Here’s something to consider for those trying to hit a moving target like advancing biofuels technology. These are noteworthy quotes from seemingly intelligent people who underestimated the impact of progress. “Man will never reach the moon regardless of all future scientific advances.” Dr. Lee DeForest, inventor of the vacuum tube, the first true amplifying device. [...]

Environmentalists may be backpedalling away from certain websites, but not from biofuels technology, which has advanced so rapidly that the world is falling over itself to harness its powerful potential. Like atomic energy, it must be used wisely, with restraint and foresight to avoid disruption of the environment. And the escalation of a premature corn [...]

Need more exercise? Want to muscle up and increase your cardiovascular fitness, creating a new lifestyle and helping the environment by walking more and driving less? Then read on… I received this email back from Bruce Johnson, writer, photographer, and trail historian of OregonPhotos.com, after informing him of a recent trip my wife and I [...]

To implement a renewable power grid in Oregon consisting of intermittent power sources such as wind and solar, it will be necessary to add supplemental peaking capacity, a topic I covered in a July 2006 blog. The current obstacle to wind power is a worldwide shortage of turbines: sustainablebusiness.com and peakoil.com The long lead times [...]

In debate, it is not uncommon for arguments to break down due to weakness in the reasoning process. These false arguments may be due to ignorance or may be intentional. Indeed, the Latin word fallere, from which fallacy is taken, means to deceive. Intelligent readers learn to recognize these arguments, and conscientious writers should avoid [...]

Oregon’s 2007 Legislative session was remarkable in the number and quality of environmental bills that were passed, recalling the era of the iconic Tom McCall. In some way, he must be smiling down upon us, pleased that his legacy has returned to the forefront. I need not remind you that it was Tom McCall who [...]

Urban planners and electrical engineers will be the architects of future transportation systems that reduce dependence on autos and fossil fuel. The emphasis will be on livable communities with mixed-use zoning and safe pedestrian and bicycle routes. Like the long-standing communities in Europe, local diversity will reduce the need for extensive travel. All alternative (not [...]

The popular Toyota Prius gas-electric hybrid has been sold internationally since 2001. It’s innovative design has set the standard for hybrid technology, achieving a combined city/highway fuel economy of 55 miles per gallon, with an emissions rating of Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (AT-PZEV). The early success of the Prius has motivated other offerings [...]

Every day, 10,000 times more energy strikes the earth’s surface from the sun than is used worldwide. It’s not surprising that with the decline of oil reserves and an increase in awareness of global warming, that research in solar energy is intensifying. A sluggish commodity as late as 2002, solar R&D has now reached a [...]

What, you may ask, is the Permian Extinction, and why should you know about it? The Permian Extinction, also known as the Permian-Triassic Extinction, was the most catastrophic extinction event in the geologic history of planet Earth, and one in which recent discoveries have implicated global warming as one of the factors involved. The present [...]