Hot enough for you?
Welcome back, readers. Thank you for your kind wishes for a great vacation, which I did indeed have as I hiked the Smoky Mountains and toured the Bourbon Trail. But I have definitely sweated out some brain cells during this heat wave (humidity wave?) so if you find any typos, just don’t tell me.
[Photo: Seen on the wall during the tour I took of the Maker’s Mark Distillery, in the room where they dip the bottles in wax.]
On a serious note, our team was saddened by the flooding tragedy in Texas. Our thoughts are with those who lost a loved one or know someone who has.
If you’re struggling to make sense of what happened or have been reading conflicting reports, I found this synthesis of the tragedy most informative.
This week’s must read: When’s the best time to buy an EV? Right now. (Canary Media)
While I was on vacation, Congress passed and signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which rolled back a number of clean energy incentives, including the EV tax credit. Given my interest in getting an EV when my 15-year old Prius needs replacement, this article and it’s advice on what credit expires when was useful. The TL;DR: “in every state, it’s cheaper to charge all EV models than to fill up their gas-powered counterparts” and “The clock is now ticking on the federal tax incentives for new, used, and leased EVs…The sooner you start looking, the better.”
Quote of the Week
“We must pray for the conversion of so many people, inside and out of the church, who still don’t recognize the urgency of caring for our common home,” said Pope Leo XIV at a recent Mass where he honored and echoed the memory of his predecessor, Pope Francis. “We see so many natural disasters in the world, nearly every day and in so many countries, that are in part caused by the excesses of being human, with our lifestyle.”
Featured new EcoRight blogger:
We are pleased to introduce our newest EcoRight volunteer, a writer who might be as prolific as Mary Anna Mancuso.
William Sweet reached out to us, eager to volunteer his time and skills to our cause. Here you can find his first blog post, The Founding Forest: How America’s First Patriots Used Nature to Win Independence—and Why That Matters Today. Look for an upcoming piece from him in The Invading Sea. In the meantime…
A teaser:
Across the United States, homeowners, farmers, small businesses, and churches are taking steps toward energy independence – not through protest, but through panels. Rooftop solar, community arrays, and distributed storage systems are modern expressions of the same idea that built our country: if you want lasting freedom, produce what you need close to home.
This is not ideology. It is economics.
Off Season Must Listens:
What do you listen to when the EcoRight Speaks is in between seasons? If you need some recommendations while I line up our initial suite of guests (the first one is already scheduled to record next week), check out the podcasts below.
We are big fans of Green Tea Party Radio and the program’s super smart and passionate hosts.
If you’ve been around these parts awhile, you know I adore Sarah and Beth of Pantsuit Politics for their nuanced approach to the news. Not climate specific, but good for deep dives in what is happening in the world today.
And last but not least, Electric Ladies Podcast, which I have had the honor to be a guest on. If you want to hear from a broad spectrum of women crushing the energy and climate worlds, tune in.
Don’t melt out there! Keep hydrated! See you next week.