Float and tether energy collectors (any combination of solar/ wind/ wave collectors) onto offshore (and potentially out of sight) platforms: use the energy to generate hydrogen by electrolysis from sea water. The hydrogen gets stored in tanks on the platforms and harvesting would entail swapping empty tanks with charged tanks.
In today’s climate of peak water, there is an additional positive effect of this model: the fresh water by product of hydrogen combustion as fuel. In effect, hydrogen by electrolysis from sea water is a form of desalinization.
Monday, January 13, 2014
Saturday, October 19, 2013
The will of the people
So the a stopgap budget resolution was passed on Wednesday (10/16/2113), just in time to avert a potentially worldwide economic crisis. This was just the latest example of how elected legislators ignore the will of voters.
The question becomes how to get a more responsive government? Government is powerful because, in aggregate, the monies it collects (primarily through taxes) is so large that it overshadows the resources of any other institution or organization. And because elected politicians control where these monies are spent, they are in positions of great power. One way to diminish their power is to decrease their control over the big pots of tax revenue.
The best place to start is with Social Security taxes. Currently, surplus social security payments are diverted into a two Social Security Trust Funds; funds which the U.S. Treasury uses to buy treasury bonds, thereby tacitly bulking up the monies collected by the federal government. Two points about this borrowing from the Social Security Trust… (1) it is used to argue that there is no trust (which is true in so far as the trust has no ‘money in the bank’) and (2) money (quietly) borrowed from the trust fund is used to minimize the apparent government debt.
But Social Security taxes are not intended to be a source of revenue for the government, they are supposed to be set aside to supplement the retirement of older Americans. As such, those who pay into the trust should decide who may borrow their monies and how it can be spent. There should be a way for tax payers to purchase government bonds directed to specific public projects (both local and national). Information about proposed public projects (including potential contracts, bids, budgets and goals) should be available for public perusal and critique for purposes of transparency. Taxpayers could ‘vote’ their support by committing their Social Security tax payments to government bond(s) to fund Program X and build Public Works Y. Elected politicians would be responsible for budgeting normal tax revenues to repay these bonds into the Social Security Trust as needed and cover programs they deem essential.
Ideally, this would expand over time so that taxpayers control the spending of a majority of tax revenues (60-80%) and politicians would be elected based on their bureaucratic skills and not photogenic spinmeistering.
The question becomes how to get a more responsive government? Government is powerful because, in aggregate, the monies it collects (primarily through taxes) is so large that it overshadows the resources of any other institution or organization. And because elected politicians control where these monies are spent, they are in positions of great power. One way to diminish their power is to decrease their control over the big pots of tax revenue.
The best place to start is with Social Security taxes. Currently, surplus social security payments are diverted into a two Social Security Trust Funds; funds which the U.S. Treasury uses to buy treasury bonds, thereby tacitly bulking up the monies collected by the federal government. Two points about this borrowing from the Social Security Trust… (1) it is used to argue that there is no trust (which is true in so far as the trust has no ‘money in the bank’) and (2) money (quietly) borrowed from the trust fund is used to minimize the apparent government debt.
But Social Security taxes are not intended to be a source of revenue for the government, they are supposed to be set aside to supplement the retirement of older Americans. As such, those who pay into the trust should decide who may borrow their monies and how it can be spent. There should be a way for tax payers to purchase government bonds directed to specific public projects (both local and national). Information about proposed public projects (including potential contracts, bids, budgets and goals) should be available for public perusal and critique for purposes of transparency. Taxpayers could ‘vote’ their support by committing their Social Security tax payments to government bond(s) to fund Program X and build Public Works Y. Elected politicians would be responsible for budgeting normal tax revenues to repay these bonds into the Social Security Trust as needed and cover programs they deem essential.
Ideally, this would expand over time so that taxpayers control the spending of a majority of tax revenues (60-80%) and politicians would be elected based on their bureaucratic skills and not photogenic spinmeistering.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Two questions about the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster…
Apparently radioactive water is leaking from the holding tanks at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant which was damaged by the March 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami.
-The operators of the plant have proposed building an ‘ice wall’ to contain the contaminated water leaking from the plant… What are the energy needs to establish and maintain/operate this for the necessary length of time? Will it ultimately consume more energy than Fukushima Daiichi ever produced? There are already so many excellent reasons to reject nuclear energy, is this another mark in the no column?
-Would it be possible to clear some of the radioactive isotopes from the contaminated water with activated charcoal? If so, why not dump some in the holding tanks… at least the water that leaks out will be just the slightest bit less radioactive.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Pro-Humanities
There was a piece in the Washington Post in July which argued for fewer humanities majors and more technology majors… what a crock!
This country has never suffered a shortage of innovation; we have always been a magnet for the aggregation of innovators, internally and abroad. What we suffer from is a poor social, political and economic support for innovation and growth.
If anything, there is a lack of understanding of the liberal arts and how they are applied to manipulate our political and economic activities. Americans are subject to emotional appeal, straw men, incomplete or carefully selected ‘facts’ and outright subterfuge by journalists and pundits (better described as message amplifiers) and marketers and advertisers (more accurately, consumer manipulators) to two major effects: (1) Consumer marketing which tells us to buy houses we can’t afford with loan conditions which are unsustainable in unstable economic conditions; processed foods and cable television which contribute to a litany of chronic conditions including diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and tooth decay; cheap fashion which has a higher cost than evident on the surface and other consumer goods which come a high hidden social and environmental price. (2) Misleading and highly polished political messaging to sell poorly reasoned political arguments to the detriment of a majority of Americans. We’ve been sold that the inheritance tax is a ‘death tax’ and the Affordable Care Act (better known as Obamacare) calls for the establishment of ‘death panels’. And all evidence to the contrary, we are told “We don't have a domestic spying program…”
As consumers of American culture and media, we are bombarded by a constant barrage of doublespeak and embedded advertising. These are designed to persuade us to behave in a way beneficial to those who buy such placement. As Americans, we need the analytical and reasoning skills to see beyond the immediate story so we can make informed and not persuaded decisions. If anything, this country needs to foster and promote humanities and liberal arts education, not diminish.
And should the author of the initiating post has forgotten, let me remind him that one of the highest value class of American exports is American culture… That’s right, movies, television, music, online content, etc… all based on narratives dependent on the humanities.
This country has never suffered a shortage of innovation; we have always been a magnet for the aggregation of innovators, internally and abroad. What we suffer from is a poor social, political and economic support for innovation and growth.
If anything, there is a lack of understanding of the liberal arts and how they are applied to manipulate our political and economic activities. Americans are subject to emotional appeal, straw men, incomplete or carefully selected ‘facts’ and outright subterfuge by journalists and pundits (better described as message amplifiers) and marketers and advertisers (more accurately, consumer manipulators) to two major effects: (1) Consumer marketing which tells us to buy houses we can’t afford with loan conditions which are unsustainable in unstable economic conditions; processed foods and cable television which contribute to a litany of chronic conditions including diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and tooth decay; cheap fashion which has a higher cost than evident on the surface and other consumer goods which come a high hidden social and environmental price. (2) Misleading and highly polished political messaging to sell poorly reasoned political arguments to the detriment of a majority of Americans. We’ve been sold that the inheritance tax is a ‘death tax’ and the Affordable Care Act (better known as Obamacare) calls for the establishment of ‘death panels’. And all evidence to the contrary, we are told “We don't have a domestic spying program…”
As consumers of American culture and media, we are bombarded by a constant barrage of doublespeak and embedded advertising. These are designed to persuade us to behave in a way beneficial to those who buy such placement. As Americans, we need the analytical and reasoning skills to see beyond the immediate story so we can make informed and not persuaded decisions. If anything, this country needs to foster and promote humanities and liberal arts education, not diminish.
And should the author of the initiating post has forgotten, let me remind him that one of the highest value class of American exports is American culture… That’s right, movies, television, music, online content, etc… all based on narratives dependent on the humanities.
Monday, September 23, 2013
What is the effect of a higher minimum wage on…
I overheard a complaint by a medical technician over the fast food workers’ strike for a higher minimum wage… This person objected to a $15/hr minimum wage because they, with a college degree and advanced training, made $16/hr. While my first response was… maybe they should be earning more, it occurred to me that I don’t know what effect a minimum wage increase would have on workers making various amounts higher than minimum wage. There have been a number of studies and news reports (see here, here, here, here, and here) on how such a change would effect the economy overall, the question I have is what happens to low wage workers who make just above minimum wage? What about two times minimum wage? Three times minimum wage? Union wages?… etc.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Carbon free renewable energy…
Float and tether energy collectors (any combination of solar/ wind/ wave collectors) onto offshore (and potentially out of sight) platforms: use the energy to generate hydrogen by electrolysis from sea water. The hydrogen gets stored in tanks on the platforms and harvesting would entail swapping empty tanks with charged tanks.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
If the trend holds…
Yesterday’s religions are today’s myths. Does that mean today’s religion are building the myths of tomorrow?
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