...for large solar energy arrays you don't need water of any sort. The impact on the environment is very minimal and if.... ...I say if the freakin' 'smart grid' included we could put these solar arrays in areas where the environmental and aesthetic impact would be minimal. It's not clear to me how much energy pumping a lot of water and last time I looked algae needs a lot of water around would be needed. Sunlight doesn't need to be pumped, protected from evaporation, kept at the proper ph and nutrient balance for good algae production. Algae does hold promise for the future I agree but.... Solar can be done right freakin' now with off the shelf tech. Tech that is out of the laboratory and being used all over the world.
Just by joining a credit counseling service, I don't think that the large interest rates on revolving credit can be justified.
As of my next tax return though, I'm going to be consumer debt free- having foreseen this credit bubble as early as 2001. It's taken me 7 years, and a complete change in lifestyle from credit cards to debit only- but that means as long as I don't lose my job before March, unemployment can handle my debt payments (down to just house and one car).
We'd be a A LOT better off without the "save the rich" stimulus.
Probably yes and no. On revolving credit, credit cards, I have no idea how it can be justified to charge 15%, 23%, 28% interest plus a host of late fees, universal default...under any circumstances.
My understanding is banks are just changing the terms of people, with balances...and obviously there is a huge difference between a 5.6% interest rate on $5000 dollars versus 18% interest rate.
Hell man, at this point I think they should have divided up the grand whopping total of $2 trillion dollars between every single person who paid into the U.S. tax system evenly.
That come August, every summer, in water I wouldn't drink in my brother's irrigation pond, we get algae. Alge 3" deep covering an entire acre.
I suspect you don't need potable water to raise algae- and in fact, I don't think you need *continuing* water input at all, just more carbon dioxide & sunlight.
Our continuing series on the lack of ethics in economics. It seems to me that this is really what is missing in economics courses at high school and college nationwide- the linking of theory to practice, and the understanding that economics plays a far bigger role in your life than just about any other topic.
Isn't this what needs to happen, given that credit in general and CDS contracts in specific were a large part of the problem?
Having said that, it seems to me that a much quicker way to get there would have been to let the big banks fall and pay off all 300 million little mortgages instead.
I'm not sure why they believe algae takes up too much water at all. Wetlands are a mix of salt and fresh water, it's brackish and increased wetlands also help the environment, animals, breakers for hurricanes and so on...
So, in Oregon for example, there are tons of water and it's not drinkable, it is where the sea meets the rivers.
Part of our big problem in energy generation and finance is too many eggs in one basket- the same problem you get with communism. Centralization doesn't do much good- we're better off with decentralization and local solutions wherever possible.
But thank you for the link. This is the first I've heard about the thermal effects of a large solar farm- seems to me they'd get some pretty good additional energy out of a ring of vertical screw windmills (which don't damage birds) around the solar farm with the drafts towards center.
Kind of like the same idea of putting vertical windmills on skyscrapers to provide a portion of the building's energy from the diversion of airflow around the building (that can easily gust up to 35 MPH on even a calm day)
Arlene C. Roberts, spokeswoman for State Street Corp. of Boston, which has received $2 billion in bailout money, said the company has reduced H-1B hiring in recent years, and just hires for specialized positions.
An aside here: These visa hounds really need to diversify their prevarication vocabulary. Anybody who's followed this issue will laugh every time they trot out the code word "specialized". It's a running joke how often these persons with alleged "specialized skills" need to be trained in these "specialized skills" by the very people who are going to be sacked so that they can be replaced with these "specialized" workers.
Unlawful is not a Republican. I've known unlawful for a long time. He isn't one of those corporate Rovian whatevers and blasted the Bush administration policies with the best of them. What he is talking about, which know the entire blogosphere is talking about....how we need trade reform and fast, etc.
He is a Populist Democrat if I had to officially pigeon hole him in policy positions.
There is strong overlap between conservatives and Progressives on a host of economic issues and no, Ron Paul doesn't really fit into that camp.
EP is non-partisan. We are a strictly economics and of course politics around economics site.
Of course anyone who tries to rewrite history and claim FDR screwed up the nation is a troll. ;)
Finally, someone is saying this! That is true nationalization.
Now, in regard to interest payments, etc. We need to modify our monetary system to never be based on usury again. Usury (or interest) only creates money out of money. That doesn't produce or benefit us whatsoever, at least in the long run that's for sure.
Perhaps if we educate people not just simply on the fact that we have over $10 trillion in debt, but how our money (the stuff in your pocket or on a computer screen) is equal to all the debts of this country (the government and individuals). And that this debt represents only principal and not interest. We can then clue people in that there isn't any interest money in the system to pay their debt. Thus, we need to wipe out this monetary system, nationalize the banks, and start over.
First, let's start getting people to ask, "Where's the Interest?"
...for large solar energy arrays you don't need water of any sort. The impact on the environment is very minimal and if.... ...I say if the freakin' 'smart grid' included we could put these solar arrays in areas where the environmental and aesthetic impact would be minimal. It's not clear to me how much energy pumping a lot of water and last time I looked algae needs a lot of water around would be needed. Sunlight doesn't need to be pumped, protected from evaporation, kept at the proper ph and nutrient balance for good algae production. Algae does hold promise for the future I agree but.... Solar can be done right freakin' now with off the shelf tech. Tech that is out of the laboratory and being used all over the world.
Even here
.
Just by joining a credit counseling service, I don't think that the large interest rates on revolving credit can be justified.
As of my next tax return though, I'm going to be consumer debt free- having foreseen this credit bubble as early as 2001. It's taken me 7 years, and a complete change in lifestyle from credit cards to debit only- but that means as long as I don't lose my job before March, unemployment can handle my debt payments (down to just house and one car).
We'd be a A LOT better off without the "save the rich" stimulus.
But modern methods of fermentation and fertilization along with better tractors have corn ethanol at 1.34 x input, a far cry above the 1970s.
Here's a darn good article with links that I found using google.
And on algae specific- the Wikipedia article suggests it might be as high as 16.5x Input- though I have my doubts.
However, it looks like biofuels have, in general, gotten a lot better than those 1970s numbers that The Oil Drum was using.
Probably yes and no. On revolving credit, credit cards, I have no idea how it can be justified to charge 15%, 23%, 28% interest plus a host of late fees, universal default...under any circumstances.
My understanding is banks are just changing the terms of people, with balances...and obviously there is a huge difference between a 5.6% interest rate on $5000 dollars versus 18% interest rate.
Hell man, at this point I think they should have divided up the grand whopping total of $2 trillion dollars between every single person who paid into the U.S. tax system evenly.
We'd be so much better off!
That come August, every summer, in water I wouldn't drink in my brother's irrigation pond, we get algae. Alge 3" deep covering an entire acre.
I suspect you don't need potable water to raise algae- and in fact, I don't think you need *continuing* water input at all, just more carbon dioxide & sunlight.
Our continuing series on the lack of ethics in economics. It seems to me that this is really what is missing in economics courses at high school and college nationwide- the linking of theory to practice, and the understanding that economics plays a far bigger role in your life than just about any other topic.
Isn't this what needs to happen, given that credit in general and CDS contracts in specific were a large part of the problem?
Having said that, it seems to me that a much quicker way to get there would have been to let the big banks fall and pay off all 300 million little mortgages instead.
I'm not sure why they believe algae takes up too much water at all. Wetlands are a mix of salt and fresh water, it's brackish and increased wetlands also help the environment, animals, breakers for hurricanes and so on...
So, in Oregon for example, there are tons of water and it's not drinkable, it is where the sea meets the rivers.
I think the same is true for Louisiana.
absolutely alt. energy is viable for discussion on EP...
cost effectiveness, production, labor, jobs...
energy is a huge import and adds to the trade deficit...
then there are hidden costs of global warming/pollution that are also economic in nature.
...algae biofuel needs lots and lots of...
...water. This is not a good thing as water will be in short supply very shortly.
The general take on that site is that the technology of algae is, '...not ready...'.
Anyone else have some data or opinion on this?
....as to energy inputs for 'biofuels' vs. outputs. Simple assertion is not, according to Robert, what EP is all about.
I know from my reading at The OilDrum that corn don't get it. I do not know what the equation is for algae.
Be very interested to see that.
Part of our big problem in energy generation and finance is too many eggs in one basket- the same problem you get with communism. Centralization doesn't do much good- we're better off with decentralization and local solutions wherever possible.
Would do better with thermal generators than solar- think mirrors concentrating the infrared onto sterling engine generators.
Even more when you consider more modern bacterial methods of producing the actual biofuel from the crop.
Algae's a good one however- it's already 50% biodiesel, just run it through a strainer practically. And you get a new crop every 24 hours.
But thank you for the link. This is the first I've heard about the thermal effects of a large solar farm- seems to me they'd get some pretty good additional energy out of a ring of vertical screw windmills (which don't damage birds) around the solar farm with the drafts towards center.
Kind of like the same idea of putting vertical windmills on skyscrapers to provide a portion of the building's energy from the diversion of airflow around the building (that can easily gust up to 35 MPH on even a calm day)
I think the first time homebuyers credit should apply to everyone that bought a house in 2008!!
Arlene C. Roberts, spokeswoman for State Street Corp. of Boston, which has received $2 billion in bailout money, said the company has reduced H-1B hiring in recent years, and just hires for specialized positions.
An aside here: These visa hounds really need to diversify their prevarication vocabulary. Anybody who's followed this issue will laugh every time they trot out the code word "specialized". It's a running joke how often these persons with alleged "specialized skills" need to be trained in these "specialized skills" by the very people who are going to be sacked so that they can be replaced with these "specialized" workers.
he must be reading EP. We've had derivatives posts here for some time and know it is the cause of the collapse. ;)
The problem with the damn things, like most things, they are so difficult to explain!
I hope Frontline makes a documentary on this.
Unlawful is not a Republican. I've known unlawful for a long time. He isn't one of those corporate Rovian whatevers and blasted the Bush administration policies with the best of them. What he is talking about, which know the entire blogosphere is talking about....how we need trade reform and fast, etc.
He is a Populist Democrat if I had to officially pigeon hole him in policy positions.
There is strong overlap between conservatives and Progressives on a host of economic issues and no, Ron Paul doesn't really fit into that camp.
EP is non-partisan. We are a strictly economics and of course politics around economics site.
Of course anyone who tries to rewrite history and claim FDR screwed up the nation is a troll. ;)
Finally, someone is saying this! That is true nationalization.
Now, in regard to interest payments, etc. We need to modify our monetary system to never be based on usury again. Usury (or interest) only creates money out of money. That doesn't produce or benefit us whatsoever, at least in the long run that's for sure.
Perhaps if we educate people not just simply on the fact that we have over $10 trillion in debt, but how our money (the stuff in your pocket or on a computer screen) is equal to all the debts of this country (the government and individuals). And that this debt represents only principal and not interest. We can then clue people in that there isn't any interest money in the system to pay their debt. Thus, we need to wipe out this monetary system, nationalize the banks, and start over.
First, let's start getting people to ask, "Where's the Interest?"
www.WheresTheInterest.com
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