Todays Nature Journal (a top-tier science journal from the UK), has an excellent summary of the state of non-fossil fuel technologies, their capacities, and what it will take to meet power demand in the absence of burning fossil fuels. I think that most of the material is behind a subscription, so I thought it might be helpful to both point you to the article here, and to do a little summary below the flip.
I'll admit it straight away: I am a child of the 80s, and "no nukes" was practically a meditation for us during the Reagan years. But in 2005, when I visited France, I had to admit that their water was exceptionally clean. I also freely admit that solving the power crisis (short of getting rid of all the people that use it) will require a diversified toolkit, which likely includes nuclear power.
From the AP: Robert Rauschenberg, 82, one of the towering figures of 20th century art, died at his home in Florida overnight, a spokeswoman for the prominent Pace Wildenstein gallery in New York told AFP Tuesday.
This primary season has been relentless, and in many ways frustrating. We've seen some hopeful signs, some shattering betrayals, and it's hard to keep it all in perspective. But taking a step back and regaining our composure is essential, so I present this diary.
20 years ago, April 22nd 1988, was when I attended my first Grateful Dead concert. I was only 18 years old, in my first year at UC Santa Barbara. As you might guess, the political scene was every bit as ugly then as it is right now, and this was a much needed break... (more on the other side)
The difference between the two campaigns can be easily found in the quality of the people surrounding them.
Samantha Power: noted journalist with a Pulitzer Prize, reports from places like Rwanda, has HUGE credentials when she talks. She knows a monster when she sees one. Her mistake: talking to the Scotsman and caring too much.
Geraldine Ferraro: Participated in the failed campaign to unseat Reagan. Yes, she undermined Reagan's story on Nicaragua, and is pro-choice, but...
In today's issue of Nature, there is a very helpful summary of where the various candidates stand on issues that are important to the scientific community.
Although they tend to group into Democrat (more logical, practical, scientifically sound, and supportive of research), vs. Republican (supportive of corporate interests, and end-of-world mythology), there are some interesting differences. See below the flipside.
As anyone knows from watching Winnie the Pooh, Beehives are round. One theory that is going around is that the Langstroth Box commonly used by beekeepers in their Apiaries is essentially counter to this roundness. The box is square. A guy named Rudolf Steiner predicted the demise of bees in boxes long ago, in 1923, and now there is a new generation of beekeepers who are rethinking the whole process. This is just one of the problems with modern industrial beekeping and the agribusiness mega-farm, and there are many serious problems. I've reposted below a wonderful article to read, in its entirety, that lays out many of these problems, and also solutions More below the buzz-line.
At least part of the die-off of the european honeybee in the U.S. may in part be explained by a single-celled pathogen that was responsible for widespread colony collapse in Europe and Asia. While this is certainly not the whole story, it is an interesting clue. Personally, I have said all along that this is likely to be related to the fact that these are non-native species, and encourage everyone to foster the growth of native orchard mason bees everywhere they can (they are not honeybees, but are excellent pollinators).
At 4:22 West Coast Time today, we will pass the Winter Solstice. The darkest day of the year in the northern hemisphere, it alwasy puts my in a reflective mood. Where I live, in Seattle, it doesn't get cold, although we have had a very rough fall so far. And yet, there are a few plants that seem to hold the promise of springtime already, with buds on their branches. Staring into the abyss as many of us are, and as our nation is, we can hold fast to those little glimpses of hope. Even on the darkest day of the year, there is still a little light, even if you have to light it yourself. We must not give in to hopelessness, but rather stare fearlessly into the farkness. We are sparks, and we are reflections, we bring light, and we magnify the light that comes through Nature. I wish you all peace in this day...
I will be a poll worker this tuesday in King County, the county that contains Seattle. Further, I will be in charge of the "AVU" machine at my polling place. Why? Because I want to get a look first hand if there are problems. But I learned something AMAZING about how voting in King County works, more below...
In my opinion, there is only one thing more important than getting rid of the republicans, and that is cleaning up the elections. You see, I'm an optimist, and (at least this morning) I truly believe that the Repiblicans actually cheated their way into office. The gatekeepers of the votes are the Secretaries of State.
Please people, consider seriously signing up to be a poll worker on Election Day. As has been shown in the Allen v. Webb elections, the strategy is to slow down the voting process to the point where access to polls is limited. You can help. We all can help. We can be there to answer questions quickly, we can unjam paper in the printers, we can help reboot stubborn machines, we are tech savvy. Part of the reason that high-tech has been forced upon the eletorate, I'm sure, is that it actually does the opposite of what is intended, it causes inefficiency. Please, please, please, take the day off and work the polls.
We all have a part to play to get this country turned around. This November 7th, and in the time left before these historic elections, we all have to do everything we can to help. For me, the single most frightening thing to happen is a loss in confidence about how the votes are counted, and how access to the polls is unequal. I care that we have honest elections even more than I care about who gets elected, and that is saying something. I wondered what to do ON election day. Should I drive people to the polls, stand on the side of the road with a sign, or what?
Well, I was inspired by AlanF and HistoPresto. You see, I want to get a closer look at how the polls actually work. Besides that, I think that managing this new technology is going to overwhelm the Poll Workers. So I signed up in Seattle... More under covers...
It looks like 7 eleven will quit selling citgo over Hugo Chavez's remarks calling Bush the Devil at the UN. Well, that's what their spokeperson said:
7-Eleven spokesman Margaret Chabris said that, "Regardless of politics, we sympathize with many Americans' concern over derogatory comments about our country and its leadership recently made by Venezuela's president Hugo Chavez."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060927/ap_on_bi_ge/7_eleven_citgo
One of the more interesting global health debates about transmissable disease and food supply is the illegal meat trade. Illegal and unregulated meat trade and comsumption has been the alleged cause of some Ebola outbreaks, and more recently, tied to the introduction of Bird Flu, or Avian Influenza, into Africa. The latest news is that poultry smuggling into the US is occuring from influenza-endemic areas. I'm not sure just how this is a political issue, but my gut tells me that responsible and effective government includes ensuring the safety of the food supply. It appears that our government, in general (not necessarily from this story), has shifted it stance toward protecting industries, rather than consumers and workers. Ironically, those are the people the industry depends upon. Semper paratus.
OK, I realize this is a one issue diary, but it's a little late in the day for open thread comments. I also freely admit that it's a breaking news diary. I'm just so happy to have heard this:
Apparently, Tim managed to turn in only 105K Signatures, which is not enough to get a referendum on the ballot in Washington.
The Issue is referendum 65, which would put gay rights already passed into law up for public vote.
It's not just mother Nature against us. It's not only that we have probably, in our stubbornness and ignorance, heated up the planet by cutting down the trees and burning up the carbon, and thus trashed our own life support system. It's not enough that we have allowed the free market to rule for so long that institutionalized poverty covers most of the globe, and disease, hunger, thirst, and violence are now profit centers. Now, in a stupendous act of idiocy, we are smuggling factory farmed disease straight into the heart of Africa, the very place where poverty and currupt government makes it damned near impossible to stop epidemics from growing. Like here times a million. If, and this is a very very big if, as a species we survive our own self-destruction, we will look back on factory farming as among the dumber of the many dumb things that lead us to our own demise.
The Airport in Lagos (LOS) Nigeria: 1 987 360 passengers in 1998.Hot wings anyone? Is that a cough I hear? Read on...
There is an interesting debate going on among the global health scientists regarding the spread of avian influenza. Regardless of whether you believe that this is an immediate danger to people, it is nonetheless a large ecological disturbance. The H5N1 Avian Influenza appears to be spreading more or less globally along migratory bird flyways, and in addition, probably due to unregulated trasport of poultry. There are likely deep economic impacts that will occur, particularly among subsistance-level farmers who raise their own chickens. Read on for the (long) article, distributed via email from the PROMED emerging disease network.
