Good Energy

The Foxfire Book & Some Distillations

An American classic, the first volume of “The Foxfire Book”. Also some discussion of plastic and atmospheric geo-engineering (both bad), the right to repair and growing u

Love Is In The Air

Though the virus is still very much in the air, we can celebrate the end of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, and the beginning of a national climate plan in the US House. Als

Soil, Trees, and other Dithyrambs

New voter polls on the environment, an Arctic update, The Nature Conservancy’s Family Forest initiative, and soil scientist Rattan Lal’s World Food Prize. Friedrich Nietz

Summer With Epictetus

Reason and freedom in the opening lines of Epictetus’s “Discourses”. / Sizzling summer energy tips. / Poem “How Do You Sound?” / Art and moral education (e.g. “The Wreck

Virulence

Good to be back after a two-month quarantine from the coronavirus pandemic. In addition to some news, we look at dying in America, the “Man of Empty Words”, and the diffi

Courage

Special edition on the nature of courage. So, take heart and let’s start thinking. We also say goodbye to “winter” and hello to “shoulder season”. Also, test your word ga

Maude the Moderate

Virginia is about to pass moderate, but historic and long-overdue, climate and energy legislation. “Maude the Moderate” is someone the Democratic party knows well. Insect

“I’m not relying on evidence!”

The now infamous Jim Molan kicks off the show by kicking his fellow Australians when they’re down. On the upside, jobs in the energy storage industry are expected to boom

Dreams, Resolutions, Opportunities and Risks

An incredible opportunity to help remote Equadorian villagers protect their corner of the Amazon from oil drilling … by teaching their kids English. The WEF’s recent glob

Anthony Flaccavento on the Green New Deal

Rural America’s political guru talks about the economics of the Green New Deal initiative, and how tackling issues of wealth inequality also solves environmental problems

Holiday Edition

This was the year of Greta, so let’s enjoy a smorgasbord of topics – thankfulness, wind power in Wyoming, the new MarinaTex plastic-substitute material invented by Lucy H

Poe’s “Shadow – A Parable”

Edgar Allan Poe’s “Shadow – A Parable”, published in 1833 and set in the ancient past, is nonetheless frightfully relevant to the specter of our modern climate crisis. So

Old Mountains, New Economies – Adam Wells of Appalachian Voices

Adam Wells, Regional Director of Community & Economic Development for Appalachian Voices, is working to bring new energy to the local economies of Southwest Virginia, a r

Against Franzen – For the Birds – In the heat

In “What If We Stopped Pretending” Jonathan Franzen tells us that we need to get real: we’re doomed. It’s worth thinking through the reasons he’s wrong. We also look at t

Sunny Days Ahead – Karla Loeb of Sigora Solar

When it comes to clean energy, Virginia is a hard regulatory and financial environment. But, Karla Loeb has been chipping away at it, and getting results. Good Energy is

Climate Strike! – The Global Protest Hits Home in SW Virginia

On Friday, September 20, some 4 million people in 163 countries joined the global climate strike led by Greta Thunberg. Students at Emory & Henry College in rural Southwe

Vox Populi – Tom Cormons of Appalachian Voices

Tom discusses the Virginia Energy Reform Coalition, and why people from across the ideological spectrum support the effort to replace the old utility monopoly system with

Katherine Hamilton on the Political and the Personal

Katherine Hamilton, a leading voice on energy and climate solutions, talks about the change of climate in Congress, a national green bank, grid readiness, eco-depression,

Building the Future: Monica Rokicki-Guajardo

As part of our series on Leaders in Energy and Climate Solutions, we talk to architect and building scientist Monica Rokicki-Guajardo, founder and CEO of Better Building

REAP-ing What We Sow

The USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program announces the recipients of this year’s awards – seeds well sown in this case. Chesterfield County, Virginia wants to build a