Tom Whipple

Since retiring in 2002, Bart spends most of his time monitoring and writing about peak oil, climate change and sustainability. As energy issues have grown in prominence, he’s had to cut back on his gardening and work in Master Gardeners, as well as the natural history and outdoor activities that he loves. In his previous lives, he was a technical writer for Hewlett-Packard (computer diagnostics and repair), a high school teacher, and a newspaper reporter/editor.

The Future of Wind

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The cost of wind power has been falling steadily again since the 2008 price spike, and newer projects have been coming in at 2 cents per kilowatt-hour, making them very competitive with natural gas fired power and ranking among the very lowest-cost ways to generate electricity. But can wind prices keep falling, or have they bottomed out?

Is President Trump the reincarnation of President Tyler?

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Will internal tensions cause the Republican Party to go the way of Whigs? The road ahead for the Republican Party and Donald Trump does not look like a smooth one, and Trump’s unpredictable style is likely to keep the public and the pundits guessing every step of the way about what comes next.

Backing away from the hyperbole

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No matter what your politics, there is one thing that’s bound to help your country in the years ahead. You could help rebuild the social institutions around you — churches, fraternal organizations, town halls, unions, markets, and webs of mutual obligation – that have so deeply deteriorated. They are what democracy used to be, before it became images on a screen.