Technology

Assessment of Power Plants That Meet Proposed Greenhouse Gas Emission Performance Standards - Final Report - 4/22/2010

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Fri, 06/04/2010 - 07:00.

The chart above presents some of the most important data in the world for citizens to understand about the future physical and economic health and well being of all people on Earth, and for all life on Earth - the Total Levelized Costs of Electricity including TS&M shown in Exhibit ES-11 is the cost breakdown from the ASSESSMENT OF POWER PLANTS THAT MEET PROPOSED GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION PERFORMANCE STANDARDS - November 5, 2009 - REVISED 4/22/2010 that demonstrates that all the technologies available and in immediate development to burn coal to generate utility scale power at the emissions standards set for California are more expensive than generating electricity by wind - significantly more expensive. Solar has better economic value than coal as well.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) just conducted a comparison of the relative impacts of various financial, technological, and wind resource variables on the LCOE from utility-scale wind projects and found a base case range of $54-74/MWh.

Radioactivity may be one of the key factors in lung cancer among smokers - those exposed to secondhand smoke at risk as well

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Wed, 06/02/2010 - 02:34.

I've been researching general systems of pollution and public health to the molecular level and am shocked by little-known associations like between waste products of coal burning, and fertilizer made with flyash, and small levels of radioactivity passed on airborne to plants, like tobacco leaves, which is then carried into the lungs of smokers and those exposed to second-hand smoke... as explained by the EPA: "By far, the largest radiation dose received by the public comes from smoking cigarettes. While cigarette smoke is not an obvious source of radiation exposure, it contains small amounts of radioactive materials which smokers bring into their lungs as they inhale. The radioactive particles lodge in lung tissue and over time contribute a huge radiation dose. Radioactivity may be one of the key factors in lung cancer among smokers".

Consider such relationships between the Earth we have created and the harm it causes our bodies, beyond the generally accepted explanations... realize tobacco isn't the only radioactive crop we are growing in our gardens, and radioactivity isn't the only danger there... be informed about the toxins in the world around you:

IP Can Support Biodiversity - WIPO Member States Advance Work On Traditional Knowledge, Folklore And Genetic Resources

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Tue, 06/01/2010 - 19:08.

Geneva, May 21, 2010 - PR/2010/643

On the occasion of the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) on May 22, WIPO Director General Francis Gurry underlined the Organization’s commitment to ensuring that the intellectual property (IP) system plays a positive role in safeguarding biodiversity, the sustainable use of its components and the sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources. 

WIPO is an active participant in international discussions relating to the Convention on Biological Diversity. WIPO’s program on traditional knowledge, genetic resources and traditional cultural expressions aims to empower states and indigenous and local communities to negotiate a fair share of benefits derived from the exploitation of biodiversity and associated traditional knowledge.  Upon request from member states, WIPO undertakes a wide range of capacity-strengthening activities to support this.

WIPO Director General Highlights Importance of Intellectual Property for Innovation and Technology Transfer

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Tue, 06/01/2010 - 18:23.

Geneva, May 10, 2010 - PR/2010/640

The critical role of intellectual property as a tool for enabling innovation, the practical transfer of technology and industrial competitiveness were the focus of the remarks of WIPO Director General Francis Gurry to a key meeting of member states of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) in Vienna today. 

Mr. Gurry said that the intellectual property system played a key role in facilitating technology transfer by incentivizing investment in innovation, providing a framework for trading intellectual assets, and by establishing market order through marks and brands. He noted that the innovation landscape was “the subject of rapid and radical change” pointing to the intensification of investment in knowledge creation which had more than doubled in the past 15 years rising to some 1.1. trillion US dollars in 2009. 
 
The Director General also highlighted the rapidly changing geography of technology production, noting that China had become the third largest investor in research and development. He highlighted, in particular, the experiences of Japan, the Republic of Korea and China which have experienced sustained growth in international patent applications. In 1994, these countries together accounted for 7.6% of international patent applications filed under WIPO’s Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) rising, fifteen years later, in 2009 to 29.2%.

Should NEO Citizens Be Concerned About Lead Poisoning From Piston Engine Airplanes Flying From Our Regional Airports?

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Tue, 06/01/2010 - 16:23.

Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Lead Emissions from Piston-Engine Aircraft Using Leaded Aviation Gasoline (yes they do)

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Tue, 06/01/2010 - 03:29.

Next time you drive by Burke Lakefront Airport - or perhaps when considering attending the next Cleveland Air Show - realize the following facts about such small-time airports and many of the planes flying there... they cause lead poisoning! From "Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Lead Emissions from Piston-Engine Aircraft Using Leaded Aviation Gasoline: Regulatory Announcement", from the EPA, that certainly impacts Burke Lakefront Airport and other small local airports, and should have been reported in the local media (as this is a time for public comment), consider these facts - There are almost 20,000 airport facilities in the U.S. where leaded avgas is used ( Burke is certainly among them) - Aviation gasoline is utilized in general aviation aircraft with piston engines, which are generally used for instructional flying, air taxi activities, and personal transportation. Lead is not used in jet fuel, the fuel utilized by most commercial aircraft (Burke seems popular with piston engine airplanes) - Emissions of lead from piston-engine aircraft using leaded avgas comprise approximately half of the national inventory of lead emitted to air (being dumped on area citizens from various altitudes along the flightpaths for Burke Lakefront Airport) - EPA estimates that approximately 14.6 billion gallons of leaded avgas were consumed between 1970 and 2007, emitting approximately 34,000 tons of lead (we sure got/get our share) - Airport-specific lead inventories for 2008 are currently undergoing review by state, local and tribal authorities and will be completed in 2010.

Citizens of Northeast Ohio should have been informed about local inventories and plans to meet more stringent EPA guidelines in the future... perhaps it is time to now CLOSE THE DAMN AIRPORT!!! The EPA will accept public comment on the ANPR for 60 days following its publication in the Federal Register. To provide comments to EPA, follow the instructions provided in today’s action... read more below....

Cleveland.com Interview With Drew Carey Discussing "Reason Saves Cleveland"

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Thu, 05/27/2010 - 19:32.

Drew Carey visits Cleveland with his ideas on improving the city

Drew Carey was in Cleveland today to discuss his series of documentaries "Reason Saves Cleveland" with Cleveland City Council - this is an interview he conducted with Cleveland.com, offering some of his personal perspectives on the economic situation here and his efforts to improve conditions here. Additional coverage of his interesting libertarian perspectives is found at Cleveland.com here... I can't say I agree with all that I have seen of these documentaries but I do intend to explore Carey's overall vision and his willingness to follow-through further.

Air Quality Advisory in NE Ohio - Thursday, May 27, 2010 Only

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Thu, 05/27/2010 - 09:46.
05/27/2010 - 00:00
05/27/2010 - 23:59
Etc/GMT-4

Northeast Ohio - Today's high temperatures and lack of wind may result in exceedances today for both ground-level ozone and fine particles.  An Air Quality Advisory is in effect for today, May 27, only.  Fine particle concentrations will be highest in urban areas, while ozone may be more widespread.

Location

Northeast Ohio
United States

CLE Ord. No 496-10 has been TABLED

Submitted by briancummins on Mon, 05/24/2010 - 19:23.

At this evening's Cleveland City Council meeting, Ordinance Number 496-10, the 10-year no-bid contract for LED products and a promise of 350 jobs from Sunpu Opto has been tabled! -- suspend consideration of a pending motion.

Sunpu Opto – Unlikely to see vote tonight & Crain’s article

Submitted by briancummins on Mon, 05/24/2010 - 16:56.

It is unlikely there will be a vote this evening on the 10-year no-bid Sunpu Opto LED lighting contract.

It appears the votes for and against the Sunpu Opto agreement are holding.  Today we believe that we are at 9-Yea and 9-Nay and the 19th vote - Councilman Matt Zone (who was recorded as a Yea on a roll call vote last Monday) - is out of town and is not expected to be present for this evening's meeting.

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Video of the Day: Depeche Mode - "Everything Counts"

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Mon, 05/24/2010 - 15:41.

show of Depeche Mode in the station rose bowl-

THE HANDSHAKE SEALS THE CONTRACT
FROM THE CONTRACT THERE´S NO TURNING BACK
THE TURNING POINT OF A CAREER
IN KOREA BEING INSINCERE
THE HOLIDAY WAS FUN-PACKED
THE CONTRACT, STILL INTACT

"We haffi support all a man like that because him a do what the Government naa do fi wi"

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Mon, 05/24/2010 - 00:32.

The NYTimes reported today that "The Jamaican government declared a state of emergency in portions of Kingston, the capital, on Sunday after supporters of a gang leader who is wanted in the United States on gun and drug charges attacked three police stations in an attempt to pressure the government to let him remain free, officials said." The Jamaica Observer offers more local perspective: "The political fallout, however, appears to be of little consequence to the women of West Kingston who seem more concerned with the fact that Coke has been a benefactor for many years, a man who, they said, ensures their safety, is mainly responsible for sending their children to school and putting food on their tables."

May 20th memo from A. Brancatelli to Council Pres. M. Sweeney re: Sunpu Opto

Submitted by briancummins on Sun, 05/23/2010 - 23:33.

Click on the following images below of an Inter-Office Memo from Councilman Anthony Brancatelli to Council President Martin Sweeney regarding the Sunpu Opto legislation. (You should be able to enlarge them once you open each image up).

Councilman Brancatelli, who was absent for the Monday, May 17th Council Meeting has requested the legislation be placed back into five of Council's Committees.

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Jerasoft Development warns about pirate Billbery VoIP billing version offered by fraud dealers

Submitted by AlexM on Sat, 05/22/2010 - 16:40.

Jerasoft Development, the leading VoIP billing software developer, warns that fraud third party companies have been spreading pirate beta-version of Billbery 3.0.5. The Beta software is pre-release version, issued by Jerasoft Development for testing but wasn't intended for sales or distribution. VoIP providers who are buying Billbery at low cost from the fraud dealers, are likely to get problems when trial period of beta version expires in the nearest future.

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Welcome to NYTTV, out of the Starting Blocks... Enjoy realNEO Glocal TV....

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Fri, 05/21/2010 - 18:30.

 

As recently as the 1990s, I subscribed to multiple newspapers and cable television for news reporting, costing perhaps $100 per month... filling my hallway with stacks of dead trees and pumping undesirable broadcast spam into my home by coax.  Over the past decade, new technologies have replaced for me all the functionality offered by copper cables, newsprint and mainstream media in the past, expanding the value of information, and what mainstream media I do access is on-line, real-time, and converged to free multimedia accessible by multiple wired and wireless platforms via open source technologies.

Cleveland’s LED lighting plan - BOLD...but SENSIBLE? -

Submitted by briancummins on Thu, 05/20/2010 - 18:36.

Mayor Frank Jackson and his Administration havebeen saying that their proposed deal to award a 10-year, exclusive contract for all of the City’s energy-efficient LED lighting needs to Sunpu Opto from China is a bold move. Someone close to Cleveland’s LED lighting story summed it up well – 

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STRONG EVIDENCE ON CLIMATE CHANGE UNDERSCORES NEED FOR ACTIONS TO REDUCE EMISSIONS AND BEGIN ADAPTING TO IMPACTS

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Thu, 05/20/2010 - 02:58.

May 19, 2010

WASHINGTON — As part of its most comprehensive study of climate change to date, the National Research Council today issued three reports emphasizing why the U.S. should act now to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and develop a national strategy to adapt to the inevitable impacts of climate change.  The reports by the Research Council, the operating arm of the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Engineering, are part of a congressionally requested suite of five studies known as America's Climate Choices.

"These reports show that the state of climate change science is strong," said Ralph J. Cicerone, president of the National Academy of Sciences.  "But the nation also needs the scientific community to expand upon its understanding of why climate change is happening, and focus also on when and where the most severe impacts will occur and what we can do to respond."

A Dangerously Misleading Article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer Prompts Me To Publish REDUCING ENVIRONMENTAL CANCER RISK

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Thu, 05/20/2010 - 01:45.

I was flabbergasted to read an article in the Cleveland Plain Deal titled "Organic food benefits debated in wake of president's report on cancer, environment", about the 2008–2009 Annual Report of the President’s Cancer Panel - REDUCING ENVIRONMENTAL CANCER RISK... What We Can Do Now, that has nothing to do with ORGANIC FOOD, is misleading, and seems intended to further dumb-down local citizens to the health hazards caused by excessive polluting and medical interventions here, preventing citizens from following one of the core Recommendations:

SELF-ADVOCACY

7. Each person can become an active voice in his or her community.  To a greater extent than many realize, individuals have the power to affect public policy by letting policymakers know that they strongly support environmental cancer research and measures that will reduce or remove from the environment toxics that are known or suspected carcinogens or endocrine-disrupting chemicals.  Individuals also can influence industry by selecting non-toxic products and, where these do not exist, communicating with manufacturers and trade organizations about their desire for safer products.

What Individuals Can Do: Recommendations: REDUCING ENVIRONMENTAL CANCER RISK - April 2010

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Thu, 05/20/2010 - 01:05.

President's Cancer Panel Logo

Below is What Individuals Can Do: Recommendations: from the 2008–2009 Annual Report of the President’s Cancer Panel - REDUCING ENVIRONMENTAL CANCER RISK... What We Can Do Now - April 2010. This report is submitted to the President of the United States in fulfillment of the obligations of the President’s Cancer Panel.

Much remains to be learned about the effects of environmental exposures on cancer risk.  Based on what is known, however, there is much that government and industry can do now to address environmental cancer risk.  The Panel’s recommendations in this regard are detailed above.  At the same time, individuals can take important steps in their own lives to reduce their exposure to environmental elements that increase risk for cancer and other diseases.  And collectively, individual small actions can drastically reduce the number and levels of environmental contaminants.

CHILDREN

1. It is vitally important to recognize that children are far more susceptible to damage from environmental carcinogens and endocrine-disrupting compounds than adults.  To the extent possible, parents and child care providers should choose foods, house and garden products, play spaces, toys, medicines, and medical tests that will minimize children’s exposure to toxics.  Ideally, both mothers and fathers should avoid exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals and known or suspected carcinogens prior to a child’s conception and throughout pregnancy and early life, when risk of damage is greatest.

Policy, Research, and Program Recommendations: REDUCING ENVIRONMENTAL CANCER RISK - April 2010

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Thu, 05/20/2010 - 00:21.

President's Cancer Panel Logo

Below is the Policy, Research, and Program Recommendations from the 2008–2009 Annual Report of the President’s Cancer Panel - REDUCING ENVIRONMENTAL CANCER RISK... What We Can Do Now - April 2010. This report is submitted to the President of the United States in fulfillment of the obligations of the President’s Cancer Panel.

Based on its conclusions, the Panel recommends:

1. A precautionary, prevention-oriented approach should replace current reactionary approaches to environmental contaminants in which human harm must be proven before action is taken to reduce or eliminate exposure.