fossil fuel


COP28 Agenda Items

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The 28th UN climate conference started today and they’re finally gonna start taking climate change seriously. Or not. I did a cartoon about the 26th conference, and the 27th passed me by without even noticing. So my hopes aren’t high for this one.

Last week while willingly subjecting myself to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, I was unwillingly subjected to this ad showing how oil makes hospitals possible. It’s been out for a while, but it was the first time for me. Hopefully they’ll brainstorm a less craven message for their Super Bowl ad.

But don’t worry. Tomorrow I’m going to ride a bike to pick up groceries. That should offset our leaders’ climate inaction.

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Climate Crisis Comix

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The climate catastrophes keep coming this summer, and the super-heated oceans have yet to super-charge a hurricane.

Besides a couple days of poor air quality due to wildfires in Canada, the worst to happen here so far is unrelenting humidity. Whoever put a “dehumidify” setting on air conditioners saved our furniture from becoming soaked with my ass sweat.

If the term “wet bulb” is new to you, you’re not the only one. I first heard it this year and it’s basically a way to describe relative humidity and dew points to children and stupid people in a more scientific way than a “feels like” temperature.

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Future IPCC Reports

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This week the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released yet another report that says we’re fucked if we don’t stop pumping CO2 into the atmosphere right now. As with the COP conferences, it’ll be ignored and more drilling projects will keep getting approved as long as they’re politically expedient.

Unfortunately, as we saw with the gas prices freak out last year, the cost of oil is the most important thing in the world, even as climate disasters are constantly in the news.

Don’t worry, though. I’m picking up groceries with a bike and using tote bags. I’m sure that’ll help.

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Culture War Activities

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Republicans riling up their base about stove regulations or sexy M&Ms is preferred over the past few years spent inciting them to commit terrorism against human beings. The latter isn’t culture war, just straight up war-war.

A lot of stuff gets lumped into “Culture War” because media considers it frivolous, even if it’s a serious issue with life or death consequences. They’ve probably already defined it down to include everything that isn’t about actual war or our precious economy. Or the Royal Family, who I’m still hearing about for some reason.

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Energy Crisis Tips

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I know there’s wildfires, heat waves and brutal droughts out west, but up here it’s time to dig out the toques and winter coats. Energy costs are expected to surge (Thanks in part to OPEC, who REALLY want to influence the midterms) and everyone in colder climates who isn’t rich is going to suffer.

We’ve avoided the first frost by slim margins so far, but eventually it’s going to be the end of my pandemic jalapenos third growing season, and I’ll have to bring them inside for another New England winter. At least the frost will kill the mosquitos first.

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Your Taxes’ Holiday

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Did my taxes just in time to send my refund back out for 2022’s first quarterly estimated taxes. The circle of life.

I’d grumble less about the military getting half of our budget if they used it so Walter Reed could speed up their supposedly universal coronavirus vaccine instead of padding the portfolios of everyone who has Raytheon stock.

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Pricing Panic!

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Russia invaded Ukraine while I was drawing this. Not good! I’ll do a cartoon about it if I think of anything more insightful than that.

I don’t usually watch local news, but we have another winter storm coming, and was curious what the snow totals would be. There were lots of segments about gas prices, even before today’s invasion. I’m sure price fluctuations are a huge inconvenience to commuters, especially the ones who bought monster truck pedestrian smashers when prices were low.

But other fixed costs have been rising for decades and can’t be ameliorated by downsizing your home and family. If there were signs on the sides of every road illuminating this, maybe they’d get as much attention as car juice.

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Climate Conference Swag Bag

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The 26th United Nations climate conference is wrapping up today. China and the US made a pinky swear promise today to do something in the future, so maybe this whole cartoon is moot and the climate will be fine now.

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