Good or bad, nothing lasts forever
When it’s good, enjoy it
When it’s bad, endure it
Don’t cling to either one
Nothing is permanent
Nothing is perfect
Good is good enough
Appreciate the good but don’t smother it or cling to it
Learn from it
Accept the bad
It does not control you
Observe it and learn from it, don’t cling to it, don’t empower it
Nothing is perfect and nothing is permanent
Everything just is
Life is experience
Breathe
As I start this morning let me say
I’m happy to begin this brand new day
For everything that came before
Today I’m granted one day more
May God bless everyone who shares this day
That through peace and love we find our way
God bless Lauren, God bless Tess, God bless Sam
God bless Linda, God bless Fred, God bless Dara
God bless Mom and God bless Dad
God bless Zeke
God bless everyone who has ever shown me kindness, friendship and love
That knowing these things and knowing these people has given me meaning, purpose, comfort and joy in my life
Please guide my mind to remember these things first
Guide my tongue to stay calm and quiet
Guide my heart to be thankful for each moment
Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
If I should die before I wake
I pray the Lord my soul to take
God bless mommy
God bless daddy
God bless Linda
God bless Lauren
God bless Tess
And God bless everybody in the whole wide world
Amen
The Ten Commandments: Exodus 20:2-17
I added this passage from Corinthians to my blog this morning. Ironically I had named the blog 1000 Reasons to Love Hendersonville but this morning I’m thinking more about the reasons I love Tess. We ended up in a big fight the other night. My intention, when I started, was to express my concerns about her state of health. She quickly agreed that she would get her bloodwork done and that would explain if she had a vitamin deficiency that could be addressed. She has gotten B vitamins before and it seemed to work wonders. I should have stopped there but I went on to say that her symptoms of physical weakness and social avoidance started long ago. This is where I went wrong. People do love her. They want to be closer to her. I want to be closer to her but I really blundered on this attempt and this morning I want to make amends.
The only thing that matters to me is Tess. She is the one person in this world who chose to love me. To put up with me and in many ways forgive me in my blunders. I often say I didn’t mean it that way when she hears my words as judgement ‘Oh I know, it’s always my fault’ she will say. Do I really sound that way? Love is not self seeking… it’s not my place to judge or fix but to Listen, to Hear and be Patient. Sometimes after fights like this I find myself apologizing and almost groveling and that’s no good either. Yesterday I said, I just need to shut the fuck up…. That was no good either and she let me have it. I Never should have used that word even if directed at myself. Even if it’s true. I do need to shut up….
Somehow I will try again. I am afraid. I don’t want to loose her. She is very weak. Very feeble. Whatever the cause or causes are I cannot talk her into doing things that I think might help. I need to let her drive her own truck and be there to support the good choices she makes. Love is not self seeking… on every level I need to be aware that her needs and ways are more important than mine.
I have a thousand reasons to love Hendersonville but the first and only real reason is because I love Tess. I need to remember and remind myself of that. I need to read Corinthians and let it sink in.
4 Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails.
4 Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails.
https://www.streetdirectory.com/lyricadvisor/song/ppwwop/just_once/
I did my best but I guess my best wasn't good enough
'Cause here we are back where we were before
Seems nothing ever changes, we're back to being strangers
Wondering if we oughta stay or head on out the door
Just once, can't we figure out what we keep doing wrong
Why we never last for very long
What are we doing wrong
Just once, can't we find a way to finally make it right
Make the magic last for more than just one night
If we could just get to it, I know we could break through it
I gave my all but I think my all may have been too much
'Cause Lord knows we're not getting anywhere
Seems we're always blowing whatever we got going
And it seems at times with all we've got we haven't got a prayer
Just once, can't we figure out what we keep doing wrong
Why the good times never last for long
Where're we going wrong
Just once, can't we find a way to finally make it right
Make the magic last for more than just one night
I know we could break through it, if we could just get to it
Just once, I want to understand
Why it always come back to good-bye
Why can't we get ourselves in hand and admit to one another
We're no good with out the other
Take the best and make it better
Find a way to stay together
Just once can't we find a way to finally make it right
Make the magic last for more than just one night
I know we could break through it, if we could just get to it
Just once
I know we can get through it
Just once
https://apple.news/A8j6N84IsQzCcOp9w55S72A
Biden seeks to accelerate the EV transition in biggest climate move yet
The EPA’s final rule follows a concession to labor unions worried about a rapid shift to electric vehicles, and a nod that EV sales are slowing
The Biden administration finalized the toughest-ever limits on planet-warming emissions from passenger cars and light trucks Wednesday, in a controversial bid to accelerate the nation’s halting transition to electric vehicles.
The Environmental Protection Agency rule — President Biden’s most far-reaching climate regulation yet — would require automakers to ramp up sales of electric vehicles while slashing carbon emissions from gasoline-powered models, which account for about one-fifth of America’s contribution to global warming.
But unlike last year’s proposed rule, automakers would not need to dramatically boost electric vehicle (EV) sales until after 2030. The delayed timeline reflects an election-year concession to labor unions, a key Democratic constituency that has raised concerns about a rapid shift to EVs.
In another change from the proposal, automakers could comply by boosting sales of plug-in hybrid vehicles in addition to all-electric vehicles. Plug-in hybrids have recently proved more popular with U.S. consumers, in part because of concerns about a lack of public charging infrastructure.
The final rule will still prevent 7.2 billion metric tons of carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere through 2055, according to the EPA. It will also reduce fine particulate matter and nitrogen oxides, preventing up to 2,500 premature deaths from air pollution annually starting in 2055, the agency said.
“Our final rule delivers the same — if not more — pollution reduction than we set out at proposal,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said on a call with reporters Tuesday previewing the announcement. “These final standards will also reduce some of the most serious pollutants that impact public health.”
Republican-led states and fossil fuel companies are likely to challenge the rule in court. But the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a trade group whose members include Ford, General Motors, Stellantis and Toyota, praised the EPA’s decision to delay the stricter EV requirements until after 2030.
“Moderating the pace of EV adoption in 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030 was the right call,” John Bozzella, president and CEO of the alliance, said in a statement. “… These adjusted EV targets — still a stretch goal — should give the market and supply chains a chance to catch up.”
U.S. EV sales have cooled in recent months. According to estimatesfrom Kelley Blue Book, U.S. EV sales increased year-over-year by 40 percent in the fourth quarter of 2023, down from a 49 percent jump in the third quarter and a 52 percent spike in the second quarter.
“The EV market in the U.S. is still growing, but not growing as fast,” analysts with Kelley Blue Book wrote.
Yet Albert Gore, the executive director of the Zero Emission Transportation Association and the son of former vice president Al Gore, said other figures paint a more encouraging picture. He noted that a record 1.2 million EVs were sold in the United States last year, bringing EVs’ market share to 7.6 percent in 2023 compared with 5.9 percent in 2022.
“Whether or not we’re talking about a real slowdown, the trend line for EVs has been one of phenomenal growth over the last couple of years,” Gore said.
The price of EVs is also plunging so fast that they’re now almost as cheap as gas-powered cars. The average price difference last month was $5,000, according to data from Cox Automotive.
Still, the recent sales slowdown has prompted some automakers to scale back their EV plans, with Ford slashing production of the much-touted F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck. Many automakers are now pivoting to better-selling plug-in hybrids — a compromise between the internal combustion engines of the past and the batteries of the future.
Wednesday’s rule comes after a contentious back-and-forth between the United Auto Workers and the Biden administration over whether — and how — the shift to EVs will benefit workers.
In September, the UAW launched a historic strike against Detroit’s three biggest automakers — Ford, General Motors and Stellantis. The workers warned that the rise of EVs could erase well-paying jobs in the auto industry, since many EV plants are being built in Southern states less friendly to union labor.
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Despite these warnings, the EPA issued an ambitious proposed rule last April that called for EVs to account for 67 percent of all new passenger car and light-duty truck sales by 2032. Weeks later, UAW President Shawn Fain wrote that the union was withholding its endorsement of Biden’s reelection campaign over “concerns with the electric vehicle transition.”
Yet the union reversed course and coalesced around Biden after the EPA signaled it would relax the timeline in the final rule. The UAW endorsed the president at its annual legislative conference in January, and Fain attended Biden’s State of the Union address this month.
Automakers could still comply with the final rule by making EVs account for 67 percent of new car sales in 2032, according to the EPA. But they could also meet the requirements by making all-electric vehicles account for 56 percent and making plug-in hybrids represent 13 percent, the agency said.
Former president Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has called Fain a “dope” and has repeatedly bashed Biden’s EV goals. He has falsely claimed that EVs cannot travel far on a single charge, and he has pledged to scrap the EPA rule on day two of a second term.
On Monday, Trump sought to defend his declaration over the weekendthat there would be a “bloodbath” if he lost in November, claiming he was merely describing a bloodbath for the auto sector. He wrote on his social media platform that he was “simply referring to [EV] imports” allowed by Biden, which he said “are killing the automobile industry.”
Manish Bapna, president and CEO of NRDC Action Fund, the political arm of the Natural Resources Defense Council, criticized Trump’s anti-EV rhetoric.
“The industry is betting its future on electric cars, drivers are buying them in record numbers and last fall’s UAW agreement makes sure workers benefit,” Bapna said in an email. “Biden’s got a strategy to support that shift. Trump wants to slam it into reverse.”
The fossil fuel industry has sought to drum up opposition to the EPA rule, which could eat into demand for its petroleum products. The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM), an industry trade group, has launched a seven-figure campaign against what it calls a de facto “gas car ban.” The campaign includes ads in battleground states warning that the rule will restrict consumer choice.
“To be sure, the administration refers to these regulations as ‘standards,’ not ‘bans’ or ‘mandates,’” AFPM President and CEO Chet Thompson said on a call with reporters this month. “But they do that because they know how unpopular bans are with Americans.”
The AFPM’s members include fossil fuel giants such as ExxonMobil, Chevron, Marathon Petroleum and Valero Energy. Marathon Petroleum, the nation’s largest refiner, waged a covert campaign in 2018 to roll back the car emissions standards set by President Barack Obama.
The American Petroleum Institute, the oil industry’s top lobbying arm, teased plans to sue over the standards set by the Biden administration.
“We’ll do everything we can to stop the rule,” Mike Sommers, chief executive of the institute, said in an interview Wednesday at an energy conference in Houston.
Although the EPA rule would not, in fact, ban internal combustion engine vehicles, California regulators are seeking to end statewide sales of new gas cars by 2035. In the past, more than a dozen other states have opted to follow California’s tougher tailpipe pollution rules.
The California Air Resources Board announced Tuesday a deal with Stellantis, the owner of the Jeep and Ram brands. Under the deal, Stellantis agreed to comply with California’s EV sales requirements even if they are blocked by a court or a potential second Trump administration.
The automaker had previously blasted those requirements for handing rivals an unfair advantage. But on Tuesday, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares called the agreement a “win-win solution” that will avoid 10 million to 12 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions through 2030.
“The biggest and most influential companies in the world understand that this is how we can fight climate change together,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said in a statement.
Maxine Joselow is a staff writer who covers climate change and the environment.
Democracy Dies in Darkness
© 1996-2024 The Washington Post
The case for switching to electric vehicles (EVs) is nearly settled. They are cheaper to use, cut emissions, and offer a whisper quiet ride. One of the last arguments available to the EV-hater club, which is largely comprised of thinly veiled oil-industry front groups funded by the Koch brothers, focuses on the impacts from the materials used to make an EV’s battery pack.
https://blog.ucsusa.org/josh-goldman/electric-vehicles-batteries-cobalt-and-rare-earth-metals/
Specifically, the use of lithium, cobalt, nickel, and other metals that are part of an EV lithium-ion battery pack has raised red flags about the poor human rights and worker protection records in the countries where these materials are mined.
A lot of these warnings have been incorrectly categorized under “EVs and rare earth metals.” Though neither lithium nor cobalt are rare earth metals, and rare earth metals aren’t nearly as rare as precious metals like gold, platinum, and palladium, there are important issues surrounding the production of lithium-ion batteries that must be acknowledged and addressed.
It is also important to note that these impacts are not happening just because of EVs. They are also being driven by the global demand for cell phones, laptop computers, and the multitude of other electronic devices that use lithium-ion batteries.
As EVs gain market share, they will be more responsible for the impacts from battery production. But today, EVs comprise a small fraction of global vehicle sales. So, concerns about lithium-ion batteries should be directed not just to the suppliers of EV battery packs, but also toward Apple, Samsung, and the other companies that source lithium-ion batteries for their electronic goods.
Let’s also not forget that the supply chain for gasoline-powered vehicles has its fair share of issues, ranging from human rights violations like the use of child labor, to disastrous oil spills like Deepwater Horizon. But unlike gasoline-powered vehicles, EVs will be able to take advantage of emerging battery chemistries that don’t rely on cobalt or other materials that are linked to exploitative practices.
Cobalt and electric vehicle batteries
Cobalt, a bluish-gray metal found in the Earth’s crust, is one of today’s preferred components used to make the lithium-ion batteries that power laptops, cell phones, and EVs. Cobalt is mined all over the world, but 50 to 60 percent of the global supply comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which has a poor human rights track record. According to UNICEF and Amnesty International, around 40,000 children are involved in cobalt mining in DRC where they make only $1 – $2 USD per day. DRC’s cobalt trade has been the target of criticism for nearly a decade, and the U.S. Labor Department lists Congolese cobalt as a product it has reason to think is produced by child labor. More troubling, cobalt demand has tripled in the past five years and is projected to at least double again by 2020.
What can be done about EV batteries sourcing issues
First, companies should be held accountable for enacting and enforcing policies to only use ethically-sourced materials. Some companies are off to a good start. Apple has pledged to end its reliance on mining altogether, and one day make its products from only renewable resources or recycled materials. Other tech giants like HP, Samsung, and Sony joined an effort called the “Responsible Cobalt Initiative.” Members of the initiative pledged to follow global guidelines for mining supply chains, which call for companies to trace how cobalt is being extracted, transported, manufactured and sold.
On the EV side of things, Tesla has committed to sourcing materials only from North America for its new battery production facility, the Gigafactory. In 2015, Tesla secured two contracts with mining companies to explore lithium deposits in northern Nevada and Mexico, though Tesla still relies on cobalt that may have been sourced from the DRC.
Both Ford and GM get their EV batteries from LG Chem, who has said they have stopped using DRC-sourced cobalt and stated that neither Ford nor GM batteries rely on DRC-sourced cobalt, but some of the LG practices and statements have been called into question by the WaPo.
Second, recycling can help reduce the need to search for new source of battery materials, or rely on sourcing materials from countries with poor worker protections. Cobalt, for example, (as opposed to gasoline) is fully recyclable and roughly 15 percent of U.S. cobalt consumption is from recycled scrap today.
Companies like Umicore are in the cobalt recycling business and have demonstrated that there is a business model for recycling cobalt that can help reduce demand for DRC-mined cobalt.
Third, battery technology is continuing to improve. The multitude of battery applications has generated a strong financial incentive for researchers to find the next greatest battery chemistry, and some of the most promising next-gen battery types don’t rely on cobalt at all.
Lithium-titanate and lithium-iron-phosphate, for example, are gaining importance in EV powertrain applications and don’t need cobalt. Other battery chemistries that rely on magnesium, sodium, or lithium-sulfur are also gaining traction as they have the potential to beat lithium-ion batteries on energy density and cost. Battery research has seen a big shift in recent years. Nearly half of the presentations at the Battery Symposium in Japan were once about fuel cells and lithium-ion battery materials. But since 2012, these topics have been supplanted by presentations about solid-state, lithium-air and non-lithium batteries.
Overall, the human rights issues related to the lithium-ion battery supply chain cannot be ignored. At the same time, they shouldn’t be used by the oil industry and their allies as a rallying cry to dismantle EV policy support, or as reason to stop the growth of the EV industry. Again, it’s not just EVs that are at issue here. All manufacturers of electronic devices need to find better sources for their batteries and it is their responsibility to source materials from places that have worker protections. It’s also the responsibility of our government to ensure that Americans can buy products that are ethically and sustainably sourced.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever.
Amen.
In many cases, our ideas and beliefs are the very source of the suffering that we’re trying to reduce. As you read through this book, I invite you to pause and evaluate the ideas and beliefs you currently hold. You may find that some of them stand between you and seeing what was in front of you all along. * Secular Buddhism - Noah Rasheta
The key message is that while we can't avoid the first arrow, we can choose not to fire the second arrow. By practicing mindfulness and cultivating inner peace, we can learn to respond to challenges more skillfully, minimizing the additional suffering we inflict upon ourselves.
I do spend a lot of time and emotional energy on the second arrow and history tells me that the reality is never as bad what I may have anticipated.
There are two main types of EV plugs: AC charging plugs and DC fast charging plugs.
AC charging plugs are used for slower charging at home or at public charging stations. These plugs typically deliver power at a rate of 3.3 kW to 19.2 kW.
DC fast charging plugs are used for much faster charging at public charging stations. These plugs can deliver power at a rate of up to 350 kW.
In addition to these common plugs, there are also a few other types of EV plugs that are used in some parts of the world, such as Tesla's proprietary plugs. However, the plugs listed above are the most common types that you are likely to encounter.
It's important to note that not all EVs are compatible with all types of plugs. Be sure to check your EV's owner's manual to see which types of plugs it is compatible with.
The Chevy Bolt EUV accepts two main types of plugs for charging:
