NC Media Watch

Call the Governor: The Global Warming consensus is shrinking

Russ Steele

Scientists Group to Refute Global Warming Claims, Monday, 1 May 2006

A group of leading New Zealand climate scientists has announced today the formation of the New Zealand Climate Science Coalition, aimed at refuting what it believes are unfounded claims about anthropogenic (man-made) global warming.

A list of NZCSC scientist can be found here.

UPDATE:  NZCSC Web site URL

Heads up Peak Oilers - Your peak is moving

Russ Steele

New chemistry turns coal into clean diesel.  This technology could turn 500 to a 1000 years of US coal reserves into diesel and natural gas. This could put a real crimp in the peak energy agenda, moving the goal post 500 to 1,000 years.  We will have developed some alternative sun based fuel technology by then.

Call it the coal-to-liquid technology. This could be one of those technological breakthroughs that energy dependent countries like India could look forward to in their quest for energy security.

Research carried out by two American scientists —Alan Goldman and Maurice Brookhart — has now found a procedure to derive diesel from coal, natural gas and organic material. With global oil prices poised to remain firm in the near future, such inventions will help coal-rich countries like India to monetise their coal assets to meet their liquid energy needs as well.

Rutgers University chemist Alan Goldman co-developed the process, called Alkane Metathesis, with Maurice Brookhart, a chemistry professor at the University of North Carolina.

Full story here.

Go George!

Russ Steele

Be sure to check out George Rebanes comments on Pat Butlers gas crisis rant in the Saturday Union. I think he was spot on, worth your time to read.

Road Trip is Over

Russ Steele

We left town in rainy gloom and returned in bright sun. What a welcome change.  Everything looked familiar, but refurbished, spiffed-up a bit.  Nice to be home again.  We love the ocean, the food, and laid-back life style of coastal living, but have decided to be frequent visitors and not move to Mendocino. We bought our trailer to live in while build a beach house, but found we like the mobility the trailer offers,  and will be taking our vacations on the road.  This summer we are off to Banff and Lake Louise and will be bloging along the way, using the growing number of RV Parks with WiFi services.  In Mendocino we used WiFi in the County Store coffee shop, $2.00 for two hours, until we moved from Casper Beach RV Park to the Pomo RV Park in Ft Bragg, which has WiFi.  Ellen and I have an article on enhancing WiFi from your trailer in the June issue of Trailer Life, and I wanted to do some more testing.

Looking for a hero, look in the mirror

Russ Steele

Pat Butler is looking for super hero to solve the gas crisis. And wonders why our current political leaders cannot fill the bill. In reality, we are the super heroes, all we have to do is cut back 10% on our fuel use, and prices will come down.

Pat Butler: Congress rides to rescue as gas prices soar, April 29, 2006

For those of my generation and older, we remember a day when we could count on heroes. A Superman, Batman, Lone Ranger, Rin-Tin-Tin or Dirty Harry was always there to save the day at the very last moment.

But now we've grown up and learned that we need to rely on the current generation of politicians to solve our problems. And the news this week demonstrates yet again that we have no heroes in Washington, just prolific fund-raisers.

Now that we have the prices down, how do we fix the problem?  This is a supply and demand issue. We have a two pronged supply  problem.  1) We rely on the middle east and other rogue nations for our crude oil, when we have sources close to home, but lack the political will to use. 2) There is currently ample crude oil, but we lack US refining capacity, having failed to build any new refineries for over 30 years. Again the lack of political will.

Notice the lack of political will in the two problems above.  High gas prices are our own fault.  We elect our representatives an then go back to doing what what ever it is we do, and ignored the decisions they were making on our behalf, when we should have been paying attention and writing letters and e-mails keeping them focused on the real problems.  But, we sat home in front of the TV, while our legislators focus on gay marriage, more money for failed schools, bridges to nowhere, global warming, spotted owls, saving wet lands in New Orleans rather then fix levees, etc. You know important stuff, while ignoring the tougher issues of energy supply and demand.  Or, affordable housing supply and demand.  Or health services supply and demand. 

We let our legislators pass all kinds of feel good legislation without examining the long term consequences. They passed a lot of feel good environmental legislation in the late 70s and early 80s and now we are reaping the consequences. High gas prices.

We are the problem folks, face up to it. We let our political leaders have full reign to piddle away their time and our money working on peripheral issues, when they should have been addressing supply and demand issues.  So be hero, reduce gas use by 10% and write your legislators and tell them you want the long term supply and demand issues solved:  more refineries, more drilling in Alaska, more drilling off our coasts, more focus on processing coal into motor fuel.   Oh, one more thing, turn out the light in the bath room when you are not using it. Conservation can make you a hero too.

UPDATE: Mark Alexander at Town Hall has some more details on supply and demand, and points the finger at the politcs of "Big Oil."

Where did all these people come from?

Russ Steele

When you are stopped in Brunswick traffic, or have to wait more than two minutes to get through the East Main / Idaho Maryland intersection, did you ever wonder where all these people came from?  The below the fold article on American Mobility in the Union got me to thinking, and I decided to dig down a bit to see who was generating all that traffic congestion. The US Census provided the following information about Nevada County inmigration, and outmigration, for the period 1995 to 2000.

Inmigration to Nevada County came from 40 different States and 53 Counties in California.   

The top six inflow States and Counties were:

Maricopa County,  Arizona 313

Washoe County, Nevada 559

Multnomah County, Oregon 123

Denton County, Texas 124

King County, Washington 105

La Plate County, Colorado 85

The top six inflow locations from with in California were:

Alameda County  1,156

Contra Costa County  1,132

Los Angles County 1,351

Placer County  2,445

Sacramento County 1,475

Santa Clara  County 1,771

Some time back, the Union asked the local moving companies were they were moving people. Sand Point Idaho was the big destination. The Census found people moving to 46 States and 54  Counties in California 

The top six out flow destinations were:

Maricopa County,  Arizona 297 (Also a major inflow source)

Washoe County Nevada 1,247  (Also major inflow source)

Jackson County Oregon 168

Clark County Nevada 187

Spokane County Washington 102

Carson City  Nevada 133

The top six out flow destinations with in California were:

Butte County 481

Los Angles County 697 (Also a major inflow source)

Placer County 2,395   (Also a major inflow source)

Sacramento County 1,357   ( (Also a major inflow source)

Santa Clara County 433   (Also a major inflow source)

Yuba County 511

It would appear, there is a lot of moving to,  and moving out of, the same or similar locations.  However, there was a lot more coming than going, which is reflected in our average population gain of about a 1,000 new residence a year. 

When lobbists rule crap happens

Russ Steele

Josh Singer writes Bill could hurt NCTV, April 26, 2006

Supervisors vote to oppose proposed move

The Nevada County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to send letters to state representatives opposing language in a bill that could erode the rights of local governments and negatively impact Nevada County Television and other area communications services.

The bill, AB-2987, gives the state the right to negotiate contracts with cable companies that local governments currently handle. The bill was passed by an assembly committee Monday evening and will likely go before the full state assembly in May.

District 3 Assemblyman Rick Keene said he voted for the bill as a member of the Utilities and Commerce committee because it creates a "one-stop shop" at the state level for telecommunications companies, making it easier for them to enter a market than dealing separately with local governments.

This bill removes the local leverage the County has to cajole the Cable and Telephone companies to serve all citizens in the County, not just those they choose to serve. As a rural county, many of our citizens do not have access to high speed Internet, or broadband communications. This puts them at a disadvantage with others who do, for home based businesses, distance learning, home schooling and online shopping. By giving up control to the State, Counties lose any leverage they might have in demanding the Cable and Telephone companies expand their networks in to unserved segments of our community.

If we were really serious about competition, the County should consider a forming public/private partnership and bring wireless access to all citizens with the emerging WiMax technology.  WiMax is capable of providing the full spectrum of voice, data and video services.  Why must we be held captive by the Cable and Phone companies? Let’s take control of our own destiny.  Other communities that were ignored by the big companies have formed municipal networks.  In some case just the threat of a comprehensive municipal network, forced the telecom companies to really compete and expand their services. 

We have a clear example in Penn Valley. AT&T (then SBC) told the ERC they had no plans on the books to put DSL services in Penn Valley. The first opportunity would be in 2007, if at all. Well, several wireless companies started services in Penn Valley, and what do you know, in less than six months, Penn Valley had DSL services.  Competition can work.

Finally, the State will be collecting the franchise fees.  By the time the State and the bureaucrats take their cut, the County will now see much return, yet County and City government will have to deal with the problems created locally.  When crap happens, instead of calling your Supervisors, you will have to deal with some faceless bureaucrat in Sacramento, who quite frankly could care less about your problem with the Cable company or the Phone company.

Do not let this happen. Call Assemblyman Rick Keene, and other legislators, become your own lobbist. Contact information here.

You are being taken by AT&T

Russ Steele

Once again we are going to be the victims of the telecommunication industry lobby. AT&T in Texas has 120 lobbyists. How many in California?  Too many for the customers own good.

Josh Singer writes that Rick Keene votes for cable TV legislation, April 25, 2006

District 3 Assemblyman Rick Keene, R-Chico, voted in favor of AB-2987, a bill that gives state government greater power over local cable television, agreeing with eight other members of the Utilities and Communication Committee who were present at Monday evening's vote, according to Keene's press secretary.

I am sure by now you have seen all the AT&T ads on TV promoting competition with Comcast, telling the viewer this competition will lower your cable bill. But, what they fail to tell you is that your bill will be lower ONLY if you accept their package deal of phone, cellular, long distance and video services.   Each services with their  government taxes.   You are about to get shafted! 

We use Comcast  Internet, and are switching to Vonage for our local and long distance services. Vonage has a flat rate and no government taxes. When the network goes down, back up is our cellphones.  It is time to vote with your wallet, drop AT&T like a rock on the Yuba.

The real crime in this legislation is that it allows AT&T and Comcast to “cherry pick” their customer base. If you do not live in a densely populated  area, you are not going to get high speed Internet, or the new AT&T video services.   So, the competition is only where Comcast is now. Not a good deal for most citizens of Nevada County.

Call Rick Keene  and let him know you are not happy with this decision. Contact information here.

Politically brain dead Democrats

Russ Steele

I opened up Monday’s Union to page A12, and what did I see?  Below the fold was an ad sponsored by the Democrats Club of Nevada County for a “Candidates’ Forum Luncheon at the Ridge County Club in Auburn.”  Auburn in Placer County?  What is wrong with holding a luncheon in Nevada County? Why are the Democrats supporting business in Auburn, and not in Nevada County?

In my estimation, the Democrats are politically brain dead to support businesses outside their County or District. Charlie Brown should find a place to hold a luncheon in Penn Valley?  The Superior Court Judge Candidates should find a place to hold a luncheon in Nevada County?  I will be voting for the Candidates that support Nevada County businesses. What about you?   

Seeking the Sun over the Pacific

Russ Steele

Our drive down Highway 20 from Nevada City to Fort Bragg was a visual feast, velvet green mountains with blush of orange, yellow, and white flowers on hilly crests and southern slopes. Fresh green leaves springing from winter dreary branches huddled in clumps on the banks of roadside streams.  We stopped at the Steele Winery in Kelseyville for some tasting and refresh the wine cellar in the trailer. The Steele Winery is one of our favorite stops on our way to the coast, really nice people. Distant relatives from the 13th century.   Now if the weather will cooperate and provide us with some super Pacific sunsets.