All posts by jmp

Hydrology

Can increases in the use of existing dams to generate power provide a partial solution to our need for clean energy? Read Tom Russo’s thoughts in the matter here

Grid Vulnerability

Centralized distribution of power is an accident waiting to happen. Whether the cause is a natural disaster or a terrorist strike, the electricity system can go down in an instant. Read the latest assessment from the Department of Energy on Grid vulnerability here

Systems

Systems permeate our lives What do they do for your life? What do you do for them? Self-Licking Ice Cream Caught Live. Read About It Now! Systems permeate our lives. They are the connective tissue that hold society together. To a very large degree, they dictate the way we live. As they evolve, change and become more Read More

HARBINGER, Part Two: Star Power

How much audacity does it take to pique the interest of the president-elect? For a man with a notoriously short attention span, something of spectacularly high stakes and monumental reward would seem to be required. Is it possible that such a project might actually serve the public good? Could his administration, for instance, bring us Read More

Changes Big and Small

Let’s talk about change. Big change. It’s unsettling. A very human response is to resist it. We get disoriented, loose our bearings, feel lost, adrift. Let’s talk about natural disasters. They are a very dramatic metaphor for change. Imagine Cascadia. Imagine Vancouver, Seattle and Portland, with all their sophistication and verve, are brought to a Read More

Whither NASA?

Every few years a new administration is handed the power to shape the federal government, or at least to propose policies and promote the passage of laws that change the direction of the bureaucracy to a greater or lesser degree. Many of the various departments of government pretty much just plow straight ahead, regardless of Read More