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October 31, 2005
Harvesting Clean Energy conference Feb 27-28, 2006 Spokane, WA
This is a good one. I will be attending.
Harvesting Clean Energy Conference
Posted by Martin at 8:45 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Bipartisan support for Ethanol mandate
Here is a crazy idea. Instead of mandating increased CAFE standards (more mileage), trade that for a 100% flex fuel vehicle fleet. Then consumers can have the choice to choose cleaner fuels like Ethanol and Biodiesel. This path is WAY faster than hybrids or hydrogen. The idea seems to be getting traction.
Bipartisan Support May Form Around Radical Ethanol Use Plan
Strong bipartisan support may form in Congress around a radical new plan by a nationally renowned entrepreneur calling for a sharp increase in ethanol usage beyond the new energy law mandate -- a plan that touts significant energy independence in 3-5 years by moving national ethanol usage from the current 3 percent mandate in the new energy law to a whopping 50 percent or more. The massive ramp-up in ethanol use would be spurred by new tax credits, import duty waivers and a new mandate that all cars be flexible fueled vehicles (FFVs, which run on both gasoline and biofuels).
The proposal has attracted significant attention among energy experts and a surprisingly wide breadth of interests in Washington, ranging from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to defense-minded neoconservatives. Sources say a new bipartisan House oil and national security caucus will soon be briefed on the plans ability to create jobs and achieve environmental benefits. Moreover, FFVs are quickly gaining strong support from the Big Three in Detroit as a near-term alternative fuel option and from some environmentalists who see an ethanol-dominant fuel as a way to control carbon emissions. Such an approach would also attract the strongest of support from the powerful farm lobby, which has been arguing for more ethanol use for decades.
At an Oct. 18 session on renewable energy for transportation at the American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE) conference dealing with policies to promote renewable energy, entrepreneur Vinod Khosla, founding CEO of Sun Microsystems, presented a proposal for rapidly and cheaply weaning the United States from Middle East oil and developing the nations biofuels industry, a plan that he says could radically transform U.S. transportation fuels within 3-5 years.
Khoslas proposal calls for U.S. automakers to trade a 100 percent FFV mandate for new cars in exchange for relief from pressure to raise the Corporate Average Fuel Economy. It also calls for no tax on imported ethanol, a transfer of agriculture subsidies from row crops to energy crops and for significant tax credit and debt guarantees for new cellulosic ethanol production technologies.
At the request of Democratic leader Pelosi, Khosla presented his proposal to interested lawmakers the same afternoon after he made his ACORE presentation. Following that presentation, ACORE asked Khosla and other panelists to develop a white paper based on the Khosla presentation and related presentations on biofuels.
In addition, at a conference luncheon Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY), co-chair of the new oil and national security caucus along with Rep. James Saxton (R-NJ), said that a traditional coastal opposition existed toward ethanol proposals because they were seen as a boon to agricultural states. But, Engel said, everythings on the table as the new caucus looks for solutions to energy security issues. He said he would keep an open mind toward Khoslas proposal if and when Congress crafts a legislative proposal for an appropriate new national energy direction that includes provisions such as the FFV-ethanol plan.
According to Khosla, a transformation of the U.S. transportation fuel sector could be achieved using existing car technology and oil distribution systems. The key to such a transformation is ethanol. Dominant use of ethanol as a transportation fuel has already been successfully adopted in Brazil and is therefore a proven model, according to Khosla. Furthermore, ethanol is already part of the fuel market through blending requirements, which could be dramatically expanded by adding E-85, a mix of 85 percent ethanol.
We dont need oil, hydrogen, or a new distribution system, Khosla told the ACORE audience of energy experts, former and present federal officials and congressional staff. It is very practical, he said, noting that he was not interested in incremental fixes to the energy issues he is trying to deal with.
Citing a new agricultural community initiative -- 25X25 -- to achieve 25 percent conversion of the U.S. fuel supply to biomass by 2025, Khosla said it was too conservative a goal and that we can replace the majority of petroleum fuel with biofuels by 2025. Already, some 4 million FFVs are on the road, even though most Americans do not know this, Khosla said. The sharp increase in capital investment in ethanol production that has already occurred is a fact that supports his proposal, he argued, noting that high oil prices are accommodating startup costs.
Khosla also addressed the politics of an ethanol mandate. According to his analysis, U.S. automakers would have to invest less than would be needed to convert to a hydrogen economy. Moreover, ethanol is compatible with hybrids. Agricultural interests would receive more income and face less pressure in the World Trade Organization and the Doha Round of trade talks for reduced agricultural subsidies. Environmental groups would see faster conversion to renewable energy, with less risk. And even major oil companies would be equipped to build or own ethanol factories and distribution infrastructure and would benefit from diversification.
Posted by Martin at 11:51 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
October 29, 2005
Lots of gadgets on Ebay
eBay Seller: ministeroforder: Accessories, Parts, Desktop PC Components items on eBay.com
Finally am getting around to listing lots of gadgets on e-bay. Most are fun but I have just replaced them with newer ones. All $1 starting bid. Check out the first generation Boase Noise canceling headphones, Tapwave Zodiac, IBM Thinkpad X20, Jabra 800, Watchguard Soho, Logitech QuickCam and a bundle of X10 stuff!
Posted by Martin at 9:59 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 23, 2005
Review: Murder on the Orient Express
read this classic last weekend. After alot of modern pulp, I had a hankering for some classic pulp. If you can get over the formal English dialogue, you will find a very intriguing story that stands the test of time. Probably the most classic who done-in set exclusively in a train car stranded in a snow drift. I won't tell the end, but I didn't see any of it coming. So many interesting characters and so many complex motivations. Read it all in one sitting. If you haven't read this classic, I highly recommend it.
I rate this 4 of 5 stars.
Posted by Martin at 1:48 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 21, 2005
Review: Flush by karl hiassen
I was in Miami last week and in a book store. I love Hiaasen's prior work with all their whacky bad guys and twisted plots. He really ties into essential truths about Florida. When I saw this one on the hardback counter as his new stuff I immediately swooped it up. I didn't even read the dust jacket or the review. I should have. This is one of Hiaasen's new books aimed at the teen market. It is told from the perspective of a teen boy and his sister who are heros against their inept parents and bumbling bad guys. Hiaasen dumbed down his writing for the young masses. Expecting his other stuff I am totally underwhelmed. If you are over 15, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK!
I rate this 0 of 5 stars.
Posted by Martin at 8:39 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Review: Ghost Rider
I had no idea that one of the guys from the band Rush was a bit of a philospher. Well he is and has written a Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance style journey on a bike book. He has always been a cyclist, but when his 18 year old daughter died suddenly and less than a year later his wife died of cancer, he was left totally empty. To fill himself or at least keep busy he set out on his BMW riding 600 miles a day. That is a LONG day on the bike, I know. Most of the text is spent on the details of the journey, rain, terain, hotels, etc. Interspersed are pieces of realization as they come. You go through the whole denial, grief, remorse and recovery stage bit by bit with him. Not an easy book to read if you are going through loss yourself. Not an easy book to read if you don't have the resources to just drop everything in your life and ride a motorcycle for two years. Because that is you will want to do after reading this book.
I rate this 2 of 5
Posted by Martin at 8:34 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Review: Long Time Gone, J.A. Jance
I finished this a couple weeks ago on a plane. I like J.A. Jance because she writes about Seattle. This one is set much in central seattle around the hospitals. Your basic brooding male dective pulp. Good plane reading to get you away from the e-mail and powerpoint. Nothing exceptional, but fun to read.
I rate 3 of 5 stars.
Posted by Martin at 8:24 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 19, 2005
Against Harriet Meiers for Supreme Court
I liked John Roberts. He was a very careful man with a very long judicial history. He was also probably the most carefully vetted and prepared nominee in the history of the court. The Bush administration thought it was their one shot. Then the other shoe drops and I believe the Bush administration was really caught off gaurd. They didn't think they would have to come up with two. So GW has completely fallen back on what he knows best, his long time friends, regardless of what other people thing.
I don't know Harriet Meiers. Never met her. But I have met GW and like him. Usually I even agree with him. But this time he is bungling things so badly I have to speak up. Ms. Meiers is totally unqualified to be a judge. Bush leaned with Roberts that having a sparse judicial history was good to keep the questions down (less records you know). But the idea that more of a good thing, as in ZERO history is totally wrong. She has NEVER been a judge. She has hardly ever been in court, most of her cases settled out of it. The Senate questionaire today is embarassingly slim. She couldn't even remember the exact dates she held certain key jobs. She has never been married and is a workaholic adminstrative functionary. That is supposed to be good training for the Supreme Court? Totally unacceptable.
The country deserves someone who has spent quite a bit more time with the constitutional issues that the court will face. Even if they have opinions. You can't just one day pick up a copy of the constituion and start interpreting it. Why, maybe Bush should nomimate me?
Posted by Martin at 8:47 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 17, 2005
congratulations to Derby Liberation Front!
Saturday night was the big Thriller in Magnuson Park. The new Rat City Rollergirls league crowned the Derby Liberation Front as champ! The Seattle Times: Derby dames crown winner. I went to one of the first ones this year with around 200 fans. Saturday night was sell out over 2,000 fans. This is the new hot ticket in Seattle. Does your town have a rollerderby league?
Posted by Martin at 12:45 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Walmart beats Amazon
Driving home tonight from a long flight I was listening to the radio and heard the author of Cinema Nirvana. I decided to buy it for my wife. Usually I just go to AMazon, but this time I decided to check Walmart (since I have an affiliate with them as well). Walmart: Cinema NIRVana: Enlightenment Lessons from the Movies - Wal-Mart had the book for $10.53, $2.47 shipping, $1.15 tax, total of $14.15. Amazon
had the book for $11.20, $3.99 shipping and $1.34 tax for a total of $16.53. Walmart wins by a mile!!! more than 15%.
But Amazon has a trick up it's sleeve. If you qualify for super saver shipping (buy more) then shipping goes away and they are cheaper. Or even better if you have subscriptions to shipping (like I do) you win again. What did i do? well i bought from Walmart because I just wanted the one book and didn't want to take the time to shop for more. If you are just buying one thing, try Walmart. REmember you really DON't save money by spending more.
Posted by Martin at 12:10 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 16, 2005
More good reading on peak oil
Ok, so this guy: Peak Oil: Life After the Oil Crash has a book to sell, but the page also has the best collection of links related to all aspects of Peak Oil that I have come across. Very well referenced for those who love to click.
The key here, that he makes in well referenced detail, is that demand for oil is growing faster than our ability to produce. In fact our ability to produce is probably going to decline by 3% per year while demand increases at 2% per year (Dick Cheney himself said that).
It looks like we are heading for Peak Oil without any of our political leaders having a "plan B". The most recent DOE report on the subject says:
Without timely mitigation, world supply/demand balance will
be achieved through massive demand destruction
(shortages), accompanied by huge oil price increases, both
of which would create a long period of significant economic
hardship worldwide.
Waiting until world conventional oil production peaks before
initiating crash program mitigation leaves the world with a
significant liquid fuel deficit for two decades or longer.
ouch.
Posted by Martin at 1:07 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Jeep Liberty review
Here is the review from Car and Driver. They liked the truck with the exception of the rattle sound which yes is too loud. They also cautioned that this car may be outdated when tier 2 emissions standards com in in 2007, but the reviewer is short sighted I believe.
Car and driver diesel article.pdf
Posted by Martin at 11:53 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
BioFuel car show in Portland Oct. 23
There are getting to be more of these. Oct. 23 at the Portland Exhibit center is the next one. A couple years ago these were mostly home hobbiest with various flavors of home hacked cars duct taped together. These days the majors are showing up with hybrids, biodiesel, etc. I am taking my chipped and lowerd bioBeetle to this one!
Posted by Martin at 11:12 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Best way to improve fuel effeciency? go diesel
This: Powering a new generation of cars | CNET News.com is a couple weeks old, but worth the read. Toyota is tinkering with the injection process to get rid of the sparkplug (basically a diesel compression ignition) for 20% more fuel efficiency. As I have noted before VW's whole fuel efficiencey strategy is clean diesel. Forget Fuel cells, Diesel is the future.
Posted by Martin at 10:59 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Apple swings and misses
The new Apple - iPod finally has video. Frequent readers know why I don't have an ipod, and most don't agree (got lots of mail on that one). Well I still don't have one (although I bought my wife one - kinda like when the H2 came out Arnold said "it will be a good car for maria").
I have had conversations with various Apple watchers over the years about a video IPod. One of them, Mike Slade, actually gave me a very detailed and well reasoned argument against a video Ipod. The crux of his arguement was "what problem are you solving?". With music, the experience (listening) is largely the same from all devices and the problem being solved was easy UI and portability. With Video on a small screen, you solved portability, but give an order of magnitude worse experience. But in the end the market demanded and Apple delivered.
Unfortunately they continued to deliver along the same lines that keeps me from bying into the Ipod deal. The new Video Ipod only plays Quicktime format files. You can't move your ripped DVDs over there and watch them. The new form factor is completely incompatable (yet again) with all accessories you have for your other ipods. Back in the bad old days of IBM controlling the plug interfaces this was called planned obselence. Every new version of the device caused you to upgrade ALL your hardware periferials. I remember IBM and Compact doing that with the laptop interface to the docking station with each new model. There was no technical reason to do it, they just wanted to force you to buy a new docking station. Apple is following the very well know hardware lock-in strategy circa 1970. But this time they wrap it in a happy face white box.
I for one, am having none of it.
Posted by Martin at 10:33 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
October 12, 2005
Diesel prices hit new high
The LA times: Diesel Hits Record as Gasoline Prices Fall - Los Angeles Times notes that even though gas prices are falling slightly, diesel prices continue to go up. Why? 18% of the US refining capacity is out of service. While lots of refineries around the world can make our formula of gasoline and are exporting now, not many can make our diesel. Diesel demand has is fairly inelastic (doesn't go down when prices go up) and in fact has been heightened with all the reconstruction and heavy machinery moving in the Gulf. Nationwide Diesel is well over $3.20/gal and in California it is over $3.38/gal. Biodiesel in Seattle continues at $3.10/gal.
Posted by Martin at 12:55 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Atlanta and Woody
So I'm stuck in Atlanta at the BBI Biofuels Workshop and flipping through the channels cause I can't sleep. There on David Letterman is Woody Harldson giving David a primmer on Biodiesel and how it can save the planet! He points David to his activism web site: Woody Harrelson and Laura Louie's VoiceYourself where you can find all sorts of biodiesel resources. Very cool day for biodiesel.
Posted by Martin at 5:56 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
October 6, 2005
AOL buys Weblogs Inc.
Congrats Jason and Mark. Not alot of total payout ($25M) but alot relative to the cash going in. AOL Buys Weblogs to Boost Blog Presence - Yahoo! News
Posted by Martin at 11:09 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 3, 2005
What exactly is "Peak Oil"?
One of the few good articles from NYT lately: t r u t h o u t - Peter Maass | The Breaking Point. Here is an excerpt:
The reference to "peaking" is not a haphazard word choice - "peaking" is a term used in oil geology to define the critical point at which reservoirs can no longer produce increasing amounts of oil. (This tends to happen when reservoirs are about half-empty.) "Peak oil" is the point at which maximum production is reached; afterward, no matter how many wells are drilled in a country, production begins to decline. Saudi Arabia and other OPEC members may have enough oil to last for generations, but that is no longer the issue. The eventual and painful shift to different sources of energy - the start of the post-oil age - does not begin when the last drop of oil is sucked from under the Arabian desert. It begins when producers are unable to continue increasing their output to meet rising demand. Crunch time comes long before the last drop.
"The world has never faced a problem like this," the report for the Energy Department concluded. "Without massive mitigation more than a decade before the fact, the problem will be pervasive and will not be temporary. Previous energy transitions (wood to coal and coal to oil) were gradual and evolutionary; oil peaking will be abrupt and revolutionary."
So I learned something. In the last 10 years with all the oil profits oil companies have been madly exploring. No significant new fields have been found. OPEC has overstated their reserves for short-term quota benefits. Saudi Arabia won't tell the truth. When the peak is reached, the only way is down. Is 84M barrels a day peak? We won't know. I bet it is VERY close. The problem is how fast can you pump it out? New sources (tar sands in Canada) will take too long to get out. We need to find alternatives now.
Posted by Martin at 12:09 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 2, 2005
A Dongle for your car...
Last week my wife's car was broken into in front of our house without the alarm going off. They didn't steal the car, but they did steal the cash and some CDs. Probably just looking for money. The police say there is a new way to break into cars that involves drilling a microscopic little hole in the door and cutting a wire. Well, here is the solution: Ravelco Anti Theft Device. Basically a dongle for your car. When the part on your keyring is in place the car will start. When it is not, it won't. Has to be installed professionally. They claim a user base of over 3M and zero thefts. An amazing record.
Posted by Martin at 8:14 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 1, 2005
California's plan for reducing petroleum dependency
Way back in 2003 California published a report on how to do it: Petroleum Dependence (AB 2076) Documents Page. Now yesterday the legislature passed a bill (AB 1007) directing the self same agency to develop an actual plan of implementation. Good to see them moving, but at this pace, nothing will happen till 2020!
Posted by Martin at 10:32 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack