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We in the Pacific Northwest have lived in a paradise of low-cost electricity for decades. It’s a mix of hydroelectric power (75%) supplemented by wind power (10%), natural gas (10%) and nuclear … more

Richard Gelinas | 2/28/24

Clams Inspire Pollution-free Cement

Cement making around the world releases so much carbon dioxide that if it were a country, it would be the third biggest source of CO2 pollution. more

Richard Gelinas | 11/30/23

A Letter to My Children

It was wonderful seeing you and your kids at the family reunion last month. We’re still finding specks of glitter and tiny beads amid the chalk drawings on the deck, where they did craft … more

Richard Gelinas | 8/30/23

No Nukes: Carbon-free Electricity

We pay about 6 cents per kilowatt-hour of electricity in Washington state, much less than the national median of 15 cents per kilowatt-hour. Here I’m just comparing the electricity costs, not the … more

Richard Gelinas | 5/31/23

Is Fusion Power On the Way?

Harnessing fusion energy as a source for carbon-free, near limitless electricity seemed much closer last November when the Department of Energy breathlessly announced a key advance: there was a … more

Richard Gelinas | 2/1/23

'Saving Us:' A Climate Scientist’s Case

In “Saving Us,” Katharine Hayhoe suggests that the most important thing any of us can do to fight climate change is to discuss it with others. She admits it can be hard to have a … more

Richard Gelinas | 12/28/22

RNA Vaccines Are Just the Start

Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna Therapeutics developed wonderfully effective vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 virus in 2020 based on RNA therapy. more

Richard Gelinas | 9/28/22

Saving the Planet Isn’t Science Fiction

Kim Stanley Robinson’s 2020 novel presents a sobering but plausible time for us as our planet warms due to sunlight-trapping gases derived from the use of fossil fuels. While fiction, its … more

Richard Gelinas | 7/27/22

Better Cement Can Save Us

Thin sheets of carbon, one atom thick, called graphene dramatically improve the strength of cement and concrete. A pinch or two of graphene can also improve the properties of other materials — … more

Richard Gelinas | 6/29/22

Clean Energy Deep in the Earth

Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? But what if there is a way to just ditch the coal and switch over the turbines to hot water from the ground? Quaise Energy, a startup company that … more

Richard Gelinas | 4/26/22

Hydrogen Will Help Replace Fossil Fuels

Since we’re continuing to dump greenhouse gases into our air that come from our use of fossil fuels, the Earth really is getting warmer. The average … more

Richard Gelinas | 1/27/22

Milkmaids, George Washington and the End of the Pandemic

Two remarkable events in the 18th century that were a consequence of the viral disease smallpox have lessons for us today: How a simple method for vaccination was reduced to practice and presented to … more

Richard Gelinas | 10/28/21

Earth's Energy Balance

You have probably noticed it is getting hotter, as if the weather is out of balance. Earth’s energy flow is always in balance, but the planet-wide thermostat is now set to keep more heat. The … more

Richard Gelinas | 8/28/21

A Pandemic Silver Lining: RNA Drugs

As vaccination rates against COVID-19 plateau in the U.S. or fall short of the number needed for herd immunity, it’s worth reminding ourselves how significant a breakthrough these vaccines are … more

Richard Gelinas | 5/26/21

Renewable Energy is Real and Profitable

On his first day in office, President Joe Biden brought the U.S. back into the Paris Climate Accord, revoked permits for the Keystone XL Pipeline and imposed a temporary moratorium on oil and gas … more

Richard Gelinas | 2/24/21

New Jersey Rats Discuss the Hindenburg

RAT 1 Hey kid, that popcorn is mine. Drop it. RAT 2 (Drops popcorn in order to speak.) Whoa, you must be the oldest rat around and I’ve seen a lot of rats in New Jersey. RAT 1 People come … more

Richard Gelinas | 10/29/20

Face Masks Work

Masks are an annoyance for those who use them, but do they really stop the spread of the virus? If so, which mask is best? Do you need a mask if you always social distance? more

Sui Huang and Richard Gelinas, Special to KP News | 10/1/20

A Reply from Coronavirus

Thanks for your congratulations on my success. Sorry about my tardy reply to your letter (KP News, May 2020), but I’ve been so busy lately, what with over 11 million COVID-19 cases and over … more

Richard Gelinas | 7/30/20