We’re having a small gathering here tomorrow for the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby. I’ve prepared a few Kentucky-oriented dishes and drinks for the proceedings, including my inimitable recipe for the Mint Julep.
My wife and I bred Thoroughbreds for a couple of decades. (more…)
Oh my God. Please tell me this isn’t true – that it’s a bad dream. I don’t live on the same planet with people who would run an ad like this one from the Heartland Institute, do I?
For those who may not know, Heartland (an appealing name for “real Americans,” isn’t it?) is an elite group of the wealthiest, most powerful and most ruthless people on Earth. And this ad is the level of abuse they’re willing to perpetrate on “commoners” — people who lack the luxury of an education that would be necessary to recognize it for the pure garbage it is.
I’ve seen a lot of disgraceful behavior in my 56 years crawling around this sad planet, but I honestly cannot recall anything more shameful.
The reader who asked me about this article on renewable energy from RealClearScience poses this follow-up:
So the article didn’t stress the importance of a “level playing field” which I understand is of major importance. So, your overall impression is that the article mentioned obvious problems in green energy without emphasizing the most important one. Correct?
Thanks for your note, and yes. The article’s purpose was to bring new people up to speed on renewable energy in the least offensive way possible, which required talking around the central issue, which I would summarize as follows: (more…)
A reader asked for my opinion on this article in RealClearScience, a well-written and innocuous primer on renewable energy.
The premise: “keep pushing, but push smarter” is hard to argue with. I’m reminded of people who caution “Be careful!” when someone trips or bumps his head. (more…)
I tend to make up my mind about travel at the last minute, leaving all options open until the very end. For example, the Electric Vehicle Symposium (EVS-26) happens to be in Los Angeles this year, and runs from Sunday to Wednesday. I want to attend precisely one day — but which one? It’s a function of several things: (more…)
It’s good to see the world of nuclear power showing concern about seismic activity that may endanger their reactors – especially in California, where we’ve been known to have a temblor or two. Elsewhere in the news, Japan is shutting down its last nuke this weekend. Perhaps we really are making the transition from a Type Zero to a Type One civilization, in the parlance of physicist Michio Kaku (the video linked here is quite good).
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHyef2Wio4Q]In April’s webinar we delved into the subject of aeroponics, a cutting-edge technology for growing produce in a carefully orchestrated mixture of air, water, and minerals.
The relevance to renewable energy? As energy becomes scarcer and as our climate changes as a result of our use of fossil fuels, the possibility of growing shortages of both potable water and food looms in the not-too-distant future. Aeroponics offers the capability of growing large quantities of nutritious, organic produce with a minimum of resources.
Since they get the brunt of the sun, snow and rain, roofs will need to be changed after a number of years. While there are plenty of materials out there for a new roof, most of them are not sustainable. However, since the green and sustainable movement has increased in popularity, there have been a number of sustainable options popping up. Some use normal materials, like shingles, while others use unconventional materials like vines and roots.
Shingles
Almost everyone is used to shingle roofs. Shingles are among the most common roofing material because they are affordable, and they last about 20 years before they need to be replaced. However, shingles are rarely sustainable in their normal form. (more…)
Here is the archived webinar from April 2012, in which I interview Rafael Quesada, CEO of Tower Harvest, on the subject of aeroponics. The company offers a low-cost way of growing organic produce in urban areas and other “food deserts.”
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHyef2Wio4Q]
It’s the 543rd birthday of Machiavelli who, according to the Writer’s Almanac, wrote that:
morality was irrelevant when it came to running a state, and that leaders should be willing to perform evil acts when it became necessary to hold onto their power.
Wow. Good thing we don’t have any of that garbage in our present day affairs, isn’t it? Wink, wink.
