Cycling provides ample opportunity (and oxygen) for the mind to roam. Over the miles, the autonomic nervous system’s autopilot function kicks in, tending to the mundane business of locomotion, and consciousness is free to surf the waves of endorphins and elevated blood flows to parts far and wide. Unfortunately, physics has an irritating habit of bursting the thought balloon. Nothing like a flat tire to reaffirm the supremacy of friction over intention, and roadside repair, repair in general, begs the question for the dedicated cyclist “Wouldn’t it be great if I could figure out a way to make this pay for itself?”.

On a physical and philosophical level, the personal payback far outweighs the cost, however unlikely this may seem. On the financial level though, the more you ride, the more you wear stuff out, the more your habit costs in ducats, dinar or dollars. But, setup back from the strictly personal and look at cycling, running or walking as practical means of daily transportation. Expand the cost/benefit analysis from the individual to the context of society at large. According to the World Wildlife Organization

“Bicycling instead of driving will eliminate 20 pounds of personal carbon emissions for every gallon of gasoline an individual avoids using.”

How this exact figure was arrived at is not clear, but taking it at face value then, an individual cyclist’s annual carbon offset value in dollars per year could be calculated. According to the US DOT,

“The average combined MPG for all US cars and light trucks on the road today is 19.8 MPG”.

My GPS says I currently ride about 3K mi/yr, so, if I were driving a fleet average vehicle, I’d be burning about 3k mi/yr/19.8MPG = 151 gal/yr * 20lb/gal = 3030 lb of carbon/ yr. An interesting study published by EcoBusinessLinks shows a very wide range of prices offered by an ever growing array of brokers. For example, one of the best prices currently available in the US (from the offset provider’s standpoint is 29/metric ton.

Carbon Offset Provider	Price (US$/Metric ton CO2)	Non-profit	Projects Types	Project Choice	Offset Types	Product Certification/ Verification* (Links see below table)
Bonneville Environmental Foundation USA	$29.00	Yes	Renewables	No	Home, Air, Business, Event	Green-e Climate Certified

Being an optimist then, my 3030 lbs (1.374 am tons) would be valued at $38.85/yr, or 1.3 cents/mile, enough to buy 1 good tire. There are any number of ways to quibble with the derivation above, but it’s the first time I’ve seen this figure calculated, so it a least provides a point of departure for discussion. I’ve been riding for almost 40 years with no subsidy, and will continue without one. But the object of this exercise is, as noted above, to look at cycling in a larger frame. There are considerations beyond just carbon offset value. In that 40 years of riding, I’ve been to the hospital twice (both times as the result of a cycling accident). I’ve never needed to visit a doctor for anything but routine checkups, my vital signs are consistent with a very healthy 30 year old and, at 55, I take no medications and can anticipate needing none for the foreseeable future, as long as I continue riding.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Reminds Drivers and Bicyclists to Share the Road During Bicycle Safety Month

As more people take to the roads on their bikes, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood asks both drivers and cyclists to help reduce the number of cyclist fatalities. In 2007, 698 cyclists were killed in America. Everyone needs to pay attention when using America’s roads, whether they’re walking, biking or driving, LaHood said.

More and more Americans are taking up cycling, including a dramatic increase in bicycling by baby boomers. Whether they’re riding for fun, exercise, or to save on gas, more baby boomers are riding bicycles, according to the latest National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) statistics. Unfortunately, this aging trend can also be found in NHTSA’s latest fatality statistics. For the tenth straight year, the average age of persons killed on bicycles has increased. Research shows that in 1997 the average age of a person killed in a bicycle crash was 31; in 2007 it increased to over 40.”

So, perhaps I can reasonably expect to end my cycling career in an abrupt fashion, thus saving the VA and Medicare significant expense. I am my own “Death Panel”, much to the relief of any number of folks, no doubt. It could then be argued that the (hopefully) immanent health care reform legislation should reasonably take the health care cost savings represented by an active lifestyle into account when allotting subsidies and calculating rates. A comprehensive program to evaluate the societal costs and benefits of lifestyle choices in general and recurrent vigorous physical activity specifically could go some way toward encouraging these behaviors, reducing medical costs and transportation infrastructure, ultimately benefiting the individual, society at large and the global environment as a whole.

Last night on the call-in show on our local public radio station, an irate caller asked “why should I be forced to pay increased insurance rates to cover people who smoke and engage in extreme sports?”. A good question I think, as long as the lifestyle can of worms is fully opened up. If I were of the same mind set, I could just as easily ask ‘why should I be forced to subsidize the health costs of people who never walk further than from the La-Z-Boy to the refrigerator, whose most highly developed muscle is their remote control/gameboy finger and whose diet consists largely of highly processed food-like substances?”. I’m totally willing to go there but let’s do it not on the basis of quantifiable outcomes like blood pressure, resting heart rate, actual medical expenditures (including psychiatric), stress indices and the like.

Just saying.

Mmmmmm………..Matsutake!!!!
Tricholoma Matsutake or Japanese Pine Mushroom	California "Matsutake"; Tricholoma magnivelare ...or not?
The picture at left shows a typical sample of the “true ” Tricholoma Matsutake as distinct from our local pacific northwest variety, referred to below as Tricholoma magnivelare even though the western “Matsutake” have been shown through genetic studies to be a distinct population and so are misnamed as either Matsutake or Magnivelare. Visually, as opposed to the “true” strain native to Asia, North Africa, Europe and northeastern North America, the pacific northwest variety (shown at right) is initially quite pale versus the brown of the Asian variety. But, academic debates aside, when it comes to mushroom hunting, its all about field identification, and odor is one of the strongest indicators, specifically a strong, distinctive spicy funk, like Ethiopian food and dirty laundry, its been said. Despite the off-putting description, this is one of the most highly prized mushrooms in Japan and elsewhere, with a culinary stature approaching that of the more familiar European truffle tuber melanosporum, and for much the same reason as musk is the base note of many fine perfumes, the strong distinctive scent, and in this case, flavor blend almost magically with the sharper notes of ginger, onion and miso traditionally used in Japanese preparations, and I can highly recommended it as a superior compliment to wild game.
The American Matsutake: Tricholoma magnivelare by Michael Kuo The American matsutake grows primarily under conifers in northern and montane North America. When young it is white, but it soon begins to develop brownish discolorations. It features a prominent partial veil which covers the young gills and later forms a sheathlike covering on the lower stem, with the upper edge flaring outward to form a ring. The gills are crowded and attached to the stem, sometimes by a notch, but do not run down it. The spore print is white. The odor of the matsutake is its most distinctive–and hard to characterize–feature. “Spicy but a little bit foul” is what comes to my mind, though I like “a provocative compromise between ‘red hots’ and dirty socks” (Arora, 1986, p. 191). The matsutake taste is as distinctive as the odor: “an incredible and complex flavor you won’t ever forget–even though you won’t be able to adequately describe it to anyone” (Volk, 2000). Description: Ecology: Mycorrhizal, primarily with conifers (jack pine in northeastern North America; lodgepole pine in the Rocky Mountains; Pinus teocote and other pines in Mexico’s high-elevation pine-oak forests; and pines and other conifers Pacific Northwest and California) but also found in tanoak and madrone forests on the West Coast; growing scattered or gregariously; northern and montane North America; summer, fall, and (in warmer climates) winter. Cap: 5-20 cm; convex becoming broadly convex or nearly flat; dry or a little sticky; white at first; soon with brownish discolorations and pressed-down fibers; the margin rolled under when young. Gills: Attached to the stem, sometimes by means of a notch; crowded; white, developing brown or reddish brown stains and spots with age. Stem: 4-15 cm long; up to 5 cm thick; more or less equal, or with a slightly tapered base (but not with a long, rooting base); white above the ring, colored like the cap below; partial veil white and thick, collapsing to form a sheath around the lower stem and a prominent flaring ring at the top edge of the sheath. Flesh: White; firm; not changing on exposure. Odor and Taste: Taste spicy; odor fragrant and distinctive (see comments above). Spore Print: White. I’ve collected these in northwest Oregon and the literature indicates the only important difference between here in northwest California and there is in terms of habitat with tanoak and madrone in addition to the conifer zones it is found in further north. We have reliable reports of abundant Matsutake in our mapped sites up at Leonard Lake Reserve, where time will tell the truth of this spot’s reputation as a plentiful producer. And, technicalities aside Matsutake is considered ” edible and choice”, music to a mushroom hunters ears. While there are several species that closely resemble it ,specifically” Tricholoma caligatum (with a browner cap, hardwood habitat, and mild or mealy odor), Catathelasma imperiale (with gills that run down the stem, a double ring, and a tapering stem that roots deeply in the soil), and  Russula brevipes (too many differences to list) “none are toxic, and the identifying characteristics are sufficiently unambiguous that a careful picker, with an experienced guide for quality assurance there is virtually no danger of poisoning. Allergic reactions are a different matter, and in some people are made worse by drinking alcohol and eating new species of wild mushrooms. Anyone with food sensitivities needs to be their own best friend when it comes to sampling, or not sampling new foods. Book your own California wild mushroom foray

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With prices as high as $90 per kilo in Japan for imported northwest Matsutake, it is highly sought after by commercial pickers and can go for as much as $25/pound to the brokers, depending on demand. For the mycophage, they are an excellent compliment to the woodsy flavor of the Chanterelles that grow nearby and an their meaty texture and spicy undertones go well with game and a full-bodied red wine. They are wily and shy little devils, often barely poking through the leaf litter, and spotting them is often a matter of pawing through the duff like a caribou pawing through the snow for moss. But a heaping platter of fresh Matsutake buttons sauteed in butter and deglazed with red wine and thyme is a treat well worth the effort. On about.com they say Matsutake Mushrooms; Japanese Autumn Delicacy By Setsuko Yoshizuka, About.com Matsutake Mushrooms Photo (c) Setsuko Yoshizuka Many kinds of edible mushrooms grow in Japan. Matsutake mushrooms are said to be the king of all because of the great aroma and flavor. Matsutake grow in red pine forests in the autumn, and theyare specialautumn delicacy in Japan. Fresh matsutake harvested in Japan are very pricey, so imported matsutake are commonly purchased. Matsutake mushrooms are cooked in various ways: steamed, grilled, fried, and more. Matsutake in sukiyakitempura are very popular. Also, matsutake rice and dobin mushi (steamed in a teapot), and soup are also delicious dishes. and Matsutake Recipes Matsutake Gohan Recipe – seasoned rice with matsutake mushrooms. Matsutake Dobinmushi Recipe – matsutake mushrooms steamed in a Japanese tea pot Matsutake Recipe William Rubel Author and Cook Specializing in Traditional Cooking This recipe for matsutake soup from the Kunming Hotel, Kunming, China, demonstrates how one can, as a cook, step back and let the mushroom speak for itself. There are mushrooms that need us, the cook, to exert ourselves on their behalf — but many of the greatest mushrooms are best handled the least and this is certainly true of the great pine mushroom (Tricholoma matsuke). In Yunnan the mushroom is called sunron. It combines a rare package of a sweet odor, delicate taste, crisp texture, and beautiful shape. No oil is used in this soup — and it is the opinion of the Kunming Hotel chefs that oil must never be used with matsutake because, in their opinion, oil smothers the pine flavor of the mushroom. Thus, at the heart of this recipe is an approach to the matstuake that says – let the mushroom reveal itself through its own breath. The stock for this soup is lightly salted water in which the mushroom is boiled and at the last minute joined by cilantro. A related matsutake—Tricholoma magnivelare — grows in North America. Its cap is browner (NB not true, see Hugh Smith photo above) than Tricholma matsutake, but it is also a fine mushroom. Ingredients: Water, salt, matsutake mushrooms, thinly sliced, and cilantro, coarsely shopped. For each portion of soup include a moderate handful of mushrooms and a small handful of cilantro. Instructions Make a stock of lightly salted water by adding a little salt, tasting, adding a little more, tasting until you are pleased with the taste. Then add a little white pepper. Add thinly sliced matsutake and bring to a rolling boil. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes at a full boil. Add rough chopped cilantro. As soon as the cilantro wilts remove from the heat and serve. And finally, an excerpt for an excellent article with several recipies in the Seattle PI Fantastic Forage: Wild matsutake mushrooms By HSIAO-CHING CHOU SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER FOOD WRITER Wild matsutakes deliver the season of chestnuts and gingko, persimmons and the new rice crop. The pine (matsu) mushroom (take), for the Japanese, inspires excitement for summer’s wane into fall, and triggers thoughts of savoring its pungent flavor. It is said that one cooks the matsutake until one can eat the aroma. In that regard, the matsutake resembles the truffle, which lends its perfume to any preparation it encounters. A broth with several slices of a pine mushroom would be served in a lidded bowl or pot, for example, so that the scent of earthy pine with a tinge of cinnamon swirls within the container until it is finally released. Mike Urban / P-I Takemi Sugiyama collects Matsutaki mushrooms in the Cascades. The season for matsutakes in the Northwest has begun and there has been a notable abundance of these mushrooms this year. Local foragers say they have never seen such a profusion, which has caused behavior so rarely exhibited: Hunters, like zucchini growers, are enthusiastically sharing their bounty instead of hoarding it. At local farmers markets, professional foragers have stacks of bins brimming with matsutakes, which are selling for about $8 to $14 per pound. Restaurants are featuring the mushroom sauteed, steamed, simmered, batter-fried, grilled. Shiro’s sushi bar presents matsutakes in chawan mushi (steamed egg custard), dobin mushi (broth), tempura and sushi. “These are real expensive in Japan,” says owner Shiro Kashiba, with reverence in his voice. “We’re real lucky here.” Last week, Union restaurant served seared venison medallions with sliced matsutake in red wine with shallots. Oceanaire is shaving matsutakes over salads. Matsutakes are meaty like porcinis and portobellos. The large ones have steaklike caps and thick stems. The flavor of the bigger ones is intense and can overwhelm preparations, such as stir-fries or soups. So use the mushroom sparingly unless the intensity is pleasing to you. read the rest of this article for more info and several recipies As with most popular wild mushrooms, careful attention to the details of a few field identification characteristics; habitat, shape, color, texture and in this case, most distinctively, odor will guard against nearly all misidentification. The other side of the coin is to be familiar with the local species similar enough in appearance to your target species to be confused with it, be familiar with the local deadly species, in particular, the Amanitas (being a principal cause of poisonings locally), know the characteristics to be avoided, and, above all, if you’re not 100% sure of your identification don’t put it in your basket! Just like pilots, there are old mushroom pickers and bold mushroom pickers, but, there are no old, bold ones. On the other hand, flying, like mushroom picking, cycling, and walking out your front door  all are inherently dangerous. Those who have no tolerance for risk should, and will stay home and eat canned mushrooms, if any. So the question then is not “Matsutake or not-so-take”, but “To Matsutake or Not-to-Take”. Book your own California wild mushroom foray

Toshiba launches portable fuel-cell for mobiles

October 22nd, 2009

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For people fed up with their mobile telephone or iPod batteries running out, Japan’s Toshiba Corp. announced Thursday the launch of a portable fuel-cell that can power up digital gadgets on the move.

With an injection of methanol, the fuel-cell generates electricity through a chemical reaction with oxygen to recharge mobile digital electronic devices via a USB cable.

The high-tech giant, which sees a bright future for fuel cells, said battery exhaustion had become a “major concern” due to the rising power consumption of mobile electronic devices. Read the whole article here.

With the object of having uninterrupted access to communications, internet included, from remote locations over extended periods of time, some sort of rugged, portable, lightweight energy generation technology is a requirement for powering cellular/satellite modems, portable computers, telephones and GPS devices. Essentially we’re talking about liveblogging from the wilderness, virtual tourism, real time scientific field documentation and range management. Previous to the Toshiba device described here the only realistic technology  portable solar panels which suffer from low power densities and high costs per watt. The present cost of $326 plus proprietary fuel cartridges leaves something to be desired, but as competition and  economies of scale come into play prices should fall, and the relatively high power densities, low volume, mechanical simplicity and zero carbom operation make this a nearly ideal bike packing power source.

A few hopeful developments in transportation and generation are good news for those of us who believe that clean power is the most important issue of our time;

Largest solar panel plant in US rises in Fla.

(AP) — Greg Bove steps into his pickup truck and drives down a sandy path to where the future of Florida’s renewable energy plans begin: Acres of open land filled with solar panels that will soon power thousands …

Ultracapacitors Make City Buses Cheaper, Greener

Japanese car makers out to electrify Tokyo show

Move over hybrids — the biggest buzz at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show looks set to come from electric cars as the dream of affordable zero-emission vehicles moves closer to reality.

Lighter, cheaper, LED light bulbs are starting to enter the marketplace

And finally, what I’ve been saying for years (so they MUST be right);

Shifting the world to 100 percent clean, renewable energy as early as 2030 — here are the numbers

Most of the technology needed to shift the world from fossil fuel to clean, renewable energy already exists. Implementing that technology requires overcoming obstacles in planning and politics, but doing so …

But, on the not so good news front;

Hong Kong air pollution equals record high

Poll: US belief in global warming is cooling

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  Killer algae a key player in mass extinctions

  Algae, not asteroids, were the key to the end of the dinosaurs, say two Clemson University researchers. Geologist James W. Castle and ecotoxicologist John H. Rodgers have published findings that toxin producing …

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  Study: Evolutionary past may determine how we choose leaders

  So, algae could kill us, pollution is increasing, fewer people believe we have a problem, we’re choosing our leaders based on ancient unconcious perceptions, and to top it off;

  Why antidepressants don’t work for so many

  There is no pharmaceutical cure for what ails us. Oy vey! Which does not stop folks from trying;

  

  Four percent of adults worldwide using cannabis: Lancet

  Nearly four percent of adults around the world use cannabis, even though the drug raises many major health concerns, according to a paper published in The Lancet on Friday.

  That probably explains this; (PhysOrg.com) — Over the past few decades, the idea that our universe could be one of many alternate universes within a giant multiverse has grown from a sci-fi fantasy into a legitimate theoretical possibility. …

  

  Modern men are wimps, according to new book

  But all is not lost, YOU could be one of the lucky few to seal themselves up in a government funded bubble for 520 days;

  

  Volunteers wanted for simulated 520-day Mars mission

  And that’s a wrap on Science and Energy for Saturday, October 22, 2009. Abandon hope all ye who enter here, or not.

Fuel cell

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A fuel cell is an electrochemical conversion device. It produces electricity from fuel (on the anode side) and an oxidant (on the cathode side), which react in the presence of an electrolyte. The reactants flow into the cell, and the reaction products flow out of it, while the electrolyte remains within it. Fuel cells can operate virtually continuously as long as the necessary flows are maintained.

Fuel cells are different from electrochemical cell batteries in that they consume reactant from an external source, which must be replenished^[1] – a thermodynamically open system. By contrast, batteries store electrical energy chemically and hence represent a thermodynamically closed system.

Many combinations of fuels and oxidants are possible. A hydrogen fuel cell uses hydrogen as its fuel and oxygen (usually from air) as its oxidant. Other fuels include hydrocarbons and alcohols. Other oxidants include chlorine and chlorine dioxide.^[2]

Another distinct advantage of fuel cells over conventional internal combustion engines is mechanical simplicity; virtually no moving parts. Add the near carbon neutral operation to this and the advantages over current motor tech is compelling, to say the least. Funny how the choices societies and individuals make may have profound unanticipated consequences. The first fuel cell was demonstrated a842. Again, from Wikipedia;

The principle of the fuel cell was discovered by German scientist Christian Friedrich Schönbein in 1838 and published in one of the scientific magazines of the time.^[16] Based on this work, the first fuel cell was demonstrated by Welsh scientist and barrister Sir William Robert Grove in the February 1839 edition of the Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science^[17] and later sketched, in 1842, in the same journal.^[18] The fuel cell he made used similar materials to today’s phosphoric-acid fuel cell.

The ready sources of petroleum extracted for transportation fuel first in the US probably doomed both the fuel cell and electric transportation, too bad for us and our grandchildren, but now as always necessity is the proverbial mother of invention (no, Frank Zappa stole the term). And so below We present a short summary of current developments from fuel cell world.

There are new teeny tiny fuel cells for your pocket

Taiwan unveils hydrogen-powered mobile phone chargers

Taiwanese researchers said Friday they have developed hydrogen-powered mobile phone chargers, in a development that could boost the island’s efforts to become a player in green technologies.

New electrode materials bring town the temperature and embrace cruder fuels

New Sulfur- and Coking-Tolerant Material Could Expand Applications for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

PhysOrg.com) — A new ceramic material described in this week’s issue of the journal Science could help expand the applications for solid oxide fuel cells – devices that generate electricity directly from a …

Umm, hello dubious folks, the sky actually is blue.

Warming, heat waves projected to grow worse with large regional variability

(PhysOrg.com) — While long-term projections call for higher temperatures and heat waves even more intense than previously thought, considerable geographic variability is also in the forecast, according to a study published …

Vinous hydrogen, right in my backyard.

Renewable hydrogen production becomes reality at winery

(PhysOrg.com) — The first demonstration of a renewable method for hydrogen production from wastewater using a microbial electrolysis system is underway at the Napa Wine Company in Oakville. The refrigerator-sized hydrogen …

Amazing what you can run through a fuel cell.

Sugar + weed killer = potential clean energy source

A spoonful of herbicide helps the sugar break down in a most delightful way.

God forbid we should ask Americans go go slower.

300 mph: New Land Speed Record for a Hydrogen Powered Vehicle

(PhysOrg.com) — One of the complaints that many have with regard to vehicles powered by alternative energy is the fact that they don’t really have a lot of speed. However, this does not necessarily have to …

Again with the nano.

Harnessing nanopatterns: Tiny textures can produce big differences

(PhysOrg.com) — Research at MIT has uncovered new information about how nanoscale patterns on the surface of a material can produce significant changes in the way it interacts with liquids. The discovery …

Lowering costs, we like that, unless its Wallmart.

Smaller isn’t always better: Catalyst simulations could lower fuel cell cost

(PhysOrg.com) — Imagine a car that runs on hydrogen from solar power and produces water instead of carbon emissions. While vehicles like this won’t be on the market anytime soon, University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers …

With the optimization!

Researchers make progress in optimizing solid oxide fuel cells

While our standard of life increases, so does the worldwide energy demand. In this vein, the application of technologies based on fuel cells is put forward as an alternative to the massive consumption of fossil fuels. One …

Cutting emissions by 50% first time out. Give this five to ten more years and we cyclists will all be breathing easier.

Britain’s first dual fuel bus will cut emissions by half

A consortium brought together by low carbon experts at the University of East Anglia (UEA) is today launching the first bus in the UK to run on clean, biomethane gas.

And again with the nano, doing more with less. We may never get all the way to doing everything with nothing, but its clear we’re doing more and more with less and less.

Carbonized TiO2 nanotubes with semimetallic properties increase the efficiency of methanol fuel cells

(PhysOrg.com) — Mention of nanotubes usually means carbon nanotubes. But not all tiny tubes are made of carbon. For example, layers made of nanoscopic titanium dioxide have proven to be useful materials for biotechnology, …

The more familiar you are with this tech now, the less disoriented you’ll fell when in comes home to roost. Five to ten years and you wil own several fuels cells from chargers and battery replacements for your portable devices to, if all goes well, big ones running cars , trucks and buses cleanly quietly and efficiently. Imagine what your town or city will sound and smell like when this happens.

Batteries are particularly relevant to green energy as a replacement for more carbon-intensive power storage technologies like hydrocarbon fuels. Whether you believe the sky is blue or green, it is what it is, whether you believe global warming is real or not, it is what it is, and it is having and will continue to have increasingly profound impacts on every person on the planet until we finally kick our collective smoking habit; fossil fuels. This small summary of research and development clearly shows that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and it may not be all that far away.

Where your gas tank is now, in five or ten years there will be something like this.

Panasonic Develops High Energy Lithium-ion Battery Module with High Reliability

Panasonic Corp. has developed a 1.5 kWh battery module from 18650-type (18 mm in diameter x 65 mm in length) lithium-ion battery cells, which are widely used in laptop computers, to provide energy storage …

Follow the money.

Panasonic, Sanyo win EU takeover approval

(AP) — Panasonic Corp. and Sanyo Electric Co. must sell off a European plant that makes batteries to win EU antitrust approval for the $9 billion deal creating one of the world’s biggest electronics makers, the EU said …

Watch out for explosions, as above, tech can come back to bite you in the ass.

EU warns it will recall iPhones if labs show faulty

The European Union’s consumer czar warned on Monday that iPhones would be taken off the market if national authorities find manufacturing faults lie behind mystery screen explosions.

Here’s an “emergent application”, one that is the consequence of unanticipated synergies between seemingly unrelated parts.

Power grid chief touts electric-car payback

U.S. power grid chief Jon Wellinghoff is touting the long-term cost savings of electric cars, saying the vehicles could earn $1,500 a year in paybacks for their owners when their batteries are connected to the power grid.

Buy stock in Lithium.

Li-Air: Argonne opens new chapter in battery research (w/ Video)

(PhysOrg.com) — Argonne National Laboratory has engaged in battery research and development for more than 40 years. More than 10 years ago the research facility made a strategic decision to expand its research of Lithium-ion …

And nano-tubes.

Increasing Electric Car Battery Performance

(PhysOrg.com) — Researchers have found that by replacing conventional graphite electrodes with silicon nanotube electrodes, lithium-ion batteries can store 10 times more charge.

Its a little ironic that as carbon in the atmosphere, at the macro-scale is an ever increasing problem, carbon at the nano-scale, nano-tubes, Bucky balls, graphene seem more and more likely to play a crucial role in dragging us out of this mess. As above, so below, but opposite. Hmmm. Even the greatest cynic would have a hard time believing that we’re completely screwed after reviewing the very brief summary above. What’s lacking is not technology, it’s  vested interests, lack of consensus and political will and pure old psychic inertia; change is hard. But change is sometimes hard to think about than it is to accomplish. To quote the Ghost busters “We have the tools, we have the technology…”

DVT or Deep Vein Thrombosis, also referred to as “Economy class syndrome” results from the pooling and coagulation (thrombosis) of blood in the deep veins of the calf, thigh and occasionally the abdomen due to lack of motion and/or constriction of the blood flow to these areas. The immediate symptoms include some or all of the following; pain, swelling, discoloration of the painful area and, when in the leg, distended veins in the foot or leg. The longer term pathologies include possible permanent damage to the smaller veins from lack of circulation resulting in phlebitis and/or cellulitis. Worst of all is the possibility that the thrombosis or clot can become mobile and lodge in the lungs causing pulmonary embolism (PE), chest pain, coughing up blood and potentially, death. If a clot gets lodged in the brain, this can cause stroke or cerebral embolism and a clot in the heart can cause heart failure.

Various studies show that endurance athletes, with their low resting heart rates, large leg muscles and tenancy to dehydration are especially vulnerable to DVT, up to 85% more likely to suffer DVT than non-athletes under certain circumstances. Since endurance athletes tend to become dehydrated more often and more severely than the sedentary population, and dehydration causes the blood to thicken and coagulate more readily, attention to hydration is even more important than just for the obvious and better known reasons of managing electrolyte imbalance and exhaustion.

Misdiagnosis of DVT is extremely common, even by physicians who suffer from it, so it is incumbent upon endurance athletes to vigorously advocate for themselves if they feel they are suffering from DVT. Unfortunately, it is very easy to just blow off a sore leg as the result of some unnoticed strain of overwork. Fortunately, a sonogram and blood test are highly accurate, minimally invasive and generally will provide an unambiguous diagnosis, so, if you have persistent swelling and pain in your leg, generally only on one side, seemingly without cause (no recent sprain etc.) you have a low resting heart rate, even if you have not taken a recent plane ride, GO TO THE ER or your Doc, and INSIST on DVT screening. Untreated DVT can be fatal or cause debilitating permanent damage to your circulation.

With proper diagnosis and treatment many have resumed their training and event schedules, but the standard medical treatment; coumadin, warfarin (rat poison to dissolve the clot) and/or various other anti-clotting agents, can be quite unpleasant and many physicians may recommend a lifetime course of treatment. Fortunately, there are a number of herbal, dietary and physical measures that have been recommended by various practitioners either to prevent or treat DVT. These “alternative” treatments are the subject of debate and are provided here for informational purposes only.

First and most important is to prevent DVT by avoiding long (>2 hrs) confinement in positions which constrain circulation, like extended airline flights and even sitting at a desk and proactively managing your hydration even when no exercising. If you MUST take a long plane ride, sit at a desk all day or otherwise submit to potentially aggravating conditions and talking a regular five minute walk is not an option, then a couple simple measures can greatly reduce the probability. Those with low resting heart rate and/or other predisposing conditions should perform a simple stretching routine every 15-30 minutes; to do this, fully extend the legs if you can, if you can’t, push them forward as far a possible. Next, rotate the ankles and feet forward as far as possible, pointing the toes, then rotate the feet back upwards, toward the calves. Five repetitions of the foot extension should be followed by strongly contracting then relaxing the thigh muscles five times. This is intended to assist the return of blood to the upper body, preventing pooling and coagulation in the legs. It has been found that plain water is not effective at preventing dehydration specific to blood thickening, but electrolyte drinks or powders are. So when traveling by plane of just sitting at your desk, 8oz. of electrolyte beverage every hour is recommend. Beverages with carbohydrates should be avoided, as digestion of carbs diverts blood flow to the gut and away from the extremities. Also, avoid crossing the legs or ankles for more than a few minutes. Another simple intervention is medical grade compression socks. According to Wikipedia; ”

Travellers

There is clinical evidence to suggest that wearing compression socks or compression tights while travelling also reduces the incidence of thrombosis in people on long haul flights. A randomised study in 2001 compared two sets of long haul airline passengers, one set wore travel compression hosiery the others did not. The passengers were all scanned and blood tested to check for the incidence of DVT. The results showed that asymptomatic DVT occurred in 10% of the passengers who did not wear compression tights. The group wearing compression hosiery had no DVTs. The authors concluded that wearing elastic compression hosiery reduces the incidence of DVT in long haul airline passengers. ^[31].”

Various herbs and food products that have been used to enhance circulation, thin the blood, and reduce coagulation are being used around the world and may or may not provide actual clinical benefit; garlic and garlic extracts, soy natto or nattokinase extract, lemon juice, grape skin extract, Butcher’s Broom (herb), Ginkgo Biloba (herb or extract), nitric oxide containing topical creams and foods (like popcorn), horse chestnut, cod liver oil and vitamin E. Since having had a couple sever dehydration episodes while riding in the Mojave Desert, I’ve taken great care in addressing hydration WHILE RIDING, but it had not occurred to me that it was equally important to pay close attention AFTER riding, and even in ordinary, day-to-day activities, like sitting at a computer for hours and hours.

It is strongly recommended by some authors that we perform a fifteen minute warm down after training; walk or ride in circles slowly and keep moving till the tendency of blood to pool in the extremities is lessened by constriction of the leg veins from coming to a resting state, and if you simply MUST lie down, then elevate the legs well above the heart. My Clark North American hammock, when properly deployed naturally raises the feet and I’ve found that this does have a beneficial effect on ordinary lower leg discomfort after a long ride, unaware till now of the potential benefits vis-a-vis DVT. Endurance athletes are deservedly notorious for wearing our post-workout pain as a kind of badge of honor, and  I’m pretty sure there’s a strong element of masochism in the whole enterprise (maybe a little OCD as well, hmmm?). So it is not surprising that many of us will simply brush off DVT as a minor irritation, ignore it, and go undiagnosed till a bad one goes all the way to PE or CE and possible death of permanent disability. Not to mention the “who knew?” factor; who knew that our cherished avocation, with its many unequivocal health and quality of life benefits, could have such a potentially downside? Well, now you know.

Do a search on “DVT” or “deep vein thrombosis” and a few of the thousands of references you’ll find are listed below;

Wikipedia

Listen to your body

Athletes and DVT Free Article provided by Ames Walker Medical Hosiery. … either I had an Achilles tendon injury (very rare in cyclists) or a blood clot. …
www.graduatedcompression.com/athletes.htm – Similar -

Tales of the Trail Goddess: Endurance Athletes and DVT’s (blood clots)

Aug 9, 2009 … This surprised me, as I always think of DVT’s (blood clots) as something … .

Frey Bird: Deep Vein Thrombosis for Cyclist, Triathlete, Athlete …

That’s because I am hoping to find other athletes, triathletes, cyclists, runners, etc. who’ve had DVT’s. I’ve searched google, and I’ve found a few people …
freybird.blogspot.com/…/deep-vein-thrombosis-for-cyclist.html – Cached – Similar

Hidden danger: DVT in endurance athletes | Active.com

Have you heard of DVT? Well, if you haven’t you are not alone. DVT stands for Deep Venous Thrombosis, and being a fit endurance athlete doesn’t make you …
www.active.com/cycling/…/Hidden_danger__DVT_in_endurance_athletes.htm – Cached – Similar -

Deep Vein Thrombosis Natural Treatment

Jan 16, 2009 … Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is most known as being caused by sitting in a confined space for long periods of time leading to blood clot …
www.nutralegacy.com/…/deep-vein-thrombosis-natural-treatment/ – Cached – Similar -

Deep Vein Thrombosis Prevention The Natural Way

Aug 8, 2009 … The term ‘deep vein thrombosis‘ (DVT) is well and truly embedded in the … the latest cutting-edge treatments that are achieving remarkable …
www.thehealthierlife.co.uk/…/deep-vein-thrombosis-prevention-natural-00183.html – Cached – Similar

San Andreas Affected By 2004 Sumatran Quake;

Largest Quakes Can Weaken Fault Zones

Worldwide

(SienceDaily)

ScienceDaily (Sep. 30, 2009) — U.S. seismologists have found evidence that the massive 2004 earthquake that triggered killer tsunamis throughout theIndian Ocean weakened at least a portion of California’s famed San Andreas Fault. The results, which appear this week in the journal Nature, suggest that the Earth’s largest earthquakes can weaken fault zones worldwide and may trigger periods of increased global seismic activity.

Reuters – A resident does a handstand during a morning exercise session at the Temple of Sun Park in Beijing September …

CHICAGO – Even in the “oldest old,” a little physical activity goes a long way, extending life by at least a few years for people in their mid- to late 80s, Israeli researchers found.

The three-year survival rate was about three times higher for active 85-year-olds compared with those who were inactive. Getting less than four hours of exercise weekly was considered inactive; more than that was active.

The results “clearly support the continued encouragement of physical activity, even among the oldest old. Indeed, it seems that it is never too late to start,” the researchers wrote in Monday’s Archives of Internal Medicine, which published the study.

They noted that exercise reaped benefits even for previously sedentary 85-year-olds; their three-year survival rate was double that of inactive 85-year-olds.

Oldsters didn’t have to be super-athletes to live longer; walking at least four hours weekly counted, even if it was just in 15-minute strolls a few times daily.

“As little as four hours a week was as beneficial as more vigorous or prolonged activity,” said study author Dr. Jeremy Jacobs, a geriatric specialist at Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center in Jerusalem.

Read the source article

Though I’ve been accused of having a birth certificate written in cuneiform on clay tablets, I’m not yet among the “oldest old”. But I’m pretty damn springy at 55, and my although I’ve paid mucho dinero for health insurance over the years, my sole demand on those services has been for routine checkups and a single traumatic impact (bike wreck) many years ago. Until now. Courtesy of “socialized medicine” (i.e. the VA) I’m having the consequences of a long  history in the sun, mostly cycling but also skiing in the Alps for Uncle Sam, removed from my skin in the form of a couple benign basal cell carcinomas (the best kind) and a couple actinic keratoses scraped from the balding crown of my head. But, by virtue of regular vigorous exercise over those years, I’ve saved my various insurers potentially MILLIONS, not having made claims on their resources for any or all of teh various disease of inactivity like high blood pressure, diabetes, back pain etc., etc…

To make the larger point, one simple, cheap and effective way of lowering health care costs across the population is to incentivise regular vigorous physical activity across the population.

The Google provides numerous sources confirming the effectiveness and benefits on both the personal and societal levels, but god forbid we should have publicly funded sports and recreational facilities as a part of our national health care plan. How about a National Cyclists Carbon Exchange, just to wrap it up with communist energy conservation and Government Greenhouse Climate Conspiracy. The teabaggers, many of whom seem a little on the hypertensive side anyway, would blow a gasket. But seriously;

The National Cyclists Carbon Exchange would be a marketplace where cyclist pooled their personal carbon savings from using a bike as regular transportation. Those “carbon credits” would be sold on an exchange, similar to the currently functioning surfer dioxide market in the US and the carbon market in Europe. Transportation users needing offsets (airline passengers, automobile drivers, trucking companies) would purchase those credits on the exchange, thus subsidizing current cyclists and incentivising new ones. Electronic verification of miles traveled to earn the cycling credits would be straightforward using GPS and wireless technology.

Tying health care reform, climate change, and transportation planning and ultimately, quality of life and longevity all together at a public policy level would truly be an earthquake of significant magnitude in American life. More cyclists mean lower health care costs, and no, the safety issue is quite the opposite of what most people think. According to the Bicycle Almanac

“Health benefits of cycling outweigh the risks. “The gain of ‘life years’ through improved fitness among regular cyclists, and thus their increased longevity exceeds the loss of ‘life years’ in cycle fatalities. (British Medical Association, 1992) An analysis based on the life expectancy of each cyclist killed in road accidents using actuarial data, and the increased longevity of those engaging in exercise regimes several times a week compared with those leading relatively sedentary lives, has shown that, even in the current cycle hostile environment, the benefits in terms of life years gained, outweigh life years lost in cycling fatalities by a factor of around 20 to 1.” – Mayer Hillman, Senior Fellow Emeritus, Policy Studies Institute, and British Medical Association researcher (7, 8)”"

Therefore, the benefits to the health insurance structure outweigh the costs, meaning benefits>costs=savings. The savings could thus repay any subsidies necessary to set up the marketplace including providing data recorders to verify actual miles traveled by an individual cyclist/participant, and funds generated from the sale of credits will cause people to ride/walk more, and will bring more people into the practice. Three birds with one stone is pretty good shooting.

More reading;

Promoting physical activity and reducing climate change ..

Emerald Empire Adventures is excited to announce the
1st annual Mushrooms and Mountain Bikes Adventures

at Leonard Lake Reserve for the fall season of 2009, a Winter Weekend Special Adventure

$165/person, all inclusive; food, lodging, guides and transportation from Redwood Valley included.

Saturday and Sunday throughout the season (October -??? depending on the rains)

Mushroom Pickers are TOUGH; we hunt with just a knife and a paintbrush!

The creek crossing very rarely rains out and becomes impassible so, as every mushroom picker knows, the forest can be wet and the trails muddy, be prepared!Email treasures@emeraldempireadventures.com, comment below or call us at 707-367-3299 or book on-line to reserve your spot now. We can accommodate groups of from five to forty and there’s a ten percent discount for groups of ten or more. Check us out on the web at http://www.emeraldempireadventures.com/

We depart Base Camp at 9001 C North State Street in Redwood Valery and after a 1o mile climb up to Leaonard Lake (for those who wish), we’ll take an hour to settle you into your guest house, whichever of the five classic craftsman style, fully equipped units best fits the group. We’ll have a light lunch and dinner will be started after we go out on our first picking expedition into the old growth redwood on pastures of plenty (Mushroom Gods willing), where no one has picked in man a year, if ever.After a long afternoon tramping the hills and picking, we will return to the lake houses with your bounty where our chef will incorporate it into dinner and pair it all with some carefully chosen local vintages for your dining pleasure. It will all be ready after you’ve changed out of those soggy togs, and we can swap stories around the fire after the meal, till the sandman calls you away.You’ll wake up Sunday morning to the smell of coffee and a hearty country style breakfast to warm you up for the Leonard Lake mountain bike loop, 3.5 miles of up and down (see map and profile below), ’round the lake through more untouched picking grounds than you can shake a mushroom brush at. There will be a vehicle for those who’d rather not ride, those 3 and half miles could easily take 6 hours to pick through and the truck makes it easy to pick for your freezer of dehydrator and not have to lug the whole booty bag back to the cabin! A picnic lunch will be served along the way and warming beverages will be provided.At the end of the day, we’ll load up you and your gear in our bus and bring you back to you car, booty and all. The true hard-core cyclists can ride back down that 10 mile hill they climbed on Saturday, and accommodations will be made for those who don’t want to ride at all.

Email treasures@emeraldempireadventures.com, comment below or call us at 707-367-3299 or book on-line to reserve your spot now. We can accommodate groups of from five to forty and there’s a ten percent discount for groups of ten or more.

Redwood Valley to Leonard Lake, showing teh lake loop

OK, there’s a little glitch on the elevation profile, there really is no 800′ cliff in the road, my GPS unit was “improperly oriented” (i.e. upside down) until I corrected the issue there at the top of the cliff. The main point of interest in the profile above is that 3.56 mile set of bumps at the high point. That’s the Lake Loop route that those willing will ride on Sunday. The views are spectacular, the forest is dark deep and ancient, the road is vehicle width but very steep and extra rough in places, and the mushrooms? There’s only one way to find out.

Emerald Empire Adventures will get you there, keep you from getting lost, show you where to pick and what not to pick. We will cook dinner, breakfast and lunch and show you how to pick, cook, eat, and store the mushrooms. You will bring your sense of adventure and clothing suitable for a temperate rain forest in the fall, i.e.; waterproof boots, rain pants and waterproof jacket, at least 3 changes of inner layers. This is wet work, but ask any mushroom picker, well worth it. We do have some of these items and can provide backups or spares for a limited number of people, but best to bring your own. For those who’ve never picked and don’t have their own equipment, fear not. All you need is a collecting “basket” a small knife and a 2″ nylon paing brussh. Tape the paintbrush handle to the knife handle, et voila, you are a mushroom picker. Why the brush? Because the more moss, bracken and soil you leave in the forest, the less you get in your sink. The knife is  for cutting the stalks, much better and cleaner than pulling or tearing.

Yours truly, your guide, has been picking, eating and not dying from wild mushrooms since the age of four. I’ll befuddle you with learned discourse and arcane mushroom lore, and, if you pay attention, not a single poisonous or even bad-tasting sample will go in your basket, and NONE will pass muster at cleaning time. I use the word “basket ” loosely, but in general I’m referring any more or less rigid-sided container with a capacity of at least one gallon and some ventilation (like holes) for collecting specimens (AKA booty). Mushrooms are relatively fragile beings and do not like the way a bag tends to squash and macerate them while being carried about through the brush. And when the proper stars align, its not unusual to bring out 20-50 pounds of chanterelles per person. They are very easily preserved by dehydration, freezing, canning or pickling and are a wonderful flavoring agent for stew, gravy, casseroles, rice etc. etc. Your mushroom questions will be answered, and I’ve got the book for reference. There is an abundance of edible species here, and a few not so edible (with the liver transplant!), and discrimination is the key, but its pretty simple, really, and I’ve successfully taught children as young as 4 how to tell the good from the bad, so even the timid among us can do this.

This is a great opportunity to bring out the kids for an educational and interesting adventure in an old growth redwood forest, one of the very few remaining intact ecosystems abutting Redwood Valley, and just ten miles off Hwy 101.

Email treasures@emeraldempireadventures.com, comment below or call us at 707-367-3299 or book on-line to reserve your spot now. We can accommodate groups of from five to forty and there’s a ten percent discount for groups of ten or more. Special menu arrangements are available for those with restricted diets.

1. There is a common misconception that the trade-off between manned and robotic “missions” is a zero sum game, money spent on one is money take form the other. The real problem is timing. I propose that the eventual colonization of the entire solar system is a manifest good, but a very long term goal. We send people after the robots have built habitation and industry from local materials. The key to this “robots first” strategy is to create so-called bootstrapping facilities, or a minimal manufacturing and materials processing suite capable of acquiring, transporting and processing local raw materials into a variety of products including, most importantly, copies of itself. A few machines could build a few more, then many more, then whatever you wanted them to build, like habitats, solar collectors and even vessels. This is referred to as the Von Neuman Machine, a self replicating, programmable construct, and there is extensive literature regarding such (to date) hypothetical systems.
NASA should focus its mission on not simply going places to come back, but on going places to stay. Current technology is fully capable of realizing working Von Neuman machine complexes, given the leadership and funding, and a clear inspiring reason to do so.

2. Even more basic to the mission of building a sustainable, efficient bridge to space, is to leave the rockets to the Russians, Chinese and Indians, and focus research on advanced propulsion and launch systems with the goal being to reduce the cost of getting a pound in orbit by a factor of 100-1000. Rail-guns are a pretty mature technology and suitable for dense, inert payloads and the most tantalizing possibility is, without a doubt, the Space Elevator. Hypersonic space-planes may already be in use under the very black Aurora program and there are probably dozens of radical ideas going looking for funding. Make orders of magnitude a top priority, contract routine orbital access through private companies and keep you eyes on the prize.

3. And, speaking of those dense static payloads that current rail-gun technology is suitable for, lets talk plutonium. According to these folks, current world stockpiles of plutonium are approximately 1200 metric tons. Not to put too fine a point on it, but we REALLY need to get rid of this stuff, and what better way than to use it as RTGs to powering the first generation of VonNeman machines, launched to rendezvous in earth orbit using safe, non-explosive rail-gun launch technology. We can get this deadly poison off the planet for good, and use the embedded energy for good as well.

In sum then, NASA’s new mission should be its original mission; getting us to space, and this time to stay. And not just NASA, but to the extent possible, all nations should adopt the principle that colonization of space is a manifest human destiny, however long it takes. To those who would say that we should solve our problems on earth before we try to leave, I say we will never solve all our problems anywhere, we will inevitably bring them along with us. Let’s work apace on both our problems and our potential. And, if this is adopted as a long term, open ended underlying organizing principle, each nation can contribute in its own specialty and we can finally be done with the competitive, me first mentality that still infects the space program. It’s not about who gets where first, its about staying, not getting there first. This is a project that will occupy generations, so if the US cedes its lead in manned spaceflight for twenty years, so be it. We can buy seats from our former competitors, as we are doing with Russia already. Lets do what we do best; innovate and lead. And let NASA focus on what it does best; robotic exploration, and extend that to robotic pre-colonization.

On Saturday evening, October 10, Emandal will be hosting the 3rd
almost annual Willits Cowboy Poetry Gathering. This time, dinner
will be served at 6pm, on the Pizza Deck at Emandal. Kashaya Adams,
of “Kashaya’s Pizza” fame, will be heading up the team of amazing
chefs who will be serving up some exquisite culinary delights.

At 7:30, the concert begins…. in the old barn built in 1917 by Al
Byrnes, the “Al” part of “Em” and “Al.” The Emandal Chorale will
start the show, followed by Dave Stamey and Susan Parker.
Reservations ($30 for dinner and show) are essential, and still
available by calling Tamara Adams (459-9252) or emailing
cowboypoetry@emandal.com

“We like to think of this music as a celebration of shared heritage,
an appreciation of the West as both a place, and a state of mind.”
Driving directions starting at Hwy 101 and Commercial St. in Willits

Willits to Emandal

Dave Stamey has been bucked off and stomped by many horses. He has
been stepped on by mules and dragged around branding pens by cattle
of many sizes. He’s ridden in the rain, in the snow, in the rain
some more, in pretty nasty heat, and in feedlot pens where the air
was thick and decidedly fragrant. He’s even wrangled dudes.

He is an entertainer now, and makes his living inflicting himself
upon innocent people at music festivals, agricultural banquets and
backyard barbecues. He finds he prefers this. He has been voted
Entertainer of the Year, Male Performer of the Year and Songwriter
of the Year by the Western Music Association, and Male Vocalist of
the Year by the Academy of Western Artists.

Dave Stamey is one of the best Western songwriters alive today. His
melodies blend perfectly with his lyrics to the point where you can
almost feel the wind against your face and smell the soft scent of
the sage. He never fails to engage his audience and take them on a
rewarding journey through the panorama of the West.”

–Mike Fleming, Director, Santa Clarita, CA Cowboy Festival

Born with a cowboy soul, Susan Parker grew up with a love for horses,
cowboys, rodeos, and all things Western. She rode stick ponies and
played with plastic horses while her friends played with dolls.

Susan began writing contemporary poetry and prose in 1995. Her
passion for cowboy poetry was sparked in 2003, after attending the
Monterey Cowboy Poetry and Music Festival. It burst into full flame
shortly thereafter.

Intrigued by pioneering women of the West, Susan has become a student
of their writings: “I hear their voices as they pour out loneliness
and frustration onto the page. Their courage and determination beg me
to share their work, to appreciate the freedoms I enjoy as a result
of their perseverance and sacrifice.”

Susan resides in Benicia, California.