Showing posts with label Michael Lind. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Michael Lind. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

The Beginning of the Age of Fossil Fuel

Michael LindImage by New America Foundation via Flickr"Are we living at the beginning of the Age of Fossil Fuels, not its final decades? The very thought goes against everything that politicians and the educated public have been taught to believe in the past generation."

So writes Michael Lind, Policy Director of the Economic Growth Program at the New America Foundation.

The one thing really galling about the whole climate debate is that it is impossible to have just that: a debate. A debate means that both sides, and the middle, get a chance to put forward their respective points of view.

In the climate debate chamber, the other side or climate skeptics do not seem to be allowed to air their points of view without being denounced as some sort of heretics.

Michael Lind puts forward a perfectly reasonable pint of view that needs to be listened to for a balanced debate.

from Salon.com

see Everything you've heard about fossil fuels may be wrong

And please note:

"Nuclear energy already provides around 13-14 percent of the world’s electricity and nearly 3 percent of global final energy consumption, while wind, solar and geothermal power combined account for less than one percent of global final energy consumption."
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Monday, April 18, 2011

Let's Not Head for The Stars

Zabriskie Point at sunrise in Death ValleyImage via WikipediaMichael Lind, writing in Salon.com rejects the logic that man should ultimately head for the stars via a well written article showing that man, or any creature in evolution only really excepted to move out of their comfort zones if they really had to, as he puts it:

"One is the assertion that life has always sought out new environments. Just as plants and animals moved from the seas to the land, it is said, so humanity must transcend the boundaries of the Earth.

This is just silly. Animals never leave a comfortable habitat for a harsh one, unless they are forced to. That is why we don't see buffalo, raccoons and turtles marching off to Death Valley in great numbers to test their mettle, in a spirit of adventure."

It's makes a lot of sense but I really do not think that it will stop people exploring the stars in person. Once they crack the speed of light issue we will be gone.

And we will. It's just the way we are...

see Why we should embrace the end of human spaceflight


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