More Water With Wind

One of those little mentioned advantages of using wind energy.

Wind Energy by Tom Gray (AWEA) - NY Times Letters - 20 Apr 08

"While this [water] resource competition may apply for biofuels, exactly the reverse is true for wind power: it uses little or no water to generate electricity, while conventional sources like coal and nuclear use large amounts of water for cooling. Most Americans are unaware that electricity generation requires more water than any other activity, including even agriculture.

A typical American wind turbine conserves more than 1.5 million gallons of water per year — something that may become hugely important for agriculture in arid, windy regions of the central and western United States and elsewhere as the earth’s climate warms. Wind, which also emits no greenhouse gases, is part of the solution to climate change in more ways than one."

More Water With Wind

One of those little mentioned advantages of using wind energy.

Wind Energy by Tom Gray (AWEA) - NY Times Letters - 20 Apr 08

"While this [water] resource competition may apply for biofuels, exactly the reverse is true for wind power: it uses little or no water to generate electricity, while conventional sources like coal and nuclear use large amounts of water for cooling. Most Americans are unaware that electricity generation requires more water than any other activity, including even agriculture.

A typical American wind turbine conserves more than 1.5 million gallons of water per year — something that may become hugely important for agriculture in arid, windy regions of the central and western United States and elsewhere as the earth’s climate warms. Wind, which also emits no greenhouse gases, is part of the solution to climate change in more ways than one."

Back to the Culture War

Why I, and I suspect more than a few others, have been particularly irritated since the so-called last Dem presidential debate in PA.

Obama's Touch of Class by Thomas Frank - WSJ Opinion - 21 Apr 08

"Consider, for example, the one fateful charge that the punditry and the other candidates have fastened upon Mr. Obama – 'elitism.' No one means by this term that Mr. Obama is a wealthy person (he wasn't until last year), or even that he is an ally of the wealthy (although he might be that). What they mean is that he has committed a crime of attitude, and revealed his disdain for the common folk."

"Ah, but Hillary Clinton: Here's a woman who drinks shots of Crown Royal, a luxury brand that at least one confused pundit believes to be another name for Old Prole Rotgut Rye. And when the former first lady talks about her marksmanship as a youth, who cares about the cool hundred million she and her husband have mysteriously piled up since he left office? Or her years of loyal service to Sam Walton, that crusher of small towns and enemy of workers' organizations?"

Back to the Culture War

Why I, and I suspect more than a few others, have been particularly irritated since the so-called last Dem presidential debate in PA.

Obama's Touch of Class by Thomas Frank - WSJ Opinion - 21 Apr 08

"Consider, for example, the one fateful charge that the punditry and the other candidates have fastened upon Mr. Obama – 'elitism.' No one means by this term that Mr. Obama is a wealthy person (he wasn't until last year), or even that he is an ally of the wealthy (although he might be that). What they mean is that he has committed a crime of attitude, and revealed his disdain for the common folk."

"Ah, but Hillary Clinton: Here's a woman who drinks shots of Crown Royal, a luxury brand that at least one confused pundit believes to be another name for Old Prole Rotgut Rye. And when the former first lady talks about her marksmanship as a youth, who cares about the cool hundred million she and her husband have mysteriously piled up since he left office? Or her years of loyal service to Sam Walton, that crusher of small towns and enemy of workers' organizations?"

"Peace and Quiet", Chernobyl Style

View historic church frescoes or take a trip to the Crimean resorts? Nah. Take them to Chernobyl. It's a bargain at half the price!

Fearless Traveler: Chernobyl is Big Draw in Ukraine - Winston-Salem Journal - 21 Apr 08

"SoloEast Travel conducts day long excursions to within a few hundred feet of the power plant ($475, with discounts for groups of two or more, www.tourkiev.com, 011-380-44-406-3500). Tourists are able to glimpse the concrete 'sarcophagus,' now crumbling and scheduled for replacement, that was designed to seal in radiation after one of the reactors exploded. And you will also make 'acquaintance with the peace and quiet,' as the Travel to Ukraine Web site puts it, of the town of Pripyat."

( An update on those who had an earlier involuntary tour and more... )

For a motorcyclist's view of Chernobyl's exclusion zone, check out "Kid of Speed".

"Peace and Quiet", Chernobyl Style

View historic church frescoes or take a trip to the Crimean resorts? Nah. Take them to Chernobyl. It's a bargain at half the price!

Fearless Traveler: Chernobyl is Big Draw in Ukraine - Winston-Salem Journal - 21 Apr 08

"SoloEast Travel conducts day long excursions to within a few hundred feet of the power plant ($475, with discounts for groups of two or more, www.tourkiev.com, 011-380-44-406-3500). Tourists are able to glimpse the concrete 'sarcophagus,' now crumbling and scheduled for replacement, that was designed to seal in radiation after one of the reactors exploded. And you will also make 'acquaintance with the peace and quiet,' as the Travel to Ukraine Web site puts it, of the town of Pripyat."

( An update on those who had an earlier involuntary tour and more... )

For a motorcyclist's view of Chernobyl's exclusion zone, check out "Kid of Speed".

Coming Into the Home Stretch...

The latest Pollster report from PA sez Hillary up a bit with a spread of just over 6%. Since that's a lagging indicator, I'd expect 7 or 8% as the final spread. Of course, this depends all on the get out the vote effort by both sides. Nice weather so that's not going to make a major diff.

Coming Into the Home Stretch...

The latest Pollster report from PA sez Hillary up a bit with a spread of just over 6%. Since that's a lagging indicator, I'd expect 7 or 8% as the final spread. Of course, this depends all on the get out the vote effort by both sides. Nice weather so that's not going to make a major diff.