SteamGeek's blog

Russia has cut off Oil to western European countries, including a NATO member.

Link to BBCnews Headline: Russia oil row hits Europe supply

Quote:

Russia has cut oil supplies to Poland, Germany and Ukraine amid a trade row with its neighbour Belarus.

End quote.

As US policy has been at a stand still for how many decades? Since the 1970's ?

Why has the US not been building safe efficient modern Nuclear reactors as a bridge to keep the Grid powered and reduce dependence on oil?

France has a long history of operating plants safely. China is ordering new plants as fast as possible. Obviously while these folks have solved their own versions of waste handling, ours still sit in barrels on the shores of Lake Michigan (last I knew).

The US is and has been playing ostrich. Is it because the NIMBY crowd and Environmental Lobby influence are stronger voices than an economic and national defense voice of reason?

Were our decisions based on artificially low oil prices which falsely skewed the cost benefit equations to the point where on the one hand our grid is on the verge of collapse, our existing plant base (both fossil fuel and nuclear) are significantly aged, and the lag time to bring new plant resources on line is burdensome?

The last time Russia used oil as an economic weapon was in the dead of winter, during a Cold Snap. At least this time the temps are milder.

Reposted with my permission, as author.

(That's supposed to be a joke)

I had posted a brief quote RE Dr. Hansen and his issues with NASA taking a look at his speaking schedule and interaction with Journalists. Someone then asked me what are we to do about potential censor of Government scientists. I responded with the following:

Dear BF, every once in a while I toss something out there of which seems to stir a thought, but I am also not yet ready to expound upon. Or rather I need to gather my thoughts or in this case I had no time to further expand upon the original kernel or idea.

Also, often when someone asks a question or comments, it helps massively for me to congeal and bring to the surface a certain clarity which in turn helps me to explain where I wanted to go with an un-finished thought.

This is one of those times, thank you.

What to do? We have an interesting dilemma. On the one hand we have issues of free speech and unbridled creative scientific exploration and exchange of ideas. And on the other hand we have the perception of a need to control the public position and Company Line of the enterprise. For the above instance we could define the enterprise as the US Government (Bureaucracy) as well as the current Executive Branch Administration. From a day to day local on the ground nuts and bolts view, we may also find value to also encompass our employer / employee relationships.

Since it's the dead of Winter in Michigan (and its been pretty much raining most of it so far), and with Spring coming.... (maybe sooner than normal)......

Since its de-humidity season when it should have been the humidify season, I figured we might as well explore IAQ de-humidity style.

(There may also be good timing to this anyway, as we look forward to another record summer air conditioning style)

This is of course still an issue in the Southern states all winter long, and also in commercial and industrial settings.

When considering indoor air quality, on top of the list is humidity control.

Two main things to remember, sensible is the temperature (energy or heat) that can be measured with a thermometer, latent is the (energy or heat) tied up in humidity. It means hidden heat, and when it comes to condensing moisture from air, it takes lots of energy no matter which method is used.

Learn more about "Psychrometrics" here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychrometrics

Humidity out-of-control can result in structural damage, mold and mildew issues, and product loss or quality issues in manufacturing.

In the summer months especially, because of warmer outdoor temperatures, we concentrate our efforts on removing excess moisture.

The reason being warmer air holds more moisture than cool air, more moisture in the air can result in condensing on cool surfaces. You will see this in the interior of your refrigerator in humid climates, you will see outdoor hot humid air condense on the outside of windows in a COOL air conditioned house, you will see this inside your walls in the winter if interior moisture (from bathrooms and kitchens for example) gets into the wall and interacts with the cold drafts of winter.

The term has been a buzz word in my circle for quite a long while now.

And to some extent, I think it may have meant many things to many different people, depending on your role or function in the bigger game of conducting our affairs in and around buildings.

For example, someone not long ago suggested they had done something under the "sustainable" program in switching foam coffee cups out for a more environmentally friendly option. She was right. Maybe not so much at the local steakhouse, but once in awhile.

(A friend, KellyJo blogged about sustainable beef not long ago)

The term gets tossed around fairly like loose change amongst us building types, be it architects, engineers, building owners, folks in the energy biz, or skilled trades have all heard it in numerous trade journals, seminars, at the supply houses, and on the street.

In the building design, construction, and operations gig we are typically talking about energy related matters - often renewable such as solar or wind being part of the discussion. Other technologies to save energy are related to the conversation such as capturing waste heat, operational dynamics such as thermostat set back and lighting controls, and even precooling the thermal mass at night when energy is cheap (AKA load shifting), managing water resources, even such things as appliances, computers, printers, copiers and other plugged in type of loads.

I've been chatting up heavy the business of power utility "Demand Response" lately here at www.CultureKitchen.com .

This is where the utility will be able to cut power to AC via automatic control if there are dangers of the Electric Grid going unstable during peak loads.

(Heat waves)

This conversation ends up heavy with key words like HVAC energy etc etc.

Thanks to Google's search technology, AI and on going screening of web content they can then post "targeted ads"

For example from last night:

Now take for example, the same key word sensitive Advertising now running on MySpace with 145,000,000 accounts and 400,000 to 600,000 blogs posted daily.

That's a lot of keyword sensitive oversight, and a lot of computing horsepower.

Now, if it were national security issues we were worried about.....

How hard does anyone think it is to automatically and with a little AI tossed in for sorting

watch for key words like "Assassinate the President"

?

Does it make you think? It does me.

OK folks, I offer a chance to be heard and influence the conversation.

In today’s world we have some difficult energy related circumstances. In the Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning business, the Engineers who work behind the scenes to design build and maintain our buildings and energy infrastructure are working hard to ensure a safe, healthful and sustainable future for us to enjoy.

HVAC for our air conditioning is a major if not dominant portion of the load on our electrical grid. The grid for purpose defined as both Electrical Generation and Distribution. The sad fact is very few new power plants have been built in the last decades, so while electrical demand has increased greatly, the legacy generation base has aged with no significant replacement of these generating resources. On top of that the distribution systems that include high tension cables, transformer stations, local transformers and all the relays sensors and automated controls that go into making it all flow are also aging. Coupled with that is the regular mundane maintenance of clearing trees and brush along the power lines which although manageable, costs a fair amount of money. We should make note that part of the root cause of the Great East Coast / Midwest Blackout (just a name I invented) was caused by lack of proper tree maintenance.

We should also not forget the California draconian regulation that led to the rise and fall of Enron, and the rolling blackouts of the not to distant past.

Lets take a test drive?

Perhaps it’s time to take a car for a ride, and see if I can still remember how to drive.

That feeling of wondering about maybe driving again. What would I drive given the chance? One of those new modern cars, I hear the damn alternators are water cooled, or would I be more at home with a car that has a little less newfangled high maintenance features.

A car with experience in the ways of driving – one that drives itself instead of relying on constant user feedback?

Perhaps a car that can both drive itself and allow a little mutual road rally dancing – autopilot or drive by the seat of the pants.

Where is the comfort zone with this new means of transport? Does it need premium fuel or cough sputter and croak? Can it live off the land a little? How about a little fresh table scraps in the flux capacitor (Back To The Future style). Oh how precious to go with the flow.

I can remember the smell of leather seats when getting into a new car for the first time in ages. As apposed to the familiar I know every creak and vibration, the response to the steering wheel of the bumpy dirt road vs. the roll and sway of a lane change as we motor down the highway.

Remember that Fall cruise for the colors, and being one with the car so well that you can look around at the tree lines and clutch/shift/steer/brake completely detached from the act of driving? And then get behind the wheel of a car never before driven, and you cant find the windshield wipers, how do you turn on the lights, how do the brakes feel, can I start this damn thing without having my foot on the brake? Autopilot.

I really liked this one folks.

If you want to keep up with what the pragmatic, structured, organized, thoughtful people who design build and maintain the behind the scenes critical infrastructure that you, me and all of us count on for EVERY FACET of our daily lives, I highly suggest you add Control Global to your "favorites" list.

A few favorite quotes from the article as a tease to encourage you to read the whole thing :

Engineering solves problems. Innovation creates problems. Most innovation comes from people outside the domain of expertise. Innovators can be anybody.

- and -

We think that this is the innovation age. Not so. We forget fish hooks, fire and the wheel. Twice as many patents were issued in the early 1900s as today. Distance, time and familiarity diminish importance.
My dad would talk to some of my visiting young MBAs. They would complain about the D.C. politics, the latest recession and tax laws. After they left, Dad would say, “Don’t they know this has happened five times before?”

- and -

What does this mean to the working process engineer? We should not dwell on the latest standards and play in our sandbox. Putting change into a process because we want to try out the latest computer is not progress. We, as well as our management, should think about what we do and why we are doing it. Innovation is not just components, systems and toys. Innovation also is a part of how we think.

Judgment Day

Saddam is gone.

(Unless you subscribe to an X-Files style last minute switch, and he really is on an island somewhere planning to live out his US funded retirement)

After watching the various conversations in the Bloggo-sphere its evident a wide range of opinions are well represented. Some say capital punishment is wrong in all cases. Some say its wrong to “celebrate” the death (or any death). Some say he had it coming. Some say he should have been tried in an International court. Some say he should have been held to account by his own people, yet the court that did hold him to account was a puppet court of the US. Some say a hundred other things in a hundred different styles. Some say it was all fair and square.

Some say he has now met his maker and let God sort it out.

He was judged by his peers, his friends, his enemies, his family, his God – himself. Judged by as many different methods as there are people doing the judging by whatever formulae happens to be in fashion by the people and at the place and time.

Rather unreliable method of measure if you ask me. Yet wars are fought over it, and more often than not in the name of God.

By carefully watching BBC CNN FOX DRUDGE etc etc he was not turned over to local Iraqi authorities, he WAS turned over to local Iraqi authorities, he was buried in Tikrit, he WAS NOT buried in Tikrit, he was a tyrant who deserved what he got, he was a puppet of the US and the true villains were let off scott free, and numerous other versions of the story. I’m sure the history books will sort it out.

This little cranial wander around the digital neighborhood started when I shared the little tidbit about the FOX crew parent NewsCorp announcing they were starting a new channel. In what I think is no accident, the name will be My Network TV which I believe is a further capitalization on the "My" brand acquired by Fox two summers ago.

I made a rather broad sweep of a statement to the effect that Tom and Rupert had an opportunity to do what the folks at CNN/Time/Warner couldn't do when they joined AOL at the hip. We all know Ted Turner and the other Time Warner shareholders took it in another portion of the lower anatomy, not the hip.

As I've contemplated how to make my point, in order to explain why I think this is important, I decided to make my case by explaining the many ways the power of the packet has engrained itself into nearly every facet of our day-to-day life.

What happened as I gathered my thoughts and reviewed my material, and decided how to do justice to the TRANSFORMATIONAL opportunity MySpace and My Network might be, I decided to break this conversation into component parts and play with it one step at a time.

For starters it was fascinating for me to learn not long ago that the very same communication protocols that allow Client / Server networks to run in our closed Intranets of the workplace, are exactly the same communication protocols that make the Internet work. TCP/IP and Ethernet and packets are the defacto world wide standard for networked data. Nearly universal, I suppose we can still count the analog landlines but their days are limited.