"Water Adds New Constraint to Power"

I just saw this article on NY Times (click the title for a link) and thought it was very relevant to our class.

We've talked a lot about how different kinds of power generation create different amounts of carbon. We've also discussed how one of the major problems of climate change will be water shortages. Those two debates are more connected than I thought - most types of power plants (including thermal solar) use water as a coolant. There are different ways to do this of course, with different considerations. Some methods put warm water back into rivers and lakes, which can kill wildlife, and other types let it evaporate, which doesn't kill the wildlife but wastes the water. It's a really interesting debate - and yet another wrinkle to an already complex issue of trying to generate power. At the same time, however, California has successfully put regulations in place that are encouraging new power plants to put in less water-consuming cooling systems. It remains to be seen how this issue will finally play out, but I'm looking forward to seeing where people go from here.

Energy Education Initiatives Stalled

Here's the opening from a NYT "Dot Earth" blog post--click on the title above to read the whole post at "Dot Earth":

"While the political fight over the now-vivid  environmental threat attending offshore oil drilling plays out, it remains clear that the country’s lawmakers are not remotely engaged in the  multi-pronged energy quest that would be required to move the world toward a non-polluting, yet prosperous future.
One vital prong is education. So far, Congress — even with Democrats in control — has refused to support President Obama’s repeated call for a modest investment in education initiatives that could help produce the skilled workforce required to undertake a sustained push on advancing and disseminating promising energy technologies. Last year, Congress largely rebuffed Obama’s request for $115 million for the program, called  Regaining our Energy Science and Engineering Edge. He’s trying again, this time seeking $74 million in the 2011 budget."

Rachel Carson

I'd like to hear your initial reactions to Rachel Carson's Silent Spring.  You may choose to respond with any thoughts you had about your parents'/grandparents' lives during the time the documentary covers (say, immediately post WWII to 1963).  You may also post on any specific things from the documentary that provoked a response in you.  Let's stay focused on Carson/her book for now.

PS: If you're curious about children's books on Rachel Carson, try this Amazon.com link; it goes to one specific book, but then also shows other related books.

An Interesting Event?

I was browsing through recent events on campus and I thought this was... interesting, to say the least:

On Thursday, February 25th at 6:00 p.m. the College Republicans will be showing "Not Evil, Just Wrong," a new documentary by Phelim McAleer and Ann McElhinney in Hibbard 101 which seeks to "provide a different perspective on one of today's hot topics, Climate Change."

Apparently there will also be free root beer floats and drawings for books.

I unfortunately have to work, but I thought it was extremely interesting and a great opportunity for our class! If any of you go, let me know how it is!

Critique the news story!

Hey all, if you missed the article on the 6:00 news on ABC, channel 18, follow the link (click on the title to this blog post above) to the WQOW website, the local ABC affiliate, and you can either read the story or view it online.

This would a great way to start off your (yes, all the students') comments on the blog, critiquing my first on-air television interview! Please let me know what you liked and didn't like, as it relates to what we're talking about right now! (I have a few ideas of my own too, so I won't mind...)

And while you're there, check out another short bit on a new student movement on campus (part of the Conservationists club) to build a petition campaign to eliminate coal as a fuel in the campus steam plant. This is a critical issue for the carbon footprint, and so congratulations to them and their efforts. This issue is so big and will be difficult to accomplish, despite a lot of good progress from the folks at Facilities already. So having everybody (students, staff, administration, community) on board is good, especially if we can work together toward this long-term goal that I think we can all agree would be a huge step forward for UWEC.

P.S. Here's the link to the other story...


Now, in REAL climate news, I understand that the groundhog didn't see his shadow today - what's that mean for climate policy?!?