This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.                             the guys: philogynist jaime tony - the gals:raymi raspil

        20091216   

Carbon what?
Michael considered fate at 01:33   |   Permalink   |   Post a Comment
I wrote this post awhile ago and didn't remember to post it.. I had just been mulling over the pollution problem we have here on our little blue dot and it really enrages me that we are marching down the market capitalism road, covering our ears and singing "la la la la", believing all the while that this is a good solution.

Here is my take from the angle of view I have:

We need to drive renewable and sustainable energy research and innovation into those countries that, like China and India, are industrializing at a rapid pace. Use the technology where it will have the greatest impact. If Country A, population 1, could reduce their overall energy consumption by 1% by spending $10, but Country B, population 10, could reduce their overall energy consumption by 1% by spending $10, then it is clear where the money should be spent.[1] Indeed, it would behoove Country A to spend its $10 on Country B, instead, since Country A and Country B happen to live on the same planet so receive the same benefit, relatively speaking. This is where past and current politicking on the topic is flawed - they are trying to apply a classic market economy to a problem that is anything but. Trade and cap? That is not affecting the supply of emissions, it's just moving it around. This is a Global issue that impacts everybody.[2] We need to be thinking about this like the world's most humongous single payer system.

China cranks out two new power plants every week. If, ultimately, it is cheaper to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in China, then we need to be spending the money there. None of this per-capita discussion.

[1] In fact, this is similar to the healthcare debate, in that some people out there (backwards and confused, to be sure) insist that they don't want a single payer government run health-care system even if you tell them that it would be less expensive for them; their response: "I ain't paying for other people's shit!".

[2] Admittedly, pollution emitted closer to you will probably have a greater impact on you, especially if you're down-wind. There is a definite trade-off between spending $1 to prevent 1 ton of pollution in China versus paying $1 to prevent 1 ton of pollution in your backyard, and I accept that. However, in the grand scheme, we really want to working towards reducing pollution overall. Don't squibble on the small stuff.

        20091214   

Michael considered fate at 18:36   |   Permalink   |   Post a Comment

        20091211   

Cryptic Overcast @ Geno's 12/10/2009
Michael considered fate at 17:26   |   Permalink   |   Post a Comment



        20091208   

WILD Burritos
Michael considered fate at 16:33   |   Permalink   |   Post a Comment



        20091205   

Most Amazing Scientific Images
Michael considered fate at 00:50   |   Permalink   |   Post a Comment
Worth a look, if you're into that sort of thing: The Most Amazing Scientific Images (as chosen by Popsci.com). Of note:

Boeing's Latest Mobile Laser Weapon Tracks and Shoots Shit down:
Boeing recently announced it successfully tracked and shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle with a laser weapon. Actually, it shot down five UAVs at various ranges with the trailer-mounted Mobile Active Targeting Resource for Integrated eXperiments (MATRIX).
And there is a lot more:
Swimming around in their tank, these autonomous robotic jellyfish move alone or in a swarm and communicate with their brethren to avoid underwater collisions.
Scientists measure methane at the source: In a lush pasture near Buenos Aires, this cow and its compatriots are digesting important information: how much methane—a greenhouse gas 20 times as potent as carbon dioxide—is released by the country’s 55 million bovines. (that poor cow)
A horse trots along a dirt road in Turkey, encased by the Kurtsystems Car equine training system. What may look like a complex horse-drawn carriage is actually a high-tech way to automate the delicate process of training racehorses. The horse isn’t pulling the four-and-a-half-ton, $427,000 vehicle. Rather, the vehicle keeps pace with the animal, and trainers fit the horse with equipment such as an electrocardiogram machine, oxygen masks and movement sensors to monitor its performance. WHAT?
You get the idea.. check it out.


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Check out heroecs, the robotics team competition website of my old supervisor's daughter. Fun stuff!
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