Comments Matt has made

  • Um?

    Did you even read the article? What on earth does global climate change have to do with lead?On U.S. EPA to tighten standard for airborne lead posted 1 year, 6 months ago 8 Responses

  • High Tech

    I wonder if we are being unusually silly here. Is there anything to say that the Ultra High Tech lifestyle of Unlimited Energy is a good idea? No one has demonstrated this to me yet. So far this umwelt has fragmented society and our environment to the point where both might be on the brink of collapse.

    Perhaps it might be time to set aside some of our toys and learn to live more simply. If renewable energy sources won't supply our current baseload, well then why can't we reduce our baseload? Is the human condition so dependent on plasma TV's?

    If you continue to do what you've always done you'll continue to get what you've always got. - Yogi Berra

    On Existing technology is faster and far more practical than hypothetical new inventions posted 1 year, 7 months ago 22 Responses

  • Woah...

    Don't really know what to say here... lots of ad hominem attacks going on and it's making it difficult to sort out the relevance of your points. Whoosh.

    In any event, I have empirically tested multicultured organic farm productivity vs. monoculture productivity and found them comparable on a per acre basis. Of course the organic farm required much more hand labor because we used compost and hand harvesting instead of artificial sprayed fertilizers and harvesters.

    My point is that artificial fertilizers are really only necessary if you follow the agribusiness farming model.

    Ahh well, you kids have fun! ;)On Nitrogen fertilizer is in short supply posted 1 year, 7 months ago 53 Responses

  • Addicts

    I've heard that alcholics will drink mouthwash if they get desperate enough for a fix.

    Are automobilers like this? That we'll seriously consider opening up for catastrophe one of the last pristine places on earth for a few more drops of oil?On President Bush stumps for ANWR drilling and dirty-energy expansion posted 1 year, 7 months ago 8 Responses

  • What proof?

    It's simple. Show me a net surplus of fuel from a county who's ag machines run on biofuels and I'll believe that biofuels will have a positive effect on reducing the consumption of petrol.

    However, with increased ag production currently meaning an increase in diesel powered ag machines, I have a hard time swallowing the double talk that "biofuels aren't inflating prices... oil is." Isn't agriculture the number one user of fuel in the U.S.?On Food prices are high, and so are Big Ag's profits posted 1 year, 7 months ago 6 Responses

  • You may be right, but....

    The simple truth is that the vast majority of people ARE anthropocentric and it is hard enough to convince them with good science that cutting back on energy and meat consumption IS in their own best interests.

    If we're talking about changing agribusiness in the near term, we have to deal with people's perceptions as they are.

    It would be nice if everyone's morals and ethics expanded to include nonhuman creatures, but it is next to impossible to force that kind of change on a person and we have to work with what we got. On Independent report calls for major reforms to industrial animal farming posted 1 year, 7 months ago 15 Responses

  • Got News for Ya...

    I predict that these standards will be surpassed by any automaker that wishes to sell cars. This legislation might make everyone feel good, but the truth is that the price of fuel drives the car industry because the price of fuel drives consumer decisions.

    I think the US automakers will aim for the new standards and the foreign ones will aim higher and the paradigm will remain the same as it is today.

    Did anyone else interpret "automakers are prepared to meet that challenge" as "we can meet those standards right now, but we don't have to?"On Feds set fuel-economy benchmarks for automakers posted 1 year, 7 months ago 7 Responses

  • Charcoal

    Apparently there are some recent studies to suggest that turning waste biomass into charcoal MAY be a stable way of providing nutrients to plants while reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide.

    Problems with industrial compost are that regulated temperature is difficult to achieve and if we compost human waste (for example) folks are worried about pathogens.

    If we convert waste biological material into charcoal, then we can be assured we've reached temps that will kill pathogens and provide a soil amendment that improves fertility, porosity, and possibly adsorbs CO2 from the atmosphere as well. And in case you're worried about "burning" biomass and putting more CO2 into the air to begin with, remember that charcoaling is conducted in an almost O2-free environment because the goal is to keep the carbon in the charcoal!

    There was a "Science Friday" thing about it on NPR a week or so ago.On An earthy recipe for treading lightly on earth and pocketbook alike posted 1 year, 7 months ago 5 Responses

  • Of Bears and Men

    While it is perfectly true that if I ever see a polar bear in the wild, I would MUCH prefer that it be several hundred yards away from me and on the other side of an impassable river or ravine, I can't say that I'd be sorry to see them disappear.

    The major flaw in the argument that wild creatures are destructive monsters that will eventually wipe out one or more prey species is that wild animals don't ever kill more prey than they can consume. There are a few exceptions with animals that bury or store food for a short while, but the fact remains that they are intending to consume that organism in the near future. In short, wild creatures are NOT like humans in that we kill other creatures "for fun."

    I also find jabailo mostly interesting (if paranoid), but I'm afraid I run into his point of view slightly more often than I can stand among my students and I've been growing less and less patient with it.

    As an example of a similar argument, some of my students think that if we stop eating meat, cows will overrun our planet. Ahh well... we educate where and when we can, I guess.On Polar bear listing decision delayed, again posted 1 year, 7 months ago 18 Responses

  • Small Comfort

    I will take small comfort from the fact that the Brits seem to have as much trouble with their officials as we Yanks do with ours. :)
    On British prime minister chats climate with Bush posted 1 year, 7 months ago 5 Responses

  • Vegans....

    Vegans are amusing. They are always cheerful and enthusiastic about not eating animal products while at the same time always talking about never eating animal products!

    I personally subscribe to the "Coal Miner's Diet" which of course is not a real diet, it's just the way I was raised by poor coal miners. Vegetables and grains I raised or my neighbors have raised; eggs and milk and meat once in a while when the stars align and I have both money AND it's available. This diet is undoubtedly healthier than most folks' and yet I've never felt (before today) compelled to extoll it's virtues. It's just the way I eat.

    Are you a Mostly Vegetarian (like me), a Strict Vegetarian, or a Vegan? Congratulations! Here's a sticker. Are you a Meatatarian (like my new word)? Wonderful! Here's some cholesterol medication and an orange (scurvy sucks).

    Let's move on... let's further the conversation. Let's talk about raised bed agriculture or composting vs. charcoaling. Let's talk about homemade drip irrigation vs. powerheads. Let's allow newcomers to absorb the basics at their own pace while the community here explores ever better alternatives.

    My $.02On An earthy recipe for treading lightly on earth and pocketbook alike posted 1 year, 7 months ago 5 Responses

  • Actually....

    I think that an economist backing sequestration and nuclear power is perfectly done. See, economists have their sense of professional ethics too (even if most of them won't admit it) and if the focus of his report is the Bottom Line, then from a purely academic point of view, nuclear power and carbon capture are perfectly reasonable suggestions.

    Now, I imagine that if you asked him as a person and not an economist he might agree that his first two options are not ideal, but that was outside the scope of his paper.

    Let's give credit where it's due... This guy went in a different direction than most economists and even double checked his math to make his point. Greenies don't have too many respected economists even remotely in their camp so let's not run this one off by jumping the gun.On Nicholas Stern says climate change worse than he thought posted 1 year, 7 months ago 4 Responses

  • Serfdom

    I found the comments about being a serf amusing...

    Are we any better off now? Landlords and banks own our houses and they are just as inflexible and unsympathetic as any feudal lord. Granted there is less chopping of heads, but the end result is the same; we spend most of our time working for someone else's profit.

    If you continue to do what you've always done you'll continue to get what you've always got. - Yogi Berra

    On How expensive is food, really? posted 1 year, 7 months ago 7 Responses

  • For Fun

    There are two things to think about. The first is that Both Stewart and Colbert are primarily there to make fun of people. Stewart makes fun of politicians and the "news" agencies and Colbert makes fun of idealogues (by posing as one). I guess their point of view is that everything is spun anyway, why not spin it for fun?

    The second thing to think about is: lighten up! Give people a little credit. It's impossible to watch more than 30 seconds of any episode of the Colbert Report and not realize that he is full of crap (again, on purpose). The fans, the guests, and I daresay Steven himself know that is going to be ridiculous... and that's OK! As much as I love you all here at Grist there are only a few folks here who actually laugh! I understand as well as the next guy that our world has serious problems that require serious answers, but no one is motivated to do anything when people are depressed. Laugh about it, have a good upbeat take on things, and let's get to work already!

    Lighten up, people! Laugh, and the world laughs with you. Cry, and people think you're an environmentalist. :)

    If you continue to do what you've always done you'll continue to get what you've always got. - Yogi Berra

    On Van Jones on Colbert Report posted 1 year, 7 months ago 12 Responses

  • Word

    I think I might actually agree with elbarto on this one. I love the high tech as much as the next guy, (I own an xbox, even!) but perhaps the Age of the Auto is dying. It doesn't have to but it is because we are refusing to recognize that oil prices are never going down, there is no infrastructure or incentive to build more efficient machines, and no one seems to realize the scale of the looming crisis.

    So perhaps the Auto is done, but it won't be a Grand Enlightenment, it'll be us being finally outdone by our greed and the immutable fact of the Law of Conservation.

    Here's a funny thought. A world where the "family car" is a pedal driven golf cart (Flintstones?)where Mom and Dad literally "have the power."On Electric cars could impact water supplies, says analysis posted 1 year, 8 months ago 18 Responses

  • The Land of Opportunity

    I agree with the above poster that a move towards a thing in the interest of creating jobs is a losing proposition. Instead, our policies should reflect some longer term need and ensure that they are not getting in the way of possible job creation.

    This country would be much better served if they focused again on being a land of opportunity as opposed to one of handouts. This is why I HATE subsidies for some sectors of a market, but not all. (ie the energy market)

    If you continue to do what you've always done you'll continue to get what you've always got. - Yogi Berra

    On If we want to create jobs, why aren't we spending on mass transit? posted 1 year, 8 months ago 10 Responses

  • Once again......

    Though I am by no means a huge fan of organized religion, I DO think that there is something to be said for accuracy.

    In point of fact, the constitution does NOT "guarantee the separation of church and state." Instead, the only things in there about religion at all are a prohibition against a national religion and a prohibition on religious tests for office.The phrase quoted above has mysteriously appeared at some point in history (Sometimes attributed to Jefferson) and repeated so many times that it's accepted as truth. Perhaps there is no functional difference between the two phrases, but like I said, there is such a thing as accuracy.On Pollution is on Vatican's updated list of mortal sins posted 1 year, 8 months ago 9 Responses

  • Vegetarianism does not necessarily follow

    I will agree that a largely (or completely) vegetarian diet would do wonders for the waistline and hearts of most NC residents, but I disagree that a vegetarian diet follows logically from the protest in Chapel Hill.

    The students were protesting the way the meat was produced, not the offering of meat at the table. It is entirely reasonable that people demand more respect for workers' rights and cleaner environments for animals without feeling an obligation to not eat those animals.

    The most respect for an animal I ever observed was a Cherokee friend of mine praying over a deer he had just shot (and intended to eat, of course).

    In any event, you have to admire the way they went about it. Personally I agree that if people knew how meatpackers treated their livestock, they would either switch to vegetarianism or insist on eating animals that were raised and treated well. If for no other reason than the "gross" factor.

    If you continue to do what you've always done you'll continue to get what you've always got. - Yogi Berra

    On Pushing for 'fair food' on campus in the land of hog factories posted 1 year, 8 months ago 22 Responses

  • Very Clear on what we don't want.

    I think that regardless of the type of govt. or it's intentions, we can be clear that most of the world would not welcome a top-down mandate on the size of families (or the number of children in them).

    Of course I think most would prefer a spontaneous decision by people to limit the size of their families not only for their good but for their communities' good as well.

    Some research is suggesting that as we continue to educate women (doesn't seem to matter if the men know anything) and move countries into the first world, population growth slows and eventually stops automatically. Normally I'm not in favor of "growing" economies, but that population growth model does appear to have held true for the first world so far.On China will maintain one-child policy posted 1 year, 8 months ago 4 Responses

  • O come on!

    This is not a problem of technological feasability but of social irresponsibility. The articles I've looked at indicate that Si tetrachloride can be dealt with, it just requires a further process that is currently expensive.

    If people would get their thumbs out and properly clean up their waste, this wouldn't be an issue. This isn't like nuclear energy which produces a waste no tech can deal with (that is, render less harmful) or coal energy which is actually impossible to clean up if spilled.

    The headline of this story shouldn't be "Solar Power is Evil" as much as "China is cutting corners again to exploit another market".On Solar-panel manufacturers dumping toxic waste in China posted 1 year, 8 months ago 8 Responses

  • Makes you go Hmm...

    Of course "stewardship of the earth" is not a new concept for Catholics or the wider christian community, but this is something different.

    This seems to imply that the Church is not only recognizing the physical links (and therefore obligations) between man and the world, but that there is a spiritual one as well. This is a dramatic shift away from previous doctrines and philosophies that assumed the world was put here for dominion by mankind.

    To imply a moral and ethical obligation towards the earth is something I perceive people have been trying to formulate for quite some time, but have been hampered by the lack of backing by "authorities" and so their efforts have been largely marginalized. Hopefully, between this announcement and the one yesterday from the Southern Baptists people will see that the "authority" for such arguments exists and we can stop performing mental gymastics trying to put a dollar value on things we would like to preserve or conserve.On Pollution is on Vatican's updated list of mortal sins posted 1 year, 8 months ago 9 Responses

  • Jabailo

    Congrats on your triumphant comeback! I'm glad to see that the weekend off did you some good! News stories linked and everything! Yea!

    Of course, as TP pointed out you still lack the 8th grade definitions of "climate" and "weather," but that's why we love you! Nothing says "tedium" (you can look that one up) like repeating the obvious for you over and over!
    On Bill introduced in House to overturn EPA's California decision posted 1 year, 8 months ago 4 Responses

  • *Sniff*

    But I really wanted a fuel cell car.. they're soo cool! Oh well, I suppose that the logistics of a Hydrogen Infrastructure were always a bit much to overcome. At least, that's what most everyone has been saying for a decade or more.

    Jabailo:
    Come on, man. You're not even trying anymore! I find your posts amusing to the Nth degree and look forward to your deliberately unhelpful and random comments. But you've got to put some "umph" into it, man! Everyone has an off day and I understand that.. take the weekend off and come back swingin'. I have faith in you!

    If you continue to do what you've always done you'll continue to get what you've always got. - Yogi Berra

    On Years after everyone else, GM and Toyota execs skeptical about hydrogen cars posted 1 year, 8 months ago 7 Responses

  • Africa.. The Book

    Is Africa one country? I was always led to believe that it was a continent full of hundreds (thousands?) of diverse cultures and traditions. Is this incorrect?

    I assume that what I was taught was incorrect and that all the people of Africa now speak with one voice... that's an amazing example of how people can work together! Good Job Guys!

    If you continue to do what you've always done you'll continue to get what you've always got. - Yogi Berra

    On If deals go through, three firms will own 90 percent of the U.S. beef market posted 1 year, 8 months ago 8 Responses

  • I'm amazed

    That the man was able to complete a sentence well enough for someone to make sense enough of it to "sum up" anything!

    Good Job, Dubya! Those meda are wonderful, aren't they?

    If you continue to do what you've always done you'll continue to get what you've always got. - Yogi Berra

    On President hails cellulosic ethanol as a panacea posted 1 year, 8 months ago 13 Responses

  • Shame on me!

    My tongue in cheek just got bitten! Apparently some of those windows ARE made of lead (or some kind of metal, anyway)!

    Kindly pretend that I didn't make the above comment. It was a hacker that stole my handle... yeah that's it!On Bank of America can't make the call in green buildings posted 1 year, 8 months ago 3 Responses

  • Orly?

    What are these windows made of, lead? Is it the windows or possibly the miles of electrical wiring in the ceilings, the metal plates that make up the roofs, or that giant hill between your building and the cell tower?

    Hmm... I vote "windows" for sure! No need to research the subject further, I'm sure I guessed correctly.

    Some people's kids.On Bank of America can't make the call in green buildings posted 1 year, 8 months ago 3 Responses

  • a pet wolverine!

    Wolverines are barely social enough to reproduce; I have a hard time picturing them lounging in front of a fireplace!

    I suppose that's something to consider, but the idea seems funny to me!

    If you continue to do what you've always done you'll continue to get what you've always got. - Yogi Berra

    On First wolverine in 30 years spotted in California posted 1 year, 8 months ago 21 Responses

  • And still... nothing.

    A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.
    - Aldo Leopold

    50 years after this idea was first articulated, people are still playing word games and arguing semantics. We are our own worst enemy. Driving another creature to extinction through increasing it's appeal as a food source is exactly the opposite of preserving the integrity, stability, and beauty of our oceans.

    If even the articulate and educated people that regularly post here waste their time picking fights with each other over every triviality then no progress is made and nothing is accomplished.
    On Norway says whale consumption is good for the planet posted 1 year, 8 months ago 11 Responses

  • We're all about growth, right?

    Why not simply give renewable energy programs the SAME tax breaks that oil and co. get? It's the talk (no matter how deserved) of taking something away from those industries that gets dubya's hackles up.

    All we're asking for (in the short term) is an even playing field. Isn't that something we've been promised by one or two elected officials?On Renewable-energy bill passes House, likely to be short-lived posted 1 year, 9 months ago 4 Responses

  • Are we on the same page?

    I might have read the article differently. Are we talking about hunting in these parks during the various seasons or "sidearms?"

    I read the article to mean that people are not allowed to carry loaded personal protection weapons in the parks; at least that is what the NRA lobbyist is suggesting.

    What do you need protecting from in a national park that a pistol will help you with?! If you are attacked by anything bigger than a wolf (which don't attack people) a pistol will only annoy the large animal further.

    What are the latest crime factors for national parks? Does anyone know? I thought that they were relatively safe as human predators can find easier "prey" in suburbia and the cities.On Ban on loaded firearms in national parks may be lifted posted 1 year, 9 months ago 20 Responses

  • Funny Guy!

    Very clever, Jabailo! Props on the Superstar reference!

    In point of fact, there are a number of species that are not being fished after they spawn and a few that actually have multiple years as adults and can spawn more than once.

    I would LOVE for someone to explain to the fishermen and ocean research institutes how they can tell BEFORE they catch the fish in their nets and lines which fish have spawned and which haven't. Also, if can devise a net system which only catches parent fish, then I'll gladly hail that person as an unqualified genius and have their kittens!

    Further, you may cry "red herring" all you wish, but the empirical data shows clearly that the stocks of wild game fish are declining and doing so in such a way that future spawning looks bleak indeed.On World fisheries still in danger of imminent collapse, says U.N. posted 1 year, 9 months ago 11 Responses

  • Danke!

    Good to know! Thanks!On Virgin Airlines flies first biofuel-powered plane, enviros unimpressed posted 1 year, 9 months ago 5 Responses

  • Besides Besides which

    Haven't a growing number of people crunched these numbers already and concluded that biofuels are a draw compared to fossil fuels?

    Are airplanes a big enough pollutant for anyone to care about 5%?On Virgin Airlines flies first biofuel-powered plane, enviros unimpressed posted 1 year, 9 months ago 5 Responses

  • But, but!

    Don't you guys realize that human beings are special? We're not like other creatures, subject to the laws of nature! We can grow without limit and convert the whole world into a supply chain just for us! Our technology makes us invincible!

    Sorry about that, sometimes my sarcasm takes over.. I'm better now. ;)On World fisheries still in danger of imminent collapse, says U.N. posted 1 year, 9 months ago 11 Responses

  • Um... What?!

    How exactly is reporting the FACT that he was amazingly absent for EVERY piece of environmental legislation (and in one case the ONLY person absent!) "mudslinging?"

    I could understand the accusation if people were criticizing HOW he voted or WHY he voted for something, but these people are just stating that he DIDN'T vote and therefore can't receive a score one way or the other.

    I admit to having an elected official (who's sole job requirement is to represent the people) that doesn't vote is worrisome to me, but I can't see how the "Lib Hit Squad" is being vicious by pointing out what is public record. Pretty hard to make that stuff up, ya know.On McCain gets a zero from League of Conservation Voters; Obama and Clinton score better posted 1 year, 9 months ago 5 Responses

  • Indeed

    While we won't see the unilateral shutdown of existing plants, if no one will fund new ones, energy companies will be forced to build more renewable power plants... or go out of business.

    I love it when people catch on to the fact that they have the power to change things with their wallets!

    If you continue to do what you've always done you'll continue to get what you've always got. - Yogi Berra

    On Another bad week for coal posted 1 year, 9 months ago 7 Responses

  • Urban Goat Farmer!

    Priceless! I'm all for it. "All Natural Lawn Care and Fertilization!"

    You could herd them using local kids (stimulate the economy!) or raise a few herding puppies and you're off! Hilarious!

    If I get out of teaching, I'm DEFINITELY looking into Urban Goat Lawn Care!

    If you continue to do what you've always done you'll continue to get what you've always got. - Yogi Berra

    On With wheat stocks at all-time lows, a fertilizer magnate utters the F-word posted 1 year, 9 months ago 28 Responses

  • Ask

    And Ye Shall Receive...

    "Give 'em hell, Harry!"
    "I don't give 'em hell, I just tell them the truth and it feels like hell." (Harry S. Truman, attributed)On There was no consensus about global cooling in the '70s, says study posted 1 year, 9 months ago 12 Responses

  • Ehem

    Golf courses, like most things, aren't inherently evil (with regards to the environment, if not the golfers). Several golf courses recycle community water onsite through graywater systems and some are even listed as Audobon Sanctuaries!

    I suppose that those who have never thought about it wouldn't know, but I always have a problem with blanket statements.

    Before we pop off about "This is bad, this is good." Perhaps we should read about it a bit. Ethanol, anyone?On Ungreen sport of golf becoming less popular in U.S. posted 1 year, 9 months ago 3 Responses

  • So Basically...

    This is a nightmare that never ends?! These people are going to build a power plant no one really needs in a part of the world that can't afford the pollution it will cause?

    Is there a better description of madness? Has our greed gotten this far out of control?

    It's Southern Fla. so I'd LOVE to see a solar thermal plant go up. Seems like aside from the land required, it would wreak less havoc on the surrounding land. I know that it won't produce as much energy, but apparently there's no need for all that anyway.

    If you continue to do what you've always done you'll continue to get what you've always got. - Yogi Berra

    On Twenty-seven yoots arrested protesting construction of coal gas plant posted 1 year, 9 months ago 3 Responses

  • I guess...

    I'll never know as I find the "eggs" to be sickening, so I never buy them.

    However, I at the same time want to applaud their efforts at reducing packaging while throwing up my hands and screaming, "Is this the best you could come up with?"On Cadbury eggs will come with less packaging posted 1 year, 9 months ago 4 Responses

  • WTF?

    How can the mayor instruct people not to enforce a law that was passed by the relevant legislative branch?! I'm assuming here that the system is setup so that there is a way to override the veto.

    If the executive officer refuses to enforce a law, can we hold him responsible and toss him in jail?On NYC mayor says he'll veto an electronics-recycling bill posted 1 year, 9 months ago 5 Responses

  • But how about?

    The environmental science teacher? What's not sexy about these balding, chronically fatigued, and penniless civil servants?

    If you continue to do what you've always done you'll continue to get what you've always got. - Yogi Berra

    On Sexiest jobs lists 'forget' to include eco-professionals posted 1 year, 9 months ago 5 Responses

  • Heh!

    I would buy an "american" car if they were competitive in the areas I'm interested in, mpg, durability, safety, price, etc.

    Sadly this is not the case so I send money overseas. If/when GM fires that assclown and retracks with modern consumers, then I'll reconsider, of course. And since my preference is to buy american GM would only have to match, not beat, their competitors!

    If you continue to do what you've always done you'll continue to get what you've always got. - Yogi Berra

    On General Motors vice chair is not a climate-change believer posted 1 year, 9 months ago 11 Responses

  • In response to Kevin

    It's not a question of diluting the sunscreen across the oceans, which I agree would a ridiculously small number.

    Contrary to popular belief, oceans do not circulate quickly, nor do pollutants instantly disperse.

    So, if swimmers are playing near corals, they will receive a higher dose due to proximity.

    I have to wonder, though, if this is because of misapplication of sunscreen. Shouldn't swimmers wait 10-20 minutes to allow the stuff to absorb into the skin before getting into the water anyway?On Sunscreen-slathered swimmers contributing to coral bleaching, says study posted 1 year, 9 months ago 5 Responses

  • Kind of a "Duh" moment

    Tap water in pretty much all the US is perfectly drinkable. When did we all suffer the mass delusion that bottled water was "better" for us? It might taste better, but if you keep your pipes clean and maintain them, it's not a big deal at all.

    Congrats on another bout of common sense breaking out!On Campaign will let restaurant patrons donate to drinking-water project posted 1 year, 9 months ago 5 Responses

  • Just one more year

    This guy has been promising an air powered car for years. He's still no closer to production than he used to be.

    From what I understand it is an inefficient energy conversion and the cars are underpowered.On Engineer plans to sell compressed-air car in India within a year posted 1 year, 9 months ago 5 Responses

  • LAS

    I was introduced to the grassroots movement "LAS" while still in college and am the proud chairmen of the NC chapter. (all tongue in cheek here).

    "Lawns Are Stupid" has been a low-key but active program for ten years or more! Join today! Just say "no" to endless square yards of miserably useless turfgrass hybrids that serve no purpose! Plant flowers, bushes, vegetables! You bought the land, why not make it interesting to look at and invite some wilder neighbors in to brighten up your day?

    Let the lawns die. Mr. Governor. This is not Great Britain and we are not the nobility. It was a silly idea to begin with and it's even more ridiculous today!On Georgia governor eases water-use restrictions posted 1 year, 9 months ago 7 Responses

  • Excellent

    Neatly gets around all that hoopla about mini-solar cells woven into handbags! I absolutely love creative genius that manages to sidetep the ultra high tech love affair people seem to have nowadays!

    The human body produces rather large amounts of energy through motion and capturing it to some good purpose is brilliant. Bravo!On Knee-brace gadget harvests energy from walking posted 1 year, 9 months ago 4 Responses

  • Sigh...

    Wolverine is not wrong to say that energy "farms" or powerplants carry a large environmental cost. However, his blanket statement that ALL such installations are worse than small scale facilities is uneducated. Some production methods are only efficient in the medium to large scale (hydroelectric, biofuels, etc) and to operate small scale versions of these technologies would cause more environmental damage to produce the same amount of power than a single large installation.

    Further, not all wind turbines are created equal. The current large scale favorite HAWT (horizontal axis wind turbine) designs are thought to be dangerous to place in the middle of bird migration routes, the smaller VAWT (vertical axis wind turbines) have not shown to pose a threat to any living thing.

    Let's not make this another instance of throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Instead, let's use what we know to good effect and see if we can't provide something useful for the benefit of all.On British military may obstruct planned wind farms due to radar fears posted 1 year, 9 months ago 5 Responses

  • Bright Side

    On the bright side, if the Navy runs enough exercises before the law decides that no, Bush CAN'T do whatever the hell he feels like doing because he's not a king, we won't have to worry about whether or not the cetaceans are injured by sonar.

    Because between Japan's "research" and our "drills" there won't be any left.On Navy resumes sonar training off California coast posted 1 year, 10 months ago 1 Response

  • Those silly Iraqis!

    <sarcasm alert!>

    Don't they know that the U.S. owns them now?! Isn't that why we went to war, so that we could conquer and control a middle eastern country rich in oil? I thought that's why we effed up the reconstruction so badly, so that we could "help" the Iraqis by adopting them like those fine Virgin Islanders? No?

    They should have read the Constitution better, properties of the U.S. can't make their own international treaties with foreign powers.On Iraq ratifies the Kyoto Protocol posted 1 year, 10 months ago 4 Responses

  • Money!

    Money is not evil. It is simply the currency we all agree on for goods and services. Those goods and services can be literally anything people can imagine.

    Why on earth would we want to be negative about Wal-Mart's attempts to take advantage of a "green" market? I think it's great that they can make money off of more responsible products! This will encourage more average joe's to consider buying them and continue to strengthen the market for these kinds of things!

    Personally I think that looking for the govt. to change the minds of people for them is (and has always been) impossible. It doesn't work that way. People always have to change their minds and habits first and then the pols codify what everyone already thinks.

    Further, politicians and the businesses that fund them have always followed the money. If businesses can make a killing being "green" then they will and they'll support politicians that promise to help them make more "green" money.On Wal-Mart CEO outlines lofty green goals posted 1 year, 10 months ago 6 Responses

  • Stupid is as stupid does!

    Wildlife managers have been commenting that a more likely cause of deer and elk decline has been the drought that much of the region is suffering from. So let's combine the conditions of weak prey and hungry wolves; it only stands to reason that wolves are rapacious killers bent on destroying America. I'm amazed that they haven't been put on the Terror Watch List yet.

    Aye, let's shoot more wolves and allow more sick and diseased creatures to roam and reproduce! Good idea!

    In case you're wondering, I couldn't find anywhere a set of hard data indicating that deer or elk herds were at dangerously low numbers... just lower than they had been in a few regions.On Rule change eases restrictions on wolf kills in northern Rockies posted 1 year, 10 months ago 16 Responses

  • We're consistent, at least

    Didn't the U.S. score similarly against the world with regards to health care? At least we're Solidly Behind the rest of the first world. It would be embarassing for us to actually lead the world in any particular category.

    I mean, we WOULD be leading the world in these things if caring for each other and our environment weren't so fascist. ;-)On United States scores badly in world environmental assessment posted 1 year, 10 months ago 6 Responses

  • 2007?

    Does this report say anything about the actual number of Atlantic hurricanes or just ones going to hit the US?

    I was at pains to explain to my students this semester that the US is not the whole world and even if we didn't get hit by any big named storms, other countries fronting the Atlantic (Mexico, anyone?) got more than their fair share.On Global warming will reduce U.S. hurricane landfall, says controversial new research posted 1 year, 10 months ago 9 Responses

  • Thinking out loud

    I've been interested in this type of energy production for a while now and I was wondering if anyone had any data on the regional limitations of these plants? How far north can they be situated and still be effective? How much more land do they require vs. a similar output fossil fuel power plant?

    If you continue to do what you've always done you'll continue to get what you've always got. - Yogi Berra

    On Google invests in solar thermal company eSolar posted 1 year, 10 months ago 17 Responses

  • It's 6 on one hand or a half dozen on the other

    By all means, let's quibble about the difference between prionic proteins and honest viruses; or what the biggest threat to agricultural plants is worldwide! All of those wonderful points were rather beside the point.

    Whenever you decrease genetic variability FOR WHATEVER REASON you are increasing the risk of catastrophic failure of that species to (pick one here) environmental changes, predation, parasitism, or disease.

    BM, (Before Monsanto) reducing genetic variability in pursuance of a phenotype was limited to the reproductive abilities of the species. AM, this process can occur many times faster (even if the clones are only used as reproductive stock).

    Both processes ran the same risks, but BM was a much slower deal and it was easier to deal with any possible dislocations new cultivars or breeds might have caused. With this ability to create thousands of "perfect" animals (for breeding OR eating) then genetic variability can potentially decrease even faster and subsequent dislocations will be harder to predict, more widespread, and possibly more catastrophic.On Cloned meat and milk just as safe as conventional, says long-awaited FDA report posted 1 year, 10 months ago 28 Responses

  • TO: BS

    In response to your criticism and to clarify: I didn't mistake cloning for GMO's. I am concerned exactly with the concept of genetically indentical animals. Even if raised organically, this will spell doom for cloned herds. The reason is simple. You are making all the animals genetically identical, but you are not also making all the diseases that prey on those animals identical. What I mean is that the bovine (or whatever) viruses will continue to mutate and evolve into better viruses but the cows won't have the same opportunity. So at some point we'll face massive wipe-outs of herds if not species. The recent Mad Cow Disease taught us how insecure our agriculture fields are and how easily a virulent virus can move around a country. If some of those cows hadn't been naturally resistant to them, they would have all died.

    It doesn't even matter if you select the most resistant animals as the "parent" of these clones.. the viruses will adapt and nothing will have been gained.

    Plants face similar issues but the diseases that prey on them are different and we've managed to stave off a number of molds, fungi, and bacteria through chemical applications. If we stopped using them, we'd be in trouble fairly quickly. It is not an accident that plants that reproduce sexually (even if they are also capable of asexual reproduction) are the most populous on this planet. Genetic diversity vastly increases a species' chances of survival.On Cloned meat and milk just as safe as conventional, says long-awaited FDA report posted 1 year, 10 months ago 28 Responses

  • Scary

    I find it most alarming that Dubya gets almost no flak anymore for doing whatever the hell he wants. He overturns judgements, ignores the requests of his citizens, laughs at international treaties... his hubris is astounding to me.

    As I understand it, his powers as Commander in Chief extend only to wartime decisions. With whom are we at war in the Pacific?

    Further, the Pacific Ocean is THE BIGGEST place on earth! Surely there are more than enough places to play sonar tag where there aren't any whales? Or have these endangered species blanketed the oceans in new numbers since the last census?On Bush exempts Navy from environmental law in ongoing sonar saga posted 1 year, 10 months ago 9 Responses

  • There is no joy in Mudville, MI

    I'm disappointed in the citizens of Michigan that fell for this blatant pandering. When will people realize that you have to listen to what the politicians say when they're NOT talking to you to find out what they might actually think?On Romney wins Michigan GOP primary after bashing McCain on fuel economy posted 1 year, 10 months ago 6 Responses

  • Missed the point.

    I don't think many are as concerned with the safety of the meat as they are with the possibility of disease.

    We know that genetically identical plants are all equally susceptible to the same diseases and as a result require more pesticide and herbicide application to keep them healthy. If cloning becomes popular for animals to the same degree then you can rest assured that the same thing will happen.

    In the interest of animal health and simple economics we should discourage this latest development. Imagine the additional horror mad cow disease would have caused if some animals weren't naturally resistant to it.On Cloned meat and milk just as safe as conventional, says long-awaited FDA report posted 1 year, 10 months ago 28 Responses