Ruminations – 12nov13

November 2013
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Ruminations – 12nov13

12 November 2013

George Rebane

Now the world, including the dyed-in-the-wool econut chorus, should know about the ‘greening of ethanol’, things that the rest of us (those who paid attention and knew arithmetic) have known for years. The left leaning Associated Press no less has released a long expose – ‘The Secret Dirty Cost of Obama’s Green Power Push’ – on the total impact of the government’s ethanol diktat, and it ain’t pretty. How long will it take us to peel off the bull crap from the rest of state mandated green initiatives that don’t work, pollute, trample property rights, reduce liberties, and mangle the country’s economy?

But California still leads in the double butt stupid race to implement environmentally insignificant policies promoting the state’s economic ruin and reducing our quality of life. From the recently released study by the Energy Department’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, there is no way under the laws of this universe that California will even get close to its 2050 mandated emissions levels. The draconian regulations and ordnances receiving progressives' public genuflects will make a hill of beans difference in our environment. The laboratory’s message to Governor Moonbeam and the California Air Resources Board is ‘dream on!’. The WSJ’s report on this concludes with some food for thought –

Meantime, California is spending billions every year on electric car and rooftop solar subsidies, energy efficiency upgrades and alternative fuel development to achieve its pie-in-the-sky emissions goal. And don't forget the Governor's $100 billion bullet train, which during its first few decades will increase emissions. All of which underscores how modern environmental policies are less about solving problems than they are about indulging faith-based dreams.

Great Veterans Day concert at the GV Vets Hall yesterday afternoon. Lots of good musical talent and patriotic music, enough to bring a tear to me eye. We enjoyed it with friends and Jo Ann’s sister who is visiting from SoCal. Would like to see more in the audience from the 20-40 age group. Most of those government educated youngsters don’t have a clue about how much they owe to those who served.

Posted in California, Nevada County, Our Country, The Liberal Mind

27 responses to “Ruminations – 12nov13”

Russ Steele

12 November 2013

The failure of the 20-40 year old cohorts to attend public meetings, which were convened to plan the future of Nevada County, has always troubled me. I recently attend a General Plan Update Work Shop and the only people participating were five gray hair environmentalist trying the insure we did not plan any more growth in Nevada County. It was a bunch of Gray Hairs deciding how the 20-40s cohorts are going to live over the next ten to twenty years. Go to any of the workshops on the future of Nevada County and you will find the people who should be the most concerned about the future of Nevada County are missing, letting the over 60 crowd determine their future. A sad state of affairs.

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Gregory

12 November 2013

Russ, the failure of the 20-40 year old cohort to attend public meetings probably has more to do with the perceived uselessness of those public meetings. If the planning is found to be in the way in the future it will be swept out.
George, I think the double butt stupidity will continue until they completely run out of other people’s money and creditworthiness. The public employee union partnership with the election committees of candidates amenable to friendly union contract “negotiations” will run to completion.
I don’t see an end short of bankruptcy.

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George Rebane

12 November 2013

Gregory 503pm – Sadly I must agree.

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Russ Steele

12 November 2013

Gregory @ 05:03PM
I would agree with you most public meetings just a lot of bloviation and little action. However, when the meetings and the follow up action are on the General Plan, that is a little more significant. I listened to a review of the current modification at a ERC Meeting. I down loaded the draft and searched for “broadband” with Adobe Reader and discovered it was not in the initial draft. I sent e-mails to County Planning Department and the Board of Supervisors asking whey broadband was not included when a survey of business highlighted at the number one economic issue.
As a result Steve Monaghan, County CIO is working with the Planning Department to get some preliminary words on broadband in the General Plan Update. My point is, what if some of the 20-40 group saw some gaps in the General Plan, they could do the same. But, if they do not attend the meetings, or take the time to read the plans, they get to live with the results.
I think that jobs are critical to having an effective and happy family life, and the folks at the meeting I attended were against any new construction in Nevada County. Construction has been in the past 17% of the local economy according to a UC Chico Study. It would be nice for our planners to get some views from the 20-40 cohort about the need for growth and the creation of blue collar jobs in Nevada County.

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MikeL

12 November 2013

George,
$1.6 billion dollars was spent installing 1500 acres of solar panels near San Luis Obispo. The project is rated at 250 mega watts and is supposed to produce 482 megawatt hours per year. This will bring in $24.1 million per year which is not even enough to pay the interest on the loan. It is called the California Valley Solar Farm….we are so screwed.

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Gerry Fedor

13 November 2013

Mikel – let’s do a little math here….
The typical solar pane is 4’x2′ so we’re looking at 8 sq ft., and if ask almost any solar electric installer they are saying that you’re looking at a cost (for residental) of @$4.00 per watt.
250,000 watts X $4.00 per watt and you’re looking at a cost of ________________________
Each panel takes up 8 square feet, and there are 43,560 square feet in one acre so let’s multiply that time 750 acres (considering that you’re only going to have 50% of the actual space being used). This space is: _______________________________
If I go to EBAY and purchase 200 watt panels (which I can get at a cost of $200 each) then how many panels will I need:________________________
I know that we generate with our solar system more than enough to cover our cost and we have a @5 year ROI, so I’m wondering where this does not make sense, especially when you look at warranty in the equipment as well as the payback……
Now we all know that the cost of gas power is cheap right now (thank you fracking), but when that changes we’re all in for a rude awaking.

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Bill Tozer

13 November 2013

Corn ethanol also increases emissions of other air pollutants, including sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, ammonia, nitrogen oxides and ozone. In 2011, the National Academy of Sciences concluded that the air quality effects of increased production and use of ethanol were more damaging to human health than those from gasoline use.
http://www.ewg.org/agmag/2013/08/more-corn-ethanol-2013-means-environment-consumers-lose-out

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Bill Tozer

13 November 2013

Now we are murdering waterfowl in the desert. Why does the EPA hate birds?
http://www.hcn.org/blogs/goat/are-big-desert-solar-farms-killing-birds

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George Rebane

13 November 2013

GerryF 703am – It would be good if you related your numbers to MikeL’s 855pm or gave evidence to dismiss them. His cited income of $24.1M is not enough to service the debt on the cost of the generating facility (let alone its annual maintenance) – (24.1e6)/(1.6e9) = 15.06e-3 = 1.5%.

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Joe Koyote

13 November 2013

We really don’t need those pesky environmental roadblocks to profit. Just ask the Chinese where lung cancer rates in Bejing are going through the roof.. air pollution..

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Todd Juvinall

13 November 2013

JoeK, the Chinese eco community needs your expertise. You should take your knowledge of how to destroy the economy to save a plentiful yellow legged frog. Yes, they need you.

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mIkeL

13 November 2013

oops I had a typo in my previous post…. the solar farm will be generating 482,000 Megawatts hours.
Gerry,
I did not make up the numbers regarding the farm, go look it up on Googly . You have confused “Mega” and “Kilo” . The solar farm would require 1,250,000 of the 200 watt panels and at $4 per watt would cost, cue Dr Evil, one billion dollars. I guess the other $600,000,000.00 was spent buy luxury yachts, rounds of golf at nearby Pebble Beach and supporting the crony capitalism that runs the Obama adminstartion.
The solar farm will NEVER EVER NEVER EVER NEVER (I used a triple negative….so that means “never”) pay for it self, period.

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Paul Emery

13 November 2013

Gregory
How many Supes meetings have you attended in the past year? I’ve been to at least six and I don’t recall having seen you.

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Gregory

13 November 2013

“How many Supes meetings have you attended in the past year?”
Wow, how’d you decide on that attack, Paul? I’d expect the news director of a local radio station to attend more than I do, so I don’t see that as a particularly spectacular metric.
The last one I attended was a few months ago, concerning the Yuba River Charter School’s desire to short circuit the approval cycle. Strange you missed it given your apparent interest in that particular school; I even made on the record comments regarding the sporting nature of turning left from Adam onto R&R highway that seem to have resonated. I also sneaked in a mention that, according to the state department of education, the YRCS was at the very bottom of their list of 100 similar schools and maybe there wasn’t a pressing need to give them a fast track to a brand spanking new facility.

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Gregory

13 November 2013

mikeL, that solar plant will pay off nicely after conventional fuels get hit with carbon taxes so high that expensive solar generation looks good in comparison.
That’s if cap-and-tax ever gets fully implemented, and that is a big if. Even California can’t swim upstream forever.

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Gregory

13 November 2013

Here’s the SFGate coverage of the same AP story GR has linked up top. Some different graphics, more readable type (at least to my eyes):
“Prairies vanish in the US push for green energy”
http://www.sfgate.com/business/energy/article/Prairies-vanish-in-the-US-push-for-green-energy-4977288.php

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Joe Koyote

13 November 2013

Todd 12:52 — It’s OK Todd, cancer is good for the health care business and generates a lot of profit. That’s a good thing isn’t it? Who cares about the misery and suffering pollution causes when you can make a buck, right Todd?

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Walt

13 November 2013

OK gang,,, break out the popcorn.
Word is out articles of impeachment have been written up against E. Holder.
It couldn’t happen to a nicer guy. But lets see just how far it goes.
If anything else, it’s going to keep the minions at the W.H. busy.
On another note, the defections of Lefties has begun. The rats are jumping the sinking ship. Legislation to force the upholding of “O”‘s promise? Now that’s a good one.

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Bill Tozer

13 November 2013

Walt, Barack apologized for his BarackObamacare. He said he is sorry his words caused so many to lose the healthcare they liked. I like mine. Just like that dude Drunk Teddy saying “the car I was driving went off the bridge”. Or Nixon’s “mistakes were made.”
Obama said he got burned by the web site on his apology tour. He got burned? WTF? Here goes the victim card again. Cry me a river. Millions are getting burned, not Barrack Obama. Sorry his words cause people to lose healthcare insurance? Employer sponsored plans are next on the substandard list for 2015. No Obama, you did not get burned. We did.
Why can’t politicians simply say “I caused you to lose your healthcare?” Or, “I drove the car off the bridge,” or “I made mistakes.” It ain’t the mistakes fault, nor the car’s fault, nor some words’ fault. Its your fault. Maybe it is Truman’s fault for coming up with the plaque that says “The Buck Stops Here”. Wait, its the plaque’s fault, or the words on the plaque’s fault.
If Holder refuses to produce documents and unmolested witnesses, then he should be impeached and lose ALL his government pension and health care. He might even qualify for a subsidy, so all is not lost for Eric ‘Choke on This’ Holder.

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Todd Juvinall

13 November 2013

Joe Koyote | 13 November 2013 at 05:04 PM
Why can’t we have a profit and clean air JoeK?.. Sort of like the rat problems some cities had. You know, those furry creatures that eat everything and produce like a horny liberal. The cities could not keep yp with their extermination so they told the populace, go forth and kill the beasts. There was soon very few rats because the people made a profit. So what do you think JoeK?
Oh, and the rat bears no resemblance to a liberal or does it?

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Walt

13 November 2013

Too good Bill,,,,

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Bill Tozer

14 November 2013

http://www.psmag.com/environment/windmills-600000-bats-0-69697/
Bats don’t fly into anything. Nay, the wind turbines make their lungs explode. Bats are mammals just like us. Cute and furry as is Pogo the Possum. Whatz a greenie to do?

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Ryan Mount

14 November 2013

Mr. Tozer (Nov 13th 7:07). Thanks for nailing it. I’d like to add three things that bug me about all this:
1) How the Obama administration and its supporters claim this is/was a “marketing issue.” Excuse me, but marketing activity by the government is called propoganda.
2) The plans that have been canceled are a result of the law, and not a result of evil insurance companies. See #1 regarding the regime’s recent propaganda efforts.
3) Canceled plans are not “junk plans” by any measure. Well, as with anything some of them are. These canceled plans just didn’t have the same scope the government sanctioned ones. Like making sure men have access to prenatal care and women can have their yearly prostrate exams.

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Joe Koyote

14 November 2013

Todd 7:38 — We can and should have profit and clean air. The problem is that we don’t and without government regulations to force companies to be clean it simply doesn’t happen. For example, when George Bush was Governor of Texas he instituted a volunteer program for Texas’ infamous high sulphur coal burning power plants (some of the largest polluters on Earth) in an effort to clean up the air. The result was of the 100 dirtiest power plants only 4 voluntarily installed emissions cleaning systems. The rest claimed it was too expensive and cut into their profit. The moral to the story is that most polluters will not clean up until forced to and this is where government regulations come into play like it or not.

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George Rebane

14 November 2013

re JoeK’s 846am – This sounds like the usual progressive argument that all current government regulations are needed, serve a beneficial purpose, and more benefit will be derived from more regulations. Opposing any of it indicates that you are a knuckle-dragging conservative who wants to eliminate all regulations and promote a ‘Mad Max’ world. This is hardly enough material for a profitable debate on the topic, and explains away why such exchanges have yielded so little toward curbing obvious government overreach in countless areas of human enterprise.

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Todd Juvinall

14 November 2013

JoeK, errr, I mean MichaelA, there is of course places and times that regulations are necessary. This usually has to do with criminals and their ilk. What fascinates me about the left is they say the corporations are actively trying to kill their own customers for a profit. Now doesn’t that sound kinda nutty? There is always a lapse in time when things are invented and their regulations from government. Take computers for example. We now have to pay a “pre” recycling fee for every computer which the government says will pay for taking care of the heavy metals and the disposal of the carcass (monitors and V’s too). In India and other countries, the free market does this without gov intervention and it seems to work fine.
Take ethanol as well. Your buds in government mandate its mixing with petrol and we now see the results in prices, lack of corn for people south of the border and lack of infrastructure here (its eco benefits are totally suspect). Now we have fracking. The free market has been fracking since the 40’s and no pollution has been uncovered. Except for the lying left in the movies Gasland (soon a number two is coming) and Promised Land, fracking has been a huge success. My bro in law is hard at a pipeline to bring the gas to the masses in North Dakota. But we see success in the free market cannot be left alone and California has now decided to lockdown our shale deposits and regulate frackin g into non-existence. I say we can have a profit and a good environment. You say we need laws and regulations to achieve it.

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Bill Tozer

14 November 2013

Why are so many environmental groups against ethanol??
http://green.autoblog.com/2013/02/07/broad-coalition-working-against-ethanol-says-its-worse-than-t/
http://www.icis.com/Articles/2009/04/01/9205219/enviros-health-groups-join-refiners-against-ethanol-boost.html
http://gas2.org/2008/12/19/environmental-groups-oppose-ethanol-bailout-stimulus-pa/
http://www.akdart.com/ethanol.html
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization regularly calls biofuels “a crime against humanity.” ….. Ethanol makes the top ten list.

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