the possibility of repeal this fall. Governor Jay Inslee and others claim the CCA will reduce pollution and help stop climate change. But the CCA isn’t having the slightest effect on the climate, while boosting the cost of living for Washington residents.
Washington’s aggressive measure, passed in 2021, implements a cap-and-invest program designed to reduce state greenhouse gas emissions by 95 percent by 2050. Businesses with emissions of 25,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year must purchase allowances equal to their emissions and turn them in to state agencies. The act also established CO2 auctions, encouraging companies to trade allowances and reduce emissions.…
Continue ReadingNew US-EU Methane Rules Won’t Affect Temperatures
By Steve Goreham -- July 9, 2024 2 Comments“Because of greenhouse gas saturation in the atmosphere, methane regulations across the world will have no measurable effect on global temperatures.”
In March, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published new methane emissions regulations for the oil and gas industry. The European Union enacted new rules to reduce methane emissions from the energy sector in May. Agriculture is also being targeted regarding methane.
But methane regulations, even if established worldwide, won’t have a measurable effect on global temperatures. However, they will raise costs for energy and food, impacting consumers and businesses.
On March 8, EPA finalized its rule on methane emissions for the oil and gas sector. The rule is intended to “reduce wasteful methane emissions that endanger communities and fuel the climate crisis.” The new policy will require companies to pay a penalty of $900 for every ton of methane emitted above limits set by the EPA, starting this year.…
Continue ReadingWinter Without Your Gasoline Car?
By Steve Goreham -- May 15, 2024 6 Comments“In addition to the poor driving range and higher purchase price that comes with an EV, owners of cars in northern states will soon be forced to contend with poor performance in cold weather. Federal and state officials should reconsider their efforts to ban gasoline vehicles.”
January of this year brought near-zero temperatures to Chicago and other northern cites, producing an electric vehicle (EV) charging nightmare. National media showed images of owners pushing dead EVs around charging stations and waiting for hours to try to charge their vehicle. Drivers lucky enough to connect to a charger sat in their freezing-cold automobile, unable to run the heater while the car tried to charge. Nevertheless, the federal government and many states continue to push to eliminate gasoline vehicles.
On March 20, 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency announced a final rule, Multi-Pollution Emissions Standards for light vehicles sold in model years 2027 to 2032.…
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