We have the technology to go green, not the political will

My Sunday movie was Pianoforte, about the International Chopin Piano Competition. For those not up on their music history the instrument we call the piano was invented in Italy about 1700. Its big innovation is that it could play both soft (“piano” in Italian) and loud (“forte”), so it was originally called Pianoforte or Fortepiano. The International Chopin Piano Competition has been around since 1927 and is held every five years. It is considered the most prestigious competition and has launched many careers. It is a 21 day slog without a break with five stages. This movie is a documentary of the 2021 competition (delayed from 2020). The first stage had 87 contestants, the second had 40, and the winnowing goes from there. To be invited to this one means the pianist has already been playing concerts and has likely entered other competitions. A few entrants are in their late teens, the rest in their 20s. If one doesn’t do well one might try again in five years – or decide once was enough. The movie follows six contestants through the three weeks. Two are Italian, one each from Poland, Russia (or maybe Ukraine), and China. I’m not sure where the sixth one is from. We don’t see much of their performances. Instead we see them backstage, testing pianos to decide which one they want to perform on, in their practice rooms, sometime socializing, and dealing with the stress. We also see some of their preparation at home. The cameramen of this film wisely stepped back to show the media cameras that followed the pianists around the concert hall (and as this crew followed the cameras). The pianists had time to express some of their thoughts. Some say they don’t like the idea of a competition – how does one compete in music? But they like some aspects of a competition (they didn’t say, but that could be the prize money and the boost to the career). They talk about why they play. Some might be satisfied with playing music to express themselves, one talked about being the best and having a stable career. We see a couple of the teachers who came with their students. One is quite focused on technique, commenting on (scolding over) every detail. Another is more concerned with the student as a person. I was impressed with the film’s editing. When we did hear a concert we see the image cut between performers while the music is seamlessly played. This may not give a sense of their individual style, but it does show they all play close to the same repertoire. I enjoyed this one. That the music is all Chopin is a plus. I finished the book Memorial by Bryan Washington. I had enjoyed his previous book Lot enough to try another. The story is about the relationship between Benson, a black daycare worker, and Mike, a Japanese chef at a Mexican restaurant. Both sets of parents are divorced. Mike’s mother Mitsuko tells him his father in Japan is dying. Mike invites her for a visit, then decides he needs to spend time with his father. So Benson and Mitsuko end up as roommates. Mike never does explain why he thought it a good idea to invite his mother then take off. Benson begins the narration, talking about his job, how he and Mike met, and having Mitsuko around. At least Benson, under her instruction, learns how to cook. Then Mike narrates life in Japan with his cantankerous father Eiju. While still alive Eiju demands Mike work at his small bar, which Eiju wants to leave to him. We also hear Mike’s description of his relationship with Benson. They’ve been living together for a couple years. We learn their relationship isn’t all that deep. Will it last the separation? Will they move on to other lovers (or maybe just sex partners)? How seriously does Mike want to accept his father’s bequest? I enjoyed it. I was outdoors on my bicycle today! The temperature, just under 60F, was good for riding. It got up to 70F by mid afternoon. This isn’t the first day the temp has been warm enough, though on previous pleasant days the wind was too strong or I didn’t have time. Yes, I enjoy pleasant temperatures more than I do frigid ones. But this isn’t good. Detroit has had 22 inches of snow so far and we normally get about 38 inches by this time. I prefer a white lawn to a brown one. A warm spell last week followed by freezing temperatures means Michigan may have lost its peach crop. This week’s warmth followed by more cold may mean Michigan loses its cherry crop. Cherries are a big component of the economy around Traverse City, which holds a Cherry Festival each year. Several years ago a late winter warm spell followed by frost meant Michigan lost its apple crop. Apple cider is a big deal in Michigan in the fall. That year our cider was made with Washington apples. Meteor Blades, in an Earth Matters post for Daily Kos, discussed several important articles. He first quoted from something Rod Lamberts wrote a decade ago. Pumping out facts about the climate won’t change a denier’s mind. They’ll ignore you or turn further away. But facts and opinions are important to those who believe the science yet who don’t feel the urgency to act. Blades added that thankfully the mainstream media has stopped treating the claims of deniers with the same respect given to climate scientists. Blades then discussed the book No Miracles Needed, How Today’s Technology Can Save Our Climate and Clean Our Air by Mark Z. Jacobson. This book built on articles going back 15 years that proposed the US, then the whole world, could be powered on 100% renewable energy – wind, water, and sunlight (WWS). The book describes how the world can reach 100% renewables by or before 2050. We have the technology (or most of it) we need. What we don’t have is political will. Blades included an excerpt from the book aimed at those saying WWS will take up too much space. But the amount of land to power the whole world is only about 1½ times the size of California. It’s also less land than is required for fossil fuel infrastructure. The land doesn’t have to be solely devoted to WWS – solar panels can be placed between wind turbines (or on urban roofs, or to partially shade crops and farm animals as is shown later in the post). As for that political will, Blades reported that the Green New Deal, unveiled in 2019, was reintroduced in 2023 and the Green New Deal Network is on a multi-city tour. The deal had been a part of Biden’s Build Back Better Act, that was reduced by about 90% to become the Inflation Reduction Act. But that original $3.5 trillion is still needed. The GND is a commitment to address climate change through investing in climate related union jobs and to focus on climate justice, helping communities most affected by pollution and climate change. Blades included a chart showing the North Atlantic Ocean has been setting temperature records since March a year ago. Some of the records are significantly above previous records. Scientists say this is “deeply troubling.” The warm water is altering the growth, color, and location of plankton, which all marine animals depend on. Fish are smaller and are shifting farther north, affecting fishing and tourism industries. Blades mentioned a report by Jeff St. John of Canary Media saying the climate costs of expanding LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) exports likely exceeds the economic benefits.