Praise Jesus, Reverend Billy is in town. London, that is.
He went to the Tate Modern gallery, which is being sponsored by BP,
and he did his big religious show to exorcise the demons of BP.
BP has just left the building.
Tuesday, 19 July 2011
Friday, 17 June 2011
if the third world can build solar homes...
I wonder why things are going so slowly in the West. Perhaps, we haven't gone broke trying to power and heat our homes, yet. YET!
Once it starts to bite, lots more will switch, and follow the lead of
checkitout:
from e360 digest yale .edu
One Million Households Powered by Solar Energy in Bangladesh
16 Jun 2011:
The number of households powered by solar energy in Bangladesh has passed the one million mark — the fastest expansion of solar power in the world, according to Bangladeshi officials. Aided by non-governmental organizations that provide low-cost loans to install solar panels, Bangladesh’s rural households — most of which are off the electricity grid — have driven a dizzying expansion of solar power in recent years. In 2002, only 7,000 households were using solar panels. The country reached the 1 million-household milestone 18 months ahead of schedule, and by 2014 Bangladeshi officials are aiming to power 2.5 million homes with solar energy. “It’s the fastest expansion of solar energy anywhere in the world,” said Nazmul Haq, of Bangladesh’s Infrastructure Development Company. An estimated 60 percent of Bangladesh’s 150 million people have no access to reliable electricity, and a World Bank report last month said that solar panels had “changed the face of the remote, rural areas of Bangladesh.”
Once it starts to bite, lots more will switch, and follow the lead of
Bangladesh!
checkitout:
from e360 digest yale .edu
One Million Households Powered by Solar Energy in Bangladesh
16 Jun 2011:
The number of households powered by solar energy in Bangladesh has passed the one million mark — the fastest expansion of solar power in the world, according to Bangladeshi officials. Aided by non-governmental organizations that provide low-cost loans to install solar panels, Bangladesh’s rural households — most of which are off the electricity grid — have driven a dizzying expansion of solar power in recent years. In 2002, only 7,000 households were using solar panels. The country reached the 1 million-household milestone 18 months ahead of schedule, and by 2014 Bangladeshi officials are aiming to power 2.5 million homes with solar energy. “It’s the fastest expansion of solar energy anywhere in the world,” said Nazmul Haq, of Bangladesh’s Infrastructure Development Company. An estimated 60 percent of Bangladesh’s 150 million people have no access to reliable electricity, and a World Bank report last month said that solar panels had “changed the face of the remote, rural areas of Bangladesh.”
the Cavaliere decides to dump Nukes
As much as I like his taste in women, I think that Berlusconi will be
remembered in history as the guy who at least tried to get Italy
to stop cooking Nukes, for electricity generation.
He probably figured that since the Japanese are an advanced nation,
and they made a 'bruta figura' at Fukushima, then
[Berlusconi's channel is channelling some other ideas] The RAI weather girls he dated.
RAI Miss Italia
[RAI's Striscia la Notizia- guys talk, gals dance]
checkitout:
1 wikileaksnews.net
The fresh list of glamorous women linked to the billionaire Italian prime minister by prosecutors included 25-year-old Manuela and Marianna Ferrera, brunette twins who present the weather on Italian TV in skimpy clothing.
Others named were Maylin Aguirre, 28, who was nominated as Italy’s candidate for Miss World, and 18-year-old beauty queen Ambra Battilana.
Berlusconi is accused of paying for sexual relations with a girl under the legal age limit for prostitution in Italy, which is 18, and abusing his position as prime minister to have the girl, a Moroccan-born belly dancer known as Ruby Heartstealer, released from custody for theft last May.
His trial is scheduled to start next month, and if found guilty he faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in jail.
2 nukes
Italy nuclear power probably dead after referendum-PM
ROME, June 13 (Reuters) - Prospects for nuclear power in Italy appear to have disappeared due to the probable result of a referendum, meaning the country must focus on developing renewable energy, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said.
Speaking to reporters on Monday as Italians continued to vote in four referendums on various issues, Berlusconi said the result of the vote proposing to abandon plans to invest in nuclear energy appeared clear.
"Following the decision the Italian people are taking at this moment, we must probably say goodbye to the possibility of nuclear power stations and we must strongly commit ourselves to renewable energy," Berlusconi said. (Writing by Gavin Jones in Rome)
remembered in history as the guy who at least tried to get Italy
to stop cooking Nukes, for electricity generation.
He probably figured that since the Japanese are an advanced nation,
and they made a 'bruta figura' at Fukushima, then
what hope does Italy have?
Italians (guys at least) are more than a little distracted
by Berlusconi's handiwork:
Italians (guys at least) are more than a little distracted
by Berlusconi's handiwork:
[Berlusconi's channel is channelling some other ideas] The RAI weather girls he dated.
RAI Miss Italia
[RAI's Striscia la Notizia- guys talk, gals dance]checkitout:
1 wikileaksnews.net
The fresh list of glamorous women linked to the billionaire Italian prime minister by prosecutors included 25-year-old Manuela and Marianna Ferrera, brunette twins who present the weather on Italian TV in skimpy clothing.
Others named were Maylin Aguirre, 28, who was nominated as Italy’s candidate for Miss World, and 18-year-old beauty queen Ambra Battilana.
Berlusconi is accused of paying for sexual relations with a girl under the legal age limit for prostitution in Italy, which is 18, and abusing his position as prime minister to have the girl, a Moroccan-born belly dancer known as Ruby Heartstealer, released from custody for theft last May.
His trial is scheduled to start next month, and if found guilty he faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in jail.
2 nukes
Italy nuclear power probably dead after referendum-PM
ROME, June 13 (Reuters) - Prospects for nuclear power in Italy appear to have disappeared due to the probable result of a referendum, meaning the country must focus on developing renewable energy, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said.
Speaking to reporters on Monday as Italians continued to vote in four referendums on various issues, Berlusconi said the result of the vote proposing to abandon plans to invest in nuclear energy appeared clear.
"Following the decision the Italian people are taking at this moment, we must probably say goodbye to the possibility of nuclear power stations and we must strongly commit ourselves to renewable energy," Berlusconi said. (Writing by Gavin Jones in Rome)
Friday, 27 May 2011
the latest electo-refit
Make mine a Ferrari refit.
As people smell the post Peak Oil money, they are making
some electric hay.
more later
As people smell the post Peak Oil money, they are making
some electric hay.
more later
a new lightweigh fuel engine with fewer parts
who'd a thunk it, just as we're finally realising,
5 years too late, that we passed Peak Oil
there's also a guy with electric motorbikes.
E-Z riders . xD AHAahahahAHAHAHahahaHAhaahAha
more later
5 years too late, that we passed Peak Oil
5 years ago.
this is from Techcrunch
this is from Techcrunch
there's also a guy with electric motorbikes.
E-Z riders . xD AHAahahahAHAHAHahahaHAhaahAha
more later
Tuesday, 17 May 2011
What noise should a car make?
Make mine a Ferrari.
This is something that I've been wondering about for a good 15 years.
Don't believe me? try to follow the discussion below.
Maybe I should have been an engineer. I like solving real problems.
more later
1 the sound would need to be different for different speeds.
Fast cars would need to be very loud to warn people.
2 fast acceleration should be very loud, if you're crossing at a traffic light
3 the closeness of a car to an intersection is important
4 cars could communicate with other traffic equipment (e.g. traffic lights) and other cars,
5 iPods could have an override button so you'll know when a car is near
6 if it's computerised, the app should be modifiable for later updates or safety updates.
7 the wind could be used to create sound
other issues
Tire noise does help cars be heard, but most electric cars are on thin tires which make little noise.
Option to have cars fully traffic controlled. Save on insurance. It’s boring commuting anyway, except people should not use cars to commute. But, you could read a newspaper. From that point of view though, public transport would have to get alot more snazzy to keep people. Imagine driving in traffic without getting frazzled nerves.
I'm going to check to see if there are any debates going on about this.
[this guy's got the right sort of idea, except I'd use the sound of a Rottweiller. Heart attack, anyone?]
-Cosine67 ~~
checkitout:
from the BBC
17 May 2011 Last updated at 10:22
Should electric cars be made to go 'vroom'?
By Nick Holland BBC News
Cars may make artificial noises to improve safety
With whisper-quiet electric cars set to proliferate, the motor industry is under pressure to give them an artificial noise for safety purposes, but should they sound like traditional petrol vehicles?
It is an unsettling experience watching a car drive around, hearing little more than the whisper of the wind it generates as it glides down the road.
There would have been little time to get out of its way had it gone unseen.
Such a moment is the essence of the debate over how electric and hydrogen fuel cars should sound in the future.
The answer could determine how different cities could sound in 10 or 20 years. The rise of the electric car presents a rare opportunity to tackle the persistent roar of traffic that many city dwellers are used to.
Electric and hydrogen fuel vehicles are inherently quiet. The sound of the tyres on the road is noisier than the engine and this could prove lethal at slow speeds for pedestrians and cyclists.
Motor manufacturers acknowledge there is a problem. Some, like Nissan, are already fitting speakers under the bonnets of these vehicles to emit sounds for the safety of other road users.
“ It's incredibly important for the sounds of the engines to reflect traditional engines sounds that we are used to”
End Quote Andrea Cooper Blind student
And with the UK government predicting 8,600 electric cars will be sold by the end of this year, sound engineers say there is a pressing need to come up with some ground rules as to what sounds to pick.
So why not just stick with the current sound of a conventional combustion engine?
"That would be losing a huge opportunity," says Prof Paul Jennings from Warwick University who leads a project looking into alternative vehicle noises.
"We all know traffic noise can be annoying and the levels are significantly high. We do not want to lose the benefit we could get from using new reduced sounds."
He says: "The challenge is to create sounds that are as safe as possible but also ones that are much more pleasing for the urban environment."
As part of the engineering project, an electric vehicle called Elvin (Electric Vehicle with Interactive Noise), is being driven around the university campus demonstrating a small sample of made-up sounds.
Chief among them are a deep sounding buzz, a high pitched hum and one that sounds like a piece of cardboard stuck in the spokes of a spinning bicycle wheel.
And then there is something that sounds like a 1950s UFO movie.
Nissan Leaf The Nissan Leaf noise was the product of four years of research
"It's important that the sound is associated with transport and a lot of how people interpret sound is based on their experiences," says Prof Jennings.
"For electric vehicles and futuristic vehicles a lot of those experiences are from the media, from games and from science fiction films."
There are certain noises that people associate with transport and they alert us that a vehicle is heading in our direction.
Whatever car manufacturers choose will only be effective if it does the same.
But balancing the needs for safety and improving the environment are not the only requirements. Clearly the manufacturers will have a big say in what happens.
If, for example, Ferrari were to ever make an electric car they would want it to sound like a Ferrari does now.
Luxury 'noise'
"Manufacturers know what the right sound is for their product," says Roger Williams, whose company Novisim provides computer simulators to help design car sounds.
"What they are keen on is a sound that matches the image of their vehicle, whether it's a sporty one or a luxury one."
Other road users will want to have their say too. In the next couple of months a group of blind and partially sighted people will be invited to Warwick University to give their verdict on what they hear.
The synthetic "engine noises" will be played to them through one of Novisim's computer programmes, which can simulate how a whole town of full of electric cars would sound all at once.
Vulnerable groups
* Blind pedestrians - used to petrol vehicle noise, dogs trained to respond to these noises
* Children - easily distracted
* Older people with hearing difficulties
"Guide dogs are obviously trained to respond to the noises of vehicles," says Andrea Cooper, a student at the university who has been blind since birth.
"So obviously I think it's incredibly important for the sounds of the engines to reflect traditional engines sounds that we are used to."
The more you delve into the issue the more apparent the complications become.
How loud they should these vehicles be? Do they need to make a noise when they are stopped at the traffic lights? How would hundreds of unmatched vehicle noises sound altogether on our streets?
Researchers at Warwick University intend to make the results of their research available to the EU, which is planning to legislate on electric and hydrogen car sounds sometime in 2011.
The conclusions will determine the noise you hear when you open your window 20 years from now.
This is something that I've been wondering about for a good 15 years.
Don't believe me? try to follow the discussion below.
Maybe I should have been an engineer. I like solving real problems.
more later
1 the sound would need to be different for different speeds.
Fast cars would need to be very loud to warn people.
2 fast acceleration should be very loud, if you're crossing at a traffic light
3 the closeness of a car to an intersection is important
4 cars could communicate with other traffic equipment (e.g. traffic lights) and other cars,
5 iPods could have an override button so you'll know when a car is near
6 if it's computerised, the app should be modifiable for later updates or safety updates.
7 the wind could be used to create sound
other issues
Tire noise does help cars be heard, but most electric cars are on thin tires which make little noise.
Option to have cars fully traffic controlled. Save on insurance. It’s boring commuting anyway, except people should not use cars to commute. But, you could read a newspaper. From that point of view though, public transport would have to get alot more snazzy to keep people. Imagine driving in traffic without getting frazzled nerves.
I'm going to check to see if there are any debates going on about this.
[this guy's got the right sort of idea, except I'd use the sound of a Rottweiller. Heart attack, anyone?]
-Cosine67 ~~
checkitout:
from the BBC
17 May 2011 Last updated at 10:22
Should electric cars be made to go 'vroom'?
By Nick Holland BBC News
Cars may make artificial noises to improve safety
With whisper-quiet electric cars set to proliferate, the motor industry is under pressure to give them an artificial noise for safety purposes, but should they sound like traditional petrol vehicles?
It is an unsettling experience watching a car drive around, hearing little more than the whisper of the wind it generates as it glides down the road.
There would have been little time to get out of its way had it gone unseen.
Such a moment is the essence of the debate over how electric and hydrogen fuel cars should sound in the future.
The answer could determine how different cities could sound in 10 or 20 years. The rise of the electric car presents a rare opportunity to tackle the persistent roar of traffic that many city dwellers are used to.
Electric and hydrogen fuel vehicles are inherently quiet. The sound of the tyres on the road is noisier than the engine and this could prove lethal at slow speeds for pedestrians and cyclists.
Motor manufacturers acknowledge there is a problem. Some, like Nissan, are already fitting speakers under the bonnets of these vehicles to emit sounds for the safety of other road users.
“ It's incredibly important for the sounds of the engines to reflect traditional engines sounds that we are used to”
End Quote Andrea Cooper Blind student
And with the UK government predicting 8,600 electric cars will be sold by the end of this year, sound engineers say there is a pressing need to come up with some ground rules as to what sounds to pick.
So why not just stick with the current sound of a conventional combustion engine?
"That would be losing a huge opportunity," says Prof Paul Jennings from Warwick University who leads a project looking into alternative vehicle noises.
"We all know traffic noise can be annoying and the levels are significantly high. We do not want to lose the benefit we could get from using new reduced sounds."
He says: "The challenge is to create sounds that are as safe as possible but also ones that are much more pleasing for the urban environment."
As part of the engineering project, an electric vehicle called Elvin (Electric Vehicle with Interactive Noise), is being driven around the university campus demonstrating a small sample of made-up sounds.
Chief among them are a deep sounding buzz, a high pitched hum and one that sounds like a piece of cardboard stuck in the spokes of a spinning bicycle wheel.
And then there is something that sounds like a 1950s UFO movie.
Nissan Leaf The Nissan Leaf noise was the product of four years of research
"It's important that the sound is associated with transport and a lot of how people interpret sound is based on their experiences," says Prof Jennings.
"For electric vehicles and futuristic vehicles a lot of those experiences are from the media, from games and from science fiction films."
There are certain noises that people associate with transport and they alert us that a vehicle is heading in our direction.
Whatever car manufacturers choose will only be effective if it does the same.
But balancing the needs for safety and improving the environment are not the only requirements. Clearly the manufacturers will have a big say in what happens.
If, for example, Ferrari were to ever make an electric car they would want it to sound like a Ferrari does now.
Luxury 'noise'
"Manufacturers know what the right sound is for their product," says Roger Williams, whose company Novisim provides computer simulators to help design car sounds.
"What they are keen on is a sound that matches the image of their vehicle, whether it's a sporty one or a luxury one."
Other road users will want to have their say too. In the next couple of months a group of blind and partially sighted people will be invited to Warwick University to give their verdict on what they hear.
The synthetic "engine noises" will be played to them through one of Novisim's computer programmes, which can simulate how a whole town of full of electric cars would sound all at once.
Vulnerable groups
* Blind pedestrians - used to petrol vehicle noise, dogs trained to respond to these noises
* Children - easily distracted
* Older people with hearing difficulties
"Guide dogs are obviously trained to respond to the noises of vehicles," says Andrea Cooper, a student at the university who has been blind since birth.
"So obviously I think it's incredibly important for the sounds of the engines to reflect traditional engines sounds that we are used to."
The more you delve into the issue the more apparent the complications become.
How loud they should these vehicles be? Do they need to make a noise when they are stopped at the traffic lights? How would hundreds of unmatched vehicle noises sound altogether on our streets?
Researchers at Warwick University intend to make the results of their research available to the EU, which is planning to legislate on electric and hydrogen car sounds sometime in 2011.
The conclusions will determine the noise you hear when you open your window 20 years from now.
Tuesday, 1 March 2011
a fracking disaster
The process now used around the US to get at natural gas, called fracking,
is causing a stir everywhere.
It seems to be cracking the bedrock to get at trapped gas,
but most often gets gas to mix with ground water.
Would you like a match with your water?
I just keep getting this apocalyptic vision in my head that it's gonna cause those areas to just explode and sink into the ground.
Already, fracking seems to have brought a non-stop chain of earthquakes to Arizona
Apparently this was foretold in a James Bond movie.
More soon, Miss Moneypenny. There musht be shum mishtake!
is causing a stir everywhere.
It seems to be cracking the bedrock to get at trapped gas,
but most often gets gas to mix with ground water.
Would you like a match with your water?
I just keep getting this apocalyptic vision in my head that it's gonna cause those areas to just explode and sink into the ground.
Already, fracking seems to have brought a non-stop chain of earthquakes to Arizona
Apparently this was foretold in a James Bond movie.
More soon, Miss Moneypenny. There musht be shum mishtake!
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