Joel Dunn

James is studying astrophysics for babies 😎

Phot of bear footprint

Looks like a small bear was wandering around on the farm last night after the rain. Also saw a turkey running, Jorah was fascinated with it.

Toddler playing in sand

Toddler playing in sand

James enjoyed his beach trip today!

FEMA cuts emergency training under Trump as hurricane season looms The U.S. federal disaster agency FEMA has sharply reduced training for state and local emergency managers ahead of the start of the hurricane season on June 1, according to current and former officials, memos seen by Reuters, and three sources familiar with the situation.

In whose mind is this a reasonable thing to do? Well, I think we know he answer to this one 😢

www.reuters.com/business/env...

Toddler emptying dishwasher

I can help!

Trump cuts Energy Star program that saved households $450 a year Trump’s war on energy regulation claims another victim

What an incredibly stupid plan to shut down the Energy Star ratings. Who paid off Trump on this one?

www.theverge.com/news/662847/...

Stopping the next pandemic could be as simple as switching on a light bulb How to block the next Covid in mid-air.

Intriguing!

www.vox.com/future-perfe...

New study definitively confirms gulf stream weakening Woods Hole, Mass. — The Gulf Stream transport of water through the Florida Straits has slowed by 4% over the past four decades, with 99% certainty that this weakening is

Potentially a troubling development…

www.carolinacoastonline.com/national/art...

Low income now means 6 figures in 4 wealthy Bay Area counties Bay Area's housing crisis worsens as low-income limits top $100K, highlighting soaring costs, stalled construction and shrinking middle-class access.

Wow!

www.sfgate.com/local/articl...

Republicans say EVs don’t pay their fair share. Here’s the math. House Republicans have proposed an annual $250 fee on electric vehicles. Opponents say it would make EV drivers pay far more than the drivers of gas cars.

If the Republicans cared about fairness, they’d do the math. This is a way they think they can penalize EVs. If that’s what you want, drop the “fairness” label. And remember that 2/3 of the states have EV road taxes already. In NC it’s $240 a year now already.

www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...

Glasses of sparkling sangria!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

You got what you voted for. You just didn’t think they would cut what you think is important.

States sue Trump administration for blocking the development of wind energy A coalition of state attorneys general has filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s attempt to stop the development of wind energy.

Great to see this!

apnews.com/article/wind...

No, Offshore Wind Isn’t What’s Killing Whales Politicians and nonprofit groups have blamed offshore wind turbines for whale deaths, but the science doesn’t support those claims—at all

‘There are “no links whatsoever between the offshore wind development activity and especially the humpback whale mortalities. None. Zero,” says Duke University marine scientist Douglas Nowacek.’

www.scientificamerican.com/article/whal...

Girl with fish

Another successful fishing trip with Sierra. She caught 4 in about 30 minutes

Graph of solar energy production and consumption.

Great month for solar energy. Right at 1.1 MWh for the month. Consumption of 815 kWh included 321 kWh of car charging, still sent 250 kWh back to the grid.

Balcony solar comes to California Bright Saver, a San Francisco-based nonprofit, aims to bring the European balcony solar trend to U.S. homes with low-cost, plug-in systems that require no interconnection and no permits in some jurisd...

It will be interesting to see if this can work at scale in the US…

pv-magazine-usa.com/2025/04/25/b...

James really likes Jorah, and Jorah is an extremely mellow dog (except where tennis balls or frisbees are concerned), and he likes to lick James. When Jorah has had enough of James, he just gets up and walks away.

Boat trolling for mackerel

Nice day trolling for Spanish mackerel. Caught 7, nice ones, didn’t leave the ramp until 11, back to the ramp by 3, including stopping to do sandbar frisbees for Jorah. Bogue inlet is missing all ATONS after #7. Captain Joel says cross the bar where the waves aren’t breaking!

China's Coal Generation Dropped 5% YOY In Q1 As Electricity Demand Increased - CleanTechnica China’s coal electricity drops nearly 5% in Q1 2025, driven by explosive rooftop solar growth rather than economic slowdown, marking a pivotal energy shift.

In China, less coal, more solar. Electricity demand is only modestly up, but behind the meter (rooftop solar) is providing very significant amounts of electricity and is masking growth.

cleantechnica.com/2025/04/20/c...

'We Lose The Auto Industry': LG Energy Chief's Warning If America Backs Off EVs If the U.S. backpedals on clean energy and EVs, the rest of the world will move on without us, he says.

This is exactly right. Current administration policy will ensure that the US auto industry becomes an irrelevant niche player. The rest of the world is moving on to EVs

insideevs.com/news/757161/...

Gigi with granddaughters at Easter egg hunt

Neighborhood Easter egg hunt last Saturday!

Solar Panel Waste is Tiny—Coal & Gas Emit Hundreds Of Times Mass Per MWh - CleanTechnica Stop exaggerating solar panel waste. Coal and gas produce massive emissions and health hazards per MWh, vastly outweighing solar’s minimal waste.

A good perspective. Much more waste per megawatt hour, and very toxic waste, from burning coal compared to solar panel decommissioning

cleantechnica.com/2025/04/19/s...

Screen shot of rate plan

We’ve made the change to switch from winter to summer on the solar+storage system, to change peak hours from 7am-9am to 3pm-6pm. I wish that our utility switched on even month boundaries, or that the system allowed switching on a specific day. We only have to make the change twice a year.

US total solar capacity to reach 182 GW by end of 2026 The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) says cumulative solar installations are expected to double from 91 GW to 182 GW from the end of 2023 to the end of 2026. Meanwhile, battery energy storag...

This is impressive, especially given the hostility of the administration to renewable energy. But to put it in context, the Chinese installed over 200 GW in 2024, and have now installed nearly 900 GW total to date.

www.pv-magazine.com/2025/04/14/u...

I’ve been ignoring my Bluesky account. Let’s fix that!

How Elon Musk’s DOGE Cuts Leave a Vacuum That China Can Fill (Gift Article) The Department of Government Efficiency is shuttering organizations that Beijing worried about most, or actively sought to subvert.

The shortsighted cuts leave long term opportunities for those who play the long game. This is the same as the Trump war on renewable energy. The Chinese are filling the void.

www.nytimes.com/2025/03/22/u...

James’ first birthday party!

Happy first birthday, James. He likes cheesecake!

Is Trump On a Collision Course with Energy Companies? The most influential advocates for decarbonization efforts—like carbon capture or hydrogen—may be energy executives.

A good article about what energy companies think and want…and it’s not IRA repeal

time.com/7270634/trum...