Space-based solar energy

Solar power created in space would be beamed to earth via microwave. Japan is a leader here, now maybe more than ever.

Why are protests in Middle East way more effective than here?

Photograph: Ian Langsdon/EPA

500,000 protest cuts in London, and this is inspiring indeed.

But the protests in the Middle East / North Africa (MENA)have been vastly more successfully in forcing change than those held in the US / UK. Most of the MENA protests, which have toppled governments, have been predominately nonviolent too, [...]

Sarko goes insane

Sarkozy warns Arab rulers they risk intervention if overly violent against their own people

Apparently he’s chomping at the bit to invade and bomb Ivory Coast and maybe even Syria too. This is approaching derangement.

Does anyone think we’ll be out of Libya quickly?

Even The Economist is skeptical

Operation Underpants Gnomes grinds on in Libya. The rebels retook a city but the country remains in chaos. Do we arm the rebels? Do we shoot at them if they start abusing civilians? Is regime change the goal? NATO allies can not even agree on these issues.

And [...]

Chernobyl cleanup survivor to Japan: ‘Run away as quickly as possible’

Natalia Manzurova at Chernobyl

Natalia Manzurova spent 4 1/2 years cleaning up at Chernobyl. She has multiple health problems due to the radiation and is is the only one of her team still alive. She has a “Chernobyl necklace,” scars on her neck where her thyroid was removed and advocates for radiation victims everywhere.

[...]

Radiation in ocean off nuclear plant 1,250 times normal

A Tokyo Electric official told CNN that authorities are not sure why the levels spiked.

Either the official (and Tokyo Electric) genuinely doesn’t know and thus should be fired and replaced by someone with actual competence or – more likely – he is is being mischevious with the facts, in which case he [...]

Offshore vertical axis wind turbines

“The Aerogenerator X design is half the height of an equivalent horizontal-axis turbine and its weight is concentrated at the base of the structure.”

CleanTechnica has more on the development of this promising prototype.

CalPERS releases disturbing report

In the wake of cratering pension fund returns and the filing of lawsuits against two former top employees, CalPERS, the giant California pension fund, commissioned a report by D.C. law firm Steptoe and Johnson.

The report is scathing, saying former CalPERS CEO Federico Buenrostro steered investments by CalPERS to politically connected firms of his [...]

Governmental derangement syndrome. #2

Napolitano: Border security ‘better than ever.’ Mexico border towns safe to do business in.

What planet is Napolitano on? I suggest she take time out from her oh-so busy schedule of living inside the DC bubble and issuing bizarrely optimistic PR fluff and venture into the real world for a change, maybe by reading Borderland [...]

Governmental derangement snydrome. #1

Japan PM says nuclear crisis not worse but advises wider evacuation.

The real questions there are 1) Is the government in control or just a lackey of Tepco, and 2) Is Tepco more concerned with saving their investment in the plant rather than saving lives?