Seven Generational Ruminations -

Reducing carbon emissions 75% by 2050 is like...

David Herron — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 00:11:49 +0000

Reducing carbon emissions 75% by 2050 is like agreeing to stop smoking by the time your lung cancer becomes inoperable...

The ZipCar program

David Herron — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 20:32:08 +0000

ZipCar is about helping people wean themselves from car ownership. In the U.S.A. we have become car dependent and it's difficult to live in our cities without owning a car. Strike that, it's difficult to live here without having to occasionally drive a car to something or other. In many places it is possible to get around without driving, for example by bicycling or motorcycles or public transit.

Being Water: Grey water recycling systems

David Herron — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 20:19:50 +0000

Grey water is perfectly reusable in certain ways. There are known standards and known practices that allow the use of grey water in a way that is safe. By using grey water you lessen water use, and extend the water supply so that more people can drink. Nature reuses water endlessly but somehow we humans don't seem to have caught on to this pattern, and instead our supposedly advanced modern society throws away massive quantities of water causing us to overly stretch the water supply available to us.

Endless water supplies from ElementFour's WaterMill product

David Herron — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 15:27:45 +0000

An unrecognized looming crisis is the availability of fresh clean water. Water supply systems are overloaded delivering water to current populations, and in many countries the water simply is not safe. And of course our ancestors also had to deal with unsafe water supplies, it was modern water treatment with all its chemicals that enabled us to have safe clean water available just by twisting the water tap.

One block off the grid - solar power in the urban environment

David Herron — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 22:16:37 +0000

"1 Block Off the Grid is a nationwide community-based purchasing program for residential Solar energy. We drive large savings by aggregating groups of residents and negotiating discount pricing with installers and manufacturers." They aim to bring the U.S. to the forefront of using and deploying solar energy technology. They aim to remove 'cost' as a hurdle by using group purchasing power.

A look at Oil Change International

David Herron — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 04:02:57 +0000

"Oil Change International campaigns to expose the true costs of oil and facilitate the coming transition towards clean energy. We are dedicated to identifying and overcoming political barriers to that transition." That's what they're saying about themselves. This is a worthy goal as I think most people just fill up their tanks and don't think a thing about what they're doing.

A look at the Green-E Certification program

David Herron — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 04:47:53 +0000

The Green-e program is meant to bolster customer confidence in the reliability of retail electricity products reflecting renewable energy generation, expand the retail market for electricity products incorporating renewable energy, provide customers clear information about retail "green" electricity products to enable them to make informed purchasing decisions, and encourage the deployment of electricity products that minimize air pollution and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

A look at California Interfaith Power and Light

David Herron — Fri, 7 Nov 2008 19:22:30 +0000

With a name that sounds like a utility company, California Interfaith Power and Light (CIPL) are an activist group working on environmental green issues from a religious perspective.

Barack Obama's epic win

David Herron — Thu, 6 Nov 2008 15:04:27 +0000

Barack Obama's epic win (salon.com) No president since John Kennedy or Harry Truman will come into office facing graver crises....Tuesday was the night that the 1960s -- the divisive decade that defined American politics for 40 years -- finally died.... by defeating Clinton (representing baby boomers) and McCain (representing Vietnam soldiers) ...The raucous Obama victory rally in Grant Park was the capstone of Democratic strength through unity.

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Reading the tea leaves of election results

David Herron — Thu, 6 Nov 2008 03:47:49 +0000

In previous elections I've noticed an interesting thing if you look at per-county results. The main news results focus on per-state results for which state went "Red" versus "Blue" (aside: why is most of the world equating 'Red' with Communism and in the U.S. it's equated with Conservatives?). But what's more interesting is to look at the per-county results.

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Yes we Did?

David Herron — Wed, 5 Nov 2008 05:42:29 +0000

What a dream come true. An end to the nightmare and the accomplishment of a dream, that's been a long time in the fulfillment. But there's an interesting phrase being used in the celebration: "YES WE DID" riffing on the campaign slogan "YES WE CAN". Its as if they are celebrating having accomplished the goal, and that's all they needed to do was to get their guy into office.

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A look at the Set America Free Coalition

David Herron — Mon, 3 Nov 2008 02:01:52 +0000

Set America Free is described as a coalition of several sorts of interest groups, "Tree Huggers, Do-Gooders, Sodbusters, Cheap Hawks, and Evangelicals". They are aiming to set America free from high oil prices.

Their problem statement is:- a) No Fuel Choice: Our Cars Are Addicted To Oil, b) No Fuel Choice: Our Economy Is Controlled by OPEC, c) No Fuel Choice: Our Dollars Are Bankrolling Hostile Foreign Nations

Despite the dizzying array of choice in car models they all have one thing in common: Fossil Oil, primarily gasoline, is the fuel.

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A look at Mariah Power's new vertical axis wind turbine

David Herron — Sun, 2 Nov 2008 21:39:22 +0000

The Windspire is a low cost, attractive, plug-n-produce wind power appliance that provides a safe and attractive method for harnessing power from the wind. At only 30 feet tall and 2 feet in radius, Windspire is distinguished by its sleek propeller-free design, ultra quiet operation, rugged construction, and affordable pricing. Designed for operation where we live and work, it comes complete with a high efficiency generator, integrated inverter, hinged monopole, and wireless performance monitor.

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Technosanity #18: Matt Simmons discussing oil supply disruptions

David Herron — Sun, 2 Nov 2008 20:43:04 +0000

Matt Simmons is Chairman of Simmons & Company International, a specialized energy investment banking firm. Mr. Simmons' recently published book Twilight in the Desert: The Coming Saudi Oil Shock and the World Economy has been listed on the Wall Street Journal's best-seller list. He has also published numerous energy papers for industry journals and is a frequent speaker at government forums, energy symposiums and in board rooms of many leading energy companies around the world. Mr.

Technosanity #18: Matt Simmons discussing oil supply disruptions
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A look at the Fuel Economy Guide

David Herron — Sat, 1 Nov 2008 16:56:19 +0000

Do you want to know how to be more fuel efficient? The U.S. government, specifically the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), operates fueleconomy.gov to provide resources that help you choose more wisely and be more fuel efficient.

The top level navigation says a lot about this site:-

Find and Compare Cars

Gas Mileage Tips

Gasoline Prices

Your MPG Will Vary

Why is Fuel Economy Important?

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Technosanity #17: QA session with Ken Verosub, Jeremy Gilbert

David Herron — Sat, 1 Nov 2008 05:22:45 +0000

Q&A session with Ken Verosub and Jeremy Gilbert immediately following the presentations they gave and which were broadcast in immediately prior Technosanity Podcast episodes.

Technosanity #17: QA session with Ken Verosub, Jeremy Gilbert

Technosanity #16: Peak Oil Global Overview, An American Wake Up Call

David Herron — Sat, 1 Nov 2008 03:46:39 +0000

A presentation at ASPO-USA 2008 by Mr. Jeremy J Gilbert, Managing Director, Barrelmore Ltd Jeremy Gilbert. Jeremy is the recently retired Chief Petroleum Engineer from British Petroleum (BP) where he was responsible for the company's worldwide petroleum engineering performance and associated research and development program. He joined BP in 1964.

Technosanity #16: Peak Oil Global Overview, An American Wake Up Call
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Review: Petroapocalypse Now

David Herron — Sat, 1 Nov 2008 03:31:00 +0000

"We have to leave oil before oil leaves us." 'Petroapocalypse Now' is a story about cheap oil and the biggest party humanity has ever known.

We have built our world around the car & the airplane. Has enabled 'us' to colonize the entire planet. These cars and planes etc would be useless lumps of metal w/o oil. Cheap oil has put the burden of work onto machines and broke barriers of space and time.

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Technosanity #15: Naomi Klein, Shock Doctrine presentation in Santa Cruz

David Herron — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 03:24:59 +0000

This is a presentation given by Naomi Klein equating the financial meltdown of August/September/October 2008 with her general thesis of the Shock Doctrine of Disaster Capitalism. This thesis cuts to the heart of the reshaping of whole societies, using disasters as a means to justify enacting societal changes which would normally be untenable but under the influence of some kind of disaster societies are more agreeable to suggestions they would not normally accept. This idea is not new, other writers have discussed the same pattern.

Technosanity #15: Naomi Klein, Shock Doctrine presentation in Santa Cruz
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Technosanity #14: Petroleum & Peak Oil 101

David Herron — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 19:04:50 +0000

Petroleum 101

Mr. Ken Verosub, Geology Professor, University of California, Davis
http://www.aspo-usa.com/aspousa4/ConfirmedSpeakers.cfm?bid=522

slides: http://www.aspo-usa.org/aspousa4/proceedings/Verosub_Ken_Petro_101_ASPOUSA2008.pdf

Specialist in paleomagnetism of sediments, the history of the geomagnetic field. He presents an introductory lecture in Petroleum Geology giving an overview of how geology & biology came together to create the gift of oil.

Technosanity #14: Petroleum & Peak Oil 101
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Technosanity #13: Peter Wells at ASPO-USA 2008

David Herron — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 14:57:27 +0000

Peter Wells.. Neftex Petroleum Consultants, Ltd
bio: http://www.aspo-usa.org/aspousa4/ConfirmedSpeakers.cfm?bid=510
slides: http://www.aspo-usa.org/aspousa4/proceedings/Wells_Peter_OPEC_ASPOUSA2008.pdf

Oil geologist and other work in the oil industry in the Middle East, former Soviet Union, West Aftrica, etc. Currently working as a consultant with one contract being Toyota. Toyota had studied and internalized Peak Oil long ago, and 6 yrs later developed the Prius.

Technosanity #13: Peter Wells at ASPO-USA 2008
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Recent Zuumer coverage

David Herron — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 04:56:39 +0000

Last month I had the immense pleasure to meet the ZuumCraft team, talk with the founder (Tom Boyd), and take test ride a Zuumer. Seems a few other people have also taken test rides and have written some articles.

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The final weeks

David Herron — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 05:36:03 +0000

MoveOn sent me a letter about my blog and suggested something I could post to it.. basically they're sending out a list of points for us to ponder, so that we don't look at the news about Obama being ahead in the polls and get lazy. As they say anything can happen in the next couple of weeks. Anything.

The polls maybe be wrong? Were the polls wrong in 2004 or 2000? The guy who won both times was behind in the polls so something was amiss. Of course the poll that matters is the one on election day.

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Peak oil a myth?

David Herron — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 14:24:20 +0000

The Recurring Myth of Peak Oil is a longish article by ISMAEL HOSSEIN-ZADEH which goes at length to claim "Peak Oil" is a hoax. He has some interesting arguments, which I don't buy, and want to analyse a bit. He is a Professor of Economics at Drake Univ., has written books, and from a brief yahoogling seems to have written several articles discussing energy shortages and oil wars and other oil issues.

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Conservatives backing Obama

David Herron — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:15:49 +0000

CNN notes that Buckley leaves National Review after Obama endorsement, that's Christopher Buckley, the son of conservative icon William F. Buckley. He had been writing for the National Review, a paper founded by his father, and had recently endorsed Barack Obama for President. The CNN article also notes other prominent Conservatives who have endorsed Obama.

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The low level EV Technician

David Herron — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 02:53:21 +0000

While processing the update on the Dagne motorcycle a thought resurfaced. One thing that's necessary for the EV Industry to take off is that there be trained low level EV technicians just as today there are a wide range of technicians for servicing oil burning vehicles. While electric vehicles tend to be very reliable they can and do break. Nothing is perfect and as the Buddha said everything in the manifest universe is impermanent. I think he really said the only permanence is impermanence.

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MIT Bringing Smart Biking Project to Copenhagen; Prototype Hybrid Bicycle

David Herron — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:59:56 +0000

In Copenhagen a considerable fraction of the city's energy comes from renewable sources and many of their citizens ride bicycles. Apparently they want to know more about the ebb and flow of the bicyclists on the Copenhagen streets. But this strikes be as a pseudo-big-brother program in addition to be an interesting type of sustainable transportation.

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The Dagne from Revolution Motors

David Herron — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 05:07:58 +0000

Yet another three wheeled electric vehicle. In the U.S. they register as motorcycles and it's a lot easier to get to market when it's a motorcycle. This one is a reverse trike design that has tilting featuritis. It seats two people sitting in tandem. Tandem seating does narrow the vehicle which increases efficiency by presenting a smaller face to the air. The real curious thing (as if a three wheel electric motorcycle isn't curious enough) is that instead of a steering wheel or handlebars, it is driven with a joystick.

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Technosanity #12: Peak Oil and the Media (from Radio Ecoshock)

David Herron — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 21:07:06 +0000

Republished from http://www.ecoshock.org/2008/08/peak-oil-and-media.html -- a panel discussion about Peak Oil and its coverage in the Media. What we can do. Vancouverpeakoil.org presents a panel of 5 journalists: Rex Weyler, Barbara Jaffe, Charlie Smith, Sara Robinson and Alex Smith. How to organize, use media, bypass the mainstream.

Technosanity #12: Peak Oil and the Media (from Radio Ecoshock)
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RePower America

David Herron — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:55:50 +0000

WeCanSolveIt.org has sent out an alert regarding the following advertisement they want to run on television. They talk about the ads running during and after the election debates like so: ABC had Chevron. CBS had Exxon. CNN had the coal lobby. But you know what happened last week?

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