Toxic Water: Coal in the Water

Would you drink this water? This is a water sample from a house in Prenter, WV.

I think that the media gives too much attention to the "evils" of foreign oil and nuclear power. The horrible effects of coal is the real story. About half of this country's electricity is generated by a coal-fired power plant. It makes me sick when I hear commercials talking about "clean coal". I get pissed off when I hear President Obama talk about "clean coal" too. I hope that when the whole health care legislation is over and done with and he moves on to climate change that he emphasizes clean and renewable sources of energy such as solar and wind. Heck, I'm even in favor nuclear power. It's a lot less detrimental to the environment that coal is. It looks like the EPA is starting to crack down on mountain top removal (a travesty in its own right) and .

Here's a video from the NY Times about the effects coal is having on one West Virginia family.

Seven-year-old Ryan Massey, of Prenter, West Virginia, smiled back with capped teeth, the enamel devoured by toxic tap water. His brother sported scabs and rashes, courtesy of the heavy metals—including lead, nickel—in their bath water. Tests show that their tap water contains arsenic, barium, lead, manganese and other chemicals at concentrations federal regulators say could contribute to cancer and damage the kidneys and nervous system.”

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Why We Need Government-Run, Universal, Socialized, Call It Whatever You Want Health Insurance

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Organic Food Study

A recently published medical study asserts that organic food is no healthier than conventional food. I think that the media is doing a disservice in the way it's presenting this story. Who buys organic because they think it's more nutritious? The study the article cited was completely irrelevant and the headline was misleading. Just because organic food isn't more nutritious doesn't mean it's not "healthier." I know I'm not going to get extra potasium eating an organic banana versus a regular one. I know I'm not going to get extra vitamins from eating organic strawberries versus eating regular ones. I know I'll be conusming less pesticides though. Even if there are studies that say it's "OK" to consume a certain level of pesticides, I'd rather keep my consumption to an absolute minimum.

The study also doesn't consider the other positive effects of organic farming. Less pesticides and such means less crap pollutes our land, water, and air. I've heard reviews for the movie Food, Inc. and they talk about people wearing hazmat suits while they're spraying produce with pesticides. Do you want to be eating this food? I'd rather not.

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An Extra Wreath for Obama on Memorial Day

ARLINGTON, Va. — President Obama observed Memorial Day on Monday just as his predecessors have: by placing a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier here. But Mr. Obama added a new twist: he sent a second wreath to a memorial honoring African-Americans who fought in the Civil War. President Obama took part in a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. Presidents since Warren G. Harding have marked Memorial Day by visiting Arlington National Cemetery, where white rows of tombstones mark more than seven generations of America’s war dead. But with the nation’s first African-American president in office, a controversy erupted over Mr. Obama’s appearance this year.

Last week, a group of university professors petitioned the White House to end a longstanding practice of sending a wreath to a monument to Confederate soldiers on the cemetery grounds. Mr. Obama continued that tradition but started another, the White House said, by sending a second wreath across the Potomac River to the historically black neighborhood in Washington where the African-American Civil War Memorial commemorates more than 200,000 blacks who fought for the North in the Civil War.

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The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

It is roughly the size of Texas, containing approximately 3.5 million tons of trash. Shoes, toys, bags, pacifiers, wrappers, toothbrushes, and bottles too numerous to count are only part of what can be found in this accidental dump floating midway between Hawaii and San Francisco. It is estimated that 80% of the garbage comes from land-based sources, and 20% from ships at sea. Ocean currents carry debris from the east coast of Asia to the center of the gyre in about five years, and debris from the west coast of North America in a year or less

As the plastic garbage degrades into smaller and smaller pieces and disintegrates, the plastic ultimately becomes small enough to be ingested by aquatic organisms which reside near the ocean's surface. Plastic waste then enters the food chain and may eventually be consumed by humans. So please recycle, reduce the amount of plastics you use, and make sure you dispose of your trash properly.

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Tesla Unvails First Mass-Produced, Highway Capable Electric Car

March 26, 2009

HAWTHORNE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE) —Tesla Motors is now taking orders for the Model S, an all electric family sedan that carries seven people and travels 300 miles per charge.

The Model S, which carries its charger onboard, can be recharged from any 120V, 240V or 480V outlet, with the latter taking only 45 minutes. By recharging their car while they stop for a meal, drivers can go from LA to New York in approximately the same time as a gasoline car. Moreover, the floor-mounted battery pack is designed to be changed out in less time than it takes to fill a gas tank, allowing for the possibility of battery-pack swap stations.

The floor-mounted powertrain also results in unparalleled cargo room and versatility, as the volume under the front hood becomes a second trunk. Combining that with a four-bar linkage hatchback rear trunk and flat folding rear seats, the Model S can accommodate a 50-inch television, mountain bike *and* surfboard simultaneously. This packaging efficiency gives the Model S more trunk space than any other sedan on the market and more than most SUVs.

“Model S doesn’t compromise on performance, efficiency or utility -- it’s truly the only car you need,” said Tesla CEO, Chairman and Product Architect Elon Musk. “Tesla is relentlessly driving down the cost of electric vehicle technology, and this is just the first of many mainstream cars we’re developing.”

Tesla expects to start Model S production in late 2011. The company believes it is close to receiving $350 million in federal loans to build the Model S assembly plant in California from the Dept of Energy’s Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Program.

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State of the Firm (2008)

The President of Forest Animals A/E gives an annual State of the Firm address to discuss the financial performance of the previous year and to talk about our goals and projections for the coming year. Normally, it starts off with some hoopla with music and fun, but this year was different. With the state of the economy and layoffs only a few short months ago, fun and games weren't appropriate.

The presentation always starts off with a movie of highlights from the past year's projects. I'm always on the lookout for one of my projects. Our president then got into the numbers. We discuss our gross and net revenues, the percentage which goes to consultants, percentage spent on marketing, the number of proposals sent out vs the numer of interview vs the number of wins, etc. In most aspects, 2008 was actually a record year for us as we grossed over $60 million, just slightly more than last year. We would have broken the record by a much greater margin if we didn't have that drammatic slow down during the last quarter.

Looking into the future was a big topic of discussion. Typically, we average about a $100 million backlog of work. For 2009, it has reduced down to about $35 million. These are jobs with a signed contract that we still have the green light to work on. We do have about another $70 million worth of work that we have been awarded but have been told not to work on yet until the Owner (typically state or local government) know what their funding situation will be. A county government isn't going to build a new elementary school while facing a budget shortfall and is contemplating laying off teachers. Our president feels that the stimulus package should help move more of the "B" column back over to the "A" column. A doomsday scenario would be to actually "lose" jobs out of the "A" column. "Stop working on that new jail job. We don't have the funds to pay you any more."

The President gave us a pep talk/quick in pants to try and boost our morale. The slowdown in work has affected some more than others. I'm sure those that are light on work (certainly not me) are worried that they'll be next to be laid off. Our president told everyone that we should not slow down to drag these projects on so we can look busy. We need to continue to work efficiently so we remain profitable. If people are going to slack off in that manner then they can leave and work some place else. It was a little bit of tough love that makes good business sense.

We looked at patterns from past recessions and learned that most recession last about 18 - 24 months. It looks like this one will last 24 - 30 months. The layoffs we made were to position ourselves for this current economic climate. We needed to trim down so we could be leaner and meaner. Some of the belt tightening that had already been announced was salary freezes and suspending thr company match for the 401k. Additionally, they announced a much less extravagent company picnic and Christmas party, tighter restrictions on company credit cards, and spending less money sponsoring scholarships and conferences.

In conjunction with the stimulus package, we're looking into some new marketplaces for our A/E services. One new market will be federal/military work. Norfolk (navy) is just down the road, and there are plenty of military bases in VA and NC. Forest Animals A/E used to do federal and military work in the past but got away from it for some reason. We're actively looking for a "rain maker" to help us develop relationships and win projects in that market place. We're also looking into partnering with performance energy contractors to conduct energy audits of existing buildings. Renovating/modernizing government buildings and making them energy efficient was one thing consistantly mentioned in his stimulus package. I think we will be well positioned to take part in that.

The meeting wrapped up confirming our committment to green design. Our firm is the leader in green design in this part of the country and is one of the leaders in green design in the entire country. Sustainable design is the future and we've been doing it for years. I left the meeting feeling more optimistic about 2009 and even more so for 2010.

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My Thoughts on the Inauguration

I'll be doing my best to catch bits and pieces of the Inauguration at work. We have flat screen tvs in the conference rooms at our new office. I'd like to watch the swearing in and listen to Obama's speech. I bet (because of no tv, internet, etc) at the time that even FDR didn't have as much pressure to fix some big mess that the country is in. Although I think that Obama is doing a good job so far assembling his cabinet and such that at least part of his high poll numbers are due to that fact that "he's not George Bush". Bush has got to be the absolute worst president in history.

I think the first 100 days will be quite exciting. I hope that Obama will role out ambitious programs to get this country back on track. I think it would be more dangerous to not "go big enough" than to go "too big". I feel excited because we will be living history. I'm sure Obama will do a lot of symbolic (and important) things during his first few days like closing Gitmo, proving funding for stem cell research, and many other things that he can accomplish by presidential proclamation.

Even though the Democrats made some big gain in Congress this past election, I'm more worries about *them* than I am about Obama. I fear there's going to be too much bickering and things won't get done quickly. I'm sure the Republicans will try and throw wrenches in the works. And I'm sure the Democrats will continue to suffer from lack of organization, leadership, and backbone. Sometimes they just need to grow a pair.

Selfishly speaking, I hope that the government designates a lot of funds towards making our schools and public office building more modern and energy efficient. A lot of our clients have projects on hold. Some are designed and are waiting to be built. Others have a definite need and are waiting to be designed but lack the necessary funding. I hope that Obama uses his head and puts more of the money towards projects that have a long lasting and POSITIVE impact instead of building more roads and bridges that only encourage people to drive more. I'm all for fixing up the potholes and repairing the bridges too, but no more new roads please.

I wish President Obama the best of luck. I hope that Congress, state, and local governments work together with Obama to craft solutions to our nation's problems - protecting our environment, providing quality health care, restoring our rights as citizens, and most importantly getting our nation out of this financial crisis and back on the road to recovery. May President Obama have the guidance he needs to right our ship and steer it in a new and better direction (someplace besides the bottom of the sea where we're currently heading).

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More Talk About the Layoffs

I had a little sense of relief coming to work today. The bad news is done and over now (for a while at least). The first thing that struck me when I got to work was the empty name plates on the people's cubes. There's something very personal about a person's name. So to see their name missing made the layoffs all that more real. The work spaces were clear of their personal items, and their computers were taken back to the IT department so they could be "reformatted" for the next person.

I have to remind myself that this was a business decision that had to be made. There rarely is ever a person who "deserves" to be laid off. It seems that each person that was cut has some sort of personal story. Some were kids fresh out of school. Others were older people that have been around the block many times. It's especially hard thinking about those with small kids and families. But we all fit in that boat, and it wouldn't be possible to lay anyone off if you look at their personal situation.

But life must go on, and work has to get done. The projects that those people were working on were reassigned to other people. We lost one of our MEP/CA guys so I'll have to pick up the slack answering more RFIs and going out in the field more often to review the Contractor's work. It feels weird having to rummage through someone else's files. You can tell people are feeling guilty about having a job while some of our coworkers (and many other people) have lost their jobs.

Our president said that he's hoping that things will start improving in late 2009, and the cuts made reflected that belief. We'll be keeping a closer eye out for RFPs that we might not have gone after in the past. Firms are coming from out of state into the region that we serve looking for work. There was a firm from Nebraska competing for a North Carolina school job that we were also competing for.

Another interesting thing I noticed was how much more personable people were in the weeks leading up to the big announcement and during the days after. People (myself included) were more apt to say "good morning" or "how's it going" while passing in the hallway (not that we were a bunch of trolls prior to this by any stretch of the imagination).

Our studio engineering leader reaffirmed that those that were let go were let go due to performance reasons. They weren't necessarily poor workers, but were in the unfortunate position of being lower performing than the rest of their coworkers. For those people that I worked with on a project, I was only surprised about only one person that was let go. Otherwise, I was in agreement with the tough choices that were made.

So I think the rest of December will be kind of a downer in the office. The studio that I'm in is fortunate to still be pretty busy. The main project in 2009 for us will be a new $100 million prison and sounds like it will be one of the biggest projects that I'll be involved in to date. I hope that the local and state governments get much needed funding from the federal government. We've got a tremendous backlog of work. As I stated before, the problem is that they are not having us start the designs for those projects due to lack of funding resulting from the drastic cutbacks that the local and state governments have made. January 20, 2009 can't come soon enough.

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The Failing Economy

Yesterday was a sad day at Forest Animals A/E. We said goodbye to 40 or so workers who became the latest victims of this failing economy. These workers represented about 15% of our total employee base. The layoffs were strategically made to try and position the company better for what's to come in 2009.

The layoffs weren't totally unexpected. Several weeks ago, our president announced that cuts were going to be made. I guess, during this time period, they were figuring out how many people needed to be laid off and which employees would be let go. Everyone knew that something would happen at this meeting because yesterday's meeting had been announced last week.

You could feel the tension in the air during the weeks leading up to this meeting. I'm sure people were looking at each other thinking, "John might not be working here next week." Or even, "I might be out of a job soon." No one was really lacking work, but everyone realized the state of the economy and the anticipated slow down in work for us in 2009. Our firm has a large backlog of work and we continue to win new projects. The problem is that out clients (schools, prisons, local and state government) do not have the funding available for us to work on them. They've delayed the starts of those projects until they have their funding in order. Most of these entities are required to keep a balanced budget, so they delay projects like the design and construction of a new elementary school.

There was no detail given how the layoffs would happen. On Monday morning, the department heads were walking around and asking certain people to come with them. From experience, I could tell that these were the people getting laid off. Even though I was nervous, having been laid off twice before in my life, I felt cautiously optimisitc about my own job security. A few weeks ago, my boss had mentioned to me that he was planning to nominate me for Senior Associate. I figured that was a pretty good indicator that my job was safe.

So at about 9:00 the people being laid off were gathered together in our large conference room. At about 9:30, all the remaining people were asked to assemble in the gymnasium. Our President announced that the layoffs had just been made and explained what was going to happen to them, the rest of us, and the company as a whole. No one wants anyone to lose their job, but I was glad to hear that those being laid off were given a severance package based on seniority. Our president tried to calm everyone else's fear that these layoffs would be the first of many by stating that these are the only layoffs that they have planned. The company felt that the recession would affect us until late 2009, and these layoffs needed to be made as a result. Obviously, if the economy gets far worse then other layoffs might be necessary. Our president stated his optimism that our company will weather the rest of this storm and will come out well positioned and stronger once the economy rebounds. We're a leader in green design. Hopefully, Obama's plan to modernize schools and government office buildings and provide a rescue package for state and local governments will help those projects that are currently on the back burner move back to the front burner.

All the rest of the day, I watched the results of what happened this morning. Those that got laid off were sadly packing up their things. Fellow employeed (including myself) tried to comfort those that were leaving and to give them our support. There were a few layoffs that surprised me and/or were people that I worked really closely with. Even though many of these people were "only work friends", I felt immensely sad inside. I felt sad for those workers and their families that rely on them. I felt sad remembering how I felt the two times I had been laid off. The second time I was laid off was when my wife was 8-months pregnant with Boo Jr. It was that layoff that forced us to move away from New York and to move down south where I could find a job.

Probably the next week or so will be kind of a mourning period at work. We're a really tight family at Forest Animals A/E. It's a really good company. But even good companies like ours are being hurt hard by the economy right now. The company had to make this tough decision to lay these good folks off in order to keep treading water. January 20, 2009 can't come soon enough.

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President Signs into Law Financial Rescue Package with Long-Awaited Extensions of Vital Energy Tax Incentives

Following a tense week of congressional negotiations and votes, the President signed into law on Friday a $700 billion financial rescue bill that also includes $17 billion in energy tax incentives, including extensions of several provisions that have already expired or were set to expire at year's end. The energy tax package followed a long and winding road to enactment, having been jettisoned from the energy law in December and having become the subject of an ongoing debate in the House and Senate about whether and how to specify a funding source for the provisions. USGBC monitored and pressed for extensions of these vital tax incentives for more than a year, and celebrates their passage as an essential victory that will ensure continued investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies.
Among other energy provisions, the new law contains several tax incentives that promise to advance greener, more energy-efficient buildings, including:
a 1-year extension of the tax credit for the production of energy from wind, and a two-year extension of the credit for energy production from other renewable sources, such as geothermal;
an 8-year extension of the tax credits for investment in commercial and residential solar projects, including the removal of the $2,000 cap on investments in residential solar electric installations, and the addition of small wind energy and geothermal heat pump projects as qualifying installations for tax credits;
a 5-year extension of the tax deduction for energy-efficient commercial buildings;
a 1-year extension of the tax credit for the construction of new energy-efficient homes;
a 1-year extension of the tax credit for qualified energy-efficiency upgrades to existing homes;
an extension through 2010 of the tax credit for the manufacture of energy-efficient appliances;
and a 3-year extension of the authority for state and localities to issue tax-exempt bonds for green building and sustainable design projects.

» For a summary of the tax provisions in the new law, click here.

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McCain Wins Election

Please register to vote!

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Governor Tim Kaine Declares Sales Tax Holiday On ENERGY STAR Products

Virginia Governor Tim Kaine signed legislation to create a sales tax holiday for all ENERGY STAR qualified products from Friday, October 5 through Monday, October 8, 2007. Residents are encouraged to select ENERGY STAR qualified products when making purchases. The ENERGY STAR qualification means that these products meet strict energy efficiency criteria set by the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. ENERGY STAR qualified products use approximately 30 percent less energy than conventional models without sacrificing features, style or comfort. By replacing old, inefficient products with ENERGY STAR qualified models, Virginians can help protect the environment while saving money and energy. From October 5 to October 8, consumers can visit their local retailers and save both state and local sales tax on ENERGY STAR qualified products that cost $2,500 or less.

The following products are eligible:

• Ceiling Fans
• Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs)
• Dehumidifiers
• Dishwashers
• Programmable Thermostats
• Refrigerators
• Room Air Conditioners
• Clothes Washers
  

In addition to the ENERGY STAR Sales Tax Holiday, consumers can save money with federal tax credits on doors, windows and other energy efficient products. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 authorizes tax credits on a variety of products designed to save energy, save money, and protect our environment. These incentives are available through December 31, 2007. For more information on the federal tax credits, visit www.energystar.gov/taxcredits.

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Intelligent Design in School

It's scary to think that my school district here in Chesterfield County, Virginia would give Intelligent Design an iota of thought. Click here for full story. I don't think they will give it any serious consideration. I think they're just being nice to the segment of the public that believes in Intelligent Design and are hearing them out.

It's even more scary that some of the potential Republican presidential candidates believe in Creationism!

There's actually a museum dedicated to Intelligent Design. Here's a link to someone's field trip to the Creationist Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky. It makes me want to throw up. Apparently Adam and Eve used to get around the Garden of Eden riding a Triceratops! Here's a slideshow.

Some excerpts from the above link on Daily Kos:

There were posters explaining just how coal could be formed in a few weeks as opposed to over millions of years, and how rapidly the biblical flood would cover the earth, drowning all but a handful of living creatures. The flood plays a big part in the museum's attempt to explain away what we see as millions of years of natural processes. There was also an explanation as to why, with only one progenitor family, it wasn't considered incest for Adam and Eve's children to marry each other. Apparently there was less sin back then, and therefore fewer mutations in their DNA. Evidently sin, and not two copies of the same recessive trait, gives rise to congenital birth defects.

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Schumer announces plan calling for increased energy efficiency

NEW YORK -- Following the example of places like California and New York City, Sen. Charles Schumer on Monday announced a plan for federal regulations that would require states and municipalities to update building codes and increase building energy efficiency.

"There's a huge portion of energy consumption that goes into our buildings," Schumer said during a news conference at an energy efficient building in Times Square.

"Increasing our energy efficiency in America's residential and commercial buildings is one of the quickest and most effective ways to reduce greenhouse gases and energy consumption," he said.

His proposed amendment, which he plans to offer to the Senate's energy bill next week, would set targets of 30 percent increases in efficiency by 2012 and 50 percent increases by 2022 through a nationwide code. States could have their own codes, but would be required to meet those overall goals.

Not meeting the goals would result in penalties, but any city or municipal area meeting the standards would not be penalized.

"These improvements will have a staggeringly positive effect," Schumer said.

He pointed to the example set by New York City's Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who in April announced an extensive plan, PlaNYC, to reduce the city's greenhouse gases 30 percent by 2030, as well as by California, which has green building standards for many years.

Bloomberg, who attended the news conference, lauded the amendment from Schumer.

"We can't do it all at the local level," he said. "It's time for the federal government to stand up."

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JFK Terror Plot

The following is from the Daily Kos political blog that I like to check out every now and then.

Poor wingnuts. The aborted (and laughably unrealistic) effort to attack JFK is a stark reminder that every line they've fed us about this war on terror is horse crap.

1. The attackers had no ties to Iraq. Nor the Middle East. Nor Al Qaida.

2. It was homegrown terrorism. (Of course, the perpetrators were brown, so this merits a lot more hand-wringing than white domestic terrorists, especially the ones bombing abortion clinics.)

3. No illegal wiretaps or torture were necessary to crack the case.

4. It was thwarted by good ol' police work -- an informant inside the cell, working with a joint FBI/NYPD task force.

5. Whatever happened to "fighting them over there, so we don't have to fight them over here"?

6. War in Iraq and elsewhere isn't ending terrorism. In fact, it's fueling it.

Now the usual suspects praying for more terrorist attacks to justify their apocalyptic world view seem to be pouncing on this case as some sort of validation. In reality, everything about this plot rejects their views on handling terrorism.

And this isn't an isolated case -- the morons who were going to take down the Brooklyn Bridge with a blowtorch and the "Fort Dix Six" were taken down by traditional law enforcement activities. While terrorism is bound to be a low-grade threat to our nation for pretty much ever, this is all proof that bombing them over there isn't doing anything to stop that that threat over here and that law enforcement can handle the task without surrendering our Constitutional liberties to authoritarian fear-mongers.

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2 Teens Charged in Playground Acid Spill

The Associated Press

Tuesday, April 17, 2007; 1:34 PM

ESSEX, Md. -- Two teenagers were charged with breaking into a school and pouring an acidic drain cleaner on playground equipment that later burned a 2-year-old boy on a slide, Baltimore County police said Tuesday.

The two 16-year-old boys were charged Monday night with reckless endangerment and second-degree burglary and released to their parents, officials said.

A school resource officer learned about the first juvenile, which police said led them to the second, who was arrested later. Their names were not released.

The industrial strength drain cleaner, which has a high concentration of sulfuric acid, was removed from a storage facility at Victory Villa Elementary School and splashed over the school's playground equipment, police said.

The 2-year-old, Peyton Potochney, suffered second- and third-degree burns, mostly on his legs, after he went down a slide. His mother, Carol Duschl, has said the little boy likely will be hospitalized for several weeks.

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We're All Hokies

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Orange and Maroon Effect

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A Sad, Sad Day For Hokies and Americans Alike

My thoughts and prayers go out to the vicitms of this senseless violence.

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