Comparison and Contrast, was Lex Anteinternet: Earth Day, 2024. Native to this place.

We ran this yesterday:

Lex Anteinternet: Earth Day, 2024. Native to this place.: We have become a more juvenile culture. We have become a childish "me, me, me" culture with fifteen-second attention spans. The gl...

On the same day, various Federal office holders and their lieutenants were engaged in Earth Day related activities.  For example:

Biden-Harris Administration Invests in Clean Energy and Domestic Biofuels to Strengthen American Farms and Small Businesses as Part of Investing in America Agenda

 

Projects Funded by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act Will Lower Energy Costs and Expand Access to Cleaner Fueling Options

 

ERIE, Pa., April 23, 2024 – Today, in honor of Earth Day 2024, Agriculture Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is funding more than 700 clean energy projects to lower energy bills, expand access to domestic biofuels and create jobs and new market opportunities for U.S. farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers. Many of the projects are funded by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, the nation’s largest-ever investment in combating the climate crisis. The projects advance President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to grow the nation’s economy from the middle out and bottom up. They will create jobs and spur economic growth in rural communities by increasing competition in agricultural markets, lowering costs and build more clean energy projects. “The Biden-Harris Administration and USDA are committed to expanding access to modern clean energy systems and fueling options that strengthen the nation’s energy independence while creating good-paying jobs and saving people money,” Deputy Secretary Torres Small said. “As we celebrate Earth Day this year, we are excited to partner with hundreds more family farms and small businesses to address the impacts of climate change, grow the economy and keep rural communities throughout the country strong and resilient.” In all, USDA is providing $238 million in funding through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) and the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP). Rural Clean Energy Production Torres Small announced more than $194 million in loans and grants through REAP to support projects in 35 states and Puerto Rico. The REAP program helps agricultural producers and rural small business owners expand their use of wind, solar, geothermal and small hydropower energy and make energy efficiency improvements. These innovations help them increase their income, grow their businesses, address climate change and lower energy costs for American families. The REAP program is part of the President’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to ensure 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy and other investment areas flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. These investments will cut energy costs for family farms and other businesses, increasing their resiliency and allowing them to invest back into their communities by creating new jobs and other opportunities. For example: ·     In Pennsylvania, Cellar ‘54 LLC will use a $49,000 grant to buy and install a 48-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system for its winery in the Lake Erie wine region in the borough of North East. This project is expected to save the business approximately $4,500 annually and will generate more than 32,000 kilowatt hours per year. ·     In New Jersey, Oishii Mega Farm NJ LLC will use a $15 million loan to convert a vacant building in Phillipsburg into an energy efficient production facility to grow Omakase and Koyo strawberries. The facility will include a high-tech indoor vertical farming operation and facilities to harvest, package, ship and distribute produce. The project will create 45 new jobs and reduce operating costs by $150,000 annually by being able to grow strawberries in a more efficient and controlled environment. ·     In Tennessee, Yarbro Farms will use a $536,000 grant to install a 301.92-kilowatt ground-mounted solar array on its row crop farm in the city of Martin. The project is expected to save the family farm more than $32,000 annually. It will also save 406,900 kilowatt hours of energy per year, enough to power 34 homes. USDA is making the REAP awards in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming and Puerto Rico. Since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA has invested more than $2 billion through REAP to support renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements that will help rural business owners lower energy costs, generate new income, and strengthen their resiliency of operations. USDA continues to accept REAP applications and will hold funding competitions quarterly through Sept. 30, 2024. The funding includes a dedicated portion for underutilized renewable energy technologies. For additional information, contact a local energy coordinator. Cleaner and More Affordable Fueling Options USDA is also awarding more than $43 million in grants through HBIIP to business owners to increase the availability of domestic biofuels in 15 states and give Americans cleaner, more affordable fuel options. HBIIP provides grants to fueling station and distribution facility owners, including marine, rail, and home heating oil facilities, to help expand access to domestic biofuels, a clean and affordable source of energy. These investments help business owners install and upgrade infrastructure such as fuel pumps, dispensers and storage tanks. For example: ·     In Pennsylvania, Clyde S. Walton Inc. will use a grant of more than $810,000 to install a 30,000-gallon biodiesel storage tank and loading equipment at its home heating oil distribution facility in Lansdale. This project is expected to increase the amount of biodiesel sold by more than 5 million gallons per year. ·     In Kansas, Blue River Valley LLC will use a $3 million grant to rebuild a pair of 2-million-gallon ethanol storage tanks and other equipment at a fuel distribution facility in Potwin. This project is expected to increase the amount of ethanol sold by more than 238 million gallons per year. ·     In Minnesota, Twin Cities Auto Repair & Gas LTD will use a $402,000 grant to install four E15 dispensers and two ethanol storage tanks at a fueling station in Burnsville. This project is expected to increase the amount of ethanol sold by 996,000 gallons per year. USDA is making the HBIIP awards in California, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin. Since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA has invested approximately $135 million to increase access to biofuels at fueling stations. In June 2023, USDA made $450 million available in Inflation Reduction Act funding through the HBIIP to expand the use and availability of higher-blend biofuels. USDA continues to accept applications for funding to expand access to domestic biofuels. These grants will support the infrastructure needed to reduce out-of-pocket costs for transportation fueling and distribution facilities to install and upgrade biofuel-related infrastructure such as pumps, dispensers and storage tanks. Applications are being accepted quarterly through Sept. 30, 2024. USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, tribal and high-poverty areas. Visit the Rural Data Gateway to learn how and where these investments are impacting rural America. To subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit the GovDelivery Subscriber page. USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate-smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

Senators Lummis and Barrasso, in contrast, were going after a SEC regulation requiring climate disclosure information of businesses by introducing a Congressional Review Act joint resolution of disapproval.

Sunday, April 23, 1944. Hollandia taken, MacArthur lands, John C. Squire's posthumous MoH, Greek troubles, Pyrgoi Massacre, Tragic accident, Missing mobster.

 Gen. MacArthur, Colonel Lloyd Lehbras, his aides, and other high officers, landing on the beach at Aitape, New Guinea, 23 April, 1944.

Hollandia fell to US forces and Tadji airfield is taken.  However, resistance was met inland at Sabron and the beachheads were experiencing congestion.

F4U crashing on the USS Guadalcanal, April 23, 1944.

The Amagiri was sunk in the Makassar Strait by a mine.

Mussolini agreed to continue permitting Italian troops to be trained in Germany. The best of them were to be used to form a new National Republican Army.

In Italy, U.S. Army PFC John C. Squires lost his life in an action which resulted in his receiving a posthumous Medal of Honor.

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. At the start of his company's attack on strongly held enemy positions in and around Spaccasassi Creek, near Padiglione, Italy, on the night of 23-April 24, 1944, Pfc. Squires, platoon messenger, participating in his first offensive action, braved intense artillery, mortar, and antitank gun fire in order to investigate the effects of an antitank mine explosion on the leading platoon. Despite shells which burst close to him, Pfc. Squires made his way 50 yards forward to the advance element, noted the situation, reconnoitered a new route of advance and informed his platoon leader of the casualties sustained and the alternate route. Acting without orders, he rounded up stragglers, organized a group of lost men into a squad and led them forward. When the platoon reached Spaccasassi Creek and established an outpost, Pfc. Squires, knowing that almost all of the noncommissioned officers were casualties, placed 8 men in position of his own volition, disregarding enemy machinegun, machine-pistol, and grenade fire which covered the creek draw. When his platoon had been reduced to 14 men, he brought up reinforcements twice. On each trip he went through barbed wire and across an enemy minefield, under intense artillery and mortar fire. Three times in the early morning the outpost was counterattacked. Each time Pfc. Squires ignored withering enemy automatic fire and grenades which struck all around him, and fired hundreds of rounds of rifle, Browning automatic rifle, and captured German Spandau machinegun ammunition at the enemy, inflicting numerous casualties and materially aiding in repulsing the attacks. Following these fights, he moved 50 yards to the south end of the outpost and engaged 21 German soldiers in individual machinegun duels at point-blank range, forcing all 21 enemy to surrender and capturing 13 more Spandau guns. Learning the function of this weapon by questioning a German officer prisoner, he placed the captured guns in position and instructed other members of his platoon in their operation. The next night when the Germans attacked the outpost again he killed 3 and wounded more Germans with captured potato-masher grenades and fire from his Spandau gun. Pfc. Squires was killed in a subsequent action.

Finnish modified Soviet Il-4 bomber, April 23, 1944.

A communist mutiny on five Greek warships (it's always the sailors) was put down by loyal Greek forces.

Also in Greece, the Pyrgoi Massacre took place in which the SS killed 563 men, women and children, with the aid of local Greek accomplices.

Marion Harris, the first white singer to widely sing and record blues, died in a hotel fire caused by her falling asleep with a lit cigarette. She was 48 years old.

Canadian bootlegger Rocco Perri went for a walk in Hamilton Ontario to clear his head and disappeared.  It's widely believed he was fitted with cement shoes and drowned, but there are those who assert he lived into the 1950s in the U.S.

Last prior edition:

Saturday, April 22, 1944. American landings at Hollandia and Aitape.

1940s, 1944, Afghan tribal revolts of 1944–1947, Afghanistan, Battle of Hollandia, China, Hollandia, New Guinea, Operation Ichi-Go, Operation Persecution, Operation Reckless, World War Two

Wednesday, April 23, 1924. Debutants drill team

Debutants drill team, April 23, 1914.

Last prior edition:

Tuesday, April 22, 1924. Silent Cal.

1940s, 1944, Afghan tribal revolts of 1944–1947, Afghanistan, Battle of Hollandia, China, Hollandia, New Guinea, Operation Ichi-Go, Operation Persecution, Operation Reckless, World War Two

Passover, 2024.

Passover for this year starts with sundown, tonight, and runs to the evening of April 30.

Orthodox Easter for this year is yet to come.

Earth Day, 2024. Native to this place.

We have become a more juvenile culture. We have become a childish "me, me, me" culture with fifteen-second attention spans. The global village that television was supposed to bring is less a village than a playground...

Little attempt is made to pass on our cultural inheritance, and our moral and religious traditions are neglected except in the shallow "family values" arguments.

Wes Jackson, Becoming Native to This Place

Today is Earth Day, 2024.

In "Red State", which now means more than it used to as the Reds in the Red States are supporting the Russian effort to conquer Ukraine, and hence are aligned with what the old Reds would have wanted, it's not going to mean all that much.  I don't expect there to be much in the way of civil observances.

I saw a quote by somebody whose comments I wouldn't normally consider, that being Noam Chomsky, in which he asserted that a certain class of people who are perceived (not necessarily accurately) as something beyond evil, as they're putting all of humanity in jeopardy for a "few dollars" when they already have far more than they need.  That is almost certainly unfair.  Rather, like so much else in human nature, mobilizing people to act contrary to their habits is just very hard.  And some people will resist any concept that those habits are harmful in any fashion.

Perhaps, therefore, a bitter argument is on what people love.  People will sacrifice for that, and here such sacrifices as may be needed on various issues are likely temporary ones.

Of course, a lot of that gets back to education, and in this highly polarized time in which we live, which is in part because we're hearing that changes are coming, and we don't like them, and we've been joined by people here locally recently who have a concept of the local formed by too many hours in front of the television and too few in reality.  We'll have to tackle that.  That'll be tough, right now, but a lot of that just involves speaking the truth.

While it has that beating a horse aspect to it, another thing we can't help but noting, and have before, is that an incredible amount of resistance to things that would help overall society are opposed by those who are lashed to their employments in nearly irrevocable ways.  In this fashion, the society that's actually the one most likely to be able to preserver on changed in some fashions are localist and distributist ones.   Chomsky may think that what he is noting is somehow uniquely tied to certain large industries, but in reality the entire corporate capitalist one, which of course he is no fan of, as well as socialist ones, which he is, are driven by concepts of absolute scale and growth.  That's a systematic culture that's very hard to overcome and on a local scale, when people are confronted with it, they'll rarely acknowledge that their opposition is based on something that's overall contrary to what they otherwise espouse.  We see that locally right now, where there are many residents opposed to a local gravel pit, who otherwise no doubt make their livings from the extractive industries.

But I'd note that this hasn't always been the case here.  It was much less so before the influx of outsiders who stayed after the most recent booms.  And that too gives us some hope, as the people who are of here and from here, like people of and from anywhere they're actually from, will in fact act for the place.

Related threads:

• An Agrarian Manifesto

Today

Blog Mirror: Earth Day Resolutions That Will Actually Help the Earth (hint: A Meatless Life Isn’t One of Them)

Earth Day, 2022

Lex Anteinternet: Some odd things you can do for the environment on Earth Day that may or may not have occurred to you.

Today is Earth Day for 2021. . .

Earth Day, 2020

Earth Day, 2019

Today In Wyoming's History: April 22

Lex Anteinternet: The Uniform Bar Exam, early tell of the tape. And now the late one.

Lex Anteinternet: The Uniform Bar Exam, early tell of the tape.: One of the threads most hit upon here is the one on the Uniform Bar Exam .  As folks who stop in here will recall, Wyoming's adoption of...

It is, quite frankly, a freakin' disaster. 

We've had this now for years, and the quality of new lawyers had declined noticeably.

And recently, the list of bar admittees featured something interesting.  The vast majority of new admittees aren't located in Wyoming.  And they don't want to.  They only want to take Wyoming work, and the work of other states, remotely, while not really appreciating the state they're practicing in.

It'd be supremely easy to fix.  Just add a Wyoming component, like we used to have.

But we're not going to do that.

Related threads:

Labor and the conglomeration of everything.

Oh great. . .as if the Colorado flood wasn't enough. . .

Monday At The Bar: Lex Anteinternet: The Uniform Bar Exam, early tell of the tape. Revisited Again.

So. . . why doesn't the ABA oppose the Uniform Bar Exam?

Monday at the Bar: The ABA and the UBE

Wyoming Adopts the Uniform Bar Exam, and why that's not only a change, but a bad idea

Saturday, April 22, 1944. American landings at Hollandia and Aitape.

US troops on Aitape, April 22, 1944.  This is a curious photograph for a number of reasons, including that all of the men in the immediate foreground are carrying M1 Carbines rather than M1 Garands.  Further, the solider closes to the camera is wearing paratrooper boots.  This would somewhat make me suspect that they are Rangers, but I don't know of Rangers landing at Aitape.

U.S. forces began landed in Western New Guinea in Operations Reckless (Hollandia) and Operation Persecution (Aitape).

Surprisingly, the Japanese were ill prepared for the operation, and the landings rapidly gained a foothold.

The Marshalls campaign ended with the US taking Ungelap.

The Japanese took Chengchow in China.

Combined, the day's event in the Far East demonstrated the interesting nature of the war at the time, and the problems confronting the Japanese.  The Japanese were advancing in China and on the Burmese Indian frontier, but losing territory rapidly in the Pacific, where they effectively had no means of stopping the flow of events.  Gaining enough ground on the Asian mainland to force a conclusion to the overall war was rapidly becoming impossible, as was defending what it had taken in the Pacific in order to advance that original goal.

Mesovouno was subject to German mass killings for the second time, the first time being in October 1941.

Mussolini met with Hitler and his entourage to complain about German caused problems in the Italian Social Republic, which the Germans didn't really care about.

The Kingdom of Afghanistan drove rebel Mazrak Zadran and his followers into the hills.  He was in rebellion in support of a rival claimant to the Afghani throne.

Last prior edition:

Friday, April 21, 1944. Les Françaises obtiennent le droit de vote.

1940s, 1944, Battle of Gurba, Battle of Imphal, Bretton Woods, Charles de Gaulle, Economics, France, Free French, Italy, New Guinea, Royal Air Force, Ukraine, Ukrainian National Army, Women, World War Two

Tuesday, April 22, 1924. Silent Cal.

President Coolidge gave the famous "You Lose" reply to Associated Press president Frank B. Noyes introduction to the AP conference that stated that Noyes could "get more than two words" out Coolidge.

The occasion was a press conference in which Coolidge proposed an international disarmament treaty modeled after the Washington Naval Treaty.

John Phillip Hill presented petition on the country's liquor prohibition.

Hill was a Congressman from Maryland who would himself be arrested during prohibition after he planted apples and grapes at his home, and used them for alcohol.  He renamed his home a "farm", as farmers were allowed to do that for home consumption, which didn't serve to avoid the law.  A jury found him not guilty as his products, at a whopping 12% alcohol, were "not intoxicating in fact".

German born Western artist Herman Wendelborg Hansen died at age 70.

Last prior edition:

Easter Sunday, April 20, 1924.

1920s, 1924, Casper Wyoming, Catholic, Christianity, Easter, Islam, Prohibition, religion, Turkey, Washington DC, Wyoming (Casper)

Cliffnotes of the Zeitgeist, 65th Edition. Reprehensible and Admirable.

The actions by Wyoming's GOP in regard to its Republican Governor, that is.  That's reprehensible.

Here's the story:

Wyoming Republican Party Censures Gov. Gordon; Gray Approves

After declining to even debate the topic, the Wyoming Republican Party censured Gov. Mark Gordon at its state convention on Saturday. Sec. of State Chuck Gray said he approved of the censure saying Gordon needed "accountability."

The corpse of the GOP is really beginning to smell.

Accountability?  The Wyoming GOP, solidly in the grips of Dixiecrats, isn't looking at much of the world realistically, and as House Member Jerry Obermeuller pointed out in his op ed in the Trib, the claim that it admires Wyoming's "traditionalism" is a joke.  It's assaulting that traditionalism, looking more to the traditionalism of the post Reconstruction South.  It's frightening.

But then there was this:

Wonders Never Cease

As Fr. Franco points out, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson is suddenly acting like a responsible real conservative, just as Governor Gordon has been all along.    The Wyoming GOP, which had been badly behind the curve recently, might not be noticing this, but with even populists dumping Congress and some in real election trouble, we might barely, only barely, hope that the Trump Reign of Terror may be starting to wane.  

Johnson has made much of his being a religious man, which he genuinely is.  He apparently prayed before ultimately taking this action, and he suddenly seems to have a spine.  

Wyoming's lone Congressman, attuned to her populist base, voted against the aid.  This will please the populists, who are not conservatives.  Secretary of State Gray, no doubt, would state he was against the aid package if asked, but nobody will bother to ask him.  He's running for Governor right now, and the State best dearly hope that a traditionalist, such as the type Obermueller mentioned, runs.  

But here's the thing.  Politics are fickle.  If Putin wins in Ukraine and in a year or two rolls in to Poland and the Balkans, the very people today who have a Sweet Home Alabama type of view of the world will be all for the fight, which they won't be in.  And nobody will remind them either, as all of the Trumpist will claim they were never for him, when that day comes.

Sadly, it appears to have a strong chance of coming.

But, as Fr. Franco noted

The prophet Ezekiel famously said: if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live. None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him; because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live. 

Things have a way of going in directions we can't predict.  Maybe there's hope yet.

Last prior edition:

Cliffnotes of the Zeitgeist, 64th Edition. Things authentic and important.

Apostolic Christianity, Authenticity, Christianity, Clothing, Conservatism, Eastern Rite Catholic, Ethnicities, Music, Pop Music, Punk Music, religion, Roman Catholic, trends, Women, Zeitgeist

Friday, April 21, 1944. Les Françaises obtiennent le droit de vote.

Black artillerymen of Btry B., 140th FA Bn., 37th Div. Btry firing a 105 on Bougainville. 21 April, 1944.

Charles de Gaulle issued a decree giving French women the right to vote.

It's hard to imagine that the vote came to French women this late.

US troops inspecting German one many torpedo at Anzio.

Japanese troops captured Crete West Hill during the Battle of Imphal.

As Sarah Sundin notes on her blog:

Today in World War II History—April 21, 1944: German Gen. Hans-Valentin Hube is killed in a plane crash at Berchtesgaden; Gen. Erhard Raus replaces him over German First Panzer Army.

She also noted that a massive US task force with up to twenty aircraft carriers had attacked  Hollandia, Wakde, Sawar, and Sarmi, New Guinea from the air in preparation for landings.  D-Day was the following day.

The following statement, a product of Bretton Woods, was released:

Italy formed a coalition government.

The RAF hit Cologne, La Chappelle (Paris), Lens and Ottignies (Brussels).

The Battle of Gurba occured in Ukraine, but it's obscure.  It was an action between the Soviets and the Ukrainian National Army, and relatively large-scale for such an encounter.

Last prior edition:

Thursday, April 20, 1944. Bombs for Hitler's birthday.

1940s, 1944, Adolf Hitler, baseball, Battle of Anzio, Battle of Kohima, boats and ships, German Kriegsmarine, German Luftwaffe, Merrill's Maurauders, Operation U-Go, Personalities, Royal Air Force, U.S. Navy