Disqus - Latest Comments for Brian

Re: Proposed 150 MW Solar Plant Would Store 7 Hours of Sun's Energy in Molten Salt

Brian — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:02:08 -0000

Here's a pic of solar towers with the mirrors only in the back part:

http://www.sparkfun.com/tutorial/news/Solar-Tow...

Re: Proposed 150 MW Solar Plant Would Store 7 Hours of Sun's Energy in Molten Salt

Brian — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:33:08 -0000

"If the sun is setting, then there is no way I can think of that the mirrors on the setting side to reflect much light onto the tower; ditto for rising. So you put mirrors all around to get good amounts of light at all times and seasons."

That makes sense, but this also confirms that only part of the mirrors reflect most of the light at any given time (except around noon, where all mirrors are used.

However, a linear arrangement (like Ausra developed) seems to better take advantage of the mirrors (designed to face the sun perpendicularly from sunrise to sunset).

It would be great to see a comparison of: Total mirror surface / output on both systems. I suspect Ausra's ratio is more efficient, but their long metal heat collectors might add to the cost.

Re: Proposed 150 MW Solar Plant Would Store 7 Hours of Sun's Energy in Molten Salt

Brian — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:59:16 -0000

Thanks, it would be nice to get a comparison between total mirror surface and power output (compared with other set-ups). It's just that I don't see a circular arrangement to be the most efficient use of mirrors. Every time I see a pic of a solar tower plant, the back mirrors always are brighter than the front ones. There are solar tower power plants that have mirrors only in the back (the area shadowed by the tower)..I am assuming its for that reason.

But I think having all mirrors focus onto a single point in the center might have advantages as well over the other systems. Would be nice to compare.

Re: Proposed 150 MW Solar Plant Would Store 7 Hours of Sun's Energy in Molten Salt

Brian — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:53:34 -0000

mitchell

OK, even if they tilt there is an issue. Let's say it's 6am the sun rises. The mirrors closest to the sun would have to be angled quite a bit to reflect the light towards a point that is behind them.

The most efficient use of mirrors is to angle them perpendicular to the sun.....which is impossible in this case since that would reflect light towards the sun vs. towards the tower.

Re: Proposed 150 MW Solar Plant Would Store 7 Hours of Sun's Energy in Molten Salt

Brian — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:10:22 -0000

I don't understand the solar tower concept. At any time (except 12:00 noon), a substantial number of mirrors have their backs to the sun making them useless.

Re: More Problems for Parisian Bike-Sharing Vélib

Brian — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:50:13 -0000

Vandalism sucks! These ba$tards should be hit hard and locked up.

Re: Sierra Club Goes After Coal Group With DOJ Letter

Brian — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 05:10:24 -0000

Signed....these crooks need to be brought to justice and exposed.

Re: Sierra Club Goes After Coal Group With DOJ Letter

Brian — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 05:13:39 -0000

Signed....these crooks need to be brought to justice and exposed.

Re: OhGizmo! » Archive » Caterpillar Watch Prototype Looks Uncomfortable But Unique

Brian — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 23:12:27 -0000

Looks AWESOME !!!!!!! How much does it cost, i want one !

Re: Vista Hacks: Making My Wacom Serial Tablet Work

Brian — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:57:07 -0000

Hi,

I have a Wacom UD 1212 R with serial connector (USB adapter).
I run Windows 7 64-bit (an update of Vista), but there is no driver available for this set-up!!!!!!!

What am I supposed to do now? :'( Thank you very much. Shame on Wacom for turning its back to its customers.

Re: Citizen Journalists Wanted To Report on Rallies for Dirty Energy

Brian — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 18:17:51 -0000

"BTW, what employees have been pressured into taking part? "

To answer your question, the American Petroleum Institute did. Internal documents have been leaked that clearly pressure employees of oil firms to attend the AstroTurf rallies.

Big oil is out to screw the people over and over again, and it's fools like you that cheerfully bend over.

Re: Port of Los Angeles to Install 1.16 Million Square Feet of Rooftop Solar Panels (10 MW) Over Next Five Years

Brian — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 05:09:59 -0000

Yeah it's about time they clean up their act. I heard that 100 people die every year from air pollution from the port.

A lot more needs to be done, 1000x more in L.A.

Re: Palin Says "Thanks, But No Thanks" to Energy Efficiency

Brian — Sun, 03 May 2009 03:21:12 -0000

"Palin deserves credit for going easy on the bloated federal pork and boondoggles, which are effectively destroying the US economy like it's never been destroyed"

Your ignorance is baffling ! Palin wastes public funds for her own comfort like no other, in fact she regularly charges the state of Alaska for her kid's airfares, dinner and hotel stays, illegally.

And just for the record, it isn't what you call boondoggles that destroy the American economy, it's the deregulation of the financial sector by the so-called conservative amateurs over the last 8 years, on top of the energy sector (Enron anyone?).

You bible-hugging amateur-conservatives don't conserve anything, you destroy, distort, mislead and ruined America.

Re: Canada's Governor General Eats Heart of Slaughtered Seal to Support Annual Hunt

Brian — Wed, 27 May 2009 02:10:35 -0000

Just as a remainder:

Don't start telling me Seals are killed for their flesh, they 99% of them are killed for their skins, their dying carcasses left on the ice.

Whether or not Seals are endangered, this practice is cruel and the killing methods gruesome and useless. Don't let the inuit-show fool you, this isn't about inuit or tradition, this is about making money with furs.

Re: Quote Of The Day: Sarah Palin "should also lead the nation's mothers to oppose mandating replacement of incandescent light bulbs with the new mercury poison gas bulbs."

Brian — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 19:54:45 -0000

Peter Ferrara's arguments are absurd, they make no sense whatsoever, but they certainly please the shouting heads at FauxNews.

As you said, mining and burning coal produces the highest poisonous threat, which would be increased if we all switched to incandescent bulbs.

Re: Concerns Over Birds Could Shoot Down 540 MW Shetland Islands Wind Farm

Brian — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 01:59:38 -0000

Seriously, how many people and animals die every year from breathing toxic air, drinking toxic water and eating food grown in a mercury laden atmosphere?

The so-called environmental groups don't take anything into account but a tiny fraction they obsessively stand on.

Yes a few birds would be killed, that is a terrible thing, but compare it to climate change and pollution...

Re: Could Bacteria-Filled Balloons Stop the Spread of the Sahara? Architect Magnus Larsson Thinks So

Brian — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 02:09:00 -0000

What amount of bacteria would be needed to solidify a large sand dune? And how long would it take?

And why balloons?

Re: Sens. Boxer and Kerry Answer Palin on Energy and Climate

Brian — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 17:56:47 -0000

Palin's baseless belong on the Jerry Springer show rather than politics. She has absolutely no clue how energy, investments, caps and the economy function.

Nothing but aggressive tabloid tag lines to excite the worst of the population.

Re: Army Plans 500 MW of Solar Power at Fort Irwin by 2022

Brian — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 02:55:25 -0000

11 years for construction??

The pyramids of Gyzeh could be rebuilt in shorter than that!

Good news nonetheless.

Re: Forged Letters Urging Opposition to Climate Bill Sent to Virginia Congressman by Lobbyists

Brian — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 02:46:53 -0000

This just shows the kind of people lobbyists are: The bottom of the barrel, spineless type that sees no moral issue with forgery, dirty tricks and scheming in the name of $

Tell them what you think:

info@bonnerandassociates.com

Re: Beck on the Apollo Alliance: "Talk Me Out of the Crazy Tree"

Brian — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 18:43:07 -0000

Absolute nonsense coming from FoxNews as usual, sadly, the uninformed, the gullible, and the right wing fools on this country will believe every word coming from this d-bag.

Re: Beck on the Apollo Alliance: "Talk Me Out of the Crazy Tree"

Brian — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 21:15:01 -0000

@"Balanced American"

"no sign of pollution, weather change, and other catastrophies"

Good lord, what an absurd comment - wow!

No sign of pollution? You must have been smoking something, every major metropolitan spot in the US is exceptionally polluted, you can't see the sun under the LA smog most of the year. You probably overlook the severe drought in the entire Southwest, now even South East, water reservoirs are at historical lows and the list goes on..

As to the weather change, you just don't get it, climate change related natural events do not happen from one day to another, it takes decades of steady increase. In other words, what you're saying is "It's nice out today! That mean there's no climate change!" LOL what an idiotic idea; this is not at all how it happens. The weather is already more extreme all over Europe and the US gets drier and drier every year.

But even with all that, you watched Beck and decided that he was right, that climate change and pollution are nonexistent, my god, you need help.

Re: Chinese Town Poisoned by Batteries

Brian — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 05:15:32 -0000

Unfortunately, the Chinese have absolutely no respect for the environment, health and wildlife.

They poison their water, food and air in the sake of profit; animal species on the verge of extinction are in high demand by 'gourmet' restaurants and the list goes on.

Re: Chinese Town Poisoned by Batteries

Brian — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 05:20:11 -0000

Unfortunately, the Chinese have absolutely no respect for the environment, health and wildlife.

They poison their water, food and air in the sake of profit; animal species on the verge of extinction are in high demand by 'gourmet' restaurants and the list goes on.

Re: The Shared Flush: A Conservation Compromise for the Squeamish

Brian — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 16:38:06 -0000

I usually pee in the sink then clean afterwards, no one will ever notice.

If I'd ever own a house, I'd install a waterfree urinal.

Re: Ban or No Ban: The Debate over Plastic Bags in LA (UPDATED)

Brian — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 18:55:04 -0000

I tried to sign their petition, but couldn't find a button to do so.

Yes, ban plastic bags, it's a shame that corrupt politicians are in the way of the people.

Re: Ban or No Ban: The Debate over Plastic Bags in LA (UPDATED)

Brian — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 18:55:57 -0000

I tried to sign their petition, but couldn't find a button to do so.

Yes, ban plastic bags, it's a shame that corrupt politicians are in the way of the people.

Re: Sales of Hybrid S.U.V.s Lower Than Expected

Brian — Sat, 31 May 2008 22:44:32 -0000

European automakers predict:

With the increased efficiency of gasoline engines.

In parallel to: The stagnating eficiency of disel engines and their higher cost.

Diesel engines sales will drop significantly and be replaed by efficient gasoline engines. Thus, your information might be incorrect::

"There will always be people that need/want large vehicles, but in the future will they be powered by diesel, hybrid drive trains, fuel cells, or some other fuel?"

Re: Port of Los Angeles to Install 1.16 Million Square Feet of Rooftop Solar Panels (10 MW) Over Next Five Years

Brian — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 02:09:59 -0000

Yeah it's about time they clean up their act. I heard that 100 people die every year from air pollution from the port.

A lot more needs to be done, 1000x more in L.A.

Re: Palin Says "Thanks, But No Thanks" to Energy Efficiency

Brian — Sun, 03 May 2009 00:21:12 -0000

"Palin deserves credit for going easy on the bloated federal pork and boondoggles, which are effectively destroying the US economy like it's never been destroyed"

Your ignorance is baffling ! Palin wastes public funds for her own comfort like no other, in fact she regularly charges the state of Alaska for her kid's airfares, dinner and hotel stays, illegally.

You bible-hugging amateur-conservatives don't conserve anything, you destroy, distort, mislead and ruined America.

Re: Canada's Governor General Eats Heart of Slaughtered Seal to Support Annual Hunt

Brian — Tue, 26 May 2009 23:10:35 -0000

Just as a remainder:

Don't start telling me Seals are killed for their flesh, they 99% of them are killed for their skins, their dying carcasses left on the ice.

Re: Quote Of The Day: Sarah Palin "should also lead the nation's mothers to oppose mandating replacement of incandescent light bulbs with the new mercury poison gas bulbs."

Brian — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 16:54:45 -0000

Peter Ferrara's arguments are absurd, they make no sense whatsoever, but they certainly please the shouting heads at FauxNews.

As you said, mining and burning coal produces the highest poisonous threat, which would be increased if we all switched to incandescent bulbs.

Re: Concerns Over Birds Could Shoot Down 540 MW Shetland Islands Wind Farm

Brian — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 22:59:38 -0000

Seriously, how many people and animals die every year from breathing toxic air, drinking toxic water and eating food grown in a mercury laden atmosphere?

Re: Could Bacteria-Filled Balloons Stop the Spread of the Sahara? Architect Magnus Larsson Thinks So

Brian — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 23:09:00 -0000

What amount of bacteria would be needed to solidify a large sand dune? And how long would it take?

And why balloons?

Re: Sens. Boxer and Kerry Answer Palin on Energy and Climate

Brian — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 14:56:47 -0000

Palin's baseless belong on the Jerry Springer show rather than politics. She has absolutely no clue how energy, investments, caps and the economy function.

Nothing but aggressive tabloid tag lines to excite the worst of the population.

Re: Army Plans 500 MW of Solar Power at Fort Irwin by 2022

Brian — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 23:55:25 -0000

11 years for construction??

The pyramids of Gyzeh could be rebuilt in shorter than that!

Good news nonetheless.

Re: Forged Letters Urging Opposition to Climate Bill Sent to Virginia Congressman by Lobbyists

Brian — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 23:46:53 -0000

This just shows the kind of people lobbyists are: The bottom of the barrel, spineless type that sees no moral issue with forgery, dirty tricks and scheming in the name of $

Tell them what you think:

info@bonnerandassociates.com

Re: Beck on the Apollo Alliance: \"Talk Me Out of the Crazy Tree\"

Brian — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 15:43:07 -0000

Absolute nonsense coming from FoxNews as usual, sadly, the uninformed, the gullible, and the right wing fools on this country will believe every word coming from this d-bag.

Re: Beck on the Apollo Alliance: \"Talk Me Out of the Crazy Tree\"

Brian — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 18:15:01 -0000

@"Balanced American"

"no sign of pollution, weather change, and other catastrophies"

But even with all that, you watched Beck and decided that he was right, that climate change and pollution are nonexistent, my god, you need help.

Re: Chinese Town Poisoned by Batteries

Brian — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 02:15:32 -0000

Unfortunately, the Chinese have absolutely no respect for the environment, health and wildlife.

They poison their water, food and air in the sake of profit; animal species on the verge of extinction are in high demand by 'gourmet' restaurants and the list goes on.

Re: Chinese Town Poisoned by Batteries

Brian — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 02:20:11 -0000

Unfortunately, the Chinese have absolutely no respect for the environment, health and wildlife.

They poison their water, food and air in the sake of profit; animal species on the verge of extinction are in high demand by 'gourmet' restaurants and the list goes on.

Re: Sierra Club Goes After Coal Group With DOJ Letter

Brian — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 02:10:24 -0000

Signed....these crooks need to be brought to justice and exposed.

Re: Sierra Club Goes After Coal Group With DOJ Letter

Brian — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 02:13:39 -0000

Signed....these crooks need to be brought to justice and exposed.

Re: The Shared Flush: A Conservation Compromise for the Squeamish

Brian — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 13:38:06 -0000

I usually pee in the sink then clean afterwards, no one will ever notice.

If I'd ever own a house, I'd install a waterfree urinal.

Re: Citizen Journalists Wanted To Report on Rallies for Dirty Energy

Brian — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 15:17:51 -0000

"BTW, what employees have been pressured into taking part? "

To answer your question, the American Petroleum Institute did. Internal documents have been leaked that clearly pressure employees of oil firms to attend the AstroTurf rallies.

Big oil is out to screw the people over and over again, and it's fools like you that cheerfully bend over.

Re: Forest of 100,000 Artificial Carbon-Capturing Trees Proposed in UK

Brian — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 23:19:57 -0000

This is a band aid more than a solution.

Besides, where's the Co2 going to be stored? In thousands of steel tanks buried for 10,000 years?

Folks, the issue needs to be attacked at its root!

Re: Outed! FACES of Coal Are Just Stock Photos

Brian — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 23:02:40 -0000

"American Coal, Energy and Security" ?

More like "Dependence on fossil energy, Health hazard and Manipulation".

Grassroots movement my a....

Re: Fleet of Wind-Powered Yachts Could Hold Off Climate Change for 25 Years

Brian — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:08:30 -0000

While I am an environmentalist, I do think that some of these geoengineering ideas are too futuristic to be effectively implemented on a large scale .

How many of these ships would be needed?

How much would it cost?

Would it work?

How much time would it take to build and deploy them?

A better way would be to eliminate our carbon emissions to zero, and to plant massive forests.

Re: Glenn Beck on the Warpath: Will We Lose More Good Green Men?

Brian — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:00:00 -0000

@Rick

". I hope Beck keeps up the good work and we bring about the total failure and destruction of Obama's presidency.

September 7, 2009 3:22 PM | click here to report abuse flag a problem "

It's not Democrats or Barack Obama who will bring 'total destruction' to this country. It's people like you, the hate-filled fools who call themselves 'conservatives' and who do nothing but blame others for their misfortues. If you can't get your act together, it's YOUR fault!

Re: Google's Custom Solar Technology Will Reduce Costs by 60%

Brian — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 02:13:56 -0000

Good news, but I am skeptical.

Google invested relatively little in greentech ($50 million).....with money divided for different project (solar, gas turbines...) which means each project got much less than $50 mil.

And here they are claiming to have breakthrough technology, I'll have to see it for real to believe it.

Re: Verizon Apologizes for Sponsoring Climate-Denier Rally

Brian — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 12:34:28 -0000

Verizon's apology is one step in the right direction, but this even was one out of many far-right gigs sponsored by the wireless company.

I will never, ever consider signing up with Verizon, and I advise anyone I can not to join their network.

Re: CFL Sales Plummeting in the US--Right When they Could Help Most

Brian — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:33:43 -0000

They last as long as incandescents, not more.
They cost a few $ more...and they produce a great saving, so why not?

All my bulbs are CFL's and the 0.3 second delay doesn't bother me.

Re: Electric Supercharger Boosts Torque 50% and Reduces CO2 by 20%

Brian — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:54:58 -0000

If a regular tubrocharger "runs off waste exhaust energy", then why do I get lower MPG after installing one? It should be the opposite, but ain't happening.