Scott Horton agrees

Over at Harper's, Scott Horton has something to add about my last post:

"If the terrorists’ principal object is to paralyze a society with fear, why should the government play right into their hands?"

Home of the scared

US media are apparently full of reports about how Europe is unsafe because of threats of terrorist attacks. There is a good wrap-up at Der Spiegel about how the German media are just not buying it.

I should add that the German public isn't buying it at all either -- we simply aren't scared over here. The comments under this article at Die Zeit are revealing. Everyone is really tired of the "hysteric Americans." I especially like comment 4 entitled "Home of the Brave," which begins, "So much for that..."

Incidentally, a comment on the nightly news just prompted me to write this post. The woman on Channel 1 (ARD) said America apparently needs to feel like it successfully fighting something, but German politicians and security officials are remaining calm, "Und das ist gut so" ("as they should"). Those interested in seeing her comment can view it starting sometime tomorrow here.

I'm not saying that we won't be hit, but rather that being afraid is not going to help prevent terror. The public does not need to be warned about the danger of terror with some ludicrous color scheme like the one used just a few years ago because we are never told how we are to react differently anyway.

A wonderful map/video

It's a bit long to watch at around 15 minutes, but a truly wonderful idea, especially for those of us who became politically aware around or after the end of the Cold War - thanks so much Isao!

Advice from France: "use cutlery"

Image via Wikipedia
On German television, there was just a review of this book, in which a French woman living in the US provides her own tips on why the French are the least obese people in Europe: never eat with your hands, always sit at a table and use cutlery, and don't diet.

Interestingly, Wikipedia presents a picture of European metal ware (along with wooden chopsticks and a porcelain Chinese spoon) for the German Besteck, whereas the only picture given for Cutlery is of "starch-polyester disposable cutlery."

As I have written before, but the use of plastic cutlery in the US is one of my major pet peeves every time I come back.

I wonder if the Frenchwoman also recommends never eating alone.

New website online

Image via Wikipedia
As I announced back in April, my blog writings pertaining to renewables are moving to a professional website. Originally, I thought it would be going online in June, but you know how big projects are -- at any rate, it went online today and is called Renewables International.

My first series, entitled Peak Demand Parity, focuses on what will happen when peak solar power production reaches peak power demand, which will probably happen first in Germany. While everyone seems to be focusing on "grid parity" (the point where solar power costs the same as power from your wall socket), I argue that peak demand parity will be more of a paradigm changer.

You can find the first five of six installments here.

Mr. Bill told us so

A pre-Katrina public service announcement (the creator of Mr Bill is from NOLA):

Louisiana wants offshore drilling

Image via Wikipedia

If you want to know what I do not miss about Louisiana, look no further than this article.

More than 10,000 Louisianans gathered at the Lafayette Cajundome July 21 to urge the Obama administration to lift the moratorium on deepwater drilling.

Mark Hertsgaard, who has written two of my favorite books, also recently visited the area and surmises:

It may be shocking to read in The Nation, but a blanket moratorium on new deepwater drilling may not be the best policy to pursue in the wake of the BP disaster. No state in the union is more addicted to oil than Louisiana; the oil and gas industry is responsible for roughly 25 percent of the state's economic activity.

Yes, that is an obstacle, but let us not forget that Louisiana generally lands in the bottom quintile of US states in terms of economic performance -- meaning that we feel like we've done a good job when we come in 40th. The other 75 percent of the economy counts as well, and what do we find there? A bit of tourism, fishing and agriculture, etc. But Louisiana doesn't really lead when it comes to innovations; most of what the state produces is based on exploitation of natural resources, some of which are renewable and some of which aren't.

Someone has got to make the case to these coon-asses (note: that's what we call ourselves) that the oil and gas sector is going to dwindle anyway -- even if we do not ban offshore drilling -- and that we have to come up with other sources of energy and other types of jobs starting now.