Archive for the 'Energy' Category
Obama Fired GM’s CEO; What’s Stirring Behind the Black Curtain?
March 30th, 2009Most people would probably read over the AP piece below without thinking twice about the mention of GM’s new Chairman of the Board: Board member Kent Kresa, the former chairman and CEO of defense contractor Northrop Grumman Corp., was named interim chairman of the GM board. Woh. Hold on there. Who is Kent Kresa? In […]
Goldman Sachs and the Manipulation of Oil Prices
March 29th, 2009Anyone who “dismisses” the role of speculators in this shakedown is either stupid, or in on the scam… Henry Paulson was formerly the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Goldman Sachs. Well, well, well. Hank might have us believe that the Tooth Fairy has more to do with the price of oil than speculators. I […]
Electric Cars: The Tesla Model S Which Most Americans Won’t Be Able to Afford, or the Reva Li-on, Which Americans Won’t Be Allowed to Buy
March 27th, 2009I looked at the news about the upcoming Tesla EV sedan, and I thought *meh*, at $50,000, it might as well cost $50 million. Production doesn’t start until mid 2011. But check out this little Reva. That vehicle would easily cover all of our regular driving needs. With a couple more solar panels (besides the […]
U.S. Navy Releases “Significant” Evidence of Cold Fusion
March 25th, 2009I’ve been reading Blank Spots on the Map, and enjoying it a lot. I’d like to quote from it here: And then there was Dan Vanderhorst, who “has been the lead pilot on seven classified aircraft to date.” In fact, according to his biography, “Vanderhorst has made his career in the cockpit of so many […]
“Smart” Power Grid Is Found Susceptible to Cyberattack
March 23rd, 2009Thanks, Captain Obvious. Via: PC World: An emerging network of intelligent power switches, called the Smart Grid, could be taken down by a cyberattack, according to researchers with IOActive, a Seattle security consultancy. IOActive researchers have spent the past year testing Smart Grid devices for security vulnerabilities and have discovered a number of flaws that […]
Cattle Respond to Magnetic Fields from Power Lines
March 22nd, 2009Via: AP: High-voltage power lines mess with animal magnetism. Researchers, who reported last year that most cows and deer tend to orient themselves in a north-south alignment, have now found that power lines can disorient the animals. When the power lines run east-west, that’s the way grazing cattle tend to line up, researchers led by […]
Pentagon Dirigible Would Stay Aloft for Ten Years; Constantly Monitor Activity on the Ground
March 13th, 2009Don’t miss the part about the energy source. You’ll love this: The dirigible will be filled with helium and powered by an innovative system that uses solar panels to recharge hydrogen fuel cells. Military officials said those underlying technologies — plus a very lightweight hull — were critical to making the project work. “The things […]
OIL SHARPLY HIGHER
March 12th, 2009Via: AP: Oil prices spiked 11 percent Thursday as rumors swirled that Russia would join OPEC in slashing crude production. Benchmark crude for April delivery rose $4.77 to $47.10 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. In London, Brent prices gained $3.13 to $44.53 on the ICE Futures exchange. Analyst and trader Stephen Schork […]
French Farmer is New Sun King
March 2nd, 2009This is an interesting piece that looks at how France is using guaranteed contracts to buy power to stimulate alternative energy projects. It sounds better toward the end, where they’re talking more about decentralization, with risk and profits being spread around to larger numbers of people. Via: Reuters: Bright winter sun dissolves a blanket of […]
Schwarzenegger Declares California Drought Emergency
February 28th, 2009Via: AP: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency Friday because of three years of below-average rain and snowfall in California, a step that urges urban water agencies to reduce water use by 20 percent. “This drought is having a devastating impact on our people, our communities, our economy and our environment, making today’s […]
