‘It’s an incredibly simple idea: universal basic income – a monthly allowance of enough to pay for your basic needs: food, shelter, education.’ The rapid development of technology such as artificial intelligence and robotics may someday soon make large swaths of the human workforce obsolete. There may not be corresponding growth in job opportunities elsewhere Read More
Category Archives: Say What?
A Brief History of Gender Equity in Theatre
How long has gender equity in theatre been an issue? Maybe forever. If you think we’ve moved closer to parity the past few years, we have. But not far enough and not nearly fast enough. If you’d like to gain a little perspective about the subject, you can get it here
Reclaiming a Healthy Economy
Wall Street has come to rely not on interest from loans for its profits but on short-term trading, at the expense of almost everything else. The damage done in the name of capitalism and meritocracy to our current economic circumstances can be traced to the wealth-making wizardry of Wall Street on steroids. Imagine methamphetamines as Read More
A Radical Solution to a Pervasive Problem
Homelessness in America is pervasive. Not a city anywhere in the country is free of the pain. The specter of people living on the streets is heart-wrenching. It’s also very expensive. Maybe society has a compelling self-interest in addressing the problem. Maybe it’s time to admit that homelessness is a healthcare problem. Political leadership in Read More
Who Knew What When?
Another major oil & gas company knew nearly two decades ago that climate change was an issue that needed to be addressed, and the sooner the better. What it did next may not surprise you. Read about it here
Batteries Technology in Energy Systems
Batteries can play an increasingly important role in energy distribution and storage, particularly in distributed generation systems. However, the emerging market is full of hurdles as well as opportunities. It’s a complex subject that should be examined by everyone with an interest in climate change mitigation and renewable energy. You can read an extensive article Read More
Hydrogen Powered Train
The coolest train in town, well, in a German town, may be a harbinger of a cleaner energy future. Hydrogen power has arrived. See it here
The Wet and the Dry
This is what the end of a lengthy drought in Sacramento, California looked like yesterday, after this winter’s relentless rain and snow:
Energy Systems Writ Large
If we want to talk seriously about mitigating climate change, there are going to be a lot of oxen gored. The energy producers, of course, will be up in arms. The utilities, too. Everyone of them wants to do it their way, which doesn’t benefit from distributed generation. That we would expect. Some related industries Read More
Electrical Grid Cyber-Vulnerability
Centralized generation and distribution of energy resources is a highly vulnerable way to support the nation’s need for power. Here’s why