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Reposted by Kathryn McGrath

Prof Sarah-Jayne Blakemore @sjblakemore.bsky.social · Jul 16

I was explaining to my Ukrainian colleague the phrase ‘There’s no such thing as a free lunch’. She told me the equivalent in Ukrainian is ‘The only free cheese is in the mousetrap’ - which is so much better

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Kathryn McGrath @kathrynmcgr.bsky.social · Jul 16

Should tech companies be burning fossil fuels just to power AI? Should datacenters be allowed to drive up electricity costs for the rest of us? No and no.

Sierra Club @sierraclub.org · Jul 1

These tech giants have the money, power, and responsibility to call on utilities for a zero-emissions grid—and to power their AI and cloud computing with clean, local energy. They’ve made bold climate promises. Now it’s time to keep them. 🌎⚡ bit.ly/3G7dVm9

Tell Big Tech: We Need Your Energy to be Clean!

bit.ly

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Kathryn McGrath @kathrynmcgr.bsky.social · Jun 10

What energy emergency? In 2024 America produced more energy than ever -- solar and wind set domestic production records while coal accounted for about 10% of U.S. total energy production. www.eia.gov/todayinenerg...

In 2024, the United States produced more energy than ever before - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

www.eia.gov

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Kathryn McGrath @kathrynmcgr.bsky.social · Jun 9

Trump's DOE is forcing coal plants to keep operating, based on flimsy projections that many disagree with -- including the grid operator in the Midwest. Burning coal just for fun is going to be costly and Consumers Energy customers are going to get the bill.

Christine Powell @christine-powell.bsky.social · Jun 7

With the Campbell 202c order, DOE is attempting to make RMR-like decisions that are unwarranted. DOE cites NERC’s summer assessment report as support, but even MISO, its market monitor, and at least one of its member states (Wisconsin PUC) think that the report lacks merit.

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Kathryn McGrath @kathrynmcgr.bsky.social · Jun 6

Laughing because they all agree there is not a risk!

Kathryn McGrath @kathrynmcgr.bsky.social · Jun 6

Update from FERC's technical conference on resource adequacy: People were literally laughing at NERC’s claim in the 2025 Summer Assessment that the Midwest is in danger of a shortage of electricity. LOLz at 1:07:40
www.youtube.com/live/OGMmmjh... #energysky

Meeting the Challenge of Resource Adequacy in RTOs/ISOs | Day 1 of 2 Technical Conference

YouTube video by Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

www.youtube.com

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Kathryn McGrath @kathrynmcgr.bsky.social · Jun 5

From 1999 to 2020, research shows deaths from coal pollution declined by 97% thanks to environmental rules and coal’s shrinking role in U.S. power. The @apnews.com calculated the deadly cost of EPA rule rollbacks: apnews.com/article/epa-...

Chart of range of estimated deaths from coal pollution: From 1999 to 2020, research in the journal Science shows deaths from coal pollution declined by 97% among Medicare recipients (mostly people over 65). The death toll has steadily declined thanks to environmental rules and coal’s shrinking role in U.S. power.

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Kathryn McGrath @kathrynmcgr.bsky.social · Jun 5

25% of U.S. electricity was generated by solar, wind and geothermal in March. Wind generated 50 TWh of electricity -- providing 15% of U.S. electricity. That must be a record. And yet this Administration is trying to halt wind projects and declaring an 'energy emergency.' www.eia.gov/electricity/...

Electric Power Monthly - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

www.eia.gov

Reposted by Kathryn McGrath

TyesDad @tyesdad.bsky.social · Jun 5

Ya know what doesn't spill into river, lakes and oceans?

Wind and solar energy

About 2,000 gallons of diesel spills in Baltimore waterfront, US officials say — Reuters

A 2,000-gallon diesel spill that originated at a hospital facility in Baltimore, Maryland, on Wednesday tainted a waterfront in a popular tourist spot in the city, but there was no impact on drinking ...

stocks.apple.com

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Kathryn McGrath @kathrynmcgr.bsky.social · Jun 5

Unplanned outages strike coal and gas power plants in Texas, but don't worry, solar and wind provided more than 50% of electricity in Texas yesterday. And the sun and wind are free.

Doug Lewin @douglewin.bsky.social · Jun 3

Demand near 76,000 megawatts in ERCOT today with over 16,000 megawatts-worth of gas & coal plants offline. About 94% of those thermal outages are unplanned.

No energy emergencies or scarcity as solar & wind are meeting more than 50% of peak demand.

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Kathryn McGrath @kathrynmcgr.bsky.social · Jun 5

Who can be opposed to generating cheaper and cleaner electricity? Texas generates more electricity from wind than any other state -- more than a 1/4 of America's wind energy is from Texas.

Claire Hao @clairehao.bsky.social · Jun 3

It’s official: Texas bills targeting solar and wind power are dead.

Here's a recap of the arguments that worked, as the renewable energy industry tries the same appeals to lobby against Trump's "big, beautiful bill." www.houstonchronicle.com/business/ene...

Renewable energy survived Texas attacks. Its future now depends on Trump.

Texas bills targeting solar and wind power are dead, so the state’s flourishing renewable energy industry remains alive and well — for now.

www.houstonchronicle.com

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Kathryn McGrath @kathrynmcgr.bsky.social · Apr 24

While crop prices and yields are volatile and at the whims of natural disasters, wind turbines offer a relatively stable source of revenue in Iowa. And now data centers are testing the winds in Iowa. www.vox.com/climate/4079...

Meet the Trump supporters who love wind energy

In this conservative state, the wind is too strong for politics to slow it down.

www.vox.com

Kathryn McGrath @kathrynmcgr.bsky.social · Apr 21

Jesus Christ, loving everyone with a universal love, educates us in the permanent recognition of the dignity of every human being, without exception.

Kathryn McGrath @kathrynmcgr.bsky.social · Apr 21

Let us ask Our Lady of Guadalupe to protect individuals and families who live in fear or pain due to migration and/or deportation.

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Kathryn McGrath @kathrynmcgr.bsky.social · Apr 21

Christian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extend to other persons and groups. In other words: the human person is not a mere individual, relatively expansive, with some philanthropic feelings!

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Kathryn McGrath @kathrynmcgr.bsky.social · Apr 21

The rightly formed conscience cannot fail to make a critical judgment and express its disagreement with any measure that tacitly or explicitly identifies the illegal status of some migrants with criminality...

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Kathryn McGrath @kathrynmcgr.bsky.social · Apr 21

Thus, all the Christian faithful and people of good will are called upon to consider the legitimacy of norms and public policies in the light of the dignity of the person and his or her fundamental rights, not vice versa...

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Kathryn McGrath @kathrynmcgr.bsky.social · Apr 21

who is always close, incarnate, migrant and refugee, but also the infinite and transcendent dignity of every human person...

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Kathryn McGrath @kathrynmcgr.bsky.social · Apr 21

The journey from slavery to freedom that the People of Israel traveled, as narrated in the Book of Exodus, invites us to look at the reality of our time, so clearly marked by the phenomenon of migration, as a decisive moment in history to reaffirm not only our faith in a God

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Kathryn McGrath @kathrynmcgr.bsky.social · Apr 21

Pope Francis issued this letter to U.S. bishops in February to refute this Administration and stand, as he always did, for human rights and the dignity of the poor. One of the last people to see Pope Francis before his death was VP Vance. press.vatican.va/content/sala...

Lettera del Santo Padre ai Vescovi degli Stati Uniti d’America

press.vatican.va

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Reposted by Kathryn McGrath

Ohio Citizen Action @ohiocitizen.org · Apr 15

☀️ A look on the bright side: ☀️ US solar capacity is set to double from 91 GW to 182 GW between 2023-2026, while battery storage capacity will grow 70% in 2025 alone, according to the Energy Information Administration. pv-magazine-usa.com/2025/04/11/u...

U.S. total solar capacity to double over three-year span

The Energy Information Administration said 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 storage capacit...

pv-magazine-usa.com

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Kathryn McGrath @kathrynmcgr.bsky.social · Apr 16

I hope for the sake of customers in KY paying a monthly electricity bill that the Western Kentucky wind turbine pilot is doing well!

Kathryn McGrath @kathrynmcgr.bsky.social · Apr 16

Interesting chart from @liamniemeyer.bsky.social comparing Kentucky's (coal-burning) energy mix to states with the cheapest energy. Look at all that wind! kentuckylantern.com/2025/04/10/h...

Chart comparing Kentucky's energy mix to the 10 states with the most inexpensive electricity

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Kathryn McGrath @kathrynmcgr.bsky.social · Apr 16

The threat from the Trump Administration against state climate laws would infringe on the Constitution. What will they try to do? planetdetroit.org/2025/04/trum...

Could Trump's executive orders endanger Michigan's climate laws?

The Trump administration targets state climate laws and aims to reinvigorate the U.S. coal industry, potentially jeopardizing Michigan's transition away from fossil fuels.

planetdetroit.org

Kathryn McGrath @kathrynmcgr.bsky.social · Apr 16

A little perspective.

Space Telescope Science Institute @stsci.edu · Mar 28

Even though Stephan’s Quintet is called a quintet, only four of the galaxies here are close together (about 290 million light-years away from Earth). The fifth and leftmost galaxy, NGC 7320, is only about 40 million light-years away: bit.ly/42MkBik 🔭 🧪

$A group of five galaxies that appear close to each other in the sky: two in the middle, one toward the top, one to the upper left, and one toward the bottom. Four of the five appear to be touching. One is somewhat separated. The galaxies are large relative to the hundreds of much smaller (more distant) galaxies in the background. All five galaxies have bright white cores. Each has a slightly different size, shape, structure, and coloring. Scattered in front of the galaxies are number of foreground stars with bright white diffraction spikes radiating from the center.$