494 years ago today, Pope Leo X excommunicated Martin Luther for condemning the Catholic Church in his 95 theses. This serves as a reminder that, of the many common bonds shared by all humankind, this one serves as perhaps our most admirable: We celebrate bravery in the face of that which we find morally repugnant.
As we move further into the 21st Century, two things are becoming increasingly clear: (more…)
I don’t yet have access to the full version of the article whose “teasers” are here, but I infer from its title that its reasoning is consistent with the position that Scientific American has taken on CCS (carbon capture and sequestration) over the years, i.e., that, for a blend of technological and economic reasons, it’s a fool’s errand.
It appears that we need to adjust our thinking according to words of the smart folks who brought us observations like: (more…)
In response to my post on Thomas Edision, Frequent commenter Brian McGowan notes that, in the early days of electrification, the Wizard felt that many American households should employ batteries powered by wind turbines to be entirely self sufficient in terms of energy. Of course, this calls to mind all the decisions our society made over the last century or so, most of which, in retrospect, turned out to have significantly negative environmental consequences.
In the modern world today, people are connected to each other virtually. From ordering food, to getting a mode of entertainment, to making business deals, or even booking tickets, everything can be done using the internet and a smartphone/computer. Hence majority of the people spend time indoors, whether it’s their workplace or home. Using energy efficient appliances not only reduces the electricity intake, but also has less greenhouse-gas emissions, higher longevity, and also costs less to operate. (more…)
Thomas Edison demonstrated his first incandescent light bulb on this date in 1879, a feat noteworthy for several reasons:
This success came at the end of an enormous number of experiments whose results were disappointing. When someone suggested that Edison was a failure, he replied, “Oh, I’m not a failure; I know 10,000 things that don’t work.” That has to sit close to the top of the most inspirational things ever to usher from the lips of a would-be entrepreneur. (more…)
Here’s a note I wrote to a friend who had been without Internet access for a few days…..
When you go back to 2GE, you’ll see a predictable line of discussion in the comments. MarcoPolo (Ayn Rand’s grandson?) is remaking his point that ideologies are for losers, morals that would rein in pure capitalism are for sissies, and that those of us who are worried about the future of our civilization harbor a secret hatred of humankind. The dude is nothing if not consistent. And speaking of consistent, Les Blevins is going into his sixth year of blasting me because I think the idea he’s promoting has no merit.
Oh well. I’m sure 2016 will bring us lots of exciting and unpredictable ideas as well.
My oft-mentioned colleague, the college professor in Arizona writes: Craig, I teach a new course in internal combustion engine theory and practice next semester. So give me a heads up on any of your new insights.
Wow, how interesting. (more…)
With respect to my recent post on Malthus (pictured), a college professor in Arizona writes: Craig, is there a Malthusian Trap for energy? Do we run out of energy or a habitable environment first?
I’m confident that our civilization will turn this around from an energy perspective fairly soon, for all the (14) reasons I presented in my most recent book (Bullish on Renewable Energy – 2015). (more…)
Here’s a quick summary of what’s going on in the U.S. Congress when it comes to environmental protection.
So many things in our lives are shades of gray; this one’s not.
It’s the 150th birthday of Rudyard Kipling, not a bad time for a bit of inspiration to usher us into the new year. Here’s a terrific reading of the master’s poem “If” to put a little extra determination in your stride as you go about your business of making the world a better place in which to live.
