Stafford Williamson
Mr. Williamson has also written several books, including, PUPPYFISH and Puppy Goes to Lambergarten. and The Day I Changed the Shape of the Universe this last one is about Subatomic Structure.
Mr. Williamson was born & educated in Canada. His life has been "rich and full". He's held about 50 different "jobs", so far, his wealth of experience includes travel to South America, Asia and Europe, both professionally and for pleasure. Doc is married to Maggie. They live in Arizona.
Contact Information
Articles by Stafford Williamson
January 19, 2012
SOPA and PIPA try to protect copyright revenues, but threaten to curtail commerce on the internet, and shut down all but the very largest of web sites WITHOUT TRIAL if accused of copyright violations
September 18, 2011
Clinton and Obama align on energy policy for jobs creation, without actually developing an energy policy. Export green jobs support warms my heart. Were they listening to me after all? (And "Which Jenny is Which?" Holmgren and Grenholm both praiseworthy)
June 08, 2011
Okay, that's overly optimistic, but I am tired of my repeating the arguments again and again that these are bogus, trumped up, probably petroleum financial interest motivated canards.
"Indirect Land Use Costs" (or Conversion Costs) and the idea that increasing the use of edible plants to make fuel are "driving up food costs now, and will cause mass starvation in the future" is complete horse hockey.
May 23, 2011
Budget battle, debt ceiling, more budget, political oversaturation is sure to hit us before next summer, and yet it will go on and on, and on.
Professor Calestous Juma of the Kennedy School of Govt. suggests that climate crisis is the perfect excuse to skip ahead in Africa, to modernize to green technologies. It is nice not to feel like the lone voice advocating this strategy (for a change).
April 24, 2011
Infinia CSP dish at 30KW new standard to beat? OriginOil inks deal with WorldWater for worldwide distribution. PNNL report says Algae max will be 17% of current fossil fuel use as a replacement for those fossil fuels (who is paying these guys - or paying them off?) PIRATES of the CARIBBEAN trailer, is it just getting better?
April 01, 2011
Dead Turtle, swallowed plastic at sea, Dead Aid = why "aid" is killing Africa and what to do about it, Waste in Europe converting to biojet, Europe Wasted is 40% if arable land going to waste uncultivated, new thought about new definition of "Steam" Power (Geothermal)
February 06, 2011
SOTU Flashback, Clostridium in my Kitchen = Biobutanol? State of the BioButanol
November 21, 2010
Section 1603 loan guarantees from DOE to new "first-of-kind" biofuel projects under threat from policy change advocates. May "signal failure" of recovery program.
Exports, Exports, Exports will create Jobs, Jobs, and more Jobs, so why aren't we doing more about it NOW?
July 16, 2010
The following is a post to my new blog over at Politico. I warned in my prior column that it might be the last, and that is not going to be true. I will OCCASIONALLY have something so important to say (Well, in my mind everything I say is "important" but hopefully these will be things that are at least "interesting" to you...) that will either appear HERE FIRST, or at least appear HERE ALSO. Meanwhile, here's a copy of my first blog at Politico.com (with lots of references back here as well so people can find the treasure trove of prior rantings).
October 20, 2010
I recently attented a conference called Southwest Energy Innovation Forum, thanks to Dr. Bruce Rittmann of the Arizona State University's invitation.
Here's a press release I sent out today/yesterday, depending on where you are and what you clock is telling you.
The "RSS Feed" in my profile should be active now. If you try it and it doesn't show up in your feed fairly soon, please email me to let me know what happened, and I'll try to fix it. Meanwhile, please also feel free to send me any suggestions or request to make this column more helpful, interesting or enjoyable for you.
July 13, 2010
This is possibly (probably?) my last article for the American Chronicle syndicate of web sites , which some of you may know by the more localized names of Santa Barbara Chronicle or San Diego Chronicle, or even as the World Sentinel. I have decided that I will do my own syndication of this column among a number of sites, but it shouldn't be hard to find there are already 7 sites taking the feed, and probably more soon. Thanks to those who have been loyal or frequent casual readers. I hope it has been at least a little informative and somewhat entertaining for these past 4 years. Some of the new sites contain stafforddocwilliamson without spaces of punctuation in their addresses so you can probably find one that way in the search engines.
July 06, 2010
This is a boring insider discussion about biofuels in general, RFS2 and Renewable Portfolio Standards in particular, and a good deal about Mr. Sean Hanlon, who, despite his senior position in the biofuels industry and community, seem a little vague on the facts, even his own address, yet he advises " Congressmen, Senators, Governors, and Officials in foreign countries", and in case you are wondering, YES, I am trying to start a fight with him.
July 01, 2010
I hate having to tell you, but the outlook is gloomy all over this week.
Boeing says that Chinese partners will be supplying biojet fuel in less than 5 years, possibly as soon as 3 years from the DOE announced deal this week (this is a SECOND deal).
China Post reports a BLOB of ALGAE FOUR TIMES THE SIZE OF THE WHOLE ISLAND of HONG KONG is headed for Shanghai.
DOE projections from the Golden Colorado office blythely state that despite "renewables" being the FASTEST GROWING energy SEGMENT, it will only rise from 18 to 23% of the total energy use of the next 23 YEARS !!! In my opinion that is equivalent to saying that "we are doomed" because there is no way that will be sufficient to reduce fossil carbon in the atmosphere rising outrageously during the same period, and GET THIS: Hydro will contribute the biggest advance in renewable energy during that time. Damming more rivers will be THE MAIN SOURCE of RENEWABLE energy??? That's what their statistics say!
June 14, 2010
Is Tom Friedman a gypsy fortune teller? Or is he just seeing farther into the future than most of us.
The ROAD DIVIDES HERE, take the road with the President, or the one with me, to get to a more secure future. (Includes "Barry's" letter.
love
Stafford "Doc" Williamson
June 22, 2010
Count a WIN for the Environment and Environmentalists
Nestlé, the world´s largest food company by most tallies, has broken off contracts with a firm that Greenpeace has accused of rainforest deforestation to expand their palm oil plantations.
Malaysia and Indonesia are the two largest e...
June 08, 2010
Gulf Oil spill, even the bad news is good, sometimes. But then, even the good news is bad because it isn't going away any time soon.
"Killers" kills. Ashton and Ms. Heigl fill the screen with beauty, charm and poise (in spite of the screaming and gunfire).
Bad News is, let's face it, bad news. Bad for you, bad that it happened, and unfortunately dominates the news, the worse it is, the more coverage it gets.
June 01, 2010
Powder purifies drinking water and does it cheaply.
Robin Hood robs from history, but can't be bound by old myths when Ridley Scott gets hold of him.
EcoMotors has a diesel engine for your helicopter (maybe) but it has a 1/2 weight engine for 1/2 the size, and twice the power density which holds promise for a variety of places (including a Chinese car company that is investing US$18 million now).
Khosla Ventures has several advances to announce at conference that reveals strategic alliance with Tony Blair (former UK PM) on political policy matters. New LED and lasers, micro-satellites (practically "Pentax camera in orbit") and a new process that makes carbon sequestration profitable by making concrete (even if it is capturing carbon dioxide from a concrete operation -- how's that for a good trick?).
May 24, 2010
IRAN makes NUCLEAR DEAL with Turkey
No Crap, Biodiesel !!
The complex web of history and future of Russia and the former Soviet Republics unwinds but some vindication from Princeton Prof. for Obama's outreach to President Medviedev.
May 18, 2010
Is "Southern" racism spreading to Arizona? Is racism any different if it is "home grown"?
Wind and Solar have new technologies, but I like the "no fuel" electric generation technology form Electratherm.
Did we lose the Q? Why can no one spell TORQUE! with a Q ?
May 11, 2010
Elena Kagan starts down a well paved road, but what lies there? And can she LEAD when she gets there?
Arizona has a new wacky law. No human mice!
Brazil & Portugal in Biodiesel deal.
It was the end of the world, but we had fun!
May 02, 2010
Was I profiled when the cop stopped me? Or was it a "reasonable suspicion"?
(have you seen my picture?)
Graham abandons energy bill talks in protest, but what does that mean?
April 26, 2010
Canadians like Women on Top, and they are going international.
"Suicide is Painless" says the M*A*S*H theme song, but assisting suicide can be costly. On the other hand, it is a great pleasure to see the story portrayed by Al Pacino on HBO.
If the Federal Government offered to pay 91% of your gas would you take the deal? But would you pass on the saving to passengers? What's going to happen in Texas?
April 20, 2010
Obama's "FRIEND" disappears!
TAXES WASTED in misguided plot to support farmers and fuels, without long term goal setting. Better legislation recommended.
Dragons sighted over coast of Burke.
Repower America picks up another supporter.
GIANT waste: EcoRoamer.
Dragons charm the average beast (in the audience) for another week.
PERMAFLO ™ may be the answer, especially if they were actually asking the right question. (Good luck, Bernie.)
April 12, 2010
I Feel Sorry for Sarah
Okay, most of the time I just feel sorry for Sarah because she doesn't realize how ignorant (if not downright stupid) she is. But this? This was another instance that glared out at me from my television set this past week. Sarah Palin stood in front of a microphone, try...
April 04, 2010
"Drill Baby, Drill" isn't exactly new, but it IS a surprise (and clever) move from President Obama.
Citizen Gerard Butler, director, screenwriter deserve praise, Jaimie Foxx falls a bit flat.
Waste Haulers of Rhode Island tell it like it is: We changed to Biodiesel.
You would think he was a Republican, the way President Obama Announced NEW Drilling Exploration Licensing in offshore areas far from selected coastlines (and not so far from others).
March 15, 2010
SPRING BREAK!! Need I say more? Okay, Bikinis, and "Welcome U of ?? Students" banners.
Accidental Husband (the movie, NOT related to above mentions of Spring Break) fine performances.
JUNE brings new international SUMMIT on SCALE UP of BIOFUELS.
DICTIONARY of IM/Texting abbreviations - hundreds? of entries.
March 06, 2010
COP OUT is a WASH OUT, despite Bruce Willis and Kevin Smith.
Economic Development through renewable fuels development.
Just 2 months to completely convert to Algae based RENEWABLE FUELS ?? (Maybe!)
Richard Branson is a fan of WebEx, check him out online, live and in person!
February 28, 2010
I got a "survey" from RNC, it was full of distortions, and was really not a survey (except incidentally) it was really a solicitation for funds, designed to rile up the ignorant into giving MORE! Watch how they did some of it.
Obama may have earned the name Obamacare for the Health Insurance Reform legislation that it appears Pelosi is now promising (well, not really, but then she's as slippery a politician as the rest of them) to deliver the votes to pass.
Exceptional singing of "If I Were a Rich Man" at Phoenix Pops. Praise is due. Praise is here delivered.
Wouldn't YOU like to "attractattractivewomen" ? I think a lot of men would, so I'm trying to get them some of the help they need through a new online business.
February 22, 2010
GM's man in charge of Chevy VOLT, Bob Lutz, badmouths hybrids.
British Airways will be using Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene (JetA) from MSW from new plant in Europe with American company's help.
DARPA announces new 50 MGY Special-K/Algae biojet plant with news that $2/gal algae biojet has already been achieved.
The light at the end of the economic tunnel may be lit by the Export/Import bank. We could be reducing deficit, paying off the national debt and wrestling climate change to a standstill all at the same time (If I get MY WAY about it!)
"Better Place" vs Induction charging - Whose greener and Why?
Mercedes spreads out a few prototypes to test new ALL ELECTRIC delivery van.
February 16, 2010
Democrats will WIN in NOVEMBER ELECTIONS, despite early setbacks ... IF they follow Kuttner's advice.
TARP was clever, made a profit (almost) and was almost as clever as this "trick" from the smart people's economic playbook. Meanwhile Republicans try to "blame" Democrats for their success. Politics hardly gets more perverse!
Ben Stein is right, again!
Gung Ho Fat Choi!
Electic Cars with NO batteries? Well, close, but not quite.
February 08, 2010
Etrade Babies: Where to find the VOTING on NEWEST Etrade Baby commercials.
OriginOil's Pilot Party: Lots of press, lots of celebrating as OriginOil, a leading technology innovation company in the biodiesel space, opens a pilot plant in Los Angeles.
Michael Jackson's Death: Biggest News of 2009, British youth wants to know.
Lipstick vs. Manure: Who is more selfish? A loyal Republican, or a common pig?
Iowa Mandates B5: Well not quite by the legislation has made it out of committee and is headed for a vote.
GM declares 6.6 L 2011 Silverado and Sierra Heavy Duty diesels to be B20 certified.
January 24, 2010
American gun site maker inscribing Bible citations: "It allows the Mujahedeen, the Taliban, al Qaeda and the insurrectionists and jihadists to claim they're being shot by Jesus rifles," said Michael 'Mikey' Weinstein, a former Air Force Officer, now with the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, an advocacy group that seeks to preserve the separation of church and state in the military.
Misunderstanding the meaning of Brown's election in MA, could cost Obama all his power in the Congress if he doesn't make bold moves immediately. Mid-term elections could kill all of his plans and remove all meaningful congressional support for his legislative agenda unless House and Senate leaders bring party members into alignment to GET 'ER DONE!
Airline industry, and especially International Air Transport Association deserve applause for forging ahead with greener fuels initiatives despite lack of legislative support. Virgin and Air New Zealand chairmen speak out.
In praise of Jane Lynch, "Sue Sylvester" on GLEE but even better in the movies. Will she take home awards this season?
NYT reports on plastics into biodiesel from simple infrared processor.
Lame excuses for LOOTING in Haiti. What part of "illegal" do you not understand?
January 31, 2010
Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene ("Special-K")or (SP-K)from E. Coli at LS9 or is it just biodiesel. Can't wait to taste it!
High-speed rail, clean nuclear power, clean coal, renewable fuels, wind, solar, billions per year to develop it all, the State of the Union Speech was full of surprises and one of those was that not much had changed as a result of the MA election of Scott Brown.
Nobel Prize winner Paul Krugman says he thinks health care reform legislation is "dead" and that the Republicans have been unreasonably obstructionist since it is really a "Clone" of the Massachusetts Health Care program originated by Mitt Romney for his state.
January 18, 2010
BANK BONUES TAXED AT 50% (in France and UK for sure) What about here? Ask FDIC about it.
Alyssa Milano is a tweep ... a very NICE tweep, too.
Golden Globes in a few minutes, I've gotta go now.
Emotional rewards = significant part of success on internet and elsewhere
Biobutanol is the successor to ethanol, eventually, says the "smart money"
January 11, 2010
24 states agree to move to B2 home heating oil with ASAP B5 in future. Declare B15 and ULSD "cleaner" than natural gas.
Sherlock Holmes almost couldn't be better.
Burn Notice returns
CIA in bad shape
January 05, 2010
OLED (Organic LED) wallpaper available soon
11 states sign MOU for Low Carbon Fuel Standard, Ethanol producers threaten legal action
Airline report favors efficiency of biomass derived green fuels
James Cameron genius showing again in AVATAR megahit
December 28, 2009
It's early in the awards season by George Clooney has charmed the pants off of NBR along with co-star Anna Kendrick, and whole "Up in the Air" movie.
NASA development program supports Myhrvold's theory (well, sorta).
Fargo North Dakota bioethanol firm shows immense good sense and squeezes extra value from grains.
OMB transparency is a failed Obama promise -- so far.
December 22, 2009
Obama shuttles, but scuttles significant agreement in Copenhagen FOR NOW!!
Myhrvold want pipe to stratusphere for SO2? Yes, and he claims it can be a FAST FIX for GLOBAL WARMING. Really, Microsoft's Chief Technologist, super genius and Stephen Hawkings' protege may be off the deep end, or may have saved the world.
Iranian protestor turns tables on Iranian authorities when attempting to discredit him, thousands of men put their picture on Facebook to support a protest to free Majid.
Emily Blunt, okay, Miranda Richardson and Mark Strong are wasted, but Jim Broadbent is almost worth the ticket price just for his brief performance as the king.
December 13, 2009
DeNiro, Barrymore and Beckinsale DELIVER. Delivery more than just "Fine"!
American Electic Power optimistic on CCS, 25% closures predicted.
"Re-Upholster AFRICA" plan for "green islands of independent energy" addresses climate, poverty, water and sanitation issues. Could be more important than Copenhagen.
Copenhagen outcome necessarily "premature", but should produce eventual results.
Afghan War Mistake, EXPLOSION Shuts Imperium Biodiesel, Sexy Prvt Practice, Biofuel Boom West Africa
December 07, 2009
Afghan reinforcements a BIG OBAMA MISTAKE. Terrorists are not soldiers, they are criminals! Somebody in western governments have got to figure this out sooner or later, don't they?
Devastating EXPLOSION at Imperium biodiesel facility at Grays Harbor.
Steamy conclusion to fall season on Private Practice with explosive reactions from Kate Walsh (always a delight on screen).
KLM flies real passengers in biofuel powered flight.
West Africa faces boom in biofuels production, oversight requires public/private sector buy-in with full local participation - a wise policy.
Hottest 50 (or Hottest 100) biofuels company according to latest Biofuels Digest Poll.
Ethiopia to develop biofuel resources.
November 28, 2009
"MAKE JOE LIEBERMAN ACCOUNTABLE!" cries the PCCC, and asks for your help, too.
New life for railroads? Fast Freight flies lower than you'd expect, or at least it could and still stay greener than air freight. (Video)
Cosmetics may save the day for biodiesel makers if Elevance has their way, and with Cargill and Texas Pacific Group's US$45billion bankroll obvious record of success, I wouldn't bet against them.
Million Dollar Mike probably isn't who you'd expect him to be.
MONK murdered ... maybe. Tony Shalhoub's last 2 episodes left us with a cliff-hanger on Part 1, waiting for Part 2 the series ending episode this Friday on USA Network.
Not all blondes have yellow hair. Especially among my in-laws.
November 23, 2009
Hilary Clinton needs to learn to keep her lips zipped. I sure Bill has a zipper or two he isn't using much these days. How can she remain so ignorant of the REAL causes of cultural change?
SUPER FREAKONOMICS is a quirky way of looking at the world, that the rest of the world should be paying attention to. Malcolm Gladwell's quirky view was highly enlightening in "blink" and "outliers" but he has some really twisted POV's to offer in this series of shorter pieces he is recycling. Both of these are great lessons in culture that Hilary should read, too.
Diesel Brewing has honorable goals, but slow progress. I want to wish them well.
Heifer International has a "something for everyone" catalog for everyone on your gift list, or a "gift registry" if you really want to prevent people from sending you un-needed boxes of butt-balloons ... er, I mean, chocolates.
No Climate Laws til 2010, Kenya National Biofuel Policy, DOE/USDA Grants, Recycle EVERYTHING(almost)
November 16, 2009
Kenya aims for 5% biodiesel mandate.
No new climate legislation in time for Copenhagen (MAYBE a GOOD THING?)
Money well spent from DOE and USDA goes to Exelus, Velocys, and GEVO
Recycling expands in Peoria, let's hope it's a trend.
November 08, 2009
Can you believe 2 continents report > 33,000 gallons per acre per year? Australians and California company BOTH REPORT successes BEYOND any "conservative" estimates for MAXIMUM POSSIBLE oil yields.
"Men Who Stare at Goats" mild humor, heavy messages, plus #3 first weekend Boffo Box Office!
BLEND WALL breakthrough: BP says they can blend ANY % with DIFFERENT alcohol -- Biobutanol has no limit unlike ethanol, but is NOT a threat to alcohol fuel industry, it's almost a "drop-in" retrofit for many facilities.
House passes IRON-CLAD ANTI-ABORTION amendment before being able to pass Healthcare Reform legislation.
Medical Marijuana for Maine? Medical Marijuana nationwide could provide miraculous cure ... for the deficit.
November 02, 2009
State Department official in Afghanistan resigns and says we should draw down and withdraw as soon as possible. "WHY ARE WE FIGHTING IN ANOTHER 36 year old civil war inside another country," says Matt Hoh?
"Easy Virtue" should have been a major big screen hit? Why did they miss this one?
Al Gore is shooting his mouth off like he was a Joe Biden clone, and such talk is dangerous and destructive to future fuels security and continuity. Find out why here.
Two hybrids in one family? Is it too many, too few or "just right"?
October 26, 2009
MI Gov. Jennifer Granholm says it's the end of the internal combustion engine, but steel benders will prosper anyway.
Jay Leno uses help from GM and others to build stupid biodiesel jet car that's too noisy to drive anywhere anyway.
GM gets to "fudge" MPG numbers on Chevy Volt because of EPA test method. 230MPG is phony as any other EPA mileage number.
Real world ALGAE PRODUCTION numbers: 23g/m2/day or 56 g/m2/day
Sec. Dr. Chu urges catchup to Chinese Smart Grid plans.
Hydrogen for gasoline or diesel cars, and CNG conversions available too. VERY FLEXIBLE FUEL capabilities = a very smart way to go.
Hilary Swank is, Richard Gere -- not so much.
Healthcare hope remains alive, but may be on life support soon without more public support.
October 19, 2009
MIT calls them "Big losers" in Energy, but they are WRONG.
Algae, Carbon Capture and Sequestration and Hydrogen power need integrated overview review
Surrogates not Willis' best, but worth the ticket.
HEALTHCARE is DEAD without a PUBLIC OPTION, SAVE YOURSELF, tell the Party where YOUR HEART is LOCATED!!
October 11, 2009
Proposal to TAME "blue dog" congress 'rebels' from self-interest to genuine representation of AMERICA's best interest. With even big Republicans like Bob Dole and Bill Frist backing healthcare reform, what idiots think they'll look like heroes NOT supporting the "public option" not-for-profit feature?
Stay OFF the CRANK 2. 2 stupid, 2 mean, waste of time.
BIODIESEL may SAVE Flint, or at least give them a jumpstart on the new green economy.
One Planet, One People (but wouldn't 2 Planets, ONE People be fun?)
ADM is buying a biodiesel plant in Czech Republic - how fast will they become a "powerhouse" in Biodiesel?
October 03, 2009
BETTER Blood pressure medicines.
GEVO successful RETROFIT of ICM ethanol factilities to produce more valuable BIOBUTANOL!!
CAT scan and LAB results.
Medical "wasteful" results comparison.
Don't forget to "stop and smell the neighbors".
September 29, 2009
SEveral videos urging support for health care reform, b ut some target specific like Baucus who has had over $3million in personal support.
Origin Oil has a plan for economics of algae cultivation, don't stick to the oil side (which is what I've been preaching for years).
100mpg X prize car --- well, not really.
Grey's Anatomy - a lot of body parts sewn VERY WELL together in 2 hour pilot.
September 24, 2009
Castle's stolen James Bond beauty!
D1 head, heads for the hills(?) or at least greener pastures
Sorry seems to be the hardest word for some people, but necessary in others. It may be one Max Bauchus will need to learn soon.
Ads target Olympia Snowe as THE KEY PLAYER on Healthcare reform. True or not, it MAY make a big difference, and you can help!
HOT NEW CRITIC !! (???) Yes, really. She's terrific. See Grace Randolph.
September 13, 2009
HUGE plantations: Mexico and Colombia cooperate on building jatropha/castor/palm oil to diesel plant in Chiapas, included.
Winnipeg Wimps out? Or do they? Go slow, or really just smoother transition?
The Universe is out of sync. I agree with George Will and argue with Fareed Zakaria on Afghanistan. (Mercury IS in retrograde, I am told.)
One-eyed Jacks and Single Arm windmills, betting big but with us "odds".
September 07, 2009
When is returning a light bulb to a retailer unethical, immoral and a sign that we may all be doomed forever?
Who are the oldest and largest "class" of slaves on the planet? Women, of course, but there are reasons, and there are ways you can help.
Kate Winslet dropped her knickers and picked up the Oscar. Are they related? Well, bravery was one of the things they had in common.
August 31, 2009
Inglourious Basterds is glorious. Brad Pitt is excellent, Mike Myers is so good you almost don't see him! But this is no lightweight comedy, Tarantino's BEST film yet! Watch and learn! (And Louis B Mayer, eat your heart out!)
Lies, and ignorance bury facts and intelligence on Healthcare Insurance Reform debates.
Northern Arizona approves biodiesel facility despite vocal opposition (and more ignorance).
August 19, 2009
Rentech selling biodiesel to the Airlines already.
The White House is listening. The Congress,apparently is not.
ELECTRIC 30 Ton truck = More evidence that T. Boone Pickens is pulling wool over people's eyes for his own benefit.
The DVD release of "The Visitor" is worth the time.
Dean says it's all,"political theater" but some of the stagecraft is working, I think.
Free Software Replaces MS Office, New AC for 1/10 electric cost, No Bio-fuel at Sea?? Coal Nightmare
August 17, 2009
Colon.tv not ready for primetime, but maybe you are ready for it?
Coal-to-liquid fuels: nightmare or solution, or both?
Free Software can replace MS Office, is it what you need?
New AC unit costs less, runs on 1/10th the electricity of conventional AC (research was sponsored by the California Energy Commission, and it QUALIFIES for ARRA 30% high efficiency rebate [at 40 SEER is SURE DOES]but only if you life West of Denver)
August 09, 2009
Skycar actually flys, heads for Africa's legendary Timbuktu to prove they can even get to the "middle of nowhere". (VIDEO)
ARRA funds flowing like ... fire hose.
Hawaiian Commission kicks Imperium biodiesel contract.
Cash for Clunkers EXPLAINED, a Dozen ARRA programs outlined. Money Giveaway, More than you can count
August 02, 2009
Cash for Clunkers is ALIVE AND WELL after $2 Billion Boost from congress, HURRY to get your share!
Video series on DOE and other government grants, loans and guarantees series to be released, find the "map" here.
July 27, 2009
Stupidity comes from too much testosterone and Prof. Gates, Mass. Police and President Obama just proved it. But can we get past the "chip on the shoulder" that replaces fear of injustice?
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is scrambled history, but barrels of laughs, including a wacky new weasel to love. (Not the we'd love Manny, Ellie, Sid and Diego any less.)
There is a PENALTY to be paid for biodegradability in biofuels. Biodiesel comes in many forms,and some of them are illegal to put underground in California (What? You heard that right!)
Toronto gets "green roof" law, whether you want it or not.
July 21, 2009
Merlin's off to a slow start, hobbled by laws against Magic. Seems like a dumb idea for a series about Merlin.
Greenfuel Technologies IS selling out, IP, lock, stock and not many barrels so far.
Government grants are growing on trees, state energy programs aim for greener world, ending addition to oil.
Batteries Not Included Electric Car, (secret) Warehouse 13 really in Canada, China Plantation 1MM ha
July 13, 2009
"Batteries Not Included" is a funny way to sell an electric car, but investors have given him hundreds of millions of dollars to give it a try.
Biodiesel is easier than this SF blogger thinks (well, sometimes).
SciFi wastes money on name change but new summer series looking good.
Micronesia's economy is transformed by a single man.
July 05, 2009
Carmen Ejogo, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Maya Rudolph shine in unpolished "Away We Go".
Krugman "sees the light" and sees it my way for a change, but I have differences of opinion with Examiner writer Joann Blake (and some agreements too).
"Cap and Trade" just like EBAY says former Ebay CFO.
June 30, 2009
Exciting times doesn't last long among a large group of mostly old white men. The US Congress passed Pres. Obama's energy legislation, now we have to sit around and wait for after the Senate's summer recess (OLD men and kindergarteners have more in common than either group would like to admit)for them to take up the issuse.
Healthcare seems to leave out the "who" you care about with Private Insurance, doesn't it?
Innovative technology backed by DOW "milks" algae while still live, for "no kill" harvesting, but all to make plastics.
Men from the future are after me on Twitter. (no, I am NOT being paranoid, honest, I am NOT!!)
June 21, 2009
Top Box Office for the Weekend, "The Proposal" starring Sandra Bullock. The director is KEY and a Canadian star doesn't hurt either.
Iran isn't falling apart, it is just returning from a long tour of the past. I hope.
CFL recycling both "horrific" but improving and still horrifically profitable.
T. Boone Pickens is pulling the wool over the eyes of congresspersons again with what he calls the NAT GAS Act of 2009, even obscuring the intent with the title, "New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans Solutions Act of 2009". DON'T LET the GOVERNMENT be bullied into a BAD MOVE, put CNG power only where it's needed, PLEASE!
STOP "exploiting" the poor and make them your PARTNERS. They don't need "donations" they need business opportunities, including new business models and financing. Nothing stops poverty in its tracks like having a reliable family income.
June 16, 2009
The EPA has made a regulation that was already "implemented" by the marketplace, so how dumb do you have to be ... Apparently dumb enough to think they can predict the future. Will they be hiring Mrs. Reagan's psychic next?
Obama aims for no-nuke world, but Mit Romney distorts Obama Cairo speech to suggest he is promoting nuclear weapons proliferation.
Clever device that Detroit should have been using for years (as they have in EU) which could almost single-handedly achieve the newest higher CAFE standards with relatively cheap modifications - find out more about the "stop-start" method of gas savings already used in American hybrids.
June 06, 2009
The former CEO says he "can't talk about it," so you have to draw you own conclusions about this top Biodiesel from Algae firm ...or maybe wait for "official" news (that's my advice).
FABULOUS new show on USA Network, Royal Pains, and it has all the "Bay Watch" attributes to make it a potential runaway international hit too.
Obama is a HUGE hit in Egypt, too, where he calls for a HALT to Israeli settlement of West Bank territory! It's a step toward peace, and I urge you to consider signing the petition to give the current Israeli conservative (hawkish) government a clue about how much we are behind Obama's peace efforts, and how little patience we have left for either side to continue the violence!
June 01, 2009
Many would say that in Afghanistan, drugs equal power, but here's a suggestion that creating local "power" (by growing fuels) may be a way to shift power away from the Taliban, smugglers and drug traffikers (oh, yes, and corrupt officials, the last governor had NINE TONS of opium IN HIS OFFICE).
Sharp Aquos 40" couldn't blast it's own way out of wet paper bag.
Strong performances shore up "okay" story, and fine directing in Angels and Demons. But is the ending satisfying? Well, I might have picked a different one, but ....
May 25, 2009
Fewer are dying in Iraq/Afghan wars, looks like a trend we should extend. Vicky Christina Barcelona from Woody Allen doesn't disappoint, performances are stunning. Aquatic Energy scaling up, keep it simple seems to pay off. PetroAlgae have a "trick or two" worth knowing. Rumored demise of industry leading company NOT confirmed (and unlikely to be true).
May 19, 2009
We're most excited about the President's trip to Ghana (and the G8 and Moscow) but you might be more thrilled by the latest news on John Travolta, or all the graduation speeches of the past week. Okay, not ALL the grad speeches, just a few.
Fossil carbon versus "grow your own" is our central theme this week. No, not that kind of "grow your own", FUEL, I mean.
May 11, 2009
Pickens misleads congress with claims that natural gas is ONLY long haul trucking solution.
State Water Resources Control Board of California makes a dumb rule, but is it, really?
Phoenix, Arizona suburbs band together for clean and green biodiesel and other transport grant request from EPA, but put money up too.
Conference on Jatropha and Biodiesel in Indio, or is it really Desert Center - PBS to broadcast highlights press release says. We'll see.
May 04, 2009
Fox was at minimum complicit in the conspiracy to foist off the Tax day Tea Party protests as a "grass roots" movement, while the real organizers hid behind Fox's promotions of their "coverage" of the story. Revolver is a far better movie than "The Soloist". Cookies find an outlet. Tesla Motors shows $50,000 all-electric family sedan, Letterman makes some good points, a few good laughs and as usual, a complete a@@ of himself. (SEE the VIDEO!) DATELINE: KENYA - local example shows 1 acre farm can produce US$37,00/year in vegetable-based fuel oil. Let's get them the seeds!!
April 26, 2009
It doesn't matter if the planet is heating or cooling, what we need to do doesn't change. Don't believe it? Well, that's exactly the point. It doesn't matter WHAT you believe except that you need to have respect for the planet in everything you do. Oh, and BTW, it's got COLDER LAST YEAR, a LOT COLDER.
Partially-recovered WORKAHOLIC WANTED - Team forming.
Ghost Whisperer, usually a pleasant diversion came pretty close to falling flat, poor directing, insipid dialogue, cardboard acting, and the rather sensitive plot wasn't enough to save it completely.
Obama's first 100 days get rave reviews (except from Geo. Will)
Admin Support for Renewables, UOP GreenJet Fuels, State of Play, Cold Soak Test=Biodiesel Tax Credit
April 21, 2009
Hawaiian Lawsuit, Whitehouse renewables core staff, Green Jet fuel, scandals in Washington (oops, that's only in the movie- State of Play) PermaFlow tests happy ending.
April 14, 2009
Just two important subjects: End of the recession! Yes, already really significant signs are already happening, in fact they happened last month, in March!
The key to the economic (and ecological) FUTURE is reavealed in this column! Believe or not, here is my prediction, and a letter to the powerful Ways and Means Committee.
April 04, 2009
Depression from the recession? Think about 170MPG plug-in hybrid scheduled for release in 2012. And let the "economists" show more economy in their doom and gloom predictions. "It ain't over 'til it's over," but you guys aren't helping ANY! (And that includes YOU, too, Mr. President.) T. Boone Pickens is STILL TELLING the same LIE, but now he has 3 million "virtual marchers" believing it.
TWO Batmans, two beautiful women.
Greenline has 33 plants in operation, partners with ENGlobal on EPC and more. EXCITING Jatropha news from Pennsylvania (and New Jersey!, yes, really, New Jersey).
March 29, 2009
Let the Afghani's grow the legal opium for drug companies! Duplicity, Julia Roberts and Clive Owen star in delightful movie reminiscent of Stanley Donen classics. Brazil exceeds expectations for biodiesel. Declares itself "cleanest" energy nation. Whales design wind turbine blades.
March 15, 2009
Teachers EVERYWHERE should be demonstrating biodiesel creation in the classroom. Easy and safe, science lesson ties to politics, government, history, autos, and should raise learning enthusiasm. Biodiesel is and isn't a fossil fuel according to confused British government. "He's Not The Into You", a bigger "dud" than just milk. Economic crisis details you might not know.
March 10, 2009
If you smelled this biodiesel feedstock it would probably make you "toss your cookies" but that's not all bad because it is a profitable business to be in,even without the biodiesel potential. Then there's the healthcare "crisis" which in my case gets REALLY personal this past week. And finally, a kind of cosmic lesson from Dr. Giesel, that, "a person's a person, no matter how small."
February 28, 2009
Healthcare and Educational crises crisscross. Energy and banking and Canada skipping much if not most of the "crisis"(?)
More video that any previous column. I wish mine came out as well as these did.
February 17, 2009
Coal is relying heavily (and legislation seems to support their fantasy) that Carbon Capture and Sequestration is a viable option for keeping the "old smokers club" going. The 800 pound gorilla's cigar smoking and a nicotine patch or just a promise?
Clean Energy Summit on the web. http://nationalcleanenergyproject.org/
February 16, 2009
George Will pegs Nancy Pelosi (again) for stumble on Natural Gas. Annual electric power demand to grow 10 tillion kilowatt hours over 20 years. Can we afford to build the plants to supply that? What will be the costs? Do we want $4500 "nookular" or $2000 biofueled? Stimulus shot in the arm uses one heck of a large needle, but we may still need surgery to recover. TINY 5% of GDP pale compared to Great Depression recovery, we must avoid the Japanese example that failed.
February 08, 2009
Angy letter to McCain. Shell CEO has some good ideas especially about ... surprisingly, electric generation and transportation. Obstructionism. Alberta Truck study shows British Columbia Truckers' concerns unwarranted. DRAMATIC SHIFT of economic focus and government priorites, the ONLY hope for FULL ECONOMIC RECOVERY FAST.
February 02, 2009
An EXTREMELY WEAK House version of a Stimulus package consisting of less than 7% of the "goodies" for actual "green energy" leaves me, well, I guess I'm not allowed to use the "D" word version so I'll just call myself, "recessed".
Kid gets a hedgehog, proof that wisdom is NOT limited to those over 40 or 20 or even 10.
"Clean Air Club" bus goes almost un-noticed, except for 1100 students.
January 26, 2009
Monopolies stick unless you own one. PV panel owners can only lose in Arizona. President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton have STRONG pointers in the direction of INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT as the MAIN MEANS of securing America's ECONOMIC as well as safe future. Jack Black makes a great giant panda, in a story with a moral compass.
January 18, 2009
Party On ! Whether in Washington DC this week, or in San Francisco for the beginning of February, lot of folks will be celebrating and the reasons actually overlap. Biofuels, green fuels and a green future under the new administration. Party started at least last night, and probably has been going since Wednesday.
If you need to get there in a hurry, try the Avanti.
If you want to get your fuel a little greener than average, Pennsylvania is on its way with mandates that require blending, but that assures a market for domestically produced biodiesel producers.
January 05, 2009
It's the hot ticket of the week on the news shows. Blagojevich seems to have outwitted Obama, Reid and the whole of the Democratic party in appointing Roland Burris, but who has the law on his side? Partisan politics in the NM US Attorney's office bumps Richardson from Obama Cabinet. Queen's bathroom secret revealed. Rolls rolls greener Bentleys.
December 29, 2008
Will Smith starts his new movie being dead. Large scale algae can be profitable, or so the spreadsheet says. Steven Chu is a friend to alternative liquid fuels. NEWS from MUMBAI says USDA is making Biodiesel in Guatemala? Yup,that's what the kids from Texas A&M are doing. Clean Coal doesn't exist, but we better not let them sell the concept without making some REAL GREEN progress, and that's only going to happen from the INSIDE.
December 25, 2008
Despite pleas for some degree of rational behavior on the part of the government, Bush bails out Detroit anyway. (No "tough love", that's up to Obama.) Bedtime Stories full of beautiful women, why wouldn't Adam Sandler be smiling this Christmas/Chanukah. If you want to hide your jatropha from elephants, there's at least one easy way.
December 15, 2008
Some wacky Nevada researchers think you might want to save your coffee grounds to make "biodiesel". Somehow I doubt this is very valuable science unless you are the sort who think burning the carbon in diamonds is a good substitute for coal.
UN set "Millennium Goals" back in 2000, Obama-Biden acknowledge them but in a strange way.
Want to see where Sasha and Millea are going to be playing tag next month? Tune in to CSPAN2 (if you can get your TiVo to "believe" in CSPAN2, which apparently ours doesn't).
December 07, 2008
Obama's open govt via the internet, and as a matter or policy. GOVERNMENT WILL BE DIFFERENT with actual input on a massive scale from voters. Integrated Green Energy comments. Australia even better than you've heard, a work of GENIUS Baz Luhrmann.
Top 3 concentrated Algae cultivation systems.
December 01, 2008
Malyasia ADDS 91 biodiesel facilities (new permits issued for 10 million tonnes). NO, it isn't a food versus fuel fight, the breastfeeding is nothing to do with biodiesel, but the book about it is needed. Vietnam + Finland shows us how to make biodiesel from fish heads, but don't count on catfish fat it's too valuable (What???). Georgia, Turkey and neighbors trying to keep oil out of Russian hands. Swedish biodiesel firm gets praise for avoiding food vs. fuel, but the real innovation is biodiesel as a isolation solution.
November 26, 2008
Obama says he is "Governors' ally in Washington" on clean energy. Korea triples mandated biodiesel content by deadline. "Native" algae species growth "disappointing" but informative.
November 17, 2008
T. Boone Pickens zealotry for his CNG and wind generating combination results in Untruths. Was it intentional? Gasoline is down, Valero leads the way. Solix gets Valero investment for Durango pilot plant. Pickens predicts US$100/bbl. in a year from now.
GREEN ENERGY TECHNOLOGY is the ANSWER to the Economic Crisis, not some secondary or tertiary pipedream to be postponed. Read why. See the video. Check out how Dan Reicher of Google (former US Asst Sec. of Energy) agrees that "clean tech" is the opportunity in the economic crisis for jobs, security and the enviroment. Oh, yes, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman does weird, kinky stuff, but only in the theatre (well, film of theatre or something more convoluted than that?)
November 12, 2008
Global Energy MUST match the GLOBAL Climate Change crisis, Obama transition team needs to get this message. INTEGRATION needs to have a new meaning for the Obama Team, ENERGY INTEGRATION. Electric generation, sewage, energy crop cultivation, biofuels extraction, can, no, MUST be seen as part of a CLOSED LOOP ENERGY CYCLE. Blow your horn, wake them up to the urgency with your own clarion call.
November 03, 2008
Bioride2008 on Biodiesel+WVO a 10,000 mile adventure, Amazing Foreclosure Help - thousands get it, millions need it HERE it IS, Biobutanol News: GEVO, Tetravitae, Cobalt and others all have hot hands, but full-house is not here yet, McCain/Palin+DemCongress=? More of the Same? Or something different?
October 28, 2008
DaoChi Energy and GreenGlobe representative meets with leading edge German Engineering firms, Myanmar plants jatropha for biodiesel 3 million hectares with Japanese investment help. Lower Gas Prices scare some BIOFUELS Proponents. Telecommuting as energy policy much neglected. New TV series hold promise, The Mentalist and Eleventh Hour keep an eye out for them on your schedule.
October 20, 2008
More Biodiesel for Washington state, toothless mandate has effect anyway. Why? State's own vehicles are committed. Honda is only major car maker to offer a CNG model, but Toyota shows a "MAYBE" car. Is it Hype or Hybrid? Bioprocessing of Municipal Solid Waste shown to produce oil, but only a small percentage. Is it worth the trouble? Should they keep up research on this path? Israeli polical insiders "leak" a hopeful sign they won't attack Iran any time soon.
October 13, 2008
Is the fire chief just concerned with safety in Gilbert AZ? Why am I suddenly getting multiple Biofuel inquiries based on Iranian interest? Shia LeBoeuf isn't all that "beefy" but Michele Monaghan is delicious in Eagle Eye, but BillBob just chews the scenery. Biodiesel bargains?
October 08, 2008
Energy and Environmental Research Center of NDU joins Great Plains Camelina in joint efforts with biodiesel, duPont doubles alcohol strategy with biobutanol and cellulosic ethanol, long range plans interesting, Obama affirms ALTERNATIVE ENERGY is his TOP priority, McCain tries to grab credit for mortgage help. Imperium's fortunes improving (maybe).
September 30, 2008
McCain may not have lost the debate, but he went a long way to destroying his credibility by adding lies and misrepresentations to his arguments. Fed Acts to ease "credit crunch" should solve it by itself, BUT the so-called "BAILOUT" is not a bailout at all but a Federal Government investment in some of the riskier mortgage securities. LET'S GET THAT MESSAGE OUT to the public. Do we need a "bailout bill" ? Maybe not, but let's get the FACTS right first. IRISH researchers make algae-biodiesel claims, but refuse to give any supporting details. FLI Inc, says it's MSW processing recovers up to 85% (on average) of waste and turns it into energy. Full Circle Energy goes them one better offering various fuel and electric power output options.
September 22, 2008
The Emmy party was "Rockin'" X 30 before it was over, the Wall St. "collapse" came back, and may actually turn a PROFIT for TAXPAYERS (MAYBE), Sarah Palin's neighbors turn out a "massive" protest (well, "massive" for Alaska), but the big news is Pennsylvania is full of gas, and it isn't ALL from the cheesesteaks.
September 14, 2008
Are the Republicans the Luddites Tom Friedman says they are? Drill or go green? Biogold Fuels takes a step up. "Nuke" is supposed to be a "short form" Madame Vice-Presidential Candidate. Sarah may be scoring points with poor vocabulary but is that the kind of Vice-President YOU want?
August 31, 2008
Does the Kremlin read this column? Putin points suspicious finger at McCain Campaign. duPont's new bug: Zymomonas mobilis for cellulosic ethanol (and ??). Gov. Palin adds missing excitement to McCain campaign, but corruption fighter brings her own taint of scandal. The WORLD'S BEST BIODIESEL and BIODIESEL FROM ALGAE book revealed!
August 26, 2008
"It's a little black box. What happens inside? It's magic!" Okay, you've got to see this. It is the flowchart picture (sort of) of the McGyan process of moderately high temperature, catalyzed biodiesel conversion process. Now I haven't see it for myself, so my "testimony" is based mainly on the...
August 19, 2008
Why not give tax credits to "home made energy"? Make 10 million hybrids with tax credits, and transition to electric cars fueled by CNG, and that "home made energy"? Sounds like a good plan to me.
Yup, McCain and his "foreign policy advisor" used and abused their positions, from what I can see, to make McCain's foreign policy "strength" make him more appealing to voters, and then he basically leaves his "friend" out to swing in the Russian winds. New Star Trek movie (2009) casts youngsters to play you Jame T. Kirk and friends, "Charlie Bartell" star (a real Russian, from Leningrad) gets the Chekov part (and did a great job in the Charlie Barlett movie).
EPA gets consent decree from SPR on sulfur and nitrogen oxide emissions in Arizona, but it looks like taxpayers (and customers) will pay the price of $4,000,000 in 'community service' projects, and $400,000,000 (yes, 400 million dollars) in upgrade costs.
August 12, 2008
Shocker: Rupert Murdoch supports Obama. Gasification the biofuels' neglected cousin. Sec. Paulson says reform in financial markets a good thing, and pushing for oversight and new regs. Biobutanol, the industrial strength biofuel for autos? New Developments? Maybe.
BBC offers primetime "Primeval", a definite must see is Hannah Spearitt.
McCain disappointed - his campaign won't get the boost he was hoping for from the ourbreak of war in Georgia. Meanwhile the French negotiate a pease deal and Obama comes out smelling like a rose.
August 02, 2008
Rants and raves, Mad Men (and beautiful women), Obama slurred by McCain videos, (more than one), new "extraction" process for alga oil premits them to live, new membrane for desalination promises lower costs/greater durability.
July 21, 2008
Senate Bill scares speculators out of the oil market? Al Gore wants to electrify everything everywhere, no room for old fossils. Oil mogul Boone Pickens is pickin' electricity too. My, my, Mamma Mia is better than expected (and doing boffo box office in spite of opening weekend snowed under by Dark Knight).
Airlines Want Oil Market Reforms, Newt's Brain in Neutral, Gramm tells Truth - McCain Runs for Cover
July 14, 2008
Senator McCain ducks for cover after his Chief Economic Advisor SPEAKS THE TRUTH about America's economic condition.
Airlines join forces to Reform Speculative Oil markets in a sensible plan, while Newt Gingrich proposes to let Oil companies off-the-leash, and onto new leases EVERYWHERE, while ignoring environment.
HBO Blows it. Hancock superhero. Super Movie.
July 07, 2008
G8 + G.Bush = Waiting for Obama, Scientific underestimation seems to be getting institutionalized, or is it just institutionalized conservatism? Hanks ranks, but Hoffman gets the big nod from me, that is AFTER acknowledging they could hardly go wrong with Nichols and Sorkin. Experiments with E-85 make E-50 for regular cars and BIG gas savings.
July 02, 2008
Shovels wouldn't be enough: 100,000 tonnes of algae removed from Qingdao harbor by 1000 boats, skiploaders and more. "Wanted" best new action director of the year, Timur Bekmambetov, (don't watch for Oscar nod, but he's great!) Angelina looks fab, as usual. Zimbabwe election that wasn't (what more can I say?), Food vs Fuel, TWO Presidents weigh in and both seem to agree with ME.
June 22, 2008
Patent pending announcement for Algae Cultivation, ARPA-E (does it really exist?), W2 Energy gets "plasma" infusion, In Plain Sight as good as Burn Notice?, Mississippi State gets grant to study sewage bugs.
June 17, 2008
Neste announces billion dollar 800,000 tonne plant for Rotterdam, USAF "pilot" project for S-8 fuels, Profligate military spending, Sun Prairie Biodiesel plant canceled, Diversified has hot metal gasifier process.
June 09, 2008
Obama speaks, Hilary conceded, Sex is Fabulous, Taxes are killers, and Women are coming. If that doesn't get your head spinning, you must read this column regularly enough to know what I mean by all those cryptic clips.
June 01, 2008
Bush bushwacked by Press Secretary, Ironman a solid steel hit, Algae Biofuel Summit to happen in India, politics heats up in Michigan, Florida and Washington DC for DNC and RBC. Donna Brazile, Senator Clinton, Senator Obama all have prominate places in the media spotlight
More ACORE/Euromoney WallSt. Info, McGyan Exaggeration, Political Spades, 20GW Wind Not All Politica
May 27, 2008
Assasination talk overblown, McCain calls Obama "naive", (and no one objects to the "foolish" label over at PBS), "Kinky Boots" sparkles with new stars, I didn't say anything about Indiana Jones (yet!), and IMPORTANT Energy Finance Conference in NYC this coming month!
May 18, 2008
Iraq going badly? Bush denies by "de Nile", Finnish Firms Gasifier Deal (with history back to 1288 !!) Better syndiesel systems from the past (and Wisconsin). FINANCIAL HELP for alternative energy from Europe to Wall St.
May 11, 2008
A couple of terrific movies to see, a political campaign (or rather TWO) that seem to have gone "off the tracks" and some pretty interesting discoveries in the field of biodiesel though not any great technology breakthroughs (unless you look behind my clues).
May 06, 2008
How long a gas-tax holiday to YOU want? Brazilians get process to "ferment" sugar cane direct to diesel. May sweeps programming a hopeful but weak prospect. Private agendas are politics too, I guess. Finely managed Presidential campaign may be designed to steal thunder from convention hoopla.
April 26, 2008
Food crop used as feedstock for transportation is a growing controversy. We look at why it is growing, and explanations from some of the really smart people who know (and aren't afraid to tell it).
An important day in schools across the country this past week, A Day of Silence, a human rights protest, home grown.
Cool heroes, cool villains, are the differences disappearing?
April 23, 2008
McCain looked like a pressure cooker about to blow it's relief valve right there on television. All it took was a mild mannered interviewer to get the goat of the man who would be leader of the free world. No thanks. And then there was the stupidity about Iraq that was not just hard to swallow, it was difficult to even believe what he said.
Juliana Margulies new series is over too soon.
Alternative fuels are starting out with a "tilt" on the playing field, so it's not unreasonable to help the startup stages, is it?
April 13, 2008
Senator Obama's GREAT BIG STUMBLE, could be the changing tide on the political ocean for Senator Clinton.
Wow! for Javier Bardem. Biodiesel everywhere from Lethbridge (new facility) to Brazil (prices over US$6/gal., to Uruguay, and moving whole factories SOUTH.
March 30, 2008
Improved Fisher-Tropsch changes the landscape (more than just a little) especially for Biofuels, but also for stranded natural gas. Francis Fisher looks good topless. Catherine Zeta-Jones is beautiful but wasted. "Homeland Security" sounds more subversive of real security and liberty than reassuring, why do we have a police force named "Arizona Department of Public Safety"?
March 24, 2008
Sir Richard's elegant "retreat" in BVI hosts top names from internet and venture capital finance, airline fuel still a problem he hasn't solved (apparently he doesn't read this column). Clinton and Obama smack-down, again, Richardson was right, time to stop fighting among yourselves, Clinton hopes are not dead yet. Obama still vulnerable. New green fuels auction website opens, includes discussion forum and "community" features for interaction. New catalyst proves very speedy (in the "extreme speed" category)for veggie oil to biodiesel process, and just as a bonus, the method also turns glycerol into DME. How's that for a good trick?
March 18, 2008
OY, Oy, oy, Soy Prices, Another Bold South African Venture, Brazil Speeds up (Maybe), Texas Green goes to Alabama
March 09, 2008
Biodiesel marketing coup by Biodiesel Logic - EPA to distribute a documentary on their equipment. Breakthrough speed in new catalyst for biodiesel process.
Obama and Clinton record bashing demystified.
"Vantage Point", the point is, you should see it.
March 03, 2008
Solazyme has a new process that feed sugars to algae and grows them anaerobically, Allegro is testing biodiesel from jatropha oil in Louisiana (a promising new, low-cost feedstock, we hope), sloppy pro or con arguments are not helpful on the subject of biofuels - is there a conspiracy or self-interest behind some of the opposition?
Brilliant movies, Moliere and Across the Universe. Julie Taymor triumphs again.
PNOC-AFC disagrees with Dept of Ag in Philippines regarding jatropha plantations vs other crops -- where are the profits?
February 24, 2008
Gasification garbage into renewable diesel. Sounds better than gasifying fossil fuels like coal, doesn't it? Alternative ideas about causes (?) of global climate change? Afghanistan and Pakistan have their troubles, but something odd in common with Serbia where the end to hostilities was a negotiated peace brokered by the US, and certain "missing" war criminals. The absurdity is also reflected in a film, and film has its biggest night, at the Oscars (well, some Oscar results that pleased me, anyway). And then there are the free games ...
February 17, 2008
I am nothing short of amazed at all the news there is each week in the field of renewable energy. I would virtually have to start making this a daily column just to keep up with it all. On the other hand that would be thoroughly un-necessary because most of what is reported as "news" comes down to...
February 11, 2008
"Wood is the new coal," was the proclamation in a brief article that came to my attention this week. That´s not all that pleasant a thought to me, but then I gave it a little deeper consideration, and frankly, to some extent that is correct. The difference is that unlike the unfortunate ignorance ...
February 03, 2008
Freezing weather comes with good news for biodiesel from algae, and for the drought stung Western US. Politics heats up strange bedfellows in a love-fest debate, as the field narrows. State of the Union speech weaker than dishwater, with one exception. Golden Globes and Academy Awards are strewn all over these movies.
January 27, 2008
Soy Oil Price Soars; Imperium Delays IPO; Fed Rate Cut Still Coming; Bartiromo, Gates, Soros, Dell, Bono at WEF Summit; Obama Doubles Clinton; Kennedy´s Double Endorse Obama
January 21, 2008
Don't you find it gratifying when one of the REALLY BIG guys comes over to your side, your way of thinking? Try to imagine for a second that you are reading this while I am speaking in an Irish accent as I say, "It warmed the cockles of me heart t' hear it!" (It just seems appropriate to have ...
January 14, 2008
It seems perverse if not downright self-destructive to develop a passionate dislike for one of the laws of physics, but I am doing it none the less. Strictly speaking, it is not Newton's First Law with which I have so much trouble, it is the fact that society and economics seem mired in it. Carefull...
January 06, 2008
Governor Bill Richardson called for 50 MPG in the CAFE standards during the Saturday night double debate for both Republicans and Democrats from St. Anselm in Manchester, New Hampshire. A FACEBOOK poll (FACEBOOK was a co-sponsor of the debate, with on screen reporter Bianna Golodryga giving us the ...
December 31, 2007
There are all kinds of risks associated with any kind of economic activity, but the one that seems to have been overlooked in the training I received at the populist brokerage firm Schwab and Company or perhaps just seems to have neglected an appropriate emphasis on it is "legislative risk"; the fic...
December 17, 2007
Department of Energy’s Energy Information Agency predicts that the cost of home heating using home heating oil will be up by 33% this winter. That, they say, should AVERAGE about $1955 per household, unless, of course, you live in the NorthEast, in which case, your cost will likely be more in the ...
December 10, 2007
Not too long ago there was a security "breach" at a nuclear power plant in Arizona. The Palo Verde nuclear power facility was locked down briefly when a pipe bomb was discovered in the back of a pick up truck belonging to a contract worker who had driven his truck to work at the plant. The owner o...
December 04, 2007
This column may end up a mish-mosh of bits and pieces because I have been obsessing for the last couple of days on the issue of immigration, and one particular story in the news this week that inspired my obsession. But I'll hold off on that because at least some of you are here because I often hav...
GSPI + BTR to build 100, 1000 acre algae farms, Chocolate Biodiesel (really), Famine-Food-FlyingCars
November 26, 2007
In a publicity release that also ties them to the University of Baja California near Ensenada, in Mexico, Green Star Products Inc. (OTC:GSPI) and BioTech Research (BTR) present a video showing ongoing research utilizing a production facility in Montana (yes, the US state famous for bitter winds and ...
November 18, 2007
Biomass fuels, or at least some of them, are now price competitive with coal according to the "Biopact" website that focuses on bioenergy in Africa, largely from a European perspective, citing coal prices from a Reuters Africa news item from November 4th, 2007. Is that really true? Sometimes the b...
November 12, 2007
In October of 2007 a Czechoslovakian jet fighter flew on B100 (100% biodiesel from vegetable oil).
Wait a minute. Did he say, "Czechoslovakian" in 2007? He did. But there WAS NO Czechoslovakia in 2007. Well, that's true too. This was an older model jet built when Czechoslovakia was still C...
November 04, 2007
It is hard to tell what is news and what is not in recent years. Certainly the news from Pakistan this week that Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has suspended the country’s constitution, imposed what is, in effect, Marshall Law, as well as having dismissed the Chief Justice of the country’s Su...
October 29, 2007
In the battle between rumor and fact, rumor is the less durable, but more powerful in the short run. It makes me, well, not angry, I try not to get "angry" and usually I succeed, (though I often "bluster" and with 4 years of professional acting training and lot of experience it is all too often mor...
October 22, 2007
Biodiesel:$0.50 to $1.52 in 1yr.?, Putin & Iran & Oil & Nukes
Last year a Northern California company was offering to build biodiesel plants for all comers at US$0.50 per gallon of nameplate capacity. Did that get your attention? I know it did mine. I was looking for someone to build a 30 mill...
October 15, 2007
"Ditch water surprise," is an expression I had never heard before today. It brought a smile and a chuckle when I heard it, because it was used by a very prosperous ("rich" by most people's standards) man in a promotional email for his business. He suggested his kids shouldn't be facing that dish o...
4-H boosts Alcohol, Yuma remade, Small Biodiesel definded at $60MM, Cellulosic Alcohol tops Subsidie
October 08, 2007
Overcoming the language barrier has different meanings to different people. If you are a parent, you may mean you are trying to understand the mumblings of your teenage children and their friends. Certainly translations from one country's language to that of another country are always problematic....
September 24, 2007
I am not sure why this got on my "radar" this week, but a gentleman named Russ Teal has been "doing" biodiesel for a few years now. No, not as an intoxicant, though he said you can drink the stuff he makes, and reports that it makes a POWERFUL laxative (apparently somebody actually has tried it). ...
September 18, 2007
CBS Sunday Morning is often entertaining, but not usually the center of a controversy. However, I am annoyed that they introduced Vijay Vaitheeswaran, author of the new book, ZOOM: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future starting with his comment that it takes more fossil fuel energy to produ...
Hybrids: Biofuel & Regular, Bin Laden's truth, Bush Lies, McCain off the mark,Jatropha in Philippine
September 09, 2007
Strongly critical of efforts to promote the planting of jatropha curcas in the Philippines, Professors Ted Mendoza, Oscar Zamora and Joven Lales of the Faculty of Crop Science, College of Agriculture, University of the Philippines in Los Baños, Laguna, state their case in a rather lengthy article in...
September 03, 2007
There have been a lot of people moaning and groaning about the inefficiency of ethanol production, as if their arguments were really going to stop the surge in that direction. The fact of the matter is: it doesn't matter. It does not matter, in the short term, because whether it takes more energy ...
Fungus Makes Biodiesel, Biodiesel HI., Sen. McCain Writes, DDG=Lean Bacon, Unique Charity Fundraisin
August 27, 2007
Fungus Makes Biodiesel, Biodiesel HI., Sen. McCain Writes, DDG=Lean Bacon, Unique Charity Fundraising
Ravichandra Potumarthi, a researcher in India, has demonstrated and presented his findings at a conference (the International Conference on Bioengineering and Nanotechnology) that using the enzy...
August 20, 2007
Time Warps: VP Cheney 1994, Hoosiers 2006, Hairspray 1962, Dem. Iowa Debates 0, Irish Dark Ages? Argentina BioFuels[in the]Future
WARRANTLESS WIRETAP LAW CHANGES EXPLANATION
In Iowa this week, the Democratic Presidential Candidates debated before the television audience for This Week with Ge...
August 13, 2007
Something happened this morning that changed my perspective, overturned my plans for the start of today's column, and may (or may not) be an important landmark in the progression of international trade and manufacturing. That's a momentous amount of weight to put on a tiny little email I received t...
August 06, 2007
Steve Verhey, the chief executive of Central Washington Biodiesel says that running a conventional diesel engine on biodiesel (presumably B99 or something close to B100) produces about half the carbon monoxide that petrodiesel does. That was a key factor, according to Verhey, that the construction ...
July 30, 2007
So, okay, I can understand that someone might be reluctant to dip a toe into molten metal, especially at the temperatures involved in smelting iron into steel. But come on, really, promising to implement B5 biodiesel can hardly be considered, "taking the plunge," can it? It is a little like a bach...
July 21, 2007
Interest in hybrid (gas/electric) vehicles is down this year according to a US national survey by J.D. Powers.
The survey is quoted in a CNN.com article that reports the decline in interest among new car buyers amounts to 7% from last year to 2007, still 50% of buyers are considering hybrid vehic...
July 16, 2007
Politics are everywhere this week. That includes the biofuels industry. You see, DARPA has just announced a modestly substantial grant to study the viability of biofuels for military aircraft, specifically the JP-8 variety used by all the branches of the US military. "The focus of our renewable ...
July 08, 2007
Biobutanol will get a federal tax credit of $1.10 per gallon. So says, Jim Ostroff in “The Kiplinger Letter” dated July 5 on the Kiplinger web site. Now, that is more even than “renewable diesel” has been granted, so somebody is pushing hard on this one. Mind you, that is Ostroff says that will b...
July 02, 2007
I expect that it may not please the National Biodiesel Board, but the big newsmaker in the biofuels arena this week is clearly one of the old line fuel companies. No doubt it makes it a lot easier to be a TOP newsmaker when you have hundreds of billions of currency to spend, thus traditional petrol...
June 24, 2007
Here's a riddle for you. When is US $3000 worth more than US $3000?
I'm going to give you a minute to contemplate that while I give you some advice. Now I know, from my experiences in "group therapy" (many, many years ago in Southern California)(more fun than it sounds, because nude group thera...
June 18, 2007
My headline could have been, "SA TV Show Shoots Holes in Algal Biodiesel Firm - Casts Doubt on Whole Industry". I don't want to descend to that level of muckraking journalism. But bad news makes news, and "De Beers Fuels" of South Africa is making news. Some observers have called the company a sh...
June 10, 2007
The outcome of the Republican Party Presidential Candidate debates this past week in New Hampshire was shocking! This was especially because I took a lot of notes, watched the whole thing, and made an effort not to prejudge anything or anyone. I used to be an admirer of John McCain when he was the...
June 04, 2007
Answer the following question: Biotech Venture Capital is overinvested in biofuels. True or False?
Well, there is evidence that, along with the rest of the world, bioethanol venture capital investment is getting overheated. However that may be a distortion in the method of the data collection. ...
Algae-to-Biofuels, Indy Ethanol, Deep Wells: Clean Water, Hydrogen-on-Demand Solution, Iraq Betrayal
May 28, 2007
"Don't drink the fuel!" Just in case anyone got the wrong idea from the fact that the Indianapolis 500 cars are ALL running on ethanol this year for the first time does NOT mean that it is drinkable stuff. It could have been, but "pure" ethanol is subject to federal beverage excise taxes, so they ...
May 20, 2007
I learned this week via the biofuels.coop blog that North Carolina legislators have proposed to narrow the definition that the state will apply to the term "biodiesel". Changing the definition of "biodiesel" to match ASTM D6751 may seem like a good idea, but it is actually just North Carolina legi...
May 14, 2007
Nobody likes to get sued. Well, that may not be strictly true. There may be lonely, old lawyers out there who appreciate the attention and have become so deft at dodging legal bullets that they just enjoy the game, but ordinary, rational human beings try to avoid such things. Oh dear, did I just o...
May 06, 2007
It is usually true that, “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” but not everything that someone with all the sophistication of a two year old thinks is smoke, is, in fact, smoke at all. I remember when I was quite young coming across the ancient Greek idea that all things were composed of the four el...
April 29, 2007
Some people just don't, "get it." My wife thinks Democratic Presidential Hopeful Dennis Kucinich is one of those people. I am not sure it isn't my wife who doesn't, "get it," at least to the extent of why Senator Kucinich is taking the positions and saying the things he is at this point in the Dem...
April 23, 2007
“They had to cancel the Nobel Peace Prize awards ceremonies this year: a fight broke out among the nominees.”
Okay, I grant you if Bob Hope’s writers had written that joke it probably would have been funnier. I know it would because I co-authored a story with some former staff writers from Bob H...
April 15, 2007
If Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards in America were equal to those in the European Union, the USA would not have to import one gallon of foreign crude oil. That's what Bill Bradley, former NBA star and former presidential candidate, claims in his new book The New American Way. I hav...
April 02, 2007
A teacher of mine once said, "There are always two ways to look at a situation, the optimistic way and the pessimistic way." He went on to say that he preferred the pessimists' way, because an optimist is too easily fooled, and constantly being disappointed that things didn't work out as well as ...
March 26, 2007
“He was a long, tall Texan, he wears a ten-gallon hat.” “He rides from Texas in a ten-gallon hat.” No, I am NOT talking about that pseudo-Texan from Crawford. This one is the genuine article and he comes from Austin. I promised to tell you more about Mr. Russell Smith a couple of weeks ago. I ...
March 19, 2007
Have you ever backed out of your garage, looking carefully over your shoulder to avoid running over the neighborhood children, dogs and cats, only to turn around an find a long extension cord still attached to the front of your car and to the wall socket at the far end of the garage? I have. It is...
March 12, 2007
How do you shake hands with a one-armed man? It is not a joke, or even a riddle, just a starting thought for today. Something you might want to think about, especially when you see all the places that will lead us.
The other day, Sunday, I saw a courtesy extended that is rarely done, though per...
March 03, 2007
Will nervous investors kill off the biodiesel industry in its infancy? It felt that way as I read the news this week. Story after story reported: "no plant to be built," or, "facility canceled", or "future in doubt." The last phrase was being polite. The actual case in that instance was one of a...
February 26, 2007
I am the first to admit that my numbers that follow are "pro forma" from the dollar amounts and investment percentages that have been made public, but it is pretty clear that there are fat profits to be made and pretty quickly too. No wonder the Seattle-based Imperium Renewables had no trouble with...
February 20, 2007
There is always a danger as we approach a long weekend such as the one we have here in the USA this weekend. That danger is that those of us who have set ourselves tasks to accomplish may be tempted to revert to those bad habits we may have had in high school (or even earlier) of procrastinating un...
February 12, 2007
There was some considerable danger that today's column would focus, in part, at least, on bemoaning the phenomenon of public scapegoats and sacrificial lambs. It is not that I am not still annoyed by the public pillorying of otherwise venerable and even, in some cases, phenomenal, men and women for...
February 04, 2007
Forgive me, please, if you are one of those people who hated math in school, but I want to start off today with a few calculations. They are simple calculations, let's not panic anyone. I am talking about the actual numbers the Whitehouse has put out in support of the President's State of the Union...
January 29, 2007
I honestly do not know if life teaches you lessons every day, though I often claim you can learn something every day if you are paying attention, but I do know that a couple of my favorite lessons came back to hit me over the head with obvious examples this week.
Example number one was just this ...
January 22, 2007
Another mystery solved this week. I figured out why so much of teenagers' speech is peppered with "ya' know" and "like..." and "he goes". Believe it or not, the answer is quite simple. They simply do not have the vocabulary to speak any more succinctly. In fact, most teens will have given up at ...
January 16, 2007
Something very odd occurred to me the other day; an eagle appeared on my television screen the day before Martin Luther King Day, and it wasn't part of the broadcast. I suppose anyone who knows me might claim that was not an especially odd event, especially since I had originally intended to start ...
January 09, 2007
I found a cure for an "incurable" disease. Okay, I didn't invent or discover this cure myself. I got it from my doctor. But as far as the public is concerned, this "disease" is still incurable. The reason for that is partly a matter of perception, and partly a matter of technology. You see, I e...
January 02, 2007
I am going to have to say this carefully, or you will think this is an announcement that I am in love. You see there is this guy, David Ramsey, and I love some of what he has done, but I hate (mother said not to use that word, but it is a classic "love/hate" problem) some other action he has taken,...
December 26, 2006
"Ya can't expect to buy the truth for a nickel," said one of my favorite 19th century journalists, who, despite being a favorite, his name escapes me more often than not. Mind you, I'm no journalist, I am a story teller, and the reason he is one of my favorite journalists is that he also said, "You...
December 18, 2006
My children have developed an obsession with a water-park. That wouldn’t be so unusual if it weren’t for the fact that my “children” are of the four-legged feline persuasion, and therefore, traditionally at least, are not supposed to like water. Of course the “water park” they are obsessed with is...
December 11, 2006
"It seems like a good time to be on the side of the pragmatists," pronounced Deputy Police Chief Brenda Lee Johnson on TNT's "The Closer" in a recent two-hour episode. It turns out, that unbeknownst to us viewers, Brenda Lee was at one time associated with some folks at the CIA, and has skills we n...
December 04, 2006
If , “brevity is the soul of wit,” most will judge me witless or soulless much of the time. The less charitable will claim I am both, most of the time. Today I will try to be less verbose.
I grant that in many parts of the country that without heat we would be in a lot of trouble. On the other...
November 27, 2006
Long ago and far away, I was a "Kelly Girl". That does not mean that there was a gender re-assignment surgery in my past. It does mean that at one time (okay, a couple of times, in fact) I was between jobs, a condition I usually refer to as "self-unemployed" since so much of my life I have worked ...
November 19, 2006
Water warps wood. Sounds like one of those rock-paper-scissors kids games, or a coded spy message doesn’t it. Sometimes it feels like rock-paper-scissors trying to decide what might be the “best” technology to pursue for future environmental benefits. Not to mention current environmental benefits...
November 12, 2006
What Comes in Three’s?
Yesterday I cleaned out my wallet. The momentousness of the occasion will be lost on all but my wife. She is the one person in the world who is aware that the last time it happened was more than a decade ago. The symbolic parallel of the change of government may be less ...
November 06, 2006
"You can't handle the truth!" shouts Jack Nicholson from the screen. One of my favorite writers, Aaron Sorkin, sure knows a great line when he writes one. Aaron was talking about a moral issue of some complexity in that script about murder on the American military outpost on land borrowed from Cuba...
October 30, 2006
George Stephanopoulos says that I am the key to a Democratic victory in next week’s mid-term elections. Okay, that’s not exactly what he says. He says that independent voters, whose turn out is traditionally low on mid-term election years are key. Therefore as a “registered independent” I claim t...
October 23, 2006
Exaggerated Claims and Outright Lies About Green Energy and Fuels
Is it the season, or the weather, or just the political climate that seems to bring out the lies? One can hardly help but be conscious of all the accusations about lying at the present time. Exchanges of attack ads from politicia...
October 16, 2006
"The farmers and the cowmen should be friends..."
It almost seems to drip with irony that the Rogers and Hamerstein musical comedy containing the song about the farmers versus the ranchers is set in oil rich Oklahoma. There may be many branches on the new “green energy” tree, but that doesn’t me...
October 09, 2006
Don’t you just hate it when you find yourself jumping up and down in enthusiastic agreement with someone only to realize that you agree only on a fundamentally superficial level?
As I have said before, I greatly admire Ben Stein’s intellect. He is well spoken. And no, for me that is not “code” ...
September 30, 2006
There is a reason we do not see too many two dollar bills in this country, though the explanation is not well known and may not be what you think. The problem that caused this strange quirk of currency was so severe that it affected Canada, too. Of course, Canadians have since gone a long way to s...
September 24, 2006
Billionaires move at blinding speeds. That fact is not all that surprising when the company they keep is the likes of Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, but it took only about 12 days for Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Records and The Virgin Group (including Virgin Airlines) to grow his “commitm...
September 14, 2006
I have been impressed of late, as I mentioned in a previous column, by Keith Olbermann’s editorial commentaries. Clearly I am not alone in this sentiment. (Apologies to Keith for misspelling his last name last time. Who knew he was so Hessian as to use the double "n" ending.)
Strictly speakin...
September 09, 2006
“Falling asleep over here, Hodge-podge,” said the beautiful new female character, Camille Saroyan (played by Tamara Taylor) who heads the research institute in Fox Television’s crime drama, “Bones” as it forged into it’s new season with a second installment last night. What was “scary” about the ep...
September 02, 2006
A Florida radio station had asked me to do an interview this week. But, with the oncoming threat of Tropical Storm Ernesto possibly building to hurricane status before it hit the Miami area, radio host Bruce Wayne politely called to postpone the day before.
As it turned out, Ernesto was not th...
August 26, 2006
Green is an uphill battle here in the desert. Duh, I can almost hear you saying. But it is not quite as simple as the fact that here in Arizona the desert is hot and dry, not an ideal growing environment at first glance. But you would be mistaken if you thought that was the end of the story.
I...
August 20, 2006
It may be hard to imagine that my message is really a hopeful one when I tell you that the “tunnel” that has the light at the end of it is a sewer. The good news is, it is not hard to turn that light on. Turn on a source of far greener energy than most.
It is a fundamental concept of engineerin...
August 12, 2006
It is amazing. I have been talking to people for a couple of years now about a method of producing “green” renewable energy. Yes, the process is amazing, but what amazes me even more is that is hasn’t taken on a life of its own. It feels a little like the world has the “gasoline” religion and I a...
August 11, 2006
My brother-in-law provoked me. He pointed to an online column by former White House political speech writer turned comedian and commentator, Ben Stein. Ben was complaining that stars didn't deserve such adulation, they weren't, after all, true heroes. That point of view was so antitetical to my o...
November 30, 1999
Nothing happened, again. It is an un-necessarily cynical view of the world that “nothing happened" in the world in the last week. It was the first thought that came to mind as I contemplated writing my column for this week. It is, of course, absolutely not true. Horrific events took place. Many...