Trees Archives - Granite Grok

girl woman trees forest Photo by Michal Vrba on Unsplash

Klar: Genetically Engineered Trees, Coming Soon to a Grove Near You

June 29, 2025 John Klar

The USDA is considering approving genetically modified chestnut trees for commercial sale and widespread planting in the wild. If authorized, the new strain would be the first genetically engineered (GE) tree to receive approval and the first time any GE plant has been approved for widespread release in the wild. It would also pave the … Read more

Night Cap: Woodpeckers, Pine Cones, and Morning ‘Duty’

April 6, 2024April 4, 2024 Steve MacDonald

Living in rural New Hampshire, even where the flatlanders roam, is very different from most urban settings. Most of America is like that, truly, so I’m not speaking to a fringe audience. But this is a group who, if not familiar with city living, has (hopefully) forgotten how different it is. For example, I live on a paltry 2.4 acres, give or take.

Night Cap: Ecosexual Existentialism

December 29, 2023 Auntie Vaquser

A woman from British Columbia has announced her relationship with a tree. Not just any tree, an Oak Tree. Vancouver Island resident Sonja Semyonova, who likes the feeling of being tiny and supported by something so strong, discovered her feelings for the tree during COVID.

Straw hut rooftop solar Image by teresa cotrim from Pixabay

Is Residential Solar Bad for the Environment?

August 29, 2023 Steve MacDonald

One of my favorite Dalrymple quotes is (paraphrased) that misery will always rise to meet the government subsidies created to alleviate it. And so it is with residential solar. The number of installs near my home has exploded, as has another interesting habit.

UK Plan to Mitigate CO2 By Planting Millions of Trees Could Actually Make Matters Worse

April 8, 2020 Steve MacDonald

Decades of being wrong about everything has not stopped the Climate Cult across the Pond from seeking solutions to the non-problem of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The Brits are determined to fix what’s not broken, so they want to plant 11 million trees. But they worry that might make matters worse.

Weather Channel Calls Nor’ Easter a Bomb Cyclone – Stupid Name

October 17, 2019 Steve MacDonald

Bomb Cyclone is a recent term. Maybe a few years old. And it’s stupid. Because what we just had roll through New England has a name. We call ’em nor’ easters. Maybe this one was in transition, and the Weather Channel is just being #Woke?

Stop Giving Money to Dartmouth (‘cuz Climate Fraud)

December 3, 2024October 6, 2019 Steve MacDonald

Dartmouth did some excellent research on carbon sequestration by forests in New Hampshire. Trees sequester carbon into themselves and the soil. Good work. But they then ruined it by making it about manmade co² and climate change.

Quick Shot: How To Profit in Your Green New Deal Future: Invest in Horses, Timber, and Wool

February 27, 2019 Steve MacDonald

The Green New Deal future is dark. It has to be. There will never be enough electricity. So candles might be a good investment. But if you are ready to buy in on the reality of it, I’d suggest putting your money into horses (transportation), Timber (heat), and Wool (warm clothing).

Are You Ready for the Ecosexual?

September 27, 2018September 8, 2018 Steve MacDonald

If you thought you’d heard it all well you have not. A Feminist professor from Saint Mary’s College of Maryland has imagined a new concept in sexuality she believes will be beneficial to the environment.

Writing in the academic journal Feminist Theory, Lauran Whitworth suggested the idea of ecosexualsim. An ecosexual “takes the earth as their lover,” or just “a person that finds nature sensual.”

Move aside treehuggers; you’ve got some competition.

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