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Showing posts from April, 2022

New Era in Energy Politics - 212

Russia and the Need for a New Energy Era For years I have said the most patriotic thing a person can do is buy an electric vehicle, (EVs). Why? One reason, of course, if we continue burning gas and oil the climate will continue to overheat. Just as important, our military depends on diesel and jet fuel.  I served in the Air Force, the Army, and the Military Sealift Command for 30 years. In a large modern war, our military depends on diesel and jet fuel to move warriors and their weapons to attack the enemy wherever the enemy is most vulnerable. Then, when engaged with the enemy, we must keep ourselves supplied with food, ammo and fuel. This is called projecting power and sustaining the force. With exception of nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers our military uses oil. There was a saying in the Military Sealift Command, “Amateurs talk tactics; professionals talk logistics”. The reason I encourage people to purchase EVs is quite simple.  Every gallon civilians do not ...

Island Earth - 211

We have a bear on the island. When I flew in the Arctic every so often we would spot a polar bear. The smaller females would quickly herd their young under a jagged slab of ice and then squeeze themselves in behind the cubs. The old males, enormous beasts with yellowing fur, made no effort to hide and would only pay us an indifferent glance. The Arctic Ocean camps I flew from were built like a fort with the outside perimeter of walls giving the camps a sense of security. One veteran “Company Man”, the camp boss who had lost a man to a polar bear in Canada, hired an Eskimo Scout. The Eskimo, impervious to the cold, remained vigilant against the ice bear. I appreciated having an Eskimo guard as we kept the helicopter outside the camp. Have you read the Odyssey? This is one of the most famous epic poem stories from ancient Greece. It is the story of the King of Ithaca trying to make his way home from the Trojan War. One of the major threats to his successful return came when he an...

Reuse, Repurpose, and Recycle…..like a Finn - 210

One of the benefits of subscribing to multiple science magazines is there are inspiring stories of brilliant scientists and entrepreneurs who are discovering and implementing climate change solutions. There are even inspiring nations! Recently, it was Finland. For decades, the well-educated Finnish public has known the earth is warming, the earth has finite resources, and the consequences of not acting will be catastrophic.   The last American generation to cope with limited resources was the “Greatest Generation”. They proudly found ways to enjoy life when the Great Depression stalled the economy and there simply was not much of anything to go around. Later when they had to deal with rationing during WWII, my parents (perhaps your grandparents) stepped up again. They were a generation who embraced creative reusing and repurposing. They were proud to unify as a nation to meet the challenges.   Then came the baby boomer generation and with the boomers came the throwaway cul...