It's Saturday night, so here are the 21 Emmy nominations for 'Saturday Night Live'

I changed my mind since Sunday, when I wrote "Stay tuned for more posts about Emmy nominees, most likely about variety talk shows" to conclude Quibi's last Emmy nominations are also Roku's first as the network was canceled but the shows were renewed. Instead, I'm posting this year's version of It's Saturday night, so here are the 15 Emmy nominations for 'Saturday Night Live'. This year, SNL has 21 total nominations, 15 at the 73rd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards and six at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards. Here they are.

Outstanding Variety Sketch Series

A Black Lady Sketch Show (HBO)
Saturday Night Live (NBC)

This category almost disappeared after Comedy Central canceled "Drunk History" after initially renewing it. It would have merged with Variety Talk for a general Variety Series category. I'm glad the Television Academy didn't follow through with the idea and so are the Variety Talk Series and "A Black Lady Sketch Show." One of the first and the latter would likely have been left out of the nominations and the variety talk series would have had an uphill fight to beat SNL. Instead, two variety series get to take home trophies. In this case, I expect SNL to win this category again.

The making of the episode I featured in that post opens The Making of SNL During COVID: Stories From the Show, which serves as a simultaneously funny yet serious and informative overview of the season.

Lorne Michaels and the cast of Saturday Night Live share their stories of what it was like filming all of Season 46 during the 2020 presidential election and coronavirus pandemic.

As much as last season was about the 2020 election and impeachment, it couldn't escape also being about the COVID-19 pandemic. All of those, along with using awards shows as examples of electorates mattering, are why I blog about SNL, which was a very popular topic last year.

Now for the acting nominations, which are less of a sure thing for SNL.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Carl Clemons-Hopkins as Marcus Vaughan on Hacks (Episode: "New Eyes") (HBO Max)
Brett Goldstein as Roy Kent on Ted Lasso (Episode: "All Apologies") (Apple TV+)
Brendan Hunt as Coach Beard on Ted Lasso (Episode: "Two Aces") (Apple TV+)
Nick Mohammed as Nathan Shelley on Ted Lasso (Episode: "Make Rebecca Great Again") (Apple TV+)
Paul Reiser as Martin Schneider on The Kominsky Method (Episode: "Chapter 18. You only give me your funny paper") (Netflix)
Jeremy Swift as Leslie Higgins on Ted Lasso (Episode: "Biscuits") (Apple TV+)
Kenan Thompson as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Dave Chappelle") (NBC)
Bowen Yang as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Carey Mulligan") (NBC)

The first video showed the highlights of the nominated actors and the people behind the scenes, so I'm not going to repeat that with entire clips of their best performances. Instead, I'm sharing Bowen Yang ('Saturday Night Live'): 'Crazed experimentation' of Titanic iceberg sketch from Gold Derby.

Bowen Yang ('Saturday Night Live') on 'crazed experimentation' of Titanic iceberg sketch. The 'SNL' cast member joins Gold Derby's Kevin Jacobsen for this chat.

That was another interesting look behind the scenes.

Gold Derby also interviewed Kenan Thompson but he has another nomination for lead actor in a comedy series, so I'm being a good environmentalist by saving it for my post about comedy series. That written, Thompson is the only returning nominee from last year, so he'd be the nominal favorite by that criterion. I'm not so sure he'll win, as "Ted Lasso" has four nominees in this category alone, replacing Schitt's Creek as the favorite comedy series at these awards. If the Emmy electorate can settle on a single candidate, then whoever he is will win. If not, then I think it will be between Carl Clemons-Hopkins for "Hacks" and Paul Reiser on "The Kominsky Method." Both series are about show business and, all else being equal, the Emmy electorate will vote for good shows about the entertainment business. I'm not sure all things are equal, as SNL and "Ted Lasso" have more nominations with 21 and 20 respectively, but vote-splitting might allow one or the other to slip past. After writing all that, watch Yang surprise me by winning.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Aidy Bryant as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Regé-Jean Page") (NBC)
Hannah Einbinder as Ava Daniels on Hacks (Episode: "I Think She Will") (HBO Max)
Kate McKinnon as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Bill Burr") (NBC)
Rosie Perez as Megan Briscoe on The Flight Attendant (Episode: "Arrivals and Departures") (HBO Max)
Cecily Strong as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Anya Taylor-Joy") (NBC)
Juno Temple as Keeley Jones on Ted Lasso (Episode: "For the Children") (Apple TV+)
Hannah Waddingham as Rebecca Welton on Ted Lasso (Episode: "All Apologies") (Apple TV+)

Both Kate McKinnon and Cecily Strong return as nominees in this category, joined by Aidy Bryant from SNL. Like cast-mate Kenan Thompson, that would make them nominal favorites based on that criterion. Between the two of them, I would give the slight nod to McKinnon as a former winner. Also like Thompson, I think that may not be enough, as the two hot scripted comedy series are "Hacks" and "Ted Lasso." I think "Ted Lasso" may be the better comedy, but "Hacks" is about show business, so I expect one of the two Hannahs, Einbinder from "Hacks" and Waddingham from "Ted Lasso," will win instead. Since I think she won't win in this category or the other on in which she's nominated, I'm going to share Aidy Bryant ('Shrill,' 'Saturday Night Live') on Emmy noms for lead and supporting: 'Such a shock!'

Aidy Bryant ('Shrill,' 'Saturday Night Live') on Emmy noms for both lead and supporting: 'It was such a shock!' The comedy star chats with Gold Derby's Denton Davidson.

Now for two acting categories SNL won last year.

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

Alec Baldwin as President Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Dave Chappelle") (NBC)
Dave Chappelle as Host on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Dave Chappelle") (NBC)
Morgan Freeman as Morgan Freeman on The Kominsky Method (Episode: "Chapter 20. The Round Toes, of the High Shoes") (Netflix)
Daniel Kaluuya as Host on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Daniel Kaluuya") (NBC)
Dan Levy as Host on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Dan Levy") (NBC)

Every nominee is a former Emmy or Oscar winner, so this is a very talented field. Two of them, Alec Baldwin and Dave Chappelle, won Emmys for the same roles on SNL before, so they are the nominal favorites. While Baldwin split the 2019-2020 Golden Coffee Cup for Best TV President, I'm not rooting for him. Instead, I'm supporting Chappelle. That doesn't mean either will win. The Emmy voters may split their votes so that Morgan Freeman wins as himself in "The Kominsky Method."

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

Yvette Nicole Brown as Judge Anita Harper on A Black Lady Sketch Show (Episode: "But the Tilapias Are Fine Though, Right?") (HBO)
Bernadette Peters as Deb on Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (Episode: "Zoey's Extraordinary Girls' Night") (NBC)
Issa Rae as Jess on A Black Lady Sketch Show (Episode: "My Booty Look Juicy, Don't It?") (HBO)
Maya Rudolph as Host on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Maya Rudolph") (NBC)
Kristen Wiig as Host on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Kristen Wiig") (NBC)

Finally, a category with last year's winner returning as a nominee. That makes me more confident about using that criterion to pick a favorite, Maya Rudolph. Still, this is one field where "Black Lady Sketch Show" holds its own against SNL, as both have two nominees in this category. Also, Bernadette Peters has been in show business a long time (I recall seeing her in the hallway at NBC's Burbank studio when the UCLA Band performed "Copacabana" on a Dick Clark special in 1978 and she was already an established performer then) yet has never won a Emmy to go along with her Tony Awards. She might sneak on past the sketch show nominees to win.

Follow over the jump for the nominees behind the camera.

Biden announces plan for half of vehicles sold in the U.S. to be electric by 2030

I've been writing a lot about the problems caused by climate change lately but not much about the solutions other than letting the Global Footprint Network describe them as part of Earth Overshoot Day. One of those solutions was driving an electric car. Yesterday, President Joe Biden issued an executive order to encourage auto companies to build enough of them that half of the cars sold in 2030 would be electric. CNBC covered the announcement in President Joe Biden: There's no reason we can't reclaim EV leadership.

President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the White House on the need for electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, as well as the jobs such an initiative could create.

In addition to acknowledging the Michigan delegation, President Biden gave a brief, for him, eulogy for Carl Levin. He would have enjoyed today. Also, President Biden seems genuinely enthusiastic about driving the first electric Corvette. I'm sure he'll be wearing his aviator sunglasses when he does.

Before the announcement, CNBC interviewed Secretary Pete Buttigieg on White House's plan to get EVs to 50% of auto sales by 2030.

President Biden has signed an executive order targeting 2030 as the year when 50 percent of the vehicles sold in the U.S. will be electric. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg joins 'Squawk Box' to breakdown the policy.

I'm glad to see him as Secretary Pete, not just Mayor Pete.

Follow over the jump for analysis of this announcement.

100+ state legislators demonstrated for voting rights in D.C. and several were arrested

In Jane Mayer describes 'The Big Money Behind the Big Lie' on MSNBC, I mentioned state "laws restricting voting rights, which is the reason why Texas Democrats left the state for D.C. last month." CBS News covered that story the past two days. I begin with the most recent report, Lawmakers arrested during voting rights rally in Washington, D.C..

Several lawmakers and activists were arrested while rallying for a federal voting rights bill in Washington. Texas state Representative Ron Reynolds, who was among those arrested, joins CBSN's Lana Zak with more.

I wish Ron Reynolds and the rest of those arrested luck and leniency and also that their sacrifice is not in vain.

CBS News had more about the demonstration in yesterday's State lawmakers rally in D.C. for voting rights.

More than 100 state legislators from over 20 states have joined activists in Washington pushing for voting reform legislation. Representative Anna Eskamani of Florida was one of the lawmakers rallying on Capitol Hill. She joins CBSN's Elaine Quijano with more.

I want to point out two images from Elaine Quijano's interview of Anna Eskamani, both of which show polarization over voting rights, first by party affliation and then by race and ethnicity.



Polarization related to partisanship is much stronger than from race and ethnicity, so while a majority of all Americans and majorities of the races and ethnicities surveyed support federal rules to ensure equal access to voting, Republicans most certainly do not. No wonder laws restricting voting rights are being passed in states with Republican majorities in their legislatures.

Both segments also examined the latest wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Texas and Florida. Right now, the two states account for a third of all new cases in the U.S. That deserves a post of its own, so stay tuned.

CDC issues new eviction moratorium until October 3, a pandemic update

I closed Eviction crisis looms after eviction moratorium expires, a pandemic update with "Here's to hoping that the aid money already allocated but not spent prevents or delays enough most of the evictions so that they don't make the pandemic, which is already bad, even worse. That's the last thing we need." I didn't think another eviction moratorium was coming. To my surprise, I was wrong, as CNBC reported CDC issues new eviction ban through Oct. 3.

CNBC's Eamon Javers reports on the extension to the federal eviction moratorium.

CBS News had more commentary and analysis on this and other issues in White House announces eviction moratorium in areas with high COVID infections.

The White House says a new moratorium on evictions will be put into effect for parts of the country with higher case counts of COVID-19. It follows days of protest by progressive Democrats who camped outside the U.S. Capitol after the CDC's moratorium was allowed to expire over the weekend. CBS News senior White House correspondent Weijia Jiang, Axios congressional reporter Alayna Treene, and Politico national political correspondent Meridith McGraw join CBSN's "Red & Blue" anchor Elaine Quijano with the details, and the White House's reaction to sexual harassment claims against New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

I think this is good news and will allow time for both the aid to renters to reach them and for the spike in infections from delta variant to subside. I just hope the Supreme Court doesn't strike down this eviction moratorium as well.

As for the other topic in the video description, I'll just repeat what I wrote in March: "I wouldn't want to be New York Governor Andrew Cuomo right now."

Jane Mayer describes 'The Big Money Behind the Big Lie' on MSNBC

I haven't looked at the Arizona audit since May, so it's time to look at it again. MSNBC's How Big Money Is Working To Crack Down On Voting Rights starts off with the latest news about the Arizona audit and then changes the subject to big dark money in politics.

The New Yorker's Jane Mayer discusses new reporting on the dark money behind state laws making it harder to vote.

First, listening to Jane Mayer describing the conspiracy theories about elections reminds me that "Italygate" and the "Kraken" lawsuits are also the results of people believing the conspiracy theories. Second, I share Joe Scarborough's reaction to The Heritage Foundation being one of the funders for third-party audits, election lawsuits, and other actions based on The Big Lie, surprise bordering on incredulity. I wish I could say that I saw that coming when I left the Republican Party 21 years ago. Instead, I'll add to the list of reasons why the past 21 years have validated my decision. Third, Mayer talks about more serious actions like laws restricting voting rights, which is the reason why Texas Democrats left the state for D.C. last month.  All of this reminds me why I think calling the idea that the election was stolen the Big Lie doesn't go far enough.

Personally, I'd rather call it Trump's dangerous delusion, his fixed belief that the election was stolen from him despite all evidence, which I see as related to his vulnerability to conspiracy theories, but "the Big Lie" is the established phrase used by CNBC and others, so I'm calling it that instead. It's a lie, too.

Mayer's reporting shows that Trump's delusion is not just dangerous but contagious. It's bad enough that there is one pandemic running around; we don't need another.

Eviction crisis looms after eviction moratorium expires, a pandemic update

I passed along warnings of an eviction crisis last year from John Oliver and CNBC. Fortunately, the CDC forestalled it by issuing an eviction moratorium, but that expired Saturday night after Congress failed to extend it. KPIX CBS SF Bay Area reported on the result in Housing Crisis Looms for Millions of Renters as U.S. Eviction Moratorium Ends.

The end of the federal moratorium means evictions could begin Monday, leading to a years’ worth of evictions over several weeks and ushering in the worst housing crisis since the Great Recession.

While California still has a state eviction moratorium, other states do not. One of those is Wisconsin, where TMJ4 News in Milwaukee reported Evictions expected to spike as federal moratorium ends.

Housing courts around the country are expected to get busy starting Monday after the federal eviction moratorium lifted over the weekend.

Both segments discussed what help is available to renters and how to access it. Here in Michigan, WXYZ described what its viewers can do for themselves in Staying On Top Of Rent Payments.


Here's to hoping that the aid money already allocated but not spent prevents or delays enough most of the evictions so that they don't make the pandemic, which is already bad, even worse. That's the last thing we need.

Quibi's last Emmy nominations are also Roku's first as the network was canceled but the shows were renewed

When I covered scripted short form nominees last year, I expressed a concern about Quibi.

Quibi's 10 nominations have brought the short-form streaming service much needed attention for something other than its weak subscription numbers. That's good, but while Emmy nominations are a sign of quality, they are no guarantee of long-term survival. Al Jazeera America earned lots of Emmy nominations for news but shut down just the same after less than three full years. I wish Quibi better luck with its business.

Despite winning two Emmy Awards for #FreeRayshawn, Quibi didn't even last a year, calling it quits in October and shutting down in December. That still qualified their shows for this year's Emmy Awards and three of them earned eight nominations in three categories. Oh, and the shows are now on Roku, which is claiming them as their own.


In this case, the network was canceled, but the shows were renewed.*

Now the nominees.

Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama or Variety Series

Carpool Karaoke: The Series (Apple TV)
Late Night with Seth Meyers: CORRECTIONS (YouTube)
The Randy Rainbow Show (YouTube)
Reno 911! (Quibi)
Stephen Colbert Presents Tooning Out the News (Paramount+)

This is a very different looking category from last year because the Television Academy merged Outstanding Short Form Comedy or Drama Series with Outstanding Short Form Variety Series to recreate Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama or Variety Series. Consequently, more of last year's Short Form Variety Series appear here than the sole returning scripted comedy from last year, "Reno 911!" At least the addition of variety nominees didn't dilute the political and government content, with "Late Night with Seth Meyers: CORRECTIONS," "The Randy Rainbow Show,", and "Stephen Colbert Presents Tooning Out the News" providing a lot of political content to go along with the funny cops of "Reno 911!" While I'm rooting for "Stephen Colbert Presents Tooning Out the News," I expect "Carpool Karaoke: The Series" will win instead. I've learned not to underestimate James Corden. At least he's not nominated for acting, which is next.

Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series

Kevin Hart as Kevin Hart on Die Hart (Quibi)
John Lutz as Gilbert Pewntz on Mapleworth Murders (Quibi)
Brendan Scannell as Pete Devon on Bonding (Netflix)
J. B. Smoove as Chief Billy Bills on Mapleworth Murders (Quibi)
John Travolta as Ron Wilcox on Die Hart (Quibi)

The only nominees depicting government employees in this field are J. B. Smoove as Chief Billy Bills and John Lutz as Gilbert Pewntz on "Mapleworth Murders" and I don't think either are the favorite.  Instead, I'm picking Kevin Hart from "Die Hart," a show about Hollywood, which will earn votes when all else is equal.  I could be wrong, as John Travolta's role was written for Bruce Willis, who turned it down.  That might be a big enough role that he could upset Hart or split the vote, letting Brendan Scannell sneak past for the award

Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series

Nathalie Emmanuel as Jordan King on Die Hart (Quibi)
Kerri Kenney-Silver as Deputy Trudy Wiegel on Reno 911! (Quibi)
Keke Palmer as Barbie / Gammy Tay / Lil Thad / Miranda / Rick on Keke Palmer's Turnt Up with the Taylors (Facebook Watch)
Paula Pell as Mrs. Abigail Mapleworth on Mapleworth Murders (Quibi)

While Kerri Kenney-Silver is both the only returning nominee and only nominee playing a government employee, I'm not sure she's the favorite. Nathalie Emmanuel seems to be participating in her awards campaign on Twitter and Paula Pell is the actual star of her own show, so I think both of them have better chances.

Stay tuned for more posts about Emmy nominees, most likely about variety talk shows.

*That's not quite a first, as UPN and WB merged to create The CW and the most successful shows from both ended up on The CW, but at least there was some corporate continuity between the old and new networks. That's not the case here. At least Roku is here to run the awards campaign.

Previous posts in this series

• Diversity one of the themes of the Outstanding Commercial nominees at the 2021 Emmy Awards
• 'The Social Dilemma' leads documentaries at the Emmy Awards with seven nominations
• 'Allen v. Farrow' leads documentary and nonfiction series at the Emmy Awards with seven nominations

CDC says 'the war has changed' against COVID-19 because of delta variant, a pandemic update

In my previous pandemic update, I reported that the CDC confirmed the largest drop in life expectancy since World War II during 2020. That was about the past. Today, I look at the present, beginning with CBS News reporting today CDC reveals "pivotal discovery" about the delta variant as cases surge.

The CDC says the "war has changed" in the coronavirus pandemic, as the delta variant fuels a surge in cases. As Michael George reports, experts say vaccinated people can spread the virus just as easily as the unvaccinated. Then, Max Bayer joins CBSN's Lana Zak with the latest on the variant and U.S. efforts to get ahead of it.

Yikes! That's scary! The only good news in all of this is that more Americans are getting vaccinated, which will help slow the pandemic in the future.

MSNBC had more news clips and reaction in last night's WaPo: CDC Document Warns Delta Variant Spreads Like Chickenpox.

The Washington Post is reporting on the details of an internal CDC document it obtained that warns the Covid Delta variant spreads as easily as chickenpox and causes more several illness than previous variants. We discuss that and more with Dr. Vin Gupta, Shannon Pettypiece, and Julie Pace.

My wife has been complaining about the CDC's guidance about vaccinated people not having masks since it came out and it looks like Dr. Vin Gupta agrees with her, although he never got around to specifics. I never stopped wearing masks indoors while out of the house even though I've been fully vaccinated since April, so I've been doing the right thing all along.

Both clips mentioned vaccination mandates for government agencies and private employers. WXYZ reported these occuring in University of Michigan will require COVID-19 vaccine for all students, faculty & staff.

The University of Michigan will require all students, faculty and staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 ahead of the fall semester.

Not only U of M, but also Michigan State, Oakland University, Lawrence Tech, Albion College, and Kalamazoo College are requiring proof of vaccination. I expect to report more institutions and companies requiring vaccinations for their employees in future pandemic updates. Stay tuned.

Carl Levin, Michigan's longest serving U.S. Senator, dies at 87

I have some sad news to share. WDIV/Click on Detroit reports Former Sen. Carl Levin dies at age 87.



WXYZ also paid tribute in Former Michigan Senator Carl Levin dies at the age of 87.

Carl Levin, the longest-serving U.S. Senator in Michigan’s history, has died. Levin was 87.

The two segments together make a fitting obituary for Senator Levin. I never met him, but I have met his brother, who represented me in the U.S. Congress for eight years, and his nephew, who represents me there now.

Follow over the jump from two eulogies for Senator Levin from his colleagues in Congress.

Earth Overshoot Day 2021 falls on International Tiger Day, the third earliest ever

I made a prediction about this year's Earth Overshoot Day last year.

While the video pointed out that earlier recessions had reduced humanity's ecological footprint before, the results has usually delayed Earth Overshoot Day by days, not weeks, if at all, and can be short-lived. The record of past Earth Overshoot Days shows that the Great Recession of 2007-2009 merely stalled the date at August 14th in 2008 and pushed it back 4 days to August 18th in 2009. In 2010, it advanced 11 days to August 7th. The 2001 recession merely slowed down the trend, with the date moving back 1 day from September 22nd to September 23rd. Before that, the Gulf War recession of 1991-1992 held the date at October 12th during 1992-1993. The longest lasting effect was from the double-dip recession (Reagan Recession) of 1980-1982, when it took 5 years for the date to return to November 4th. As for this year, it's the latest date for Earth Overshoot Day since 2005, when it fell on August 25th. I don't expect it will be this late next year.

It wasn't. Global Footprint Network announced this year's date in Earth Overshoot Day 2021 lands on...

Earth Overshoot Day 2021 lands on July 29, Councillor Susan Aitken, the Leader of Glasgow City Council, announced today on behalf of Global Footprint Network and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).

Based on previous announcements, today would have tied with 2019 for the earliest Earth Overshoot Day. However, the Global Footprint Network recalculated when previous Earth Overshoot Days actually occurred, so 2017's date was moved up from August 2 to July 30, 2018's shifted from August 1 to July 25, and 2019's advanced from July 29 to July 26, so today is only the third earliest. That's not how I want to "move the date." This year's date moving up more than three weeks also fits the pattern I described last year of relatively rapid recovery of resource use and waste production after recessions. This is one of those times I wish I weren't right.

Now This Earth explains how the Global Footprint Network determined this year's date in Researchers Mark This Year’s ‘Earth Overshoot Day’ as July 29.

We’ll have already used up all the resources Earth can naturally reproduce for this year by July 29, researchers say.
...
Every year, researchers calculate the date by which we will use up all the resources the planet is capable of naturally renewing over the entire year. This year's Earth Overshoot Day falls on July 29. That means that 210 days into 2021, we’ll be living on credit or digging into our savings to live and survive on Earth.

Earth Overshoot Day was created by the Global Footprint Network, and it’s determined by measuring biocapacity, the biological capacity of the planet to regenerate natural resources and absorb waste materials.

That's a great explanation with a lot of information that I could react to, but I'm confining myself to just three points. First, I'm with Laurel Hanscom that humanity should strive to move the date through choice and design, not by disaster and tragedy. That's part of what makes me a Crazy Eddie. Second, as host Alejandro Alba pointed out, every country has its own overshoot day. He mentioned that the U.S. already passed its overshoot day on March 14, while Indonesia won't reach its overshoot day until December 18. Here's a graphic showing the overshoot days for the rest of the world's countries.


According to this chart, the U.S. isn't the least sustainable. Qatar is with an overshoot day of February 9 this year. Still, that's nothing to celebrate.

Finally, people have to work to move the date by reducing their resource use and waste production. I check my progress by calculating my footprint on this date. Three years ago, it was 3.8. Two years ago, it was 3.5. Last year, it was 2.8. This year, my footprint followed the global trend and returned to 3.5 and a personal overshoot day of April 14. Well, at least I'm still a month later than the average American, but I no longer have the same or smaller footprint as the average German, which fell from 3.2 to 2.9. I'm keeping that goal for next year.

Today is another environmental day that doesn't move around the calendar, so follow over the jump to celebrate it.