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       #Post#: 219--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Climate Doom
       By: K-Dog Date: May 3, 2021, 2:06 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=BuddyJ link=topic=14.msg218#msg218
       date=1620003470]
       [quote author=K-Dog link=topic=14.msg214#msg214 date=1619989638]
       [quote]I've got a nice 20 year old Chrysler sitting outside, it
       hadn't been running for a month, and I finally got the intake
       torn apart and it back together and running. Unfortunately, I
       seem to be the only one in the family interested in driving a
       clunker.[/quote]
       I find with the car only running once every ten days or so it is
       a lot harder to keep clean.  The wheels stay free of brake dust
       but driving does not blow pollen and dust away.  If I don't keep
       it clean it can get crusty fast.
       [/quote]
       Mine managed to collect a busted windshield during the last big
       freeze. Same freeze took out the last of what the battery had.
       Tried to get the battery back to life, failed, slow leak took
       out the driver side front, presto, POS clogging up the driveway.
       A month or more later I finally got around to removing the
       intake to get at the battery and replace it, put it all back
       together, back to the tire shop to find the leak, presto,
       perfectly functional car with a busted windshield. Everyone
       refuses to drive it. No bluetooth, plus its a stick. Rain keeps
       it generally clean.
       
       [/quote]
       I too have a POS clogging my driveway.  Not the one I drive.
       That one I might wax tomorrow.
       #Post#: 221--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Climate Doom
       By: K-Dog Date: May 3, 2021, 2:17 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [spoiler][quote author=Nearings fault
       link=topic=14.msg216#msg216 date=1619996185]
       [quote author=K-Dog link=topic=14.msg212#msg212 date=1619988990]
       [spoiler][quote author=Nearings fault
       link=topic=14.msg209#msg209 date=1619979960]
       [quote author=K-Dog link=topic=14.msg207#msg207 date=1619973792]
       [quote author=BuddyJ link=topic=14.msg205#msg205
       date=1619970759]
       [quote author=K-Dog link=topic=14.msg175#msg175 date=1619852853]
       I am driving this (the gas version, not the Diesel
       shown):
  HTML https://www.cstatic-images.com/car-pictures/maxWidth503/usb70mbc801a0101.png
       You can get them for $3,000 — $15,000.  Eddy has (or had) one
       too.  If you get a good one you have great value for the money.
       I don't care what the mileage of it is (it is actually pretty
       good.  27 MPG on the freeway).  What matters is how much I drive
       it.  Two trips a week in a fuel efficient car to the same place
       farts more CO2 out than one trip to the same place no matter
       what else you drive.
       [/quote]
       Can you explain the logic on this? In part because after you say
       this, you say this:
       [quote author=k-dog]If people really cared about fuel
       efficiency, saying how much fuel a car uses at idle stuck in
       traffic or uses up when a 'Karen' uses it to drive through
       Starbucks without turning off the engine while as she waits for
       cars in front to move would be on the white sticker when it was
       sold.  Idle consumption is as important as knowing what the
       mileage is where I live.
       The answer is not to drive an electric.  [/quote]
       Driving an electric means it doesn't emit while idling. And it
       is a car that emits less in 10 trips than a fuel efficient
       Mercedes in 1. So why isn't electric part of (but not
       necessarily the entire) the answer?
       Emissions become a power generation issue, as opposed to a "get
       rid of cars" angle. The Pacific Northwest being a great example,
       based on the fuels for their power generation. WV? Not so much.
       [/quote]
       [quote]And it is a car that emits less in 10 trips than a fuel
       efficient Mercedes in 1.[/quote]
       You will have have a very hard time convincing me that the trip
       ratio difference is more than 2 / 1.  Batteries also need a lot
       of lithium and don't last forever.  Everything considered
       driving old cars as long as we can might be smarter than going
       green with electrics.  The power generated at the power plant
       and the environmental costs to manufacture and deal with a fleet
       of electrics is as bad as what we have now.  The best thing is
       drive as little as you can without 'driving' yourself crazy.
       The drive through at Starbucks demonstrates how poorly the
       American Public understands energy issues.  It is not a
       statement for or against electrics.
       Electrics are part of the solution as long as you only drive it
       on days you are licensed to do so.  We will have to ration power
       or too much CO2 will be emitted at the coal burning plants than
       the current Paris or whatever agreement will be allowing.  If
       you don't think you will need new coal fired power plants to
       charge 100 million new electric cars in America you are
       dreaming.  Nothing else could give that much power in the time
       frame needed.
       Nobody to my knowledge has done this math so I will.  Lets say
       it takes 17 kW to get Karen to
       [img]
  HTML https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi0.wp.com%2Fwww.brandenwilliams.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F01%2Fstarbucks-coffee-logo.gif%3Fresize%3D150%252C150%26ssl%3D1&f=1&nofb=1[/img]<br
       /> where yes, she can wait in line and message on her phone with
       no idle emissions.  It took her 17kW to get there.  That does
       not change.
       So 100 million new electrics won't be driven all the time.  Lets
       say 15% use each day and the rest of the time they are parked.
       If you dispute the ratio, dispute the 100 million as well.
       That means 15 000 000 cars are using 17kW for a total of 255 Gw.
       [quote]U.S. coal-fired capacity peaked at 318 gigawatts (GW) in
       2011 and has been declining since then because many plants
       retired or switched to other fuels and few new coal-fired plants
       came online. By the end of 2019, U.S. coal-generating capacity
       totaled 229 GW[/quote].
       [quote]In 2020, net generation of electricity from utility-scale
       generators in the United States was about 4,009 billion
       kilowatthours (kWh)[/quote]
       4,009 billion kWh / 8760 hrs  (hours in a year) => 458.0 GW
       This little exercise reveals the US is getting exactly 50% of
       its electricity from coal.
       Cutting to the chase:  100 million new electrics will require
       increasing electric generating capacity by ((255/458)x100%.
       After the math crunches 100 million new electrics will require
       increasing National Electric Generating Capacity by 58%.
       I wonder why nobody pushing [glow=green,2,300]the green new
       deal[/glow] has pointed this out?
  HTML https://i.imgflip.com/2/2w6m27.jpg
       I wonder why nobody else has pointed this out?
       Does this mean we are screwed?
       * the math can be customized to reflect your country of
       residence
       [/quote]the tesla x is rated at a little over 200 watt hrs per
       km
  HTML https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.tesla.com/en_EU/support/european-union-energy-label&ved=2ahUKEwjfqfu0zqvwAhUQbc0KHUgEDPYQFjAKegQIGBAC&usg=AOvVaw3bu5di3U0kTWpjTNG_L4dF
       While I do not disagree with a renewed grid  being a
       prerequisite for electric cars. I think the math should be as
       close to right as possible...
       I do think we will see the same thing happen as did with fuel
       injection. Watts per km will lead to heavier vehicles until
       efficiency is about the same... I forget what that energy law is
       called.
       [/quote][/spoiler]
       Driving at 80 kilometers an hour you move 80 kilometers in one
       hour.  <-- Don't say Duh.
       (80 kilometers) x (200 watts/kilometer) = 16000 kW.
       Your number is 16kW and mine is 17kW.  No difference, mine was
       an educated guess and my math is still valid.
       The distinction between kW and kwh is frequently overlooked.  kW
       is the rate at which energy is being used.  kWh is how much has
       been used.  200 W is how much energy it takes to cover a
       kilometer and a speed was not given.
       I picked 50 mph which works out to 80 kph.
       [/quote]an 80km trip to Starbucks? I believe I got my energy
       denotation right. 200watts hr is the consumption number.
       Instantaneous would be watts and it is probably many times 200
       for short durations.
       I would say we generally agree that the best answer is driving
       much much less.
       [/quote][/spoiler]
       200 watts hr is the consumption number.
       No, Watt-Hr is a unit of measurement.
       I was going to be a smart ass and say in his day Lance Armstrong
       could put out 4 times that much, and that is NO DOPE.
       Then I realized that unless it is explained in a physics course
       (which I have had) confusion could be legitimate.  The guy who
       wrote this says it fine.
       [quote]As you may have noticed, we use Watt Hours to explain the
       capacity of most of our products. For many of us, a Watt Hour
       isn’t something all that familiar. So, here’s a brief
       explanation of what it is.
       A Watt Hour is a unit of measurement for power over a period of
       time (an hour), or in our case, a way of measuring capacity. One
       Watt hour is equal to one Watt of average power flow over an
       hour. One Watt over four hours would be four Watt Hours of
       power. As an example, a 100 Watt light bulb on a 400 Watt Hour
       battery (like the Yeti 400) would last, on paper, 4 hours.
       A Watt, the measure of power, is usually calculated using this
       equation: Watts = Volts x Amps. To explain a little further, we
       will use a plumbing analogy. If we have a water pipe; Volts
       would be a measure of the water pressure (force) in the pipe,
       Amps would be a measure of the current or flow through the pipe.
       A Watt would be the measure of of what you can do with that
       water, like turning a water wheel. So, how do we determine Watt
       hours?
       Watt Hours are calculated using a similar equation when dealing
       with batteries. An example of this would be that the Yeti 400
       contains a 33 Amp Hour battery operating at 12 Volts. 12 Volts x
       33 Amp Hours = 396 Watt Hours or roughly 400 Wh. Not only are
       Watt Hours a good unit of measurement for capacity, but it is
       also pretty universal when finding out how many times one of our
       GZ products will recharge something with it’s own battery in it
       (like a phone, tablet, or laptop). The Equation to find the Watt
       Hours of a battery gives us a universal measurement despite
       batteries on the market varying greatly in operating voltage and
       mAh.
       [/quote]
       Battery capacity or power used.  Both are measured in
       watt-hours.
       If you drive your Tesla at one kilometer per hour you would be
       correct.  Walking is three times as fast.  Ants do 1 km an hour.
       Interestingly the closest Starbucks to me is a mile away and
       350 feet lower in altitude.  An electric driving at 15 miles or
       less an hour might actually deliver more power to the battery
       than was used getting there.  You'd have to go slow to recover
       enough power coming down the hill to make up for getting to the
       top of the hill from the house.
       That is not a good reason to get one.
       #Post#: 227--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Climate Doom
       By: Phil Potts Date: May 4, 2021, 4:39 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=K-Dog link=topic=14.msg175#msg175 date=1619852853]
       [spoiler][quote author=Nearings fault
       link=topic=14.msg173#msg173 date=1619822766]
       [quote author=BuddyJ link=topic=14.msg172#msg172
       date=1619821737]
       [quote author=Nearings fault link=topic=14.msg170#msg170
       date=1619780211]
       [quote author=RE link=topic=14.msg167#msg167 date=1619767206]
       [quote author=Nearings fault link=topic=14.msg164#msg164
       date=1619706197]Transport: I drive a 16 year old ford explorer
       that I try to keep maintained and running even if it makes less
       and less sense financially.  I could invest several tens of
       thousands of dollars for a slightly more efficient vehicle but
       it violates many of my financial rules so no.
       [/quote]
       You also would have to calculate all the embedded energy
       involved with replacing that vehicle.  For instance if you
       replaced it with an EV, the batteries for it have a huge
       embedded energy in their manufacture.
       RE
       [/quote]I totally agree.
       [/quote]
       And how would you calculate this embedded energy, and determine
       its value in a real world purchase? Does less embedded energy
       indicate a less expensive/practical/efficient vehicle, or more?
       [/quote]I honestly dont know anymore. I find the numbers are
       skewed to match whoever's point is being made. I think a vehicle
       that is maintained and replaced piece by piece and driven
       sparingly should have a lower carbon footprint regardless of
       fuel. Based on my research the current batch of electric
       vehicles will last the life of the battery. Maybe there will be
       a huge aftermarket that develops to refit the cars but
       everything about them is assembled for fit not for
       sustainability...
       [/quote]
       [/spoiler]
       I am driving this (the gas version, not the Diesel
       shown):
  HTML https://www.cstatic-images.com/car-pictures/maxWidth503/usb70mbc801a0101.png
       You can get them for $3,000 — $15,000.  Eddy has (or had) one
       too.  If you get a good one you have great value for the money.
       I don't care what the mileage of it is (it is actually pretty
       good.  27 MPG on the freeway).  What matters is how much I drive
       it.  Two trips a week in a fuel efficient car to the same place
       farts more CO2 out than one trip to the same place no matter
       what else you drive.  Plan your driving to minimize miles
       driven.  Save some money.  If people really cared about fuel
       efficiency, saying how much fuel a car uses at idle stuck in
       traffic or uses up when a 'Karen' uses it to drive through
       Starbucks without turning off the engine while as she waits for
       cars in front to move would be on the white sticker when it was
       sold.  Idle consumption is as important as knowing what the
       mileage is where I live.
       [img]
  HTML https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse2.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.Y91xN6zb_-XOvRUQ9DringHaE8%26pid%3DApi&f=1[/img]
       You know every car in that line has its engine running and you
       are NOT going to get through that line in 5 minutes.  Maybe they
       could have a car wash pull mechanism?  That would keep the
       engines off.  But I'm kidding.  No
       [shadow=gray,left]Diner[/shadow] would be in this line.  An
       average drive through at a fast food place I'll guess uses up
       fifty cents worth of fuel at todays prices unless there is no
       line.  With no line the odds of someone being smart enough to
       turn the engine off at the window is increased.  The answer is
       not to drive an electric.  The answer is cook at home and make
       sure everyone else does too.  Nobody likes the second part of
       that statement.  I don't.
       [img]
  HTML https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.zcjqIv9ExwaikdEmzuR08wHaCJ%26pid%3DApi&f=1[/img]
       As things are  [shadow=gray,left]Diners[/shadow] would find
       another way to get our coffee fix.  If I could find a local
       boiled tree bark I liked as much that would be great.
       [img]
  HTML https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2Foriginals%2F25%2F23%2Fe3%2F2523e3e40fdbb5d925419cf2942647a3.jpg&f=1&nofb=1[/img]
       The world will not and cannot conserve itself to salvation.  The
       general public has been propagandized with this idea because
       that is where capitalism wants things to go.  It keeps the
       existing arrangement going the longest.
       * Changing our ways is not in the equation but that is the only
       thing that could work.
       The equation:
       [img]
  HTML https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.quizlaw.com%2Fblog%2Fimages%2Fmath-problem.jpg&f=1&nofb=1[/img]
       Having 'Woman' in the equation is only humor, but a healthy guy
       will drive fifty miles to get laid.  100 miles round trip.
       [/quote]
       There's a problem with quoting the post u want, but getting KD s
       post the 1st time
       #Post#: 228--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Climate Doom
       By: John of Wallan Date: May 4, 2021, 4:49 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       The next transport revolution will be back to horse and cart.
       The rest is just a sideshow on the way to the final solution,
       like steam cars 120 years ago, wood gas burners during WW2 fuel
       shortages, nuclear cars and gas turbine cars in the 60's, the
       hydrogen "miracle" of the last 40 years and EV's now.
       They all actually work from an engineering standpoint, but don't
       make economic or practical sense and cant be scaled to meet the
       transport needs of society.
       Before anyone tells me horse and cart cant be scaled to meet the
       needs of modern society, I will suggest modern society will be
       very different in 20 years, if we make it. I am expecting a lot
       wont.
       I once predicted the future will be more like "Little house on
       the prairie" than "Mad max". Now I am not so sure.
       At least you can eat a horse if you get desperate. Not sure I
       want to go the long pig option.
       JOW
       #Post#: 230--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Climate Doom
       By: Phil Potts Date: May 4, 2021, 5:19 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=BuddyJ link=topic=14.msg210#msg210
       date=1619981930]
       I'm betting the average American doesn't even equate sitting in
       a Starbucks line with energy issues. Based on the consumer
       response to the energy crisis of the 1970's though, they can be
       made to understand one. The price pay they pay to fill their
       tank, or if there happens to be any fuel to buy.
       [/quote]
       Which is why the era of bigger is better and land yachts like my
       77 Chrslyer hemi (cousin to the Bluesmobile 74 Dodge Polara)
       went the way of the dinosaur.
       I figured it might also have had something to do with taking
       your life in your hands in these behemoths last time I took it
       out. All excited after getting it out andready on Sunday to hit
       the road before 5 for about a 6am start. In the dark, heavy fog
       and the wipers and demister are hardly helping. It was ok once I
       got onto the main highway, but on a minor single lane winding
       highway, not so much. Pizza cutter tyres, wipers and demister
       not helping much, log trucks all coming from the other way while
       you can barely see where you're going and keep it both on your
       side of the road without going off the road.. easy to end up
       upside down.
       [attachment deleted by admin]
       #Post#: 232--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Climate Doom
       By: John of Wallan Date: May 4, 2021, 5:46 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I had one of these: 1980 Chrysler Regal with a 265 Hemi. (Last
       year they were built in Oz) Went well for a 6, but drank like a
       road train.
       Drove from Melbourne to Cairns in 1991 at 160km/h all the way
       (100mph Merikan). No speed cameras back then. Just about broke
       me in fuel cost.
       Handling was always exciting. Torsion bar front end.
       This was obsolete before they even sold them.
       If you drive a car like this very small distances every year
       fuel use is not an issue. Carbon footprint from manufacture is
       being spread over more years so actually is better than a new EV
       you change every 5 years based on age and resale not distance
       travelled like most do.. These have a horrendous manufacturing
       carbon footprint. Only make sense if you drive longer distances
       a year and actually wear it out!
       Like with all efficiency gains, it only increases usage not
       decreases usage. Stop subsidising fossil fuels. True
       manufacturing and running costs will then  be self correcting.
       People will walk more.
       Everyone prefers virtue signaling rather than green wash
       reality.
       JOW
       
       #Post#: 234--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Climate Doom
       By: K-Dog Date: May 4, 2021, 10:36 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote]Like with all efficiency gains, it only increases usage
       not decreases usage. Stop subsidizing fossil fuels. True
       manufacturing and running costs will then  be self correcting.
       People will walk more. [/quote]
       A carbon price is the single most powerful tool available to
       reduce [s]America[/s]’s carbon pollution.
       Net Zero by 2050
  HTML https://citizensclimatelobby.org/price-on-carbon/
       A strong, economy-wide price on carbon could reduce[s]
       America[/s]’s carbon pollution by 50% by 2030, putting us on
       track to reach net zero by 2050. Learn more from recent carbon
       pricing studies.
       A carbon tax becomes affordable for ordinary [s]Americans[/s]
       people when the [glow=green,2,300]money collected[/glow] from
       fossil fuel companies is given as a
       [glow=red,2,300]dividend[/glow], or “[glow=grey,2,300]carbon
       cash back[/glow]” payment, to every [s]American[/s] person to
       spend with no restrictions. This protects low-and-middle-income
       [s]Americans[/s] people who otherwise might not be able to
       afford the transition.
  HTML https://youtu.be/W25_jgiY51I
       [glow=green,2,300]Carbon Dividends[/glow] are money in your
       pocket.
       [img]
  HTML https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftoppng.com%2Fuploads%2Fthumbnail%2F100-dollar-bill-11549435244rpc0pr6xzv.png&f=1&nofb=1[/img][img]https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftoppng.com%2Fuploads%2Fthumbnail%2F100-dollar-bill-11549435244rpc0pr6xzv.png&f=1&nofb=1[/img][img]https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftoppng.com%2Fuploads%2Fthumbnail%2F100-dollar-bill-11549435244rpc0pr6xzv.png&f=1&nofb=1[/img]
       #Post#: 235--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Climate Doom
       By: John of Wallan Date: May 5, 2021, 4:07 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Bolox.
       Crap.
       Rubbish.
       Rhubarb.
       Another boondogle so someone can make money while delaying
       actually solving the issue.
       A carbon price will not work.
       It just forces a transition away from fossil fuels to something
       else with more unknown consequences.
       Thalidimide, DDT, CFC's , PCBs, asbestos all have useful
       characteristics, and initially un-forseen downsides...
       Every EV has a huge carbon footprint to manufacture and more
       complex systems and technology. We need to de-industrialise not
       re-industrialise to something new.
       We need less people too. I dont want it, but we need it. It will
       happen of its own accord shortly. We are in population overshoot
       measured by so many metrics: Desertification, over fishing,
       salinnation, loss of topsoil, peak oil, peak water,
       deforestation, peak helium, increased reliance on rare earth
       minerals, loss of biodiversity, peak phospherous.... Thats just
       what I can remember.
       Perhaps we need organic self replicating transport systems.
       Think replicants in blade runner.
       I know: Horses!
       They run on grass. Thats carbon neutral.
       We have to stop thinking we can find a technical solution.
       Technology is the driver of our problems not the solution.
       Technology allowed us to go into overshoot. Stupidity keeps us
       here for now.
       JOW (The new ludite!)
       #Post#: 237--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Climate Doom
       By: RE Date: May 5, 2021, 4:53 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       [quote author=John of Wallan link=topic=14.msg228#msg228
       date=1620164963]
       I once predicted the future will be more like "Little house on
       the prairie" than "Mad max". Now I am not so sure.
       [/quote]
       I'll stick with 10,000 BC.  What goes around, comes around.
  HTML https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoKxkx0bYRk
       We'll have to wait a while for anything as big as a mammoth to
       re-evolve though.  We'll be chasing down rats for quite some
       time to come.
  HTML https://youtu.be/rV0NN2eFVqE
       RE
       #Post#: 242--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Climate Doom
       By: Digwe Must Date: May 6, 2021, 4:47 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       I've been following this conversation with interest. You all
       have made good points.  I hope no one minds my chipping in.
       Of course, the discussion has a bit of trying to
       bail-the-Titanic-with-a-teacup atmosphere about it.
       Realistically, it can't be serious and be otherwise.  Time is
       short.
       For context, we also drive old vehicles.  A 1998 F-150, and a
       2002 Subaru are in the driveway and a 2003 jeep sits parked
       under a Ponderosa pine.  The jeep will be leaving soon, I
       haven't driven it in months.  Besides the already discussed
       points about embedded energy costs in new vehicles, it is much
       cheaper - at least in this state - to insure and license older
       vehicles.
       We are, however, getting a new tractor.  A 4 wheel drive 25HP.
       At 70 years old I simply can't keep up with all the work here
       without a machine.  We still have much thinning and other work
       to do in the woods.  I have a portable sawmill and the tractor
       will aid me in skidding logs and getting them on the carriage,
       also there are a couple of hundred slash piles to be burned and
       a mile of fencing to be run.  The piles that were done with a
       large commercial machine have too much dirt in them to easily
       make biochar.  With a grapple on the loader I can basically
       shake the dirt out and make a few tons of char.  Moving hay and
       1ton totes of grain will, of course, be less wear and tear on
       the old fart (me).  I need to build a shop and an addition on
       the barn and the tractor will be handy setting posts and beams.
       And the list goes on.
       As handy as it will be, the tractor is a fossil fuel burning
       machine that required a lot of energy to manufacture and ship
       here.  It has a heavy environmental cost to it.  The only way I
       can ethically justify the purchase is by estimating the
       environmental benefits of our using the machine to enrich the
       health of the forest and soil.  Do these benefits outweigh the
       negative environmental impacts?  Obviously we've decided they
       do.  A gallon of gas (or diesel ) burned is still in the air no
       matter the reason.  But, I would like to think that forest
       rehabilitation is a tad better use than idling while in line at
       Starbucks.
       Part of the motivation to get a tractor comes from the loss of
       Hercules the ox last month.  A gentle giant.  I could get a
       couple of calves and train them up - but it will take two years
       to get meaningful work out of them.  I'm too damn old to wait -
       but if we were to get an intern with an interest in draft
       animals I'd do it in a heartbeat.  The future will be animal
       powered for those of us not in the elite or the military.  The
       tractor is certainly more versatile than a draft animal - but in
       a pinch the draft animal is easier to feed.
       Most of the Northwestern US has hydro power feeding the grid.
       So, charging an electric vehicle is less problematic in this
       region than in coal country.  However, the environmental costs
       of the lithium extraction are devastating.  For that matter, the
       rare earths used in wind generators also have a dirty extraction
       and manufacturing process.  I agree that techno-fixes that allow
       the continuation of BAU are .... unlikely at best.
       All of us here can have the best of intentions and make our
       decisions based on what we think is best for the planet and yet
       be completely nullified by a few private jet flights to the
       Bahamas.  I knew a pilot who actually flew a very wealthy
       divorced couple's dogs back and forth from Texas to California a
       couple of times a year for "visitation".  No one else on the
       plane. True story.
       The little town of Usk, Washington has a plant that used to
       manufacture newsprint. The plant was owned by a large lumber
       corporation and because of a drop in demand and price for
       newsprint, went bankrupt. There were three bidders for the
       plant.  One bidder was the Kalispell Tribe of Indians.  They
       wanted to operate the plant.  The tribe can make investments
       like this because they have excellent funding from their casino
       and don't have to be worried about immediate profit. They are
       trying to provide good employment for the tribal members and a
       market for tribal timber resources. The plant is powered by an
       adjacent dam on the Pend O'reille River. They also burn the
       manufacturing waste to generate power.
       The tribe was outbid by a California corporation.  They just
       kept throwing money at it. At first the new owners said they
       were going to operate the portion of the plant used to
       manufacture paper used in corrugated cardboard.  The next day
       (April 29) it was disclosed that they would operate the plant
       but use all the excess power to mine for bitcoin.  We hear now
       from the manager of a local mill that, in fact, the primary
       business of the new mill will be crypto currency mining. They
       are trying to find a source for mega loads of wood chips to
       generate more power.  Of course, that will employ far fewer
       people than a paper mill and most of the higher paid positions
       will be for workers brought in from out of the area.
       Sure, if they are going to use electricity for this "industry",
       this is cleaner than coal.  That is the only good thing I can
       say about it.  To me this is just another sign of frenzy before
       collapse.
       I must go shovel manure.  They say eventually a man finds the
       work he's suited for.
       It's very dry and warm here.   Unseasonable would be an
       understatement. Pray for rain.
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