chuck kottke

How True!;) :sunny: Energy Fair Energy Fair Energy Fair :sunny: The Midwest Renewable Energy Association HomePower.gif (GIF Image, 145x153 pixels) ^ Doesn't the rainbow circle image on Chris Martin's outfit look a bit like this?

Thanks for the info on the show! X3 :laugh3: sounds great - wish they had the eco-friendly family cars there too, but it still will be neat with the green cars in the "rainforest" - great way to bring things together!! The Midwest Renewable Energy Fair is great too because it's all-encompassing - it's educational and fun and hands-on! If you like playing with mud and straw, or listening to great keynote speakers, or learn how to live with an electric vehicle, it's all under one tent! (so to speak). :--) Fun bands too in the evening :guitarist::sunny: The Midwest Renewable Energy Association And even though it's in the Midwest, we have guests from all over the globe arrive and enjoy the festivities! So bring an umbrella and some shades, a lawn chair, and come on down! (plus it's great fun for kids too - kids of all ages, that is.. ;--)

I haven't decided yet - I usually volunteer, but this year I might actually just go and enjoy the show! Got one in Denmark?

> Challenges abound with battery advances. The more power we pack in each unit volume, the shorter the lifespan of the battery, and the greater the risk of energy release. But the future looks bright :cool: as research into solving these problems keeps rolling along. Perhaps it's good to keep an eye on other means as well - adsorbers for hydrogen keep advancing, and carbon nanotube ultracapacitors are vying as battery contenders. (and now for a shameless plug :)) If you want to enjoy a leisurely experience in Renewable Energy, you could come visit or volunteer at our very own, one-and-only Midwest Renewable Energy Fair, happening this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in Custer, Wisconsin! There will be a Clean Energy Car Show, including demos on vehicle conversions, and you can see the solar carport & EV charging station in action!:sunny: Link link link link link link : The Midwest Renewable Energy Association

> Well, I think they would still be making the motors as well - cars being high ticket items, and there's good money to be made in parts. The world of cheap throw-away electronics with recyclable batteries is more a common practice when the item is not a major investment - since it's less of an investment, people opt to replace it more frequently, expect less of it, and upgrading the item would be something only a limited few would bother with. Cars are a pretty expensive proposition, they are sold and resold several times, and last 12.5 years on average, more for newer and newer models. Studies show now that people are keeping their cars longer than ever too. So if that's the case, I would expect the battery packs to be there in 10 years, and the motor replacements too.

I was just working on something new on the piano. Maybe it's alright, though it's hard to record it on cue, boil it down to a minute or so..

Welcome back!:sunny:

Welcome to Coldplaying mar1976 :--) How are you doing in the Netherlands where the tulips grow brightly so?!

Welcome ! Hello vzollo, mix of favorites - I like them all.

Hooray! Things are moving in a positive direction, at least where governments are responsive to the will of an educated citizenry. As momentum builds, maybe we can do the same? All we have to loose is a lot of risks, and a lot of waste.

Well, because people are living in a bubble. And the picture industry paints is a bleak one unless we continue down the same path. So I think it could be that energy companies want the impression of starvation and frostbite if we take another path, all the while knowing full well efficiency is the lion's share of the answer. I've heard that one too - here, it was an excuse by the mining company executives to argue that we absolutely must proceed with sulfide mines everywhere, since the opponents to the mines are all "barbarians on the edge of cyberspace." Truth is, the mining companies with their track record and sloppiness have at times acted the part of barbarians, and it is those of us who see solutions to the current resource dilemmas who are charting the course for a sustainable future. So extractive industries only want things to go one direction, and use propaganda to portray anyone who thinks otherwise as a Luddite.

Fair Elections are our right to equitable & just representation. Fair elections & fair candidate races for office, a necessary prerequisite for honest governance & protection of our natural rights, shall be protected and enhanced for ourselves and for our posterity. When the choice is between fair elections and unlimited speech or press, the right to fair elections must take precedent, for all other rights derive their protection through equitably selected representation, forming the basis of our government, and thus fair elections (including fair candidate races) are essential for the protection of all essential rights.

Our Core Values For as off-base from our true center as the U.S. gets, the Declaration of Independence says a lot about our core values, and why we should be fully supportive of democratic uprising in the wider world (and incidentally while this is dated, if it were updated for today, the equality of the sexes should make it read Human where it says Man or Men.): * We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness - that to secure these rights Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed -- That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence indeed will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the Objective evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide for their future security.

Welcome crfcaio to Coldplaying :sunny: Glad you can join in and enjoy great music!

> How about North Sea... Wind?! :P You are correct, the electricity must be green - and with all the potential wind energy sources, we should be just fine. And for those desert dwellers, solar is the right choice as well.

Leap Ahead, it's just a short hop away. I'm heartened:heart::sunny: to see the innovations already at work in the industry, and it can only get better! Here's a look at what's ahead, and what could be right around the corner, if we demand it as consumers: About Hypercars It's a question of matter. Today's green electrics weigh in around 3500 lbs / 1588 Kg, Light hypercars weigh in around 1500 lbs. / 680 Kg. The battery pack in a Nissan Leaf for example weighs around 660 lbs. / 300Kg, and can propel the leaf closer to 75 miles / 120 km, making it good for commutes, but a challenge for greater distances. If the vehicle weight were brought down closer to 1500 lbs (680 Kg) and efficiency improved on aerodynamics, one might expect a range closer to 150 miles / 240km. Doubling the battery pack energy density would up that to 300 / 480, making it much more desirable with a fast charger station within reach. One might ask, why isn't this already a reality? The best guess I can give for this is for several reason. (1) auto makers are geared to stamp out, spot weld, and finish steel. Their plants are set this way, and they don't want to retool. (2) Composites are expensive - volume production and innovations in earth-friendly composites would change this part of the equation, but it's a chicken and egg problem unless our governments step in and tip the balance in favor of ultralight bodies. (3) Market forces regarding fuel expenses must change to move the market towards efficient vehicles. (4) The lion's share of the profits are in big, heavy autos - the higher the tag price, the greater the profit margin per vehicle. (5) psychology and marketing. >>>Change is coming, hopefully soon enough to slow the problems mounting in the environment from our current fuelish ways!

Bump!*:sunny:

That's still quite good mileage David! Ah Skoda, the Czech Volkswagen! Great car, excellent mileage. Here, it's just the familiar Oldsmobuick, nowhere's near as good a mileage as that. True, hypermiling can double mileage, but you're right - that only works well when there's no rush of traffic. ;) Today, I had to make quite a few unexpected stops, first a deer, then for a bear. Can really put a 'dent' in one's mileage! My average is around 34 MPG US, which works out to 40 Imperial MPG; I try to line ducks up in a row, and make fewer trips. I have decided to get the old 10-speed working again - 11 miles of biking shouldn't be all that hard to handle... :thinking: If I cut the need for the car in half, then I've basically doubled the mileage! Almost as good as a 9-year-old tdi;)

All I Want is You by U2

The whole thing was to commemorate the 93rd birthday of Waukesha's very own Les Paul!! Les Paul “The Wizard of Waukesha” at the Wisconsin Historical Society Without his *innovation*, Jonny Buckland would have had to keep strumming an acoustic only (or use a fender or some other make :--). And the doodle was fun, even if for just a few seconds. :guitarist::PWelcome to the site of LES PAUL - The Wizard of Waukesha In the often misty times of early invention, I think it's fair to say there were many companies, individuals, and physics departments all working on the solid bodied electric guitar. Electric guitar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Les Paul may have gotten his idea for the "log" from a solid bodied electric violin ascribed to Thomas Edison in the 20's, but then Edison often claimed the work of his team of inventors as his own, so who knows who was first.. NC State Physics Department's Sidney Wilson might actually be the true progenitor, with the first true solid bodied electric pickup guitar in 1940! Like most innovations, different people in different places developing essentially the same basic concept around the same time, through an evolution of inventions. Probably then what Les Paul could most be remembered for is his overall contribution to music and guitars - from solid body innovations to overdubbing to his own playing, to promotion, to his name being emblazoned onto Gibson guitars, and their flashy finishes..

That's excellent Mileage David! True though - when there's time to spare, we all drive more gently, but when we're in a rush to get to work, it's a different story altogether! This is a pretty good comparison of mileage one might expect to get from some of the manufactured fuel efficient cars out there in the marketplace, c/o Nancy: Most fuel-efficient cars It's not all inclusive, but at least that's a start! Perhaps the best car would be to just mount two bicycles together, add a little booster motor for the hills, and pedal the rest of the time! :) (that's pretty much how cars stared out anyhow!)

If every teardrop is a waterfall, then what is every raindrop?

It's a good philosophy, Jesus is the compassionate man of the poor and the oppressed, the righteous hero against corruption, the teacher of fairness and righteousness to those willing to listen, the selfless giver for humanity's sake. He gave hope to people in need, a better way for those in the region who were oppressed by insensitive cultural practices & corrupted officials. While the supernatural stuff is fun from a fictional standpoint, but for real it's not. There is no heaven; only sky above, earth below. But what we make of our lives, how we treat one-another, that's what matters. As was meant originally, the kingdom come was meant to be a real kingdom, a restoration of Judea, a return to what was seen as right in the ancient world. So I see a higher purpose in restoring justice, compassion, fairness to the societies in which we live. To encourage progress, one must first start with equity. Deviating from the better angels of our nature, yes, we should at times when appropriate reflect and return to terra firma, to be genuine and show true compassion. But there are many religions in which this is part of the belief system. Seek truth, the truth shall set you free.

Drama in Libya, send Help! :stunned:

Viva Italia!! :sunny: Welcome Bonnie21 to Coldplaying.com! You're grasp of English is excellent! I haven't a clue where to find the lyrics for the new songs, but a search might turn up something. Or someone here has the answer - hope you get the CD soon!