We need to learn quickly to keep up with the massive change around us so we don't get run over. We need to outrun change.
A few minor pieces of news on the solar and wind power industries.
Possible end of 2.3 cent/kilowatt subsidy
The Wall Street Journal hopefully describes Powering Down the Wind Subsidy. Unless Congress affirmatively acts, the large subsidy to wind power will expire on 12-31-13.
Continue reading “Minor updates on slice-and-dice & wing-toaster projects”
I’m slowing learning about wind farms. An article in The Dickinson Press provides good background: $350M wind farm approved in Stutsman County.
Status of Courtenay
The article focuses on the Courtenay Wind Farm, which is developing 100 turbines rated with a potential capacity of 200 megawatts (2MW/turbine). The state Public Service Commission approved the plan November 13..
Continue reading “Another wind farm approved in North Dakota”
Not a lot of news from Mali, but perhaps that is just a reflection on my limited observation abilities. I’ve also been watching as conditions in Central Africa Republic disintegrate. Unlike most people, I’m aware of the country. Why? Many years ago I actually had my feet on the ground for a day.
A few news articles on the situation in Mali before I mention CAR.
Continue reading “Mali and Central Africa Republic update – 12-10-13”
Several great reads on energy. Lots of info. Since they are long, you might want to get a fresh cup of coffee and settle in for some good learnin’.
Superb background on Harold Hamm and Continental Resources. Mr. Hamm has a couple of fun quotes in the article. For example, some people say the oil industry is creating carbon pollution. He points out that all humans exhale carbon dioxide. Should we all quite breathing?
I think not.
How about enough oil for a hundred years? Check out this sentence: Continue reading “3 articles for background on fracking and oil”
When I visited Williston in October, I had a wild idea of interviewing a provider of private mail boxes in town. Time didn’t allow any effort to pursue that idea.
Amy Dalrymple has published the interview I could only dream of: Faces of the Boom: Entrepreneur delivers solution for those without an address.
Still photos of C-47Bs in video format. Photos taken at the May 2013 Planes of Fame airshow in Chino, CA presented by the Planes of Fame museum.
[youtube=http://youtu.be/N6PkrjY3YwA]
Video of C-47Bs, also at the 2013 Planes of Fame airshow.
[youtube=http://youtu.be/loDEFb0Kn2s]
Explained earlier Why am I posting airplane videos on this blog?
Short answer is to demonstrate to others the ease of using tech, for me to learn, and to have fun.
A rule expected to be final soon will give wind farm operators official permission to “take” eagles for 30 years. Unintentional deaths of protected birds will not be prosecuted. For 30 years.
Currently, permits are available for 5 years, but reports I’ve read say no permits have yet been issued under those rules.
A document that appears to be the near-final rule is here. That has the same document number, RIN 1018-AX91, as the OMB announcement here. You can read it for yourself.
I read the first 18 pages of the 87 page rule, up to the point where the document gives responses to comments in the draft rule. Sort of understood it.
Here are a few of the key ideas: Continue reading “Wind farms will soon be able to apply for official permission to slice-and-dice a negotiable numbers of eagles for 30 years”
Today, twelve articles on education, space, and technology (including Amazon thinking about how to use drones to deliver packages).
Education
12-3 – Via Meadia – Private Sector Warming to MOOCs – Mr. Mead points out that massive open on-line courses Continue reading “More good stuff on the open frontiers in space, education, and technology – 12-7-13”
Today, three articles on energy and publishing.
Publishing
12-4 – The Business Rusch – The Fierce Urgency of Now (Discoverability Part 3) – Kristine Kathryn Rusch summarizes what’s been long discussed: the days of get it now or you’ll never get it are gone.
Continue reading “More good stuff on the open frontiers in energy and publishing – 12-6-13”
[youtube=http://youtu.be/0ks2ua4imgU]
Production of Bakken oil in North Dakota will soon hit one million barrels a day. When it does, it will be one of only 4 fields in the U.S. to hit that level. Those 4 are part of an elite group of only 10 super-giant fields.
Applying some new trend analysis concepts, the EIA is predicting Bakken production will be 976K bopd in 11-13 and 1,002K bopd in 12-13.
I’m not sure if that estimate includes production from legacy wells. Even if it does and we back out September production of 65K bopd that only changes the date of crossing the 1M point by a month or so. That doesn’t matter for purposes of this discussion.
Their calculation shows Eagle Ford has already passed the 1M point. Permian production has been over the 1M point (again?) for a while and is at an estimated 1,340K bopd in December.
Along with Prudhoe Bay that makes four American fields that passed the 1M point.
Continue reading “Bakken and Eagle Ford in the elite of super-giant oil fields”
On 12-3, SpaceX put a satellite into a high-earth orbit. The Luxembourg satellite operator SES will settle their sat into geosync orbit.
This is a major deal for SpaceX because it proves they can lift into geosync orbit. That means the satellite will appear to remain in the same place relative to the ground. They have a lot of contracts to do so and can now try breaking into the market for lifting Pentagon satellites. Up to now, they have only lifted to low-earth orbit.
Two great articles today explain the launch:
As an accountant, here are some tidbits from the articles on the market and economics of launching payloads that caught my eye.
Previous posts introduced the simple/complicated/complex/chaotic quadrants of the Cynefin Framework and discussed how that can be used to analyze development issues.
(This discussion is cross-posted from my other blog, Nonprofit Update. I’ll put them on this blog as well because the Cynefin Framework is quite helpful for understanding the messy world around us.)
Implications for economics
This framework has huge implications for discussions of economic issues. So many areas come to mind that are actually complex but we treat them as if they are complicated.
Take just one issue – minimum wage.
If this is a complicated issue, then to make life better for people, we can just increase the minimum wage. Go to $8. Maybe $10.
Continue reading “Simple, Complicated, Complex, Chaotic – a way to make sense – part 4”
Here’s an analysis you won’t see trumpeted very widely – The Dickenson Press carries an article by Deroy Murdock – Fracking outgreens “green” energy.
After describing the unobtrusive scene of five producing gas wells running from a three-acre pad he previously visited in the middle of drilling, he describes the ecological footprint of gas versus the ‘green’ energy sources.
He compares different industries in terms of a common size. Here is his data:
Water used to generate one million BTUs of energy output: Continue reading “Natural gas, nuclear, wind, solar. Which is easiest on water, land, and wildlife? Um. Keep it quiet, but that would be gas.”
Explained earlier Why am I posting airplane videos on this blog?
Short answer is to demonstrate the ease of high-quality tech, to learn, and to have fun.
Here are two videos. The first of two opposing Korean War era fighters, an F-86 and MiG-15. Second video is of World War II era bombers, a trio of B-25s.
Video of F-86 and MiG-15 at the May 2012 airshow in Chino, CA presented by the Planes of Fame museum.
[youtube=http://youtu.be/-yskH2u9Anc]
The Telegraph has a full length article on Boomtown, USA. In addition to a great feature in words, there are 9 videos, of about 2 minutes each.
Upside
The upside of the oil boom is incredible. Lots of guys are making $100K to $150K by working hard doing difficult work. The article guesses there are 10,000 men living in crew camps. Each of them is making, by my guess, between $70k and $125K a year.
My guess is most of those guys would be making $40K to $70K if they were working back home. Assuming they even had a job. Most of them wouldn’t.
Business is booming. Consumer stores are crowded. Construction is going as fast as the city can permit projects.
Continue reading “Upside and downside of the Bakken boom – in-depth article & videos”