This week’s edition of Looking Back at the Week features articles, commentaries, columns, and other work by San Diego Free Press regulars, irregulars, columnists, at-large contributors, and locally sourced writers on Antifa boogeymen, Pillars of the Community, La Vuelta, Umbra, mayor’s secret police chief panel, library privatization in Esco, displaying patriotism, solar power to the people, and lots of other grassroots news & progressive views from San Diego’s friendly, neighborhood, all volunteer, slightly funky, community news site. [Read more…]
Search Results for: "mark hughes"
Power to the People (Solar Power, That Is)
By Mark Hughes
You may have heard the news: San Diego leads the country in kilowatts of solar panels installed, beating out LA and Honolulu — and by a lot. What’s going on? It’s like cell phones all over again. At first, just a few wealthy cranks have them, but before you know it, everyone and their kid has one. Was there a memo?
Maybe this is you now: driving home from work, you can’t resist flicking a glance at the solar panel array on your neighbor’s roof and wonder yet again if they pay SDG&E anything. Or, you’re out for a walk and see that trim, shipshape house you’ve always admired now sports the increasingly fashionable blue/black panels. You put on a brave face, but it’s starting to eat at you: panel envy. The good news is that it’s nothing to be ashamed of and you’re far from alone. Pull up a seat, lie back, and let’s talk. [Read more…]
SDFP Garners 6 Journo Awards!
By Staff
The San Diego chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists held its annual award dinner on July 19 at the Kona Kai Resort and Spa. These awards recognize print and online journalism in a variety of categories. San Diego Free Press contributors Mark Hughes and Martha Sullivan received first place recognition and contributor Lawrence Herzog and editors Doug Porter and Barbara Zaragoza garnered second place and honorable mention for their work in 2016. [Read more…]
Looking Back at the Week: July 9-15
This week’s edition of Looking Back at the Week features articles, commentaries, columns, and other work by San Diego Free Press regulars, irregulars, columnists, at-large contributors, and locally sourced writers on: wage theft in SD, TreasonCare, the Summer of Hate, videos worth watching, community choice energy, Trump’s Baja fiasco, Rediscovering Japan, and lots of other grassroots news & progressive views from San Diego’s friendly, neighborhood, all volunteer, slightly funky, community news site. [Read more…]
Community Choice Energy: The Power of Competition
By Mark Hughes
Community Choice Energy — also known as Community Choice Aggregation — offers us the chance to bring about a historic event: the conversion of a monopoly into a competitive business.
This happened to the telephone business by breaking up Ma Bell, and to the postal system, when FedEx started up. Would we have the data plans and services, even the phones we have today, without the AT&T breakup? Would we have overnight delivery if FedEx had not come along? The Post Office delivering packages on Sunday?
Competition drives innovation and efficiency. CCE programs pit two businesses against each other, one the investor-owned utility (IOU), the other an entity set up by a city, county, or a collection of cities.
[Updated 7/10] [Read more…]
Looking Back at the Week: April 23-29
This week’s edition of Looking Back at the Week features articles, commentaries, columns, toons, and other work by San Diego Free Press regulars, irregulars, columnists, at-large contributors, cartoonists, and sourced writers on: Islamophobe anger at SDUSD, beyond 100 days, ZombieCare, Net Neutrality, People’s Climate Change March, no place for the homeless, calls growing for Gastelum’s resignation, the inevitability of Universal Health Care, a bike ride to heaven, San Diego Tenants United call for rent control, ACLU defending Ginsberg, and lots of other grassroots news & progressive views from San Diego’s friendly, neighborhood, all volunteer, slightly funky, community news site. [Read more…]
San Diego’s April 29 Climate March: Why It Matters
By Mark Hughes, SanDiego350
Like it or not, the American President has a big megaphone and millions are letting him and his gang do their thinking for them. Imagine if, in this moment, there was no media besides state media. Fortunately, there is; it’s there for us to employ, and we can do just that. Here’s how:
This Saturday, April 29th, People’s Climate marches will be held across the country and around the world. The timing is roughly coincident with the end of Trump’s first 100 days. Marching is our megaphone, our way of speaking out for our values. Silence connotes agreement with environmental rollbacks, misogyny, and border walls; vocal opposition is pushback. [Read more…]
Awards
Every year the San Diego Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists recognizes excellence among broadcast, print and online journalists in San Diego at their summer award banquet. The San Diego Free Press, launched in 2012, exists to counteract corporate media influence through the practice of citizen journalism. This unique brand of journalism provides a […]
Looking Back at the Week: November 20-26
This week’s edition of Looking Back at the Week features articles, commentaries, columns, toons, and other work by San Diego Free Press regulars, irregulars, columnists, at-large contributors, and sourced writers on: County Sup contest, anti-Trump groups, SD activists mobilizing, the end of the world, Standing Rock, Gregory Canyon, angst to action on climate change, the internet of things, unmet housing needs, and lots of other grassroots news & progressive views from San Diego’s friendly, neighborhood, all volunteer, slightly funky, community news site. [Read more…]
The Truth of the Matter: Worldview, Facts and Climate Change
By Mark Hughes / San Diego 350
One of humorist Will Rogers’ signature lines was: “Well, all I know is what I read in the papers.” In subtext, he’s saying he trusted what he read, so it seems reasonable to believe that in those days newspapers lived and died by getting the story right. What a simpler time; if Will was reading papers and the Internet and watching TV today, depending on the sources he chose, some to much of what he learned would be either misleading or just plain false. The information portal guardians have been overrun by hordes bearing rocket-propelled innuendo, guided missile conspiracy theories, and bandoleers bristling with self-serving lies. But that was only the first wall to fall. In this country, those hordes are no longer raging outside governmental gates; soon they will be the government itself.
Welcome to the newest incarnation of the world. The rules, as they always do, have once again changed, and the eternal response is demanded: what do we do about it? How do we live now? [Read more…]
Looking Back at the Week: September 18-24
This week’s edition of Looking Back at the Week features articles, commentaries, columns, toons, and other work by San Diego Free Press regulars, irregulars, columnists, at-large contributors, and sourced writers on: Measures ABCD, Fred Glass, six council candidates in NC, Jess Haro, deported veterans, Dr. Bronner, Chunky Sanchez, keeping SD seafood local, Standing Rock, and lots of other grassroots news & progressive views from San Diego’s friendly, neighborhood, all volunteer, slightly funky, community news site. [Read more…]
From Coal to Climate: the Evolution of an Activist
By Mark Hughes / SanDiego350
So, here is a question: what’s about as likely as Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Bill O’Reilly jointly admitting they’ve been wrong and dedicating their lives and fortunes to fighting sexism, racism, white supremacy, homophobia, and misogyny?
Answer: that a guy like me would end up volunteering for a grassroots, climate action group.
I grew up in Kansas, famous for Dorothy, sunflowers, and reliably voting against your best interest. I remember my father vehemently wishing he could vote against Ted Kennedy. My mother railing against the Equal Rights Amendment, saying she liked having men open doors for her. Umm, I guess chivalry was banned in the bill’s text somewhere? Both of them mourning angrily after Carter was elected that the country was ruined. Ruined! [Read more…]