tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799570787412808693.comments2024-03-12T19:49:41.489-07:00Sam CaranaSam Caranahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12376449209858411775noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799570787412808693.post-49834277017318931752016-08-04T04:18:06.319-07:002016-08-04T04:18:06.319-07:00Runaway started already?
I send reply to Nasa'...Runaway started already?<br /><br />I send reply to Nasa's article that says methane is not from fossil fuel burning:<br /><br />Could you verify that current elevation for non-fossil fuel methane is not from tundra or from seabeds methane hydrates? You should get sample from those (Cage mission is already there) and make sure their isotope concentration is not the same as current event. There are also bigger concentrations of methane (satellite observations) in arctic than in other places on earth. These 2 combined may mean that runaway leaking from tundra/hydrates is already triggered. Please verify that I'm wrong in this case, because shit may have hit the fan and keeps hitting if I'm right.<br /><br />Nasa article:<br />http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/blogs/earthmatters/2016/07/11/research-roundup-the-latest-on-methane/#comment-30736<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18374881254495816444noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799570787412808693.post-68798649133395228302015-06-05T08:32:05.714-07:002015-06-05T08:32:05.714-07:00The one place where free markets fail is called &q...The one place where free markets fail is called "the tragedy of the commons". Climate change is a gigantic tragedy of the commons where the atmosphere is the commons. Whenever a tragedy of the commons is identified, a tax must be levied to avoid the tragedy. This economic and environmental policy has been well known for centuries. It has been well known for more than fifty years that a tax on fossil fuels is good economic snd environmental policy. I hope it is not too late.wallekehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08768033099798021943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799570787412808693.post-51305501190807123342014-07-14T11:42:10.221-07:002014-07-14T11:42:10.221-07:00just reading the title to this..."message to ...just reading the title to this..."message to SURVIVORS' is great comfort to me.<br />i just hope you still feel there will be...survivors.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00827666760754614837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799570787412808693.post-24532227664567952692014-03-01T21:21:26.603-08:002014-03-01T21:21:26.603-08:00Good talk, John, thanks for commenting. Good talk, John, thanks for commenting. Sam Caranahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12376449209858411775noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799570787412808693.post-73673329004509987472014-03-01T09:21:26.678-08:002014-03-01T09:21:26.678-08:00I addressed this in my talk lastr year entitled Re...I addressed this in my talk lastr year entitled Remaining Conscious in Tumultuous Times. Suggest you check iy out. www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFhNyWHv0qQ <br />John JamesAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01953560734338079597noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799570787412808693.post-76193166042694460482014-03-01T04:17:13.903-08:002014-03-01T04:17:13.903-08:00Did Descartes
Depart
With the thought
... Did Descartes<br /> Depart<br /> With the thought<br /> "Therefore I'm not"?gerald speziohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16029178948781659971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799570787412808693.post-65815038557706821502013-08-30T07:40:04.018-07:002013-08-30T07:40:04.018-07:00Thank you, Sam!Thank you, Sam!Robert Lyonshttps://www.facebook.com/manonfyrenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799570787412808693.post-90660998009934704002008-09-24T14:58:00.000-07:002008-09-24T14:58:00.000-07:00Just a word to your members about the only Carbon ...Just a word to your members about the only Carbon negative Biofuel Technology.<BR/><BR/><BR/>Charles Mann ("1491")in the Sept. National Geographic has a wonderful soils article which places Terra Preta / Biochar soils center stage.<BR/>I think Biochar has climbed the pinnacle, the Combined English and other language circulation of NGM is nearly nine million monthly with more than fifty million readers monthly!<BR/>We need to encourage more coverage now, to ride Mann's coattails to public critical mass.<BR/><BR/>Please put this (soil) bug in your colleague's ears. These issues need to gain traction among all the various disciplines who have an iron in this fire.<BR/>http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/09/soil/mann-text<BR/><BR/>I love the "MEGO" factor theme Mann built the story around. Lord... how I KNOW that reaction.<BR/><BR/>I like his characterization concerning the pot shards found in Terra Preta soils;<BR/><BR/>so filled with pottery - "It was as if the river's first inhabitants had<BR/>thrown a huge, rowdy frat party, smashing every plate in sight, then<BR/>buried the evidence."<BR/><BR/>A couple of researchers I was not aware of were quoted, and I'll be sending them posts about our Biochar group: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/b...guid=122501696<BR/><BR/>and data base;<BR/>http://terrapreta.bioenergylists.org/?q=node<BR/><BR/><BR/>I also have been trying to convince Michael Pollan ( NYT Food Columnist, Author ) to do a follow up story, with pleading emails to him<BR/><BR/><BR/>Since the NGM cover reads "WHERE FOOD BEGINS" , I thought this would be right down his alley and focus more attention on Mann's work.<BR/><BR/>I've admiried his ability since "Botany of Desire" to over come the "MEGO" factor (My Eyes Glaze Over) and make food & agriculture into page turners.<BR/><BR/>It's what Mann hasn't covered that I thought should interest any writer as a follow up article.<BR/><BR/>The Biochar provisions by Sen.Ken Salazar in the 07 farm bill,<BR/><BR/>Dr, James Hansen's Global warming solutions paper and letter to the G-8 conference last month, and coming article in Science,<BR/>http://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/0804/0804.1126.pdf<BR/><BR/>The many new university programs & field studies, in temperate soils<BR/><BR/>Glomalin's role in soil tilth & Terra Preta,<BR/><BR/>The International Biochar Initiative Conference Sept 8 in New Castle;<BR/>http://www.biochar-international.org/ibi2008conference/aboutibi2008conference.html<BR/><BR/><BR/>Given the current "Crisis" atmosphere concerning energy, soil sustainability, food vs. Biofuels, and Climate Change what other subject addresses them all?<BR/>Biochar, the modern version of an ancient Amazonian agricultural practice called Terra Preta (black earth), is gaining widespread credibility as a way to address world hunger, climate change, rural poverty, deforestation, and energy shortages… SIMULTANEOUSLY!<BR/><BR/>This technology represents the most comprehensive, low cost, and productive approach to long term stewardship and sustainability.<BR/>Terra Preta Soils a process for Carbon Negative Bio fuels, massive Carbon sequestration,10X Lower Methane & N2O soil emissions, and 3X Fertility Too. Every 1 ton of Biomass yields 1/3 ton Charcoal for soil Sequestration.<BR/><BR/><BR/>Carbon to the Soil, the only ubiquitous and economic place to put it.<BR/><BR/>Erich<BR/>540 289 9750Erich J. Knighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10995702794016834400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799570787412808693.post-58692550271604197492008-08-17T15:58:00.000-07:002008-08-17T15:58:00.000-07:00ALTERNATIVE ENERGY - Hydrogen The Truth About Hydr...ALTERNATIVE ENERGY - Hydrogen <BR/>The Truth About Hydrogen<BR/>Wild promises abound, but can the simplest element in the universe really power our homes, fuel our cars and reduce our contribution to global warming? PM crunches the numbers on the real hydrogen economy.<BR/>By Jeff Wise<BR/>Read More..<BR/><BR/><BR/>A fuel cell is an electrochemical energy conversion device. It produces electricity from various external quantities of fuel (on the anode side) and oxidant (on the cathode side). These react in the presence of an electrolyte. Generally, the reactants flow in and reaction products flow out while the electrolyte remains in the cell. Fuel cells can operate virtually continuously as long as the necessary flows are maintained.<BR/>Fuel cells are different from batteries in that they consume reactant, which must be replenished, while batteries store electrical energy chemically in a closed system. Additionally, while the electrodes within a battery react and change as a battery is charged or discharged, a fuel cell's electrodes are catalytic and relatively stable.Many combinations of fuel and oxidant are possible. A hydrogen cell uses hydrogen as fuel and oxygen as oxidant. Other fuels include hydrocarbons and alcohols.<BR/><BR/>More than 2500 fuel cell systems have been installed all over the world � in hospitals, nursing homes, hotels, office buildings, schools, utility power plants - either connected to the electric grid to provide supplemental power and backup assurance for critical areas, or installed as a grid-independent generator for on-site service in areas that are inaccessible by power lines. Fuel cell power generation systems in operation today achieve 40 percent fuel-to-electricity efficiency utilizing hydrocarbon fuels. Since fuel cells operate silently, they reduce noise pollution as well as air pollution and when the fuel cell is sited near the point of use, its waste heat can be captured for beneficial purposes (cogeneration). In large-scale building systems, these fuel cell cogeneration systems can reduce facility energy service costs by 20% to 40% over conventional energy service and increase efficiency to 85 percent.<BR/>Is it possible for hydrogen to compete with oil in a global market?<BR/>Hydrogen fuel can be implemented as a renewable energy medium with immense potential. When utilized properly, it has the potential to entirely replace fossil fuels altogether. Transforming our largely oil based economy, to a new hydrogen economy, which will provide sustainability throughout the 21st century, and beyond, for as long as the sun continues to shine. <BR/>Read More..<BR/><BR/><BR/>Hydrogen is the simplest element known to man. Each atom of hydrogen has only one proton. It is also the most plentiful gas in the universe. Stars are made primarily of hydrogen. <BR/>The sun is basically a giant ball of hydrogen and helium gases. In the sun's core, hydrogen atoms combine to form helium atoms. This process�called fusion�gives off radiant energy.<BR/>This radiant energy sustains life on earth. It gives us light and makes plants grow. It makes the wind blow and rain fall. It is stored as chemical energy in fossil fuels. Most of the energy we use today came from the sun's radiant energy.<BR/>Hydrogen gas is lighter than air and, as a result, it rises in the atmosphere. This is why hydrogen as a gas (H2) is not found by itself on earth. It is found only in compound form with other elements. Hydrogen combined with oxygen, is water (H2O). Hydrogen combined with carbon, forms different compounds such as methane (CH4), coal, and petroleum. Hydrogen is also found in all growing things�biomass. It is also an abundant element in the earth's crust. <BR/>Hydrogen has the highest energy content of any common fuel by weight(about three times more than gasoline), but the lowest energy content by volume (about four times less than gasoline). It is the lightest element, and it is a gas at normal temperature and pressure. <BR/>FST Energy Demonstrates Product that Eliminates Fuel Cell Dependence on Bulky Hydrogen Cylinders<BR/> <BR/>Hydrogen Cassette<BR/><BR/>SAN FRANCISCO--July 27, 2006--FST Energy, Inc. (www.fstenergy.com), a hydrogen storage, transport, and distribution company, today announced a significant breakthrough for the emerging fuel cell market by eliminating the need for metal hydrogen storage cylinders. Read More..<BR/><BR/> <BR/>Hydrogen Buses - <BR/>Over the last four years, more than 50 fuel cell buses have been demonstrated in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Fuel cells are highly efficient, so even if the hydrogen is produced from fossil fuels, fuel cell buses can reduce transit agencies� CO2 emissions. And emissions are truly zero if the hydrogen is produced from renewable electricity, which greatly improves local air quality. Because the fuel cell system is so much quieter than a diesel engine, fuel cell buses significantly reduce noise pollution as well.<BR/> <BR/>Planes - <BR/>Fuel cells are an attractive option for aviation since they produce zero or low emissions and make barely any noise. The military is especially interested in this application because of the low noise, low thermal signature and ability to attain high altitude. Companies like Boeing are heavily involved in developing a fuel cell plane. <BR/><BR/>Use H2 as fuel save fossil water to drink with Ethanol!<BR/>A multi State fossil water Aquifer, (Ogallala) will be pumped dry without any way of renewing it while inflating commodities and fuel cost. Over two million people will not only be with out water to drink, prepare food and for hygiene. Therefore, large areas will be left in ruins much as the Anasazi; in addition of their Parallels between Moche and Maya or other Mesoamerican, when they disappeared, because of drought. I suggest the energy and money spent on ethanol be used to develop and use an ultimate fuel that cleans carbon out of atmosphere and leaves only pure water as a waste product, Hydrogen the Ultimate fuel. <BR/>Bill Gordon L. StaffordBillGLShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16165870357644185501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799570787412808693.post-44438513045562846092007-10-11T02:26:00.000-07:002007-10-11T02:26:00.000-07:00See also the comments at the same article Agrichar...See also the comments at the same article <A HREF="http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977139103" REL="nofollow">Agrichar</A> at Gather.comSam Caranahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12376449209858411775noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799570787412808693.post-5502669140510237932007-10-11T02:20:00.000-07:002007-10-11T02:20:00.000-07:00See also the comments at the same article Tax the ...See also the comments at the same article <A HREF="http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977123673" REL="nofollow">Tax the sale of meat!</A> at Gather.comSam Caranahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12376449209858411775noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799570787412808693.post-10652728932033383212007-10-11T02:18:00.000-07:002007-10-11T02:18:00.000-07:00See also the comments at the article Solar power a...See also the comments at the article <A HREF="http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977115548" REL="nofollow">Solar power and electric cars, a winning combination!</A> at Gather.comSam Caranahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12376449209858411775noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799570787412808693.post-56930632652860421602007-10-11T01:48:00.000-07:002007-10-11T01:48:00.000-07:00See also the comments posted at the same article C...See also the comments posted at the same article <A HREF="http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977128488" REL="nofollow">Communities without Roads</A> posted at Gather.comSam Caranahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12376449209858411775noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799570787412808693.post-17526738935841090662007-04-30T03:43:00.000-07:002007-04-30T03:43:00.000-07:00Let me also add some further thoughts on communiti...Let me also add some further thoughts on communities without roads. We should seriously reconsider public transport, in fact, we should look at redesigning the entire way cities are built. Many people go by car to the railway station, because they live too far from the station to walk. Look at how many cars are parked around any suburban railway station! All the space needed for car parking further isolates railway stations from the houses around them, just like railway tracks and highways cut up communities into isolated parts. <BR/><BR/>Already now, a taxi can be much more efficient than public transport, since buses and trains follow a set route, stopping only at set points. Many buses and trains remain virtually empty at off-peak hours, consuming huge amounts of energy in vain. Many people avoid public transport for the long waiting in inhospitable environments wit high crime risks and lack of service. If taxi services were deregulated, there would be far less need for public transport. <BR/><BR/>The idea of communities without roads is that there is very little need for public transport, but it doesn't mean that people are locked up inside their homes. Terms like homeschooling and working from home may give that false impression. In fact, most homeschoolers I know love to go out (e.g. to see other homeschoolers) and they are more outdoors than kids who go to school. Similarly, working from home means that one spends less time commuting, time that can be spent at exhibitions, conferences, in restaurants, shops, etc. New technology more and more allows people to work when and where they want, while greater efficiencies mean that one can achieve moe results in less time. <BR/><BR/>Also, many people are currently locked up inside their homes because they have nowhere to go. This is especially a problem for elderly people who are afraid to drive a car and who are afraid to walk the empty streets in the suburbs. Town planners have designed urban nightmares, with most activities centralised in specialized buildings, e.g. medical care and education preserved for schools and hospitals. Shopping is concentrated in malls and <BR/>most offices are centralized in the CBD of each city. This kind of design and zoning results in suburbs stretching out further and further along railway lines that bring people daily into the city. Suburban houses are occupied by few people during the day, people literally go there to sleep. <BR/><BR/>Communities without roads is an exciting concept that allows people to live within walking distances of colleages, customers, friends, medical and educational facilities, shops, restaurants, etc. Again, this doesn't mean people are to be locked up inside. The sedentary lifestyle of many people is a result of the way cities are currently designed. Instead, we should facilitate the opposite, i.e. people coming out of their houses, offices, etc, meeting other people, getting more healthy food and becoming fitter.Sam Caranahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12376449209858411775noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799570787412808693.post-26064137333551866372007-04-11T23:07:00.000-07:002007-04-11T23:07:00.000-07:001. The principle stated here is: Tax heavy pollute...1. The principle stated here is: Tax heavy polluters most and give that money to supply that doesn't add extra heat. It's a market-oriented solution in the sense that it leaves it to a large extent up to the market to choose what to do, as opposed to government regulation, prohibition, nationalisation and subsidising political friends. By taxing polluters and giving that money to supply that doesn't add extra heat, it works both ways and becomes doubly effective, minimising risks that the money is spent on the wrong purposes. Since we're talking about investments that span over decades, there should be bi-partisan support to firmly stick to this principle, without making compromises to advance one ideology or another or to assist political friends. All sides in politics should accept this as an emergency plan, to be given as much (or more) urgency as was given to the war in Iraq. <BR/><BR/>2. We should NOT give coal-fired plants tax deductions or shelters, subsidies or credits for promises to change their way and to conduct research, say, into capture and sequestration, since this just compromises the principle under point 1. What if these promises turn out to be just a smokescreen? What if at best they can only partly reduce emissions, while it takes a lot of extra energy to capture carbon, transport it and put it into the soil, with questions remaining as to leakage and safety? Why not give that money instead to people who install solar panels and wind turbines in their backyards to generate electricity and perhaps put a surplus back into the power grid, without adding any extra heat? <BR/><BR/>6. Net metering should go both ways, as Al Gore advocates with his Electronet. We also have to ensure that competition and diversity will be encouraged. Where networks are monopolies, they should be structurally separated from energy suppliers (especially from coal-fired power plants). We should create more dynamic, market-oriented networks that do NOT focus on building power plants, but instead focus on buying energy from a market of suppliers and transporting it to customers, preferably in competition with other networks. <BR/><BR/>8. Tax on sales of meat. One can of course have ethical objections against eating meat. A second argument is that it takes a lot of fertile land to put meat on the table. Global warming threatens supply of food, while using more land for bio-fuel will only increase prices for food. A third argument to tax meat is that animals release methane, a gas that's twenty times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon-dioxide. <BR/><BR/>If such taxes were merely used to help the poor pay higher prices, then little will be achieved for the environment. Instead, such taxes should be used to support environmentally-friendly developments, such as communities without roads, as suggested under point 7. We should start building such communities without roads on university campuses, designing small houses for staff and students to live around shops and restaurants. Small houses need less heating and air-conditioning. If we leave out roads, garages and other car-parking spaces, they can be built closely together, so anyone can easily walk or bike their way around. That would be more healthy as well!<BR/><BR/>These ten points come as a package. Tax proceeds should go to sale of energy that doesn't add extra heat. So, if electricity or hydrogen is sold, it should be disclosed (point 10.) how much greenhouse gases were emitted in the production. If there's a way to produce hydrogen that doesn't add extra heat, then it can be sold as such and the supplier can collect a subsidy.Sam Caranahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12376449209858411775noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7799570787412808693.post-71426704821152256682007-04-04T20:51:00.000-07:002007-04-04T20:51:00.000-07:00I've always been fascinated by lists of topics tha...I've always been fascinated by lists of topics that define modern times. Many of the topics aren't new, but the fact that they make the current top ten is significant. <BR/><BR/>Interestingly, I asked the same question back in 2001 and I ended up with a quite different list:<BR/>1. Cars <BR/>2. Nuclear disarmament<BR/>3. Overpopulation<BR/>4. Science and Technology<BR/>5. Consumerism<BR/>6. Globalisation<BR/>7. Capitalism and Corporate power<BR/>8. Cold War<BR/>9. Decreasing relevance of the Nation-State<BR/>10. Exploration of Space<BR/><BR/>Isn't it amazing how much the lists differ, even though many of the people who responded were the same. Only a few topics are the same on both lists, and even that may partly be the case because I chose to group responses under that topic. Are our times today so much different from six years ago? <BR/><BR/>Personally, I was surprised - even disappointed - to see that nuclear disarmament didn't make the top ten this time, despite all the media attention for the situation in North Korea and Iran. Perhaps the media aren't that powerful in agenda-setting after all!Sam Caranahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12376449209858411775noreply@blogger.com