If you like self-styled people who don’t ask permission to do what they think is right, you have to live in awe of the state of Vermont. The presence of Bernie Sanders in the U.S. senate (pictured) is proof enough, but each week something else incredible happens up there.
Goddard College in Plainfield (see pic of the “Clockhouse” below) just became the third in the state to complete its divestment from fossil fuel company investments. (more…)
In response to this surreal discussion begun by Rupert Murdoch, a dear friend writes: The world will be better when he isn’t influencing it.
That’s certainly true in the main, but now he’s so senile that he’s made a laughing stock of himself. In all, I think this is very good for the world to see, i.e., what unvarnished hatred and bigotry really look like.
It’s not unlike the presence of the true anti-environmental idiots in the U.S. Congress, e.g., Jim Inhofe, who, by virtue of the asinine things that pour out of their mouths, do their causes far more harm than good.
Do you ever find yourself getting angry with a certain aspect of your life, only to realize that you’re behaving like a three-year-old?
That’s what happens to me, albeit briefly, virtually every time I post something. (more…)
Those outside the U.S. have no idea how tedious it is to live in a more or less constant presidential campaign. Here, the candidates and the media are cranked up full-throttle for almost two full years out of every four, but the combatants never vanish, not even for a minute; the other two years they’re still dancing around the ring with their daily jabs and uppercuts.
The reason I bring this up is to warn readers that the tide is rising once more, and that we need to be prepared for another onslaught of pro-fossil, anti-environmental rhetoric; it’s just about ready to amp back up to its disgusting, full-on presence in Americans’ lives.
Is the message for 2016 new? Of course not. Therein lies its effectiveness. It’s a drumbeat, and it consists of three main points:
A woman in New York wants my feedback on a new gas-to-liquids technology, a supposedly better way to make methanol from natural gas. I write:
I don’t have the chemistry background to tell you if this is a superior GTL technology, but I’m not bullish in any case, since methanol has little value due to its low energy density. I.e., even if this technology actually is superior to the others, I don’t think it’s too exciting.
Having said that, you should know that I’m bullish on very, very little in terms of hydrocarbon fuels, “bio” or otherwise. I’m like “Mikey” from the old cereal commercial – “he hates everything.” You’re probably too young to get that, so here’s a video to explain.
I may have mentioned that I’m part of a pro-nuclear email group consisting of 80 – 100 people. They’re all smart people, but, in terms of making forward progress, it’s a train wreck. Earlier tonight from “Contributor A” to “Contributor B”:
Lots of bureaucratic words…..Just think of the network juice used to send this to everyone here. How much was generated by a coal plant?…..How many of the >12,000 Americans EPA says die from coal emissions each year might be affected next year by the emissions this created?…..What is your purpose, Bob?
I wrote back: Maybe it’s just me after a glass of wine. OK, two. But aren’t you people getting a bit too heated? If you’re this confrontational on an issue on which you all fundamentally agree, you’re going to find it really tough to face the true opponent….especially considering that this particular opponent is armed to the gills with vicious lies that are custom-crafted to pull your argument apart.
Don’t do it for them….
Here’s a discussion on the medically acceptable levels of radiation I thought readers would enjoy:
Contributor “A” – The existence of life more than 3 billion years ago in Australia, when radiation was 8x higher from potassium 40 and 16x higher from uranium 235 should raise serious doubts in anyone about (these low limits) …. (more…)
In response to my post on Big Oil and campaign finance reform, a friend wrote such an eloquent response that I wanted to post the whole thing without editing a comma.
Just wanted to comment to you regarding the Citizens United decision, cited in your post. Both the left and the right should be outraged by that decision. The justices approved it as a protection on the first amendment. Nevertheless, it does great damage to the concept of democracy. (more…)
When I think of Russian women, I think instantly of tennis. They certainly have a passel of them, and they seem to get better and stronger every year.
Earlier today, a young lady from Russia inquired about our (unpaid, sorry) internships here at 2GreenEnergy. As far as I can discern, she has no interest in tennis, but she is working on something even more meaningful: a “master’s program in sustainable energy engineering (fields of renewable energy, power generation and energy utilization in the smart buildings)”. I thought I’d publish my response, and it might interest others: (more…)
Has global warming stopped? Is it explained by natural cycles, e.g., sun-spots? Solar flares? The Earth’s orbit and tilt?
Here’s a document composed by Dr. Alex Cannara, holder of five degrees in physics and engineering, that summarizes the basic science here. I don’t claim to know Dr. Cannara’s intention behind assembling this information, but I offer it to readers who may encounter an occasional windbag, blathering nonsense with total certainly about this at a cocktail party or family gathering. (See quote — if desired, click “read more” for a larger, easier-to-read version.) (more…)
