tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76766154868984505702024-03-28T20:29:37.409-07:00Pulverized ConceptsQuis Custodiet Ipso CustodesPulverized Conceptshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14860274211446159849noreply@blogger.comBlogger1174125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676615486898450570.post-85180079101328299592024-03-26T18:56:00.000-07:002024-03-26T18:56:05.464-07:00Hail and Solar Panels<p> </p><p> <img alt="Texas hailstorm hammers Fighting Jays Solar Farm, prompting concerns of ..." class="detail__media__img-highres js-detail-img js-detail-img-high" src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fpatabook.com%2Fnews%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F03%2F14559905_032224-ktrk-inset-nna-solar-farm-img.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=2276d3a362de08f9eccea7ef2d5dbae3b3c31f4961533effffd0720f2b0ce86d&ipo=images" style="display: block; height: 488px; width: 867.556px;" /></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">patabook.com</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The 350MW Fighting Jays Solar Farm near Needville, Texas on the Brazos River was<a href="https://www.renewableenergyworld.com/solar/utility-scale/texas-hailstorm-damages-thousands-of-solar-panels-at-350-mw-farm/"> hammered by a hail storm </a>on March 16 that destroyed thousands of solar panels on the 4,000+ acre installation. No word yet on the fate of the damaged panels or the cost of replacement and if the facility is now completely out of service for the foreseeable future. </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span> <br /></p>Pulverized Conceptshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14860274211446159849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676615486898450570.post-74991973030088340892024-03-26T18:39:00.000-07:002024-03-26T18:39:16.398-07:00Global Temperatures Over The Last 65 Million Years<p> </p><p></p><p><img alt="Graph of global temperatures going back 65 million years shows that temperatures were highest during the Paleocene and Eocene eras." class="image-style-full-width-620-original-image" height="413" src="https://www.climate.gov/sites/default/files/styles/full_width_620_original_image/public/2023-01/climateqa_global_surface_temps_65million_years_2480.png?itok=KBwxUiYO" width="640" /><span style="font-size: large;">Global surface temperatures were generally high throughout the Paleocene
and Eocene, with a particularly warm spike at the boundary between the
two geological epochs around 56 million years ago. Temperatures in the
distant past are inferred from proxies, in this case, oxygen isotope
ratios from fossil foraminifera, single-celled marine organisms. "Q"
stands for Quaternary. Graphic produced using <a href="http://www.columbia.edu/~mhs119/Sensitivity+SL+CO2/Table.txt" rel="noopener" target="_blank">data</a> from <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature06588" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Zachos</a> and <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsta.2012.0294" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Hansen</a>, with help from Dr. Carrie Morrill, Director of the World Data Service for Paleoclimatology.</span></p>Pulverized Conceptshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14860274211446159849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676615486898450570.post-29071197890036762402024-03-23T07:59:00.000-07:002024-03-24T19:11:15.579-07:00Latest On Havana Syndrome<p> </p><p> </p><p><br /></p><p> </p><p> </p><p><img alt="Treatments for Headache - Kennington Osteopaths & Physiotherapy" class="detail__media__img-highres js-detail-img js-detail-img-high" src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kenningtonosteopaths.co.uk%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F06%2FiStock-852021354.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=5b77e4645ee9b6e8690090b46647c99ef49102f4c5cdaeee98614fc04a34befd&ipo=images" style="display: block; height: 488px; width: 608.803px;" /> <span style="font-size: x-small;">kenningtonosteopaths.co.uk</span><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://nailheadtom.blogspot.com/2022/06/havana-syndrome-compensation.html">Havana syndrome</a> has been mentioned here before. Now known as Anomalous Health Incidents, the malady has been under study in one way or another since it first appeared in 2016 among personnel stationed at the US Embassy in Havana, Cuba. At that time the headaches, vertigo and nausea afflicting these people was thought to be caused by mysterious forces directed by hostile powers. Investigations of the Havana thing and incidents in other locations didn't come up with a definitive answer but those suffering from it were made eligible for compensation. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Now, <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/03/18/1239087164/nih-studies-no-pattern-harm-havana-syndrome-patients-brains">two new studies</a> by the National Institute of Health have failed to find a cause for the syndrome. Of course that can't eliminate the possibility of nefarious behavior on the part of the country's enemies and some researchers are reluctant to accept the NIH findings. So some scientists somewhere will continue to look into this mystery.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In 2021 the Congress approved the Havana Act that <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/24/us/politics/havana-syndrome-compensation.html">provided compensation</a> for those affected. In the case of CIA victims it was a one-time lump sum of $187,300. </span> <br /></p><p> </p>Pulverized Conceptshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14860274211446159849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676615486898450570.post-4640415625028412422024-03-20T08:18:00.000-07:002024-03-28T07:30:31.667-07:00Further Evidence of Cultural Decline<p> </p><p> <img alt="LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 18: Members of the public photograph a recent mural which has appeared on the side of a building in Islington on March 18, 2024 in London, England. The 'Banksy' artwork appeared on a North London street on Sunday. A mass of green has been painted behind a bare tree to look like foliage, with a stencil of a person holding a pressure hose next to it. The green paint used matches the colour the council uses on Islington road signs. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)" class="c-lazy-image__img lrv-u-background-color-grey-lightest lrv-u-width-100p lrv-u-display-block lrv-u-height-auto" height="427" src="https://www.artnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/GettyImages-2093788535.jpg?w=2000" width="640" /></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><cite class="lrv-u-text-transform-uppercase lrv-u-color-grey">Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images</cite></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">A work of graffiti by celebrated but anonymous artist Banksy <a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/banksy-confirms-tree-mural-north-london-instagram-1234700011/">has appeared</a> in a London suburb. It's so dramatic and imposing that it's become a topic of international conversation in the art world, if not that of the unwashed masses. The UK seems to be the capital of bad art.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Update: The Banksy masterpiece has been defiled with white paint. Panels have been erected to protect it and it's also been covered with clear plastic. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><img alt="Matt McKenna The mural covered with plastic and surrounded by wooden boards" class="sc-83607862-0 jvrVsN" height="360" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/1CCC/production/_133027370_54a5f8d0-7a18-439e-a3e6-91b4d3cf28ea.jpg.webp" width="640" /><span style="font-size: x-small;">mattmckenna</span><span style="font-size: large;"> <cite class="lrv-u-text-transform-uppercase lrv-u-color-grey"><br /></cite></span></p>Pulverized Conceptshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14860274211446159849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676615486898450570.post-70523124270845741512024-03-20T08:15:00.000-07:002024-03-20T08:46:57.162-07:00More Problems With Renewable Energy<p><span style="font-size: large;">It isn't just the complexity, expense and unreliability of so-called renewable energy that keeps it from taking over our lives. It turns out that integrating solar power, wind power and hydrogen power into the existing system is plagued with both technical and bureaucratic problems.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.grandforksherald.com/news/north-dakota/managers-of-north-dakota-utilities-score-c-for-new-energy-project-completion">This piece </a>describes in a general way what hasn't been happening in the field. Maybe the process is so complex that diagnosing the individual issues and the possible approaches to their resolution is more difficult than actually producing the product itself. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><img alt="Plug ins clipart - Clipground" class="detail__media__img-highres js-detail-img js-detail-img-high" src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fclipground.com%2Fimages%2Fdisconnected-clipart-16.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=ae25ff4cd7cd002b21879c6f4b8a39d92f834b91968b7c7777d9e089c4686e99&ipo=images" style="display: block; height: 488px; width: 651.335px;" /></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">clipground.com</span><span style="font-size: large;"> <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It appears that the renewable generators are more interested in joining the grid than the grid is in accepting them. There may be some disagreement as to who is responsible for the expense of the connection. Utilization of "free" power is more expensive than we've been led to believe.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/south-dakota/regulators-approve-early-start-for-south-dakotas-largest-solar-farm">Wild Springs Solar</a> Energy project near New Underwood, South Dakota has been approved by regulators to go into operation providing up to 128 megawatts of electricity to Basin Electric Power Cooperative. Originally scheduled to begin supply on May 1, the date has been moved up to March 15. No word on if this is the date when power will actually move from Wild Springs to Basin Electric on that day or if that's simply the date when it will be permitted.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span> <br /></p>Pulverized Conceptshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14860274211446159849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676615486898450570.post-37311807685663639052024-03-18T10:29:00.000-07:002024-03-20T08:29:31.714-07:00The Strange Numbers Of American Capitalism<p> </p><p> <img alt="Image" class="css-9pa8cd" draggable="true" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GIjWl3DXcAA_IQ1?format=jpg&name=medium" /></p><p><a class="css-4rbku5 css-18t94o4 css-1dbjc4n r-1loqt21 r-1wbh5a2 r-dnmrzs r-1ny4l3l" href="https://twitter.com/4TaxFairness?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1767899105890574625%7Ctwgr%5E956991cc6463787325a44ee70eff2951ea850a2c%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.breitbart.com%2Fentertainment%2F2024%2F03%2F17%2Fstudy-netflix-pays-its-top-executives-nearly-3x-more-than-its-federal-tax-bill%2F" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" role="link" target="_blank"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 css-1hf3ou5 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">Americans For Tax Fairness</span></span></a></p><p><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 css-1hf3ou5 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><span style="font-size: large;">Eighteen of the 35 companies on this list operate in the energy sector, at least in part as regulated utilities. Although their executives can normally only make decisions that are endorsed or guided by government regulators, they are among the highest paid executives in the world.</span></span></span></p><p><img alt="Duke Energy CEO Lynn Good gets $14.5M in 2020 compensation - Bizwomen" class="detail__media__img-highres js-detail-img js-detail-img-high" src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.bizj.us%2Fview%2Fimg%2F11913660%2Flynn-good-photo-4*1200xx7360-4140-0-386.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=3482a5e2d415a4ee946b3dc174b8ff210beb099f115ed20dcaa8bfcda1169b94&ipo=images" style="display: block; height: 488px; width: 867.556px;" /><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 css-1hf3ou5 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><span style="font-size: x-small;">bizjournals.com</span></span></span></p><p><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 css-1hf3ou5 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><span style="font-size: large;">Lynn J. Good, CEO of Duke Energy, received </span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;">$21,008,835
in total compensation in 2023. On the basis of the 2000 hours of an annual 40 hour work week, CEO Good would be earning a little over $10,500 per hour.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 css-1hf3ou5 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><a href="https://nailheadtom.blogspot.com/2022/04/executive-compensation.html">Ben G. S. Fowke III,</a> retired CEO of Xcel Energy, is now the interim CEO of American Electrical Power, probably making more than he did before.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 css-1hf3ou5 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"> </span></span></span><img alt="Who is FirstEnergy's new CEO and what are plans to move past scandal?" class="detail__media__img-highres js-detail-img js-detail-img-high" src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.beaconjournal.com%2Fgcdn%2Fpresto%2F2023%2F07%2F07%2FNABJ%2Fa6874a36-e56b-4152-81b0-857ce4f7b88b-new_firstenergy_ceo_1.jpg%3Fwidth%3D660%26height%3D447%26fit%3Dcrop%26format%3Dpjpg%26auto%3Dwebp&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=d44a27178c292579591725da948e2dc98a6834a8e5f28b70e462f9d4963f2c78&ipo=images" style="display: block; height: 447px; width: 660px;" /><span style="font-size: x-small;">beaconjournal.com</span><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 css-1hf3ou5 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"> </span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 css-1hf3ou5 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">Brian Tierney is the CEO of First Energy, an Akron, Ohio fully regulated utility. His compensation package is described by the Akron Beacon-Journal :</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"According to the company's latest <a class="gnt_ar_b_a" data-t-l=":b|e|k|${u}" href="https://investors.firstenergycorp.com/sec-filings-and-reports/sec-filings/sec-filings-details/default.aspx?FilingId=100317360780" rel="noopener" target="_blank">8-K</a>
filed Monday, Tierney's compensation package, approved by the board on
March 22, includes an annual base salary of $1.5 million, which will be
reviewed annually, and a hiring bonus equal to $1.5 million.</span></p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p"><span style="font-size: large;">He's
also expected to be eligible to participate in the company’s executive
relocation program, executive deferred compensation plan, 401(k) plan,
vacation and paid time off program, and standard health and welfare
benefits.</span></p><p class="gnt_ar_b_p"><span style="font-size: large;">In addition, his compensation package
includes the potential for millions of dollars in cash and stock
incentive awards based on the company's performance under his
leadership</span>."</p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 css-1hf3ou5 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><br /></span></span></span></p>Pulverized Conceptshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14860274211446159849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676615486898450570.post-45105668146799927122024-03-16T17:22:00.000-07:002024-03-20T08:39:45.801-07:00Feds Approve Gas Power House in Superior, WI But . . . .<p> <img alt="MCEA's Healthy Communities Director on why MN needs a law to protect ..." class="detail__media__img-highres js-detail-img js-detail-img-high" src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mncenter.org%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fstyles%2Fsocial%2Fpublic%2Fnews%2FEvan_Mulholland.jpg%3Fitok%3DXETtCkJj&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=b641c774cdff434969b34e0f309996fa6d5c6915cb30c7109bc25483a349a4ef&ipo=images" style="display: block; height: 467px; width: 700px;" /></p><p>mncenter.org </p><p><span style="font-size: small;">Evan Mulholland is the Healthy Communities Program Director for the Minnesota Center For Environmental Advocacy</span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;">According to the MCEA website: </span>Evan holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Brandeis University, a J.D. from
Harvard Law School, and an LL.M. in Environmental Law from Vermont Law
School. Prior to working at MCEA, Evan was a Assistant Attorney General
at the New Hampshire Department of Justice and served as Compliance
Bureau Chief of the Air Resources Division at the New Hampshire
Department of Environmental Services.</p><p><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The federal government has approved the siting of a new combined cycle power plant in Superior</span><span style="font-size: small;">, </span><span style="font-size: large;">WI.</span><span style="font-size: small;">, </span><span style="font-size: large;">the <a href="https://www.twincities.com/2023/12/17/superior-wis-gas-plant-gets-federal-approval/">Nemadji Trail Energy Center</a></span><span style="font-size: small;">. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The $700 million project of Minnesota Power and Light, Basin Electric Power Cooperative and Dairyland Power Cooperative will result in a 625 megawatt gas power</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">plant that's intended to provide necessary buffering and stability to the power grid with the addition of renewable power from other sources, if it ever gets built.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Planning for the project began seven years ago but permitting and lawfare have prevented a single spade of earth being turned over or the welding of one pipe joint. Much of this delay and probably more will be the task of MCEA figure Evan Mulholland, pictured above. He is a member of a class of legalists whose specialty is the obstruction of progress in the name of environmental stasis, a post-modern occupation. No such concerns were present during the construction of the railroads, inter-state highways or the electrical transmission system that insures almost continuous service to any American that cares to use it. Times have changed.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Nemadji Trail Energy Center Update</b>:<a href="https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/east-end-residents-worry-about-impact-of-nemadji-trail-energy-center"> Local resistance </a>to the new power house is being described by the local news media. A rally is planned for outside the Douglas County courthouse on March 19. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br /></p>Pulverized Conceptshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14860274211446159849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676615486898450570.post-14836438848348988762024-03-16T11:32:00.000-07:002024-03-23T08:00:31.467-07:00Unusual Doings in Electricity Transmission<p><span style="font-size: large;">It's possible to make money on moving electricity without actually doing anything but planning to do so. An example is<a href="https://thequadreport.com/the-250-million-path-to-nowhere/"> the PATH project</a>, a 290 mile transmission line that was never approved by the states involved or constructed that cost consumers $250 million. </span> <br /></p>Pulverized Conceptshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14860274211446159849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676615486898450570.post-74231212292862691532024-03-13T08:08:00.000-07:002024-03-13T08:08:03.489-07:00Energy and the Poverty of Nations<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="485" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/scYlWiunJo4" width="583" youtube-src-id="scYlWiunJo4"></iframe></div><br /> <p></p>Pulverized Conceptshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14860274211446159849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676615486898450570.post-1452746599994136102024-03-11T19:48:00.000-07:002024-03-11T19:48:52.901-07:00Responsible Decision Making<p><span style="font-size: large;">Elke Weber is a professor at Princeton University's <a href="https://cpree.princeton.edu/people/elke-u-weber">Center for Policy and Research on the Environment</a>. </span><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Professor Weber's specialty has been identifying the psychology of decision-making in the assessment of risk by individuals and groups, especially in response to climate change.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Her organization is tasked with discovering why the unwashed masses take little interest in the prospect of a changing climate or actually disbelieve the theory and how to change their minds.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><img alt="Elke U. Weber - Photos Elke Weber" class="detail__media__img-highres js-detail-img js-detail-img-high" src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Felke-u-weber.com%2Fmedia%2Felke_weber-portrait-action-ygl-frank_wojciechows.jpeg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=084b250930a9c3b0ed2181fc0ef7525b7c076b8f012cb5116eab1643f27657cd&ipo=images" style="display: block; height: 488px; width: 692.536px;" /></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">elke-u-weber.com</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">A major figure in American psychology, the lady professor is a Phd from Harvard, a member of the National Academy of Science, and has been president of the </span><span style="font-size: large;"> President of the Society for Neuroeconomics, the Society for Mathematical Psychology, and the Society for Judgement and Decision Making. We don't know how much she actually knows about atmospheric chemistry and physics but her specialty is no longer psychology, a term that has gone out of fashion and been replaced by "behavorial science". <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span> </p>Pulverized Conceptshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14860274211446159849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676615486898450570.post-91795914004053249662024-03-11T17:27:00.000-07:002024-03-11T20:23:45.085-07:00A Builder of Renewable Energy Projects<p><span style="font-size: large;">A few quotes from an article by Jennifer Hiller in the March 11, Wall Street Journal on Michael Polsky and his company, <a href="https://invenergy.com/">Invenergy</a>:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> "Sean Klimczak, global head of infrastructure at <b>Blackstone</b>, which invested $4 billion in Invenergy's renewables business since 2021, estimates Invenergy has a pipeline of projects valued at about $150 billion."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> "Invenergy has built roughly one in every 10 US wind or solar projects and has one of the largest solar farms operating and under construction in the U.S., unfolding across 18,000 acres in Texas."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> "Polsky's wind projects were hugely profitable, but he was only partially right about renewables being easier to build. Invenergy is still fighting with communities nearly everywhere it goes ...." </span></p><p><img alt="'We won't pay any ransom': notorious hacker gang targets US renewable ..." class="tile--img__img js-lazyload" data-src="//external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse2.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.9uZ7tOboWfTkN15ESOTK7AHaDs%26pid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=4de80d8c25ffa3ef0ad8128f0a0b938eb7494c77685ec69f823c9ff7aae41625&ipo=images" height="318" src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse2.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.9uZ7tOboWfTkN15ESOTK7AHaDs%26pid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=4de80d8c25ffa3ef0ad8128f0a0b938eb7494c77685ec69f823c9ff7aae41625&ipo=images" width="640" /></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">rechargenews.com<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span> <br /></p>Pulverized Conceptshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14860274211446159849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676615486898450570.post-1701028242336125792024-03-09T13:21:00.000-08:002024-03-09T16:57:44.483-08:00University Millionaires<p><span style="font-size: large;">New hire as president of the University of Minnesota, Rebecca Cunningham, has been given <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/careers/new-umn-president-s-salary-will-top-1-million/ar-BB1jAapr">an employment contract </a>of $975,000 in annual salary with a provision of at least a 3.5% raise annually plus retirement benefits of $120,000 each year. One couldn't expect someone receiving a salary of a million dollars a year to squirrel away some of that for their golden years.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The lady has been a fixture in various administrative positions at the University of Michigan and now receives a salary that eclipses that of the state governor and all but a handful of local business titans.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><img alt="Rebecca Cunningham, one of the finalists to be president of the University of Minnesota. (University of Minnesota)" class="article-image article-image-ux-impr article-image-new expandable" src="https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB1iWlhw.img?w=768&h=432&m=6&x=512&y=139&s=470&d=470" title="Rebecca Cunningham, one of the finalists to be president of the University of Minnesota. (University of Minnesota)" /></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">twincitiespioneerpress</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Perhaps "fixture" is the best term for the new president, whose actual duties are similar to that of a chrome female statuette on the hood of a '50s sedan. Many smaller, dirtier parts allow the car to function as designed but the most obvious part is the first thing seen, which has no effect on the car's operation.<br /></span></p><p><img class="detail__media__img-thumbnail js-detail-img js-detail-img-thumb" src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.X43WDTPGnmnIBFFc0VwrdAHaFt%26pid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=5758c4785547d0dfbffbcd2571b707bfda4140b7354655cd27a964e71b0e4007&ipo=images" style="height: 488px; width: 632.227px;" /></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">goodspeedusa.com</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This isn't an isolated incident. University presidents all receive huge compensation packages, ostensibly because they're able to cajole wealthy alumni into donating vast sums to the school or local business nabobs into financing esoteric research programs. This may or may not be true but aren't potential donors already inclined to contribute to a certain school with which they have some familiarity? Would they be less likely to make a significant gift to a school with a less well-paid boss? </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">What are their actual day-to-day duties? Do they roam the campus, auditing classes to see if the profs, or more likely TAs, are arriving for class on time and delivering a lecture that can be easily understood by English-speaking students whose tuition has risen steeply through the years. The president probably won't run onto the field leading the Gopher football squad into battle against the hated Wisconsin Badgers since she makes only a fraction of the $6 million dollars a year that football coach PJ Fleck does. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span> <br /></p>Pulverized Conceptshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14860274211446159849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676615486898450570.post-48183616174679877672024-03-06T12:35:00.000-08:002024-03-07T08:29:06.860-08:00 The US House Select Committee on Competition with the Chinese Communist Party<p><span style="font-size: large;">Yes, there is a committee in the US House of Representatives whose function is to monitor the competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. Not competition between US business and trade interests <i>vis a vis </i>that of the Chinese nation but between the US as a whole and the Chinese Communist Party, which rules that country.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The members of the committee are: </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Chairman Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Ranking member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Jake Auchincloss (D- Ma.) </span><span style="font-size: large;">Andy Kim (D-NJ)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Jim Banks (R-Ind.) </span><span style="font-size: large;">Darin La Hood (R-Il)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Andy Barr (R-Ky) </span><span style="font-size: large;">Blaine Leutkemeyer (R-Mo)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Shontel Brown (D-Oh) </span><span style="font-size: large;">John Moolenaar (R-Mi)</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Andre Carson (D-Ind) </span><span style="font-size: large;">Seth Moulton (D-Ma)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Kathy Castor (D-Fla) </span><span style="font-size: large;">Dan Newhouse (R-Wa) </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Neal Dunn (R-Fla) </span><span style="font-size: large;">Mike Sherrill (D-NJ)</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla) </span><span style="font-size: large;">Michelle Steel (R-Ca)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Ashley Hinson (R-Ia) </span><span style="font-size: large;">Haley Stevens (D-Mi)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Dusty Johnson (R-SD) </span><span style="font-size: large;">Richie Torres (D-NY)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Ro Khanna (D-Ca) </span><span style="font-size: large;">Rob Wittman (R-Va) </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The committee is <a href="https://selectcommitteeontheccp.house.gov/media/press-releases/gallagher-bipartisan-coalition-introduce-legislation-protect-americans-0">introducing legislation </a>on March 7 to, among other things, forbid Tik Tok from taking over the minds of juvenile Americans.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">"Not only is the CCP-controlled TikTok an immense national
security risk to our country, it is also poisoning the minds of our
youth every day on a massive scale. China is our enemy, and we need to
start acting like it. I am proud to partner with Representatives
Gallagher and Krishnamoorthi on this bipartisan bill to ban the
distribution of TikTok in the US. This legislation will make our country
better off and more secure," said Chip Roy, US Representative of the 21st district of Texas, north of San Antonio and including parts of Austin.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">If, indeed, China is our "enemy", over a billion souls are our enemy, this is a serious situation. If a social media web-site from any location is poisoning our youth on a massive scale something needs to be done about it. But an even bigger problem seems to exist, at least in some minds. That problem is the fragility of American "democracy", an issue for many decades. According to </span><span style="font-size: large;">James McHenry, a Maryland delegate to the Constitutional Convention, there's this quote from Benjamin Franklin: “A lady asked Dr. Franklin Well Doctor what have we
got a republic or a monarchy. A republic replied the Doctor if you can
keep it.</span>”</p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Franklin probably wasn't talking about an invasion from across the seas. It was more likely that the republic would be endangered by domestic forces. Such remains the case today. Few sensible people are worried about Chinese or Russian troops occupying Des Moines or Rapid City. In the case of Tik Tok or Chinese-built dock cranes acquiring valuable information, what information would that be? On the other hand, there seems to be no end of government intrusion on the privacy of its own citizens. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We hear regularly that Muslim Uyghurs in China's Xinjiang province are in re-education camps and used as slaves to pick the cotton that goes into American T-shirts. If it's true or not, at this time one of the most popular and financially successful entertainers in China is a Muslim Uyghur from Xinjiang, Dilraba Dilmurat. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><img alt="Dilraba Dilmurat - 迪丽热巴 - CPOPHOME" class="tile--img__img js-lazyload" data-src="//external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse3.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.Larc6Hjcit9NXuIHquS3QwHaEo%26pid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=8c2b5da8406ba8655d2c7698d4f8188fccf87be4219c332144886c1404c72c2e&ipo=images" src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse3.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.Larc6Hjcit9NXuIHquS3QwHaEo%26pid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=8c2b5da8406ba8655d2c7698d4f8188fccf87be4219c332144886c1404c72c2e&ipo=images" /><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">cpophome.com</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span> <br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><br /><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span> </p>Pulverized Conceptshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14860274211446159849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676615486898450570.post-3831329457659523612024-03-06T09:01:00.000-08:002024-03-06T09:01:53.713-08:00Tracking Down Neutrinos<p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">You'll probably be happy to know that an effort is<a href="https://www.katrin.kit.edu/"> being made to investigate</a> the most ephemeral particle in the universe, the neutrino.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p></p><p></p><p><img alt="" height="350" src="https://www.katrin.kit.edu/img/Katrin-logo.png" style="float: right;" width="350" /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span> <span style="font-size: large;">As the neutrino people ponder:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">"What is the absolute mass scale of neutrinos?</em></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Neutrinos
probably are the most fascinating species of elementary particles. The
"ghost particle of the Universe" is a key to open issues in science on
many scales, linking the microcosm of elementary particles to the
largest structures in the Universe."</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is quantum physics, the ultimate in scientific reductionism, the search for reality and truth at the most elementary and smallest levels. As far as we know, all matter is composed of molecules made up of protons, electrons, neutrons and maybe neutrinos and other exotic particles or waves. While it might be interesting to those employed in nuclear physics, what does the study of these incredibly tiny particles actually have to do with our day to day life?</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">The answer is basically nothing at all. These particles don't become meaningful until they are assembled into larger arrays, minerals, gases, liquids, single-cell organisms, plants and members of the US Congress. </span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Reductionism was criticized by, among many others, Arthur Koestler, who coined the term <i>holon </i>in his book <i>The Act of Creation </i>to describe the hierarchies of sub-assemblies that make up a holon.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Aquiring real knowledge of the neutrino or even more prominent examples of quantum particles is an intellectual luxury whose expense should not be borne by the uninterested. <br /></span></p>Pulverized Conceptshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14860274211446159849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676615486898450570.post-81664161896957639302024-03-06T07:29:00.000-08:002024-03-06T07:29:59.027-08:00CO2 Capture, Pipeline and Sequester Plan Expands<p><span style="font-size: large;">Valero Energy has added eight of its ethanol plants to the Summit Carbon Solutions plan to gather the CO2 by-product of 57 midwest ethanol refineries by means of a 2000+ mile underground pipeline system and inject the climate-warming gas into the ground in North Dakota. The private company joins <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/POET">POET LLC, </a>the world's largest producer of ethanol, in the proposed Summit stable of corn converters after POET's partnership with Navigator CO2 Ventures was terminated by Navigator's abandonment of their similar project.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><img alt="SPOT for the win: Summit Carbon Solutions | SPOT" class="detail__media__img-highres js-detail-img js-detail-img-high" src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fspottracker.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F10%2FSCS-Project-Footprint-2048x1129.jpeg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=41fda7404641044db52734e9eed928e214ddec6589c7c59aecc7405c87b0757d&ipo=images" style="display: block; height: 488px; width: 885.229px;" /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">spottracker.com</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Of course the Summit project isn't merely an effort to selflessly alleviate the impending tragedy of a baking world. Rather it's a plan to<a href="https://www.producer.com/opinion/proposed-co2-pipeline-called-the-great-carbon-boondoggle/"> reap the financial benefits </a>of a federal policy subsidizing meaningless and ineffective attempts at counteracting a problem that may not even exist. Without federal subsidies none of these projects would have reached the planning stage. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The real problem is an expanding federal bureaucracy operating at the behest of financial forces in an expensive battle against an imaginary catastrophe in what has become a religious, rather than scientific effort. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span> <br /></p>Pulverized Conceptshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14860274211446159849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676615486898450570.post-82025398480767363802024-03-04T11:22:00.000-08:002024-03-04T11:22:20.290-08:00Phaedrus's Ghosts<p><span style="font-size: large;">"Whether or not we believe that the future can be influenced by the circular rhythms of the dance or foretold from an analysis of Bible verses, or that from a few underlying physical laws we can generate a cosmos, we all share a faith that lurking beneath the world's complexity is simplicity. Psychologists have found that if you put people in a room with a contraption of light bulbs wired to blink on and off at random, they will quickly discern what they believe are patterns, theories for predicting which bulb will be next to blink. Once a person becomes enmeshed in an ideology or a scientist in a hypothesis, it is difficult not to see confirmation everywhere. Our brains are wired to see order, but we are prisoners of our nervous systems, cursed with never knowing when we are seeing truths out there in the universe and when we are merely inventing elaborate architectures."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Johnson, George. <i>Fire in the Mind. Science, Faith and the Search for Order. </i>pg 21. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1995 <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span> <br /></p>Pulverized Conceptshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14860274211446159849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676615486898450570.post-56537566339141541102024-03-04T11:06:00.000-08:002024-03-04T11:06:02.382-08:00Texas Panhandle Wildfires<p><img alt="Texas wildfires including Smokehouse Creek burn Panhandle" class="detail__media__img-highres js-detail-img js-detail-img-high" src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.azcentral.com%2Fgcdn%2Fauthoring%2Fauthoring-images%2F2024%2F02%2F29%2FNAGN%2F72793891007-20240228-182952-1.jpg%3Fcrop%3D3999%2C2251%2Cx0%2Cy0%26width%3D3200%26height%3D1802%26format%3Dpjpg%26auto%3Dwebp&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=4b0d6b7fbd0007e1e6b3572b107f20a040933108f6c8d7f5954570492e9fd0f0&ipo=images" style="display: block; height: 488px; width: 866.593px;" /><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">azcentral.com</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Smokehouse Creek wildfire in the Texas panhandle north of Amarillo beginning on February 26 has been<a href=" https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/01/texas-panhandle-wildfire-investigation/"> met with outrage</a> by the landowners whose property has been incinerated and also by the insurers who might be forced to pay their claims. Legal papers have been served on Xcel Energy to force them to preserve a downed power pole near Stinnett, Texas, toppled by high winds, that may have ignited the blaze.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">While the damage caused by the fire and the possible liability of Xcel Energy are major considerations, there are other important issues. Insurers and others note that there are deficiencies in the maintenance and repair of transmission and distribution lines in many electrical systems. The insurance industry is likely to take a closer look at electrical distribution infrastructure because there's a general feeling that a large percentage of utility poles have reached the end of their service life. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This means that not only will expensive new lines be needed to tie in new renewable sources like solar arrays and wind turbines but also the existing power grid will have to be brought up to a more reliable condition.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It's likely that insurers and state regulators will require inspections and assessments of grid infrastructure by independent entities. Remediation of deficiencies will add to the bill for renewable adoption which will be passed along to the consumer. It's going to be expensive. <br /></span></p>Pulverized Conceptshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14860274211446159849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676615486898450570.post-80185892073034921442024-02-25T13:52:00.000-08:002024-02-26T05:10:08.935-08:00Art and Climate Change<p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><img alt="Artblog by Michael Wang" class="detail__media__img-highres js-detail-img js-detail-img-high" src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-UuOooS3xXCs%2FU9XhrR37aJI%2FAAAAAAAABkg%2Flf3Vus7GijE%2Fs1600%2Fr.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=f125b1fd4d9ed0a5203a71377af97ef71147e9245a825ffadf64a247e471f1f2&ipo=images" style="display: block; height: 488px; width: 344.955px;" /></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">artofmichaelwangblogspot.com</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">American artist Michael Wang feels that<a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-in-america/columns/why-climate-protests-museums-effective-1234686995/"> climate protests </a>involving museum art are an effective way to get across the message that existential climate change is really and truly a problem.</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> "I see value in these acts. By hijacking the attention we pay these
artworks, the activists’ gestures have triggered public conversations
around fossil fuels and climate that would not have happened otherwise,
redirecting attention where it is badly needed."</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Is that actually true? Or do the non-committed or uninterested look at throwing ketchup on artworks and similar attention-getting antics as the action of loonies? If, indeed, their behavior does get the attention of others, has it been successful in raising the general consciousness of climate change? Have a large number of people really discussed CAGW as a result of museum invasions? Paint my picture as skeptical. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>Pulverized Conceptshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14860274211446159849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676615486898450570.post-64114123782784136282024-02-25T12:56:00.000-08:002024-02-25T12:56:07.281-08:00Green Colonialism<p><br /></p><p> <span style="font-size: large;">Oregon fishermen and native American tribe members are skeptical about<a href=" https://www.nationalfisherman.com/west-coast-pacific/oregon-tribes-reject-offshore-wind-changes-see-green-colonialism"> the latest US offshore wind project</a>. Almost 200,000 acres ranging from 18 to 32 miles offshore have been selected by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management for wind turbine installation. The government agency is headed by attorney Elizabeth Klein. It seems that in 21st century America senior positions and even less elevated managers in both public agencies and private business are all law school grads, rather than acknowledged experts in the scientific aspects of their fields. Or, in the case of Klein's predecessor at BOEM, Amanda Lefton, the architect of the Biden administration's effort to bring global warming to a halt, a Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York at Albany. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">After accepting her position at BOEM Lefton said: "We know that climate change is the greatest crisis of our time, and we
have to transition to clean renewable energy in order to fight climate
change.” She was the director of BOEM from February 2021 to January 2023, and then left to take a position as Vice President of Offshore Development for RWE Offshore Wind GmbH, a German electric energy company. Positions in government "service" could also be called preparation for employment in the field they regulate.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span> <br /></p>Pulverized Conceptshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14860274211446159849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676615486898450570.post-88796863420550738562024-02-25T10:46:00.000-08:002024-02-26T05:06:50.994-08:00Becoming A Research University<p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> University of Alaska Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Anupma Prakash wants a $20 million cash injection to the Fairbanks school that can be used to push it to <a href=" https://alaskabeacon.com/2024/02/23/uaf-says-it-could-be-a-top-tier-research-institution-its-asking-for-20m-to-get-there/">the highest rating level</a> of the<a href="https://carnegieclassifications.acenet.edu/"> Carnegie Classification</a>, R1 a rank held by only 4% of US research institutions. She says that the money would enable the UAF to double its annual output of Phd. grads to the 70 that are required for R1 status. Graduate student fellowships would absorb $13 million of such a grant, $5 million would be used to compensate faculty whose work load would increase and $2 million would would be spent on technical improvements.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Evidently, the research characteristics and quality of a university are determined by the sheer numbers of graduate students rather than the nature or quality of their research.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In fact, Provost Prakash's request for funds raises some questions about the very concept of the research institution as it currently exists. The need for an increased number of Phd. candidates seems to indicate that much of research is actually done by students under the direction of faculty. Perhaps that has always been the case. But students are becoming scientists, not scientists in reality. The research they are doing and the papers that they produce that describe their research, if significant, result in advanced degrees that indicate their scientific credentials to the rest of the world. That is, if their research and publication is accepted by the arcane "peer group" review process. By definition the peer group would be others like themselves, scientists of the future.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">That may be an unfair criticism. Much of scientific investigation has historically been performed by individual scientists without the benefit of institutional support or recognition. Academic support should make scientific research easier and more fruitful.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Certainly fellowship funding for grad students would encourage them to continue their studies but would these studies be worth the monetary investment? What would the R1 rating mean in the great scheme of things? If achieved, what benefits, other than financial, would flow to UAF? </span><br /></p>Pulverized Conceptshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14860274211446159849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676615486898450570.post-39080647876913202732024-02-16T10:32:00.000-08:002024-02-16T10:32:42.433-08:00Hydrogen Pig Iron<p><span style="font-size: large;">The North Dakota Industrial Commission and the North Dakota Development Fund are dropping a combined $10 million on a plan to ship Mesabi Range Minnesota iron ore mine waste, whatever that is, to the Coal Creek Power Station 50 miles north of Bismarck from a storage area near Calumet, MN, 434 miles to the east. The power house is fired by lignite and is the largest generator of electricity in the Flickertail State, its two generators producing almost 1.2 gigawatts. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><img alt="Coal Creek Station sale to Rainbow Energy Center final | Oil And Energy ..." class="detail__media__img-highres js-detail-img js-detail-img-high" src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com%2Fwillistonherald.com%2Fcontent%2Ftncms%2Fassets%2Fv3%2Feditorial%2F7%2F1a%2F71a02664-0cb5-11eb-8bfc-8b06acdb0060%2F5f849b286acd5.image.jpg%3Fresize%3D540%252C353&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=616596815fd45a3694bb74b2b307ba03f98b98a6b385eaa2c232411972bd62e3&ipo=images" style="display: block; height: 353px; width: 540px;" /><span style="font-size: x-small;">willistonherald.com</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">With a stack height of about 650 feet, the plant produces over 4 million tons of ash annually, 3rd most of any such facility in the country.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/north-dakota/company-proposes-upcycling-minnesota-iron-mine-waste-in-central-north-dakota">The project,</a> planned by new owner Rainbow Energy, will use the plant's power to convert natural gas to hydrogen and CO2, fueling the furnaces that will produce pig iron for Scranton Holding/North American Iron. The CO2 produced in the process will be sequestered underground in the area.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The sequence of events in the pig iron story will mean the use of first the energy in lignite, then the electrical energy of the power plant itself, followed by raw material energy of natural gas, and then the energy of the hydrogen produced. Of course, as usual, a number of well-paid jobs will result. But a minimum of the dread CO2 molecules will be released and North Dakota and its neighbors will likely enjoy the Siberian climate of the area that has been the case since glacial Lake Agassiz drained 8200 years ago. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span> <br /></p>Pulverized Conceptshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14860274211446159849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676615486898450570.post-23034060713404375702024-02-13T07:56:00.000-08:002024-02-13T07:56:30.155-08:00That Darned Climate Change<p> </p><p> <img alt="3 multimillion-dollar homes teetering on edge of California cliff after landslide, footage shows" class="attachment-nyp_large_article_cropped size-nyp_large_article_cropped" height="496" src="https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/newspress-collage-3nb22krpg-1707804130982.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&1707786144&w=744&h=496&crop=1" width="744" /></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">nypost </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.ocregister.com/2024/02/09/landslide-dumps-dirt-150-feet-in-san-clemente-debris-came-down-near-tidepools-in-dana-point/">Three modest homes</a> in San Clemente</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">, </span><span style="font-size: large;">California are in a precarious position after the atmospheric river poured over the Golden State. This tragedy in-the-making probably would never have occurred if the CO2 in the atmosphere had been held to pre-industrial levels.</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><img alt="Mud and debris slid down a hillside at the Headlands, near the Ocean Institute, in Dana Point, CA following heavy rains in Feb.. (Photo courtesy Tarek Jadeba/EYES IN THE SKY)
" class="size-article_feature lazyautosizes lazyloaded" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://www.ocregister.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/OCR-L-VISTAMONTANA-0210-10.jpg?w=620" data-srcset="https://www.ocregister.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/OCR-L-VISTAMONTANA-0210-10.jpg?w=620 620w,https://www.ocregister.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/OCR-L-VISTAMONTANA-0210-10.jpg?w=780 780w,https://www.ocregister.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/OCR-L-VISTAMONTANA-0210-10.jpg?w=1020 1020w,https://www.ocregister.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/OCR-L-VISTAMONTANA-0210-10.jpg?w=1280 1280w,https://www.ocregister.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/OCR-L-VISTAMONTANA-0210-10.jpg?w=1860 1860w" src="https://www.ocregister.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/OCR-L-VISTAMONTANA-0210-10.jpg?w=620" title="Mud and debris slid down a hillside at the Headlands, near the Ocean Institute, in Dana Point, CA following heavy rains in Feb.. (Photo courtesy Tarek Jadeba/EYES IN THE SKY)
" /></p><p>Photo courtesy Tarek Jadeba/EYES IN THE SKY) </p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But this is what happens when a society dares to drive gasoline-powered automobiles to the C-store for milk and potato chips. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Perhaps in some by-gone time the evident cliffs visible beneath these homes were instead areas of solid ground that supported homes of the ancestors of some current Californians. Or maybe not. Those people may have had more sense than to build on a site likely to fall into the sea after a serious rainfall.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The homeowners insurance carriers of these properties may be very interested in the situation. </span> <br /></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span> <br /></p>Pulverized Conceptshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14860274211446159849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676615486898450570.post-68360101669571004922024-02-12T19:08:00.000-08:002024-02-12T19:08:57.176-08:00The Position of the Harvard Crimson<p><span style="font-size: large;">A February 8th <a href=" https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/2/8/editorial-plagiarism-rights-weapon/">editorial in the Harvard Crimson </a>authored by the Crimson Editorial Board looks at the plagiarism situation involving two black, female administrators, former University President Claudine Gay and <span>Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Sherri A. Charleston.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span>While the editorial admits that plagiarism is a problem and that candidates for positions at Harvard must be vetted for it and other issues before hiring takes place, it states that in this case bringing up plagiarism is a method of attacking DEI itself, engaging in war against higher education and right-wing activists' campaign against the entire academic project.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span>For an alumnus, a diploma from a respected and expensive university is a huge investment in time and money. It is in the interest of the graduate that the reputation for excellence of the institution be upheld or increased by its future management and the failure to do so will naturally result in criticism. That was the case in the Gay argument, which was initiated by a Harvard alum and large financial donor. As a product of Harvard he has every right to defend the integrity of the school and hardly represents an anti-education right-wing campaign.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span>Harvard, and the other elite universities in the US and Canada, have problems of their own making. Perhaps they should look into them and attempt to represent and enlighten a bigger share of society. <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span> <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span> <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span><br /></span></span></p>Pulverized Conceptshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14860274211446159849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676615486898450570.post-61929000762328773132024-02-08T08:49:00.000-08:002024-02-08T08:49:16.037-08:00Variable Rate Electricity<p>*</p><p><span style="font-size: large;">You probably guessed that "smart" electricity meters weren't purchased and installed by utility companies to make life simpler and cheaper for the consumer. Midwest energy titan Xcel Energy, after announcing and substantially completing the installation of the new measuring devices, now tells home owners and businesses what the next step will be, variable rate pricing. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">During the 3pm-8pm period rates will be seven times those of midnight to 6am. The whole story can be found <a href="https://energycentral.com/news/xcel-plans-higher-electric-rates-during-peak-evening-hours-0">here</a>. </span> <br /></p>Pulverized Conceptshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14860274211446159849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676615486898450570.post-12045290077931647012024-02-08T08:40:00.000-08:002024-02-08T08:40:58.667-08:00Stanford University and the Federal Government<p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">You might come to the conclusion after examining the situation that Stanford University is actually an agency of the US government. Last year the highly-rated institution was the recipient of $1.98 billion in government funding for research. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">There are currently 7,500 externally-funded research projects at the school and about 2/3 of them are financed by the federal government. <a href=" https://stanforddaily.com/2024/02/01/behind-the-1-98-billion-in-stanfords-external-research-funds/">This article</a> from <i>The</i> <i>Stanford Daily </i>explains how it works.<i> </i> </span> <br /></p>Pulverized Conceptshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14860274211446159849noreply@blogger.com0