Author: Rich Horner
Oil Dependency: 3-The Hidden Cost of the EV Battery
June 19, 2026 The transition to electric vehicles does not eliminate environmental damage—it relocates and transforms it. Trading a fossil-fuel problem for a mineral-extraction problem is a meaningful improvement in many respects, but the full picture demands honesty about what that extraction actually costs. Three minerals sit at the heart of the modern lithium-ion battery:…
Ward Bayou
June 11, 2026 Fair warning up front — I made a rookie mistake and had my camera set to JPEG, which significantly limits both image quality and my ability to make post-processing adjustments. We have quite a bit of flooding, especially around the rivers, and Ward Bayou gates were closed, so we were only able…
Oil Dependency: 2 – Where Does All That Electricity Come From
June 16, 2026 The most common challenge raised against electric vehicles cuts straight to the point: if the electricity charging those batteries comes from burning coal and natural gas, are we simply moving the pollution from the tailpipe to the smokestack? It is a fair question, and it deserves a straight answer. What Powers the…
How These Essays Get Made (and many of my other writings)
June 13, 2026 Someone asked me recently how I go about putting these essays together. I thought it was worth sharing, because the process itself is part of the story. It starts with a conversation — usually with Gemini. The reason I landed on Gemini first is simple: I use Google almost exclusively on my…
Margot, our lovely Frangipani
June 12, 2026 The Frangipani is a tropical shrub or small tree that wouldn’t survive our winters, so every fall I load her up in the bucket of my tractor and haul her to the outbuilding, set her on dollies, and wheel her through the door. She barely fit last year, so this winter I’ll…
Oil Dependency: 1 – Realistically Reducing Our Dependence
June 12, 2026 Three essays in, one thing is clear: the Strait of Hormuz crisis is not the story. It is the opening chapter. The real story is what the world does next — how we produce energy, store it, and whether we can loosen oil’s grip on everything from our commute to our food…
Strait of Hormuz: What Comes Next
June 9, 2026 If Iran agrees to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a return to normal shipping will not happen overnight. Even with a diplomatic breakthrough, the global energy supply chain will take months to normalize — and retail gas prices will experience a slow, frustrating decline rather than a sudden drop. A full return…
Osprey Families on East Beach
June 9, 2026 Soon to Fledge The first nest, at the intersection of East Beach Boulevard and Shearwater, looks like it could fledge any day now. Three chicks, all looking strong and healthy — when I was there, one of the parents had brought in a nice sized fish and was feeding all three. They…
Week 1 of June – A Medley of images
Natures Beauty I have combined the bits and pieces of the week. There are images from Whitehead Wildlife Mgt, Tuxachanie Trail, Ward Bayou, our back yard & Cedar Hammock Rd. I think it works. Each image is labeled and tells its own small story. Click any image to view full size and browse the gallery.…
Week 4 Status Report: Tracking Progress, Tuning the Engine, and Fighting the Thermostat
June 6, 2026 Week 4 Status Report: Tracking Progress, Tuning the Engine, and Fighting the Thermostat We have officially closed the books on Week 4 of my 39-session radiation marathon. Because of the Memorial Day holiday, this was a short four-day treatment week, but it delivered some of the most fascinating clinical clarity I’ve had…
