Energy production numbers--I agree with the disparity, not the interpretation. A bill to help our students learn math. And all too often overlooked example of defensive gun use.
I don't dispute the numbers, but I do dispute the interpretation.
One common trap people fall into is faulty reasoning on numbers. It's the same issue I've written about in the past: why do we see the numbers and patterns that we see? Remember that there can be multiple explanations for a pattern in numbers. The pattern itself and how you feel about it do not guarantee your explanation are correct.
I saw another example recently in a press release by an environmentalist group. It's linked first below.
The contention made by this group is as follows (quoting):
"Coal remains Colorado’s dominate source of electricity generation, with 37% of the state’s power fueled by coal compared to the national average of 20%, according to a Center for Biological Diversity analysis of data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Electric Power Monthly."
And later,
"Colorado trails the country and other states in the transition to a clean energy economy. Colorado burns more coal than the national average, generating 37% of its electricity from coal in the state compared to the national average of only 20%."
**Note: there was a link to the Electric Power Monthly in the above. I pulled it out of the quote and put it second below. It was the source of my attached screenshots.
Do you see the claim in those quotes?
They are right that we get 37% of our energy from coal here (compared to 20% nationally), but the implicit argument is that this disparity is evidence that we're lagging the rest of the country on transitioning to clean energy.
If you go pull reports from Electric Power Monthly and compare states (see the screenshots attached for various states that I did pull reports for), what you will note is that energy sources are as varied as the states themselves.
If you live in a state with lots of lakes and you started before environmentalists fought every dam tooth and nail, you'll have more hydro. If you live in a state with more wind, you'll have more wind. If you live in a state friendly to nuclear, you'll have more nuclear.
We live in the arid West and haven't looked at nuclear. We therefore use more coal than others. That's just how we work here. I dispute the idea that the fact that we use more coal means we're lagging on a transition. We are transitioning alright, we just started out from the gate with more coal than others.
If, therefore, you measure coal as your yardstick we look like we're lagging. There is no sure and certain connection here.
Think through patterns carefully and skeptically. Be wary when someone gives you a quick explanation for a disparity.
https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/analysis-4-years-into-polis-administration-coal-is-still-colorados-main-electricity-source-as-state-lags-behind-on-green-energy-2023-03-01/
https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/?src=email
A bill to help Colorado students do better at math.
The Sun article linked first below gives some details and context on the bill linked second below (the bill wasn't out by the time the article was written but did come out since).
There is a lot to the bill and I'll leave it to you to read up on the other details. There was nothing in there that I objected to (perhaps some mild wariness about too much state intervention in local school decisions--but it was mild).
The thing that stuck out to me and that I really liked seeing in this bill was that they are going to give some money directly to people to get outside help for mathematics. I.e. the bill creates grants which can be used to fund outside tutoring and etc. for those that would need extra help.
People all learn differently, and so instruction in math needs to allow for that. There are limited opportunities for this inside a classroom; to truly help people that struggle, often some sort of small-group or individualized instruction is needed.
I am glad to see that some recognition for this fact is coming from the legislature. I am glad to see that some money is being freed up to offer the kinds of resources that well-to-do parents take for granted to people of lesser means. I am glad that money is going straight to students instead of being shoveled into the never-satisfied education machine (where very little trickles into the classroom).
I plan to try and testify in support of this bill. As of the last check, it was up for committee on the 16th (tomorrow) at 1:30. If you're interested in following suit, check the bill link.
https://coloradosun.com/2023/03/07/colorado-math-education-bill-2023
https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb23-1231
Amid all the stories about gun control and tearful testimony at the Capitol, there is little to no attention paid by the media* or lawmakers to defensive gun use.
Below is a long but important profile of a man from Arvada who stood up to a mass shooter and saved lives because he had a gun.
This too needs to be part of our discussion about violence prevention and gun ownership.
*A recent Google search on the terms "Colorado Sun and Club Q" and "Colorado Sun and Hurley" returned 5 articles on Hurley and 34 on Club Q.
https://www.5280.com/why-was-a-man-who-stopped-a-mass-shooting-shot-and-killed-by-arvada-police/