The rebuilt plant will produce 100 MW for the utility while reducing the utility’s carbon dioxide emissions by a million tons a year – or 7% of the company’s annual emissions. The captured carbon dioxide will be sequestrated in oil fields, and will also serve to help recover further oil.

State-of-the-art enhanced oil recovery with carbon dioxide, now recognized as a potential way of dealing with greenhouse gas emissions, could add 89 billion barrels to the recoverable oil resources of the United States, the Department of Energy has determined. Current U.S. proved reserves are 21.9 billion barrels.

Why have we no heard about this? We hear about every little piece of so called evidence that man is boiling the world, but actual work gets buried. The answer is that all of the global warming screaming is not really about saving the earth. It never has been that to the true fanatics.

Companies are right now spend a lot of money to prove that the CO2 will mineralize with potassium and magnesium in the sandstone formation. This, if it happens, would be a permanent lock of the CO2.

Mining and the Economy

The financial situation in the US right now is dire and on the edge but it now has less to do with Fanny Mae, Freddie Mac and the rest of the banks than most would believe. Sure that situation sparked everything but now that metal prices have been in a free fall for the last six weeks, this situation is now effecting more than the greed on Wall Street and the pocket book of certain politicians. It is now hitting the invisible spine of capitalism. Nobody likes to look at mining in a positive light, especially when it is currently the fade to bash it for environmental reason. Mining is an easy target because it does dramatically impact the visual environment. But the truth behind all of the attacks is that mining is what makes the modern world possible. Every single modern convenience requires metals, ceramics or petroleum products. The world saving, Hybrid Cars have batteries which are made possible by metals. So when mining goes to a stand still, which it is currently moving toward, the rest of the economy will follow.

Mining companies have stop expanding and if the metal prices continue to fall they will limit production in an attempt to lower inventory. This means lay-offs of some high paid hourly workers. All of this will have a ripple effect through out the economy. Usually this will be the leading edge of a down turn like it was in 1998 and 1999. Even without 911 the economy was heading down. The recovery that followed was the result of several factors but what was never really talked about was the metals market sky-rocketing. Copper alone was a strong indicator as it soared to +$4 a pound. Gold, platinum, silver all enjoyed high prices which sparked a huge boom in mining companies and sites reopening. All of these employed a large work force and because there was (and still is) a limit of qualified workers their wages increased. Underground miners in some cases can earn 6 digit wages between hourly wages, overtime and bonuses.

It is my belief, this current economic downturn will not fully recover until the mining companies regain their footing. So what the metal prices closely and act accordingly.

Congress tells Mexico to polish the brass

Congress is making a bold statement

MEXICO CITY — The United States Congress has scaled back on President Bush’s anti-drug plans for Mexico and put human rights conditions on some of the aid, drawing fire from some Mexicans who accuse American lawmakers of meddling in their country’s internal affairs.

: at the same time as the Mexican Police in a couple of small towns.

Acapulco, Mexico (AP) - A southern Mexican town's 15-member police force has quit for fear of being assassinated in retaliation for a shootout with gunmen, a security official said Thursday.Zirandaro was the second town in less than two weeks to be left without its police force as Mexico's drug cartels wage increasingly bold attacks against security forces. On Monday, the military took over a town near Texas after all 20 of its police officers were either killed, run out of town or quit.

Do we have a right to ask for certain improvements or addressing human rights to people we give money to; most certainly. Not doing so for too many years in the Middle East has got us to where we are now. The big difference is that Mexico for all of its faults and corruption is still a functional democracy. That puts it a huge step up from the tyrants and thugs that seem to predominate the ME.

But at issue is the performance of Mexico’s army and the police, which have been accused by human rights organizations of engaging in abuses as they chase down the country’s drug cartels.

See those who most object about the present plan are those who are most concerned with how the criminals are treated. The criminals that profit off the misery and death of others. The criminals that will kill anyone that gets in their way.

Where is the line drawn between the need to get rid of the scum and protecting their rights as (barely) humans?

University Punishes Those Who Disagrees

In the real world this would be unthinkable but in academia not doing so would be unfathomable.

The University of Toledo has suspended with pay one of its administrators for writing a newspaper op-ed that questions whether homosexuality is a civil rights issue. The school said the administrator was suspended precisely because her views on homosexuality do not comport with those of the university, a state institution.

This teacher is suspended not for expressing her opinion on campus but in local paper (Toledo Free Press) in response to an editorial. This wasn’t a hate speech, it was questioning on whether a choice of lifestyle should receive the same protection as non-choice issues such as race, gender or handicap. It was a person engaging in dialogue or debate.

And another thing, the state currently doesn’t recognize “gay rights” on the same level as race, gender or handicap. Those things are protected under federal laws while “gay rights” are not. Unless of course homosexuality is a physical (genetic) or mental handicap.

Who could see this coming?

Put out a helping hand to a group of thiefs and thugs and what do you get? A stump.

Myanmar's junta impounded two U.N. food aid shipments at Yangon airport on Friday, officials said, triggering more outrage at the military government's refusal to accept a major international relief operation.

When you rule through fear and suppression, the one thing you can never allow your subjects to see is kindness.

The ruling junta can not allow a show of weakness on any level even if it means letting their subjects die. It is about caring for the people. It never was, it all about themselves and what they have or what they can get. If there was a need to show what evil looks like then this would be a perfect, blaring example. This is the stuff that should have people screaming in the streets. In Burma the people who object soon find themselves in a very painful or dead situation.

I have written about Myanmar (Burma) before and I always find a disconnection between the people who claim to be concerned about human rights and those who actual do. There are too many people out there who want to complain and attack safe targets. In America, a person can call the President of the US any sort of name they want and never fear a midnight knock on their door. In certain areas, the wrong political belief, religion, race or dress code will get you drug through the street in the middle of the day just to set an example. Where are the human shields to protect these people, oh yeah they are dead.

Update:
How generous the junta is. They are allowing us to send in ONE plane when we are ready to give much greater aid with out a lot of strings. How is it that the US is the source of all evil?

Johndroe also said that while the U.S. still has limited leeway to help, "One flight is much better than no flights."

"They're going to need our help for a long time," Johndroe said. He spoke in Crawford, Texas, where President Bush's daughter, Jenna, will be wed on Saturday.

Noble Freedom Fighters

If there was any doubt to the character of the terrorist, let this rid you of it.

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Two mentally disabled women were strapped with explosives Friday and sent into busy Baghdad markets, where they were blown up by remote control, a top Iraqi government official said.

"By targeting innocent Iraqis, they show their true demonic character," said Lt. Col. Steve Stover, spokesman for the Multi-National Division-Baghdad.

This is what the anti-war crowd wants America to ignore. The anti-war crowd wants us to leave millions of people at the mercy of these human monsters. All the atrocities that America and the West in general gets accused of does not even come close to the unadulterated evil. To America, waterboarding of terrorist suspects is questionable while cowardly blowing up innocents is the bread and butter of the noble, freedom fighters/ insurgents.

Bill Gates' Nation Nightmares

For a smart, rich person, you would think Bill Gates would understand that you can’t fix a problem from the outside.

He also called for making changes to capitalism so that corporations and governments devote more time and money to doing work that "eases the world's inequities" - and bringing science and technology to everyone.

You have to crawl into the problem and fix it at it’s’ core. When it comes to people, they have to be involved and not bystanders.
I like watching the BBC version of Gordon Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares. Last night was a new to America episode that involved an owner that didn’t have a clue on how to run a successful restaurant (actually all episodes operate on that idea). Gordon came in, developed a winning menu, worked with a new talent chef and laid down a good business model. He walked away with the business going strong but came back 6 weeks later to find the door closed. Even with the assistants he provided, the owner wasn’t willing and/or capable to do the right thing.

Most of his episodes consist of him helping owner learn how to do the right thing but it up to them to actually do the right thing. That is what the world is faced with when it comes to poor countries. They have to be taught to do the right thing, they have to be capable of doing the right thing and finally they have to be willing to the right thing. Throwing money, science and technology at them does none of the above. You would thing a smart rich guy like Bill Gates would understand that.

Posting

I seem to to be getting back into stride with posting. I have been holding off on the ECN post because I fould that it had become instead of normal posting instead of in addtion to. I think it will be my rule of thumb not to post an ECN unless I already have a post for the day.

The future dictator of Venezuela continues to show his true colors.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has threatened to nationalise farms, in an effort to tackle food shortages.
Government controls keep food prices low in shops to help even the poorest Venezuelans feed themselves.
But some farmers prefer to sell their produce in neighbouring countries where prices are higher, leading to shortages of bread, milk, eggs and meat.

Prices are kept artificially low in an effort to “feed the poor”. If farms sell at that level they will soon be part of the poor. Even I see a whole slew of alternated methods to achieve the same result.

• Allow the prices to elevate a little and apply an export tax on the food staples. All of the proceeds from the tax could then go to the poor so they could afford the slight increase. This would allow capitalism to work hand in hand with socialism agendas.
• Simply require a percentage must be sold locally.
• Tax breaks or other incentives to those who sell locally.

Maybe I can’t see the whole picture but taking away property only makes more people depended on the government and creates a larger class of poor. It is a downward spiral that sunk the USSR ship. Because socialism is unattainable without complete buy-in the entire exercise is doomed to fail eventually. The structure needed to enforce the “sharing” or “all are equal” creates inequality and overburden that can never be balanced against available resources.

President Bill Clinton leaves his mark

Rather low class and clumsy in delivery, but I can’t say I completely disagree.

That's not true," said Wright. "He did the same thing to us that he did to Monica Lewinsky." Wright was referencing President Clinton's "affair" with a White House intern, an affair that reportedly involved acts of oral sex.

One reason I am not a Democrat is because I believe in fixing problems, not maintaining them. Fixing is always more difficult and expensive in the short term but pays dividends over time. I fix something for $100 or pay $20 every year till I die. Problems don’t go away in four years by themselves and they have a tendency to become bigger the longer they are just maintained. Over time the $20 turns into $25 and then $30 and then $35.

The payment program is exactly what I see President B. Clinton put the nation into during his eight years. The payments just keep getting higher. It was all about what the nation could do for him. He left office with a thank you and a stain left behind.

Expelled

Ben Stein is promoting a new movie, one that actually peaks my interested. Expelled is about the idea that "real" science has painted itself into a corner by absolutely ruling out Intelligent Design and is now suffering.

(CNSNews.com) - Intelligent design theory, or ID, is opening new doors of scientific research, particularly in cancer and other disease research, according to its adherents, but a new movie, "Expelled" starring Ben Stein explores how an "elitist scientific establishment" is apparently muzzling and smearing scientists who publicly discuss ID.

In my opinion worth a look.

A follow up:

If he had known the film’s premise, Dr. Dawkins said in an e-mail message, he would never have appeared in it. “At no time was I given the slightest clue that these people were a creationist front,” he said.

May I am completely bias but this sounds rather closed minded not to talk with those who differ from ones own. Does this movie misquote him or does he mean everything he says in the way it is presented? From that statement it only appears that Dr Dawkins objects to actually talking with ID believers. I can understand why they weren't completely open.

Dr. Dawkins was an obvious choice. An eminent scientist who teaches at Oxford University in England, he is also an outspoken atheist who has repeatedly likened religious faith to a mental defect.

He doesn't come across as a friendly interview to anyone other then those who accept his proclamation.

Weak Words on an Important Issue

These are weak words:

Critics contend sonar has harmful effects on whales, possibly by damaging their hearing, and other marine mammals worldwide. The council's lawsuit alleges the Navy's sonar causes whales and other mammals to beach themselves.

These are especially weak words when dealing with national security. That is why President sees fit to ignore them even though some disagree.

The president's action is an attack on the rule of law," said Joel Reynolds, director of the Marine Mammal Protection Project at the Natural Resources Defense Council. "By exempting the Navy from basic safeguards under both federal and state law, the president is flouting the will of Congress, the decision of the California Coastal Commission and a ruling by the federal court.

Myself I question the wisdom of the Congress when they passed the law. Did they fully understand the impact of such a law? Did they care? The Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 is what is being refered to and I believe it is section 307 subsection c:

(c)(1)(A) Each Federal agency activity within or outside the
coastal zone that affects any land or water use or natural
resource of the coastal zone shall be carried out in a manner
which is consistent to the maximum extent practicable with
the enforceable policies of approved State management
programs. A Federal agency activity shall be subject to this
paragraph unless it is subject to paragraph (2) or (3).
Is where the exception is occurring.

The big questions I would ask is how necessary is the training, can it be done elsewhere and is there an alternative to method the Navy is using? The smaller question would how actual proof is there that this method and location is causing damage?

Here is the only answer to be found in this article that responds to my questions:

The Navy training exercises, including the use of sonar, "are in the paramount interest of the United States" and its national security, Bush said in a memorandum

Does this make sex number 3?

What part of Public Restroom do they not understand?

The ACLU filed a brief Tuesday supporting Craig. It cited a Minnesota Supreme Court ruling 38 years ago that found that people who have sex in closed stalls in public restrooms "have a reasonable expectation of privacy."

There is a reasonable expectation of privacy when one is performing number one or two because that is what a restroom is designed for. That is the total purpose of the facility. If sex in public areas is against the law (I believe this is a fairly common law in all states) then there is no “right” to perform unlawful acts. It is an abuse plain and simple and any effort to protect such abuses is an attempt to break down social norms.

Who has sex in a Public Restroom? Thrill seeks, cheating spouses, prostitutes, homosexuals (Men normally use Men’s Room and women normally use Women’s Room) and those who for whatever reason just can’t wait to find an actual private spot. This is not behavior that enhances the “common good”. It is a “me” mentality and nobody else matters. Is this really the type of community that is needed in America? People achieve greatness when there is true teamwork. One genus we always be out performed by a group of geniuses even if that one is smarter than every single member of the group.

I may be going off on a tangent but as a society, we should never put the selfish desires ahead in the name of liberty.

Clark Brothers

GIMME SHELTER

This is yesterday's news but here is the winners of the Next Great American Band. The show was no where as popular as American Idol but it bring a couple of talented bands to national notice. The religious beliefs of the three of the bands, the Clark Brother (winners), Denver and Mile High Band (third place) and Franklin Bridge were openly flaunted.

My favorites throught the entire run did happen to be the Clark Brothers because they were so different then mainstream. How different? They didn't have drums or keyboards the majority of the time (They brought in two additional temp members for one show) but relied on a fiddle, guitar, dobro guitar, mandolin and extremely moving and intense vocals to set them apart.

Are they the Next Great American Band? Unlikely but they should be.

This is the Easy Part

If she thinks the rigors of campaigning is difficult

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — In perhaps her most public display of emotion of the presidential campaign, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s eyes welled with tears, and her voice cracked dramatically on Monday, as she talked about holding up under the rigors of the race and her belief that she is the best candidate for the Democratic nomination.

And she is so tired.

In talking to the women today, Mrs. Clinton mentioned that “as tired as I am, and I am,” she was trying to exercise and eat right and get some sleep when she could. And, about her hair, she said, “luckily on special days you do have help. If you look on some of the Web sites and listen to some of the commentators, they usually catch me when I don’t have help.”

What is she going to do when the difficulties are real? Take a look at the the last three Presidents and tell me it is an easy job. When a president is done they leave office looking like pounded dog crap. If coming in third and getting sniped at by those who disagree with you is such a strain, then she needs to quit now.

If this isn't a made for media moment, then Senator Clinton just showed she doesn't have what it takes to be the leader of the sole remaining superpower. Campaigning is the easy part compared to what is to come, so cracking now would be a big clue she couldn't handle it. Then again, it all could be a way to show she is human and tender instead of a ruthless and conniving politician. My pick, this moment is as fake as Pamela Anderson's chest.