Archive for April, 2009
« Previous EntriesCommuniTree Fest (Bay Area)
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
“Come celebrate the movement to ‘Green our Community and Revitalize our Lives,’ at this tri-annual Communitree Festival happening May 6-10, 2009, in Oakland, Berkeley, SF…The CommuniTree Festival is an incredible four day arts and ecology series celebrating environmental education, cultural awareness, and social justice. A powerful gathering of artists, social justice leaders, [...]
Vinod Khosla at Milken Institute: Part I
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
Thanks to a reader for bringing this to my attention. Vinod Khosla (VK) just did a lengthy interview at the Milken Institute 2009 Global Conference. The interview was conducted by Elizabeth Corcoran (EC) of Forbes. You can see the video of the interview here:
Milken: Khosla on the Shift to Renewable Energy
I [...]
Flashback: 23-30 Apr 2008
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
These posts are STILL relevant, so please comment (I’ll approve them ASAP.)
Voting rules in water districts affect outcomes.
BEST (of course!) Dissertation Done! Read my dissertation (Conflict and Cooperation within an Organization: A Case Study of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California) to learn about the institutional details of urban water management [...]
Perception vs. Reality
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
I hope that Maude Barlow tells her fellow citizens THIS fact: Cheap water leads to more demand (Canadians have the highest per capita consumption of water in the world.)
Bottom Line: We cannot manage water if we don’t know how much we use or how much that use costs (economically or environmentally).
Rating 3.00 [...]
Speed Blogging
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
The NYT does an excellent analysis: “if your stainless steel bottle takes the place of 50 plastic bottles, the climate is better off, and if it gets used 500 times, it beats plastic in all the environment-impact categories studied in a life cycle assessment.” Lesson: Use — and don’t lose — your [...]
Will the Oprah Effect have an Effect on Plastic Waste?
Submitted by PlasticLess.com Blog
First off, a hearty congratulations are in order for To-Go Ware. Their cause and their products got the most important endorsement in the Universe. Oprah likes their stuff.
The Earth Day edition of the Oprah Winfrey Show put a spotlight on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and gave some valuable advice to her [...]
Economic Games and Mechanisms to Address Climate Change
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
This 2.5 day conference will take place at the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute next week (Mon, Tues and Wed am). MSRI is on the UC Berkeley campus, at the TIP TOP of the hill.
As usual, there is NO FEE to attend.
I am one of the organizers, and I am happy to say [...]
Poll Results — Earth Day
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
Hey! There’s a new poll (public vs. private) to the right —>
Earth Day is about (choose 1+)
Consciousness Raising
30 votes
Guilt Alleviation
13 votes
Lifestyle Change
15 votes
Fundraising
13 votes
Education
22 votes
Symbolism
26 votes
Politics
8 votes
The Children!
9 votes
Wait! Did Earth Day just happen? Damn, I already forgot!
Bottom Line: We’ve got Earth Day, Water [...]
Water Quality Bleg
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
Hey Folks,
I am looking for some help on water quality testing, i.e.,
What off-the-shelf equipment is out there?
How much does it cost to buy? for each test?
How much training does the operator need?
Is there a one-shot tester for home use?
How long does each test take? How many contaminents does it test for?
Can the [...]
Thirst — The Review
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
I just saw Thirst (2004), a movie by local film-makers Alan Snitow and Deborah Kaufman.
As a tale of capitalism versus social activists, it reminded me of FLOW, but it was better. (If I had seen Thirst in 2004, I would have questioned the relevance of FLOW as a me-too film…)
The plot concentrates [...]
Water for Sale — The Review
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
Note: I am sending this review in later today, so you all get to see it first (typos?!)
Fredrik Segerfeldt originally wrote Water for Sale (2005) in Swedish. The CATO Institute has published an English-language version. So, what does a Swede have to say about the private companies selling water to the world’s [...]
Academic FAIL
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
(via PB) A professor of religion laments the “broken” higher education system, calling for more regulation and re-organization.
Although he’s wrong about regulation (MORE government? Please no!) and performance (US universities are great), he’s right to point out “as departments fragment, research and publication become more and more about less and less.” His [...]
Picture of the Year
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
PB sent this XLS with a comment:
Not only have consumptive uses north of the Delta exceeded exports for many years, the outflows have not collapsed as some claim. What these figures do not show is the timing of these various diversions and outflows. Our better understanding of and regard for fish needs [...]
Hype vs. Reality
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
…or perhaps “Chronicle of a Death Foretold”? Check this out:
Water agencies and politicians from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on down have repeatedly stressed that water shortages this year from the Bay Area to San Diego prove the need for such a canal. It would divert water around the Delta for delivery to farms [...]
New Renewable Energy Map
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
About to hop a plane for Europe, but wanted to share with you a new map from the NRDC that I think is extremely cool:
Renewable Energy Map for the U.S.
I like this map for two reasons. First, it shows the renewable energy possibilities across the country (solar, wind, cellulosic biomass, and [...]
Book Review: Oil 101
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
Oil 101, by Morgan Downey, is without a doubt the most detailed and comprehensive book I have ever read on the oil industry. In fact, I am not aware that another book like this even exists. This is not an opinion piece, nor is it a peak oil book. It is [...]
Neat Ideas
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
I looked around the exhibit at Investors’ Circle after my talk last Tuesday.
Here are a few companies that may interest readers:
World Centric is the second largest maker of biodegradable plastics. I was pleased to hear that they have just got a biodegradable version of those plastic caps that come with your cappuccino… [...]
Monday Morning Smile
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
This video is great. (Send me more!)
If you liked that music, then check out Susan Boyle singing (kinda funny; mostly amazing).
Rating 3.00 out of 5
[?]
Nestle Saves the World
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
According to this morning’s press release, Nestle is going to make the world a better place with three initiatives:
The initiatives include an expanded education programme focused on nutrition, health and wellness for school age children around the world, a research and development centre in Africa, and a new Nestle Prize in Creating [...]
One More Thing
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
When I posted the abstract from this paper, I had not read it. This excerpt deserves further comment:
Rosa (1993) and Rosa and Perard (2007) propose another explanation of privatization and nationalization movements in the economy in general. They “consider that the government’s motive is the same than the private investor’s motive: to [...]
Running for Office
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
A friend sent me this list of questions that a reporter asked of candidates running to become directors of a regional water board:
What qualifies you to be a board member of the district?
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
Where should the district rank irrigation, flood control and recreational uses in [...]
More Brazilian Ethanol Whoppers
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
I have written previously about Brazil’s “ethanol miracle,” and the tendency of the media and various advocates to ignore facts and embrace hype:
Lessons from Brazil
Vinod Khosla Debunked
There are two take home messages from those essays. First, ethanol provides a small fraction of Brazil’s transportation fuel, not 40% as is often reported. [...]
Delusional Thinking
Submitted by R-Squared Energy Blog
I read a story this morning on California’s new low-carbon fuel standard, and there were some bits in there that either amount to delusional thinking, or worse to purposely misleading people:
California’s low-carbon fuel standard has oil companies anxious
Here are the bits that raised my eyebrows:
The petroleum industry and some economists say [...]
Review of a Reduced Plastic Toothbrush
Submitted by PlasticLess.com Blog
I bought this toothbrush today. It is a Trisa brand toothbrush with that comes with two sets of bristles. The bristle heads snap on securely. I had to apply quite a bit of force to remove the head from the handle. I have twin daughters that are 15 years old. They could [...]
Weekend Discussion: Social Water
Submitted by Aguanomics Blog
NOTE: This post will stay here until Sunday night. Posts for Saturday and Sunday morning go below this post.
Dear Aguanauts,
Discussion posts allow you to discuss your beliefs on a topic — to share your understanding, experience and opinions — without worrying about what’s right or what others think. (Check out last week’s [...]
