Spaniards Gone Wild!

Considering how far behind the Danes and the Germans they were in wind power development at one time, the Spanish never cease to amaze.  I can't wait to see how fubar those developing new expensive nukes will be by comparison in about 5 years when rapidly advancing on-line energy storage has made intermittent energy sources into a distributed 24/7 supply option.

Spain Producers Say They Can Double Wind Power - Reuters - 16 Apr 08

"Spanish wind power producers on Tuesday said they could double the country's output between 2010 and 2020, which would be more than enough to offset the scheduled demise of the country's nuclear plants.  Spain has about 14,000 megawatts of installed capacity in wind parks and government plans call for 20,000 MW to be installed by 2010 as part of a plan to produce more of the country's electricity from renewables.

Wind power association (AEE) president Jose Donoso said capacity could rise again to 40,000 MW by 2020.  'This is not only possible, it is an excellent opportunity for consolidating Spanish leadership in the sector,' Donoso told an energy conference in Barcelona."

Spaniards Gone Wild!

Considering how far behind the Danes and the Germans they were in wind power development at one time, the Spanish never cease to amaze.  I can't wait to see how fubar those developing new expensive nukes will be by comparison in about 5 years when rapidly advancing on-line energy storage has made intermittent energy sources into a distributed 24/7 supply option.

Spain Producers Say They Can Double Wind Power - Reuters - 16 Apr 08

"Spanish wind power producers on Tuesday said they could double the country's output between 2010 and 2020, which would be more than enough to offset the scheduled demise of the country's nuclear plants.  Spain has about 14,000 megawatts of installed capacity in wind parks and government plans call for 20,000 MW to be installed by 2010 as part of a plan to produce more of the country's electricity from renewables.

Wind power association (AEE) president Jose Donoso said capacity could rise again to 40,000 MW by 2020.  'This is not only possible, it is an excellent opportunity for consolidating Spanish leadership in the sector,' Donoso told an energy conference in Barcelona."

The Perfect Imperfect Green

I enjoyed reading this rather lengthy but engaging article on Siân Berry who, as readers of this blog will already know, is running for the London [England] mayor's seat.  The occasion for this story was on her, then recent, appointment as the national Green Party's female "principal speaker". 

A 21st Century Petra Kelly in the making?

Because I'm Green - Flintoff.org - 01 Feb 07

"It was while travelling to work that she had the idea that made her name. 'I was living in Highgate, and I used to stand every day at the bus stop during the school run. The streets were clogged with petrol-guzzling 4×4s. I thought, ‘Someone needs to do something about this.’ I went to find out who that someone was, but there was no one.'"

"She drew up a spoof parking ticket [pdf], a truly inspired work of satire designed to resemble the real thing but packed with information about climate catastrophe. She took it to her local Greenpeace group. 'They said, great, we will use this. We had a whip round and got 1,000 printed up. The local paper found some and did a story. It was the start of a media frenzy.[']

I was one of the journalists who wrote about the 'Alliance Against Urban 4×4s', as the group styled themselves. And I found the tickets so impressive that I sent off for some to put on the offending vehicles myself."

The Perfect Imperfect Green

I enjoyed reading this rather lengthy but engaging article on Siân Berry who, as readers of this blog will already know, is running for the London [England] mayor's seat.  The occasion for this story was on her, then recent, appointment as the national Green Party's female "principal speaker". 

A 21st Century Petra Kelly in the making?

Because I'm Green - Flintoff.org - 01 Feb 07

"It was while travelling to work that she had the idea that made her name. 'I was living in Highgate, and I used to stand every day at the bus stop during the school run. The streets were clogged with petrol-guzzling 4×4s. I thought, ‘Someone needs to do something about this.’ I went to find out who that someone was, but there was no one.'"

"She drew up a spoof parking ticket [pdf], a truly inspired work of satire designed to resemble the real thing but packed with information about climate catastrophe. She took it to her local Greenpeace group. 'They said, great, we will use this. We had a whip round and got 1,000 printed up. The local paper found some and did a story. It was the start of a media frenzy.[']

I was one of the journalists who wrote about the 'Alliance Against Urban 4×4s', as the group styled themselves. And I found the tickets so impressive that I sent off for some to put on the offending vehicles myself."

How Psyched Are The Local College Football Fans?

Answer: Beyond the pale.  This is for an intra-squad scrimmage.  Not a real game.  The base ticket price was ten bucks.  Expectations for the new coach and team are astronomical too.

Husker Fans Paying Up to Watch Spring Game - Sporting News - 14 Apr 08

"The week of the sold-out Bruce Springsteen concert in Omaha last month, you could call a local ticket broker and pay $39 for a seat.  For Saturday's sold-out Nebraska spring football game, that broker is getting $95 a ticket."

How Psyched Are The Local College Football Fans?

Answer: Beyond the pale.  This is for an intra-squad scrimmage.  Not a real game.  The base ticket price was ten bucks.  Expectations for the new coach and team are astronomical too.

Husker Fans Paying Up to Watch Spring Game - Sporting News - 14 Apr 08

"The week of the sold-out Bruce Springsteen concert in Omaha last month, you could call a local ticket broker and pay $39 for a seat.  For Saturday's sold-out Nebraska spring football game, that broker is getting $95 a ticket."

Worst. Debate. Ever.

I don't have much to add to the "circling the bowl" nature of last night's exercise in gossip column-ism masquerading as a "debate" on ABC. "Despicable" is as good a word as any. One reporter noted that it took fifty-two minutes for the moderator to actually get around to a policy question.

ABC Criticized for Handling of Democratic Debate - Newsday - 17 Apr 08

"'In perhaps the most embarrassing performance by the media in a major presidential debate in years, ABC News hosts Charles Gibson and George Stephanopolous focused mainly on trivial issues as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama faced off in Philadelphia,' Huffington Post analyst Greg Mitchell wrote on the site Thursday. 'They, and their network, should hang their collective heads in shame.'"

"[Tom] Shales wrote [in the Washington Post] that the two 'usually dependable anchors' -- Gibson and Stephanopoulos -- 'turned in shoddy, despicable performances.'"

Worst. Debate. Ever.

I don't have much to add to the "circling the bowl" nature of last night's exercise in gossip column-ism masquerading as a "debate" on ABC. "Despicable" is as good a word as any. One reporter noted that it took fifty-two minutes for the moderator to actually get around to a policy question.

ABC Criticized for Handling of Democratic Debate - Newsday - 17 Apr 08

"'In perhaps the most embarrassing performance by the media in a major presidential debate in years, ABC News hosts Charles Gibson and George Stephanopolous focused mainly on trivial issues as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama faced off in Philadelphia,' Huffington Post analyst Greg Mitchell wrote on the site Thursday. 'They, and their network, should hang their collective heads in shame.'"

"[Tom] Shales wrote [in the Washington Post] that the two 'usually dependable anchors' -- Gibson and Stephanopoulos -- 'turned in shoddy, despicable performances.'"