Yes, that is what California has become. Don’t know how much longer we’ll hold out.
Category Archives: Economics
Climate Science
Thoughts on its “noble corruption.”
NASA’s New Lunar Plans
An interesting article from Eric Berger. This stuck out to me:
Neither Bridenstine nor Pence said so explicitly, but these comments reflect their sense that NASA has become too bureaucratic, too tentative, too risk averse. During his town hall this week, Bridenstine had a telling response when asked why, by setting such an ambitious goal of a 2024 landing, was he not putting schedule over safety?
“I would not say it’s a return to schedule over safety, I would say it’s a return to schedule,” he said. “Safety is paramount for everybody at this agency, it always has been. But the number one mission is not safety. If it was, we would all just stay in the ready room and just watch CNN.”
I gave him a copy of my book after it came out, when he was a congressman. He later told me he’d read it.
[Update a while later]
This is the first that I’d heard Boeing was considering Starliner for cislunar missions. I thought they’d sized the TPS for entry from LEO. I wonder if that means they’d have to beef it up?
Direct Air Capture
An interesting technical development on the CO2 front. But this response from “environmentalists” is telling:
Some climate campaigners are positive about the development of direct air capture technology, but others are worried that it will be used to prolong the fossil fuel era.
“It’s a huge concern,” Tzeporah Berman, international programme director for Stand dot earth, told BBC News.
“We need to be working together to figure out how we move away completely from fossil fuel – that’s our moral and economic challenge but these technologies provide a false hope that we can continue to depend on fossil fuels and produce and burn them, and technology will fix it – we are way past that point!”
Others are concerned that the development of direct air capture devices may just encourage some people to think that they don’t have to personally reduce their carbon footprint.
“I think there’s a real danger that people will see this technology as a magic bullet and not cut back their carbon,” said Shakti Ramkumar, a student at the University of British Columbia (UBC), who is active in climate change protests.
“We have a moral responsibility to reduce our consumption on a large scale. We need to reflect deeply on how we live our lives and whether everyone can have access to the things we have, and fairness, so we can all live a good life.”
Why, it’s almost as though they hate cheap energy, and want to run others’ lives, and don’t really care about carbon dioxide.
SLS And Moon In 2024
Questions Of Science
…when they brook no dissent. Thoughts on the climate echo chamber in the Academy.
We Need To Increase The Rate
Repairing all of the structurally deficient bridges in the country would take eighty years. And many of the worst are in California. This is a sign of a major societal dysfunction.
Democrats And Socialism
Well, this is refreshing. Maybe she should think about switching parties, though; she seems out of touch with the base.
Pete Buttigieg
The Trump-Pence Moon Plan
Thoughts from Newt. I would note that Boeing would never do SLS on a fixed-price basis.
[Monday-morning update]
Bob Zubrin’s thoughts (tl;dr: Can SLS and the Gateway). (And yes, the URL is misleading.)
[Monday-afternoon update]
The NASA administrator is openly considering going to the moon with a Falcon Heavy and ICPS.
Dick Shelby was unavailable for comment, though I’m sure he will. I’m also sure he’s regretting confirming Bridenstine.
[Bumped]