Sunday, June 17, 2012

Bookworm Room » Can someone explain electric cars to me? *UPDATED*

Bookworm Room » Can someone explain electric cars to me? *UPDATED*:

"I like this analogy of meat to electric cars. Here is how I see it: 
You are free to eat meat or not (assuming you can afford it)
You are free to drive an EV or not (assuming you can afford one) 
You are free to consider the source of the meat (local, free-range, grass feed, kosher) or just buy the cheapest.
You are free to consider the source of the electricity (wind, solar, geothermal,…) or just buy the cheapest.
Maybe we have very justifiable reasons for our decisions, or maybe we just make them because we feel like it. Either way they are our own to make and there is no need to justify them to anyone.   
“With that in mind, can someone explain to me cars that are entirely electric, … need to be plugged into an outlet, in exactly the same way as that energy sucking computer or electric dryer.”
Since you asked, as pointed out above electricity does not come from magic pixie dust and neither does gasoline. Both of these have sources that you are free to consider or not. Choice is a great thing. Do you attack people for using “energy sucking computers or electric dryers”, of course not; so why not allow them to use it for anything they want? Assuming they pay for it, I don’t see why it would upset anyone."

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Welcome to the Anthropocene - YouTube

Welcome to the Anthropocene - YouTube: "A 3-minute journey through the last 250 years of our history, from the start of the Industrial Revolution to the Rio+20 Summit. The film charts the growth of humanity into a global force on an equivalent scale to major geological processes."

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Study rates intellectual property value by state | Oregon Business News

Study rates intellectual property value by state | Oregon Business News: "the study found that IP-intensive industries power 55.7 million direct and indirect jobs, over $5 trillion in national GDP, and 74 % of total exports."

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Road Pricing: Mileage based usage fees - distance based charging - vehicle mileage tax - a future?

Road Pricing: Mileage based usage fees - distance based charging - vehicle mileage tax - a future?: "MBUF is the latest acronym applying to something that is also called VMT (Vehicle Mileage Tax).   What is common with all references is that it is a form of road pricing based on distance travelled.  At its simplest, it means a vehicle pays on a per kilometre (or mile) as distinguished from traditional tolling which I describe as "point based" charging"

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Use of geothermal heat-exchange systems is rising – North Bay Business Journal - North San Francisco Bay Area, Sonoma, Marin, Napa counties - Archive

Use of geothermal heat-exchange systems is rising – North Bay Business Journal - North San Francisco Bay Area, Sonoma, Marin, Napa counties - Archive: "There are some 15,000 to 20,000 operating geothermal systems in Pacific Northwest service areas and perhaps half as many more in California. Some 1.5 million heat pumps are operating in the U.S. today and more than 1 million homes have geothermal heat-exchange systems."