Archive for March, 2011

Fukushima Nuclear Tsunami – Global Energy Needs

Radiation scan of Japanese baby

Radiation scan of Japanese baby

I am gutted about the earthquake and tsunami natural disaster in Japan. This is not just a natural disaster, which I think people can recover from in time, but it now has become a man-made nuclear toxic catastrophe due to the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant meltdown. It is very similar to the British Petroleum (BP) oil spill disaster that struck the gulf region of the United States this past summer and fall. The zero accountability by British Petroleum (BP) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DEO) was and is appalling. The health of our world’s oceans suffered greatly all in the name of oil, and if you consume seafood as I do, well that is not good. Hopefully this is a wake-up call for the island nation of Japan and the rest of the world to reconsider changing their ways to power their future. Maybe in light of this disaster Japan’s government and commercial fishing industry will curtail their over harvesting of our worlds ocean’s sea life and slaughtering of whales in the future. The way the environment goes, so do we.

Radiation scan of Japanese child

Radiation scan of Japanese child

The nuclear industry puts its spin and lobbying into play with its deep pockets. I hope this is the nail in the coffin for the nuclear industry, with its lack of stability and its potential for meltdown and far-reaching nuclear fallout. Of course we can’t forget all the toxic waste generated that will never ever decay that has to go somewhere, not it in my backyard. It is time for change to meet our ever-growing global energy needs, which affects us all. Clean Renewable Energy: Wind, Solar, Tidal, Hydro, and Bio-Fuels will never have the irreversible ill effects on the global human population and our environment, which we all share and need to look after, so that it is here for generations to come. I feel the internal combustion engine is on its way out, and it is time the U.S. Government and energy companies to start making the efforts at a more rapid pace to start converting over to better solutions and infrastructures that can handle the conversion in order to have more efficient and less polluting carbon emitting energy sources. We need to start demanding change from governments, politicians, companies, brands, and they need to start making the transition soon, because the last time I checked, their wasn’t an endless supply of petroleum and dirty coal. The need to diversify is now! C02 emissions are choking our pristine air supply here on our earth. We have only this world to call home and it is ours to protect, so what the hell are we waiting for?

In the words of Kermit The Frog “It is not easy being green.” but I feel now we really don’t have a choice, and it is a good safe choice.

Renewable Energy: Solar & Wind Power

Element Energy Systems (e2sys) located in Mattituck, NY

 

If you live in the New York Tri-State area and need to contact an alternative energy company, I can highly recommend Element Energy Systems they are located on the North Fork of Long Island, and tell Jamie Minnick that Casey Gobbi sent you.

Fans await “Batman” release on DVD!

Adam West as BATMAN

Adam West as BATMAN

 

My all-time favorite and the most-wanted unreleased-on-DVD television show is the 1966 Batman TV Series, and we, the old-school fans of the campy 60s television show are painstakingly waiting for the corporate greed of Fox, DC Comics, Warner Bros., and the Dozier estate to get on with the negotiations already, for crying out loud! Tick-Tock… I want to relive my fond childhood memories, so what’s taking so long?

BATMAN and Robin

BATMAN and Robin

 

Adam West: “Lookwell” was sadly never made, but “Batman,” of course was on the air for 120 glorious episodes. Yet, because it’s never been released on DVD, legions of fans, young and old, haven’t been able to enjoy it, some for the first time and some to relive those great memories. Do you have any idea when we might see “Batman” come out on DVD?

I guess FOX and Warner Bros. have been trying to sift that one out. I think it’s simply a matter of dividing up the pie. I’ve heard that they’re very close to an agreement and they’ll be bringing it out. In the meantime, because they haven’t and people have been screaming for it, I did “Adam West Naked.”

But of course, you’re right. People want “Batman” released on DVD and I think it will happen. “Batman: The Movie” is available and it’s always sold really well. But it seems most people have seen that.

ETA: I’d like to pay tribute to Actor Michael Gough who played Bruce Wayne’s Butler: Alfred Pennyworth, in the four Batman movies. He passed away on March 18th, 2011 at the age of 94. R.I.P. Alfred.

Water World

With all the unrest in the oil producing Middle East and North Africa lately, the earthquake devastation in New Zealand and now this morning on the island of Japan causing a tsunami, along with major flooding throughout the northeastern United States this past week from heavy rainfall, it is time to start reconsidering our antiquated buildings and infrastructures, and design and engineer them to withstand the severe weather we’ve been having. Our local Long Island roads have been neglected and are crumbling especial due to past year’s harsh winters. Why when it is time to resurface the roads are agencies not using recycled ground-up shredded tires in the asphalt mix so the roadways can expand and contract more so the road surface can last for up to 60 to 70 years at a time. More effective creative solutions, along with unique architecture, design and engineering is needed, and we as a people need to be open to it so we can adapt to climate shifts.

The Kansas town of Greensburg is a perfect example to follow, where after a devastating tornado demolished their town, decided to go with “green” building construction to rebuild their town. Here on Long Island, we have such severe winds at times with the occasional tornado, so why not place power lines underground instead of on unappealing cluttered telephone poles. If you want to build in tornado ally and resurrect and rebuild a town, why not build underground structures or semi-submerged ones or use aerodynamic creative building techniques that will withstand the strong winds, so it is not a total loss every time a tornado hits. It make no sense why year after year we rebuild in areas that are prone to severe flooding, only to have the new construction destroyed again and again.

New Orleans will probably flood again in our lifetime, because they are below sea level. Man cannot out smart Mother Nature, she is king. We as humans need to work with Mother Nature and not against her, we need to design our structures and buildings codes accordingly and get more aggressive and creative with the future regarding renewable energy.

We cannot rely on the unstable Middle East to fuel our future, nor should we. Nuclear it not as stable as the nuclear industry spins it to be, with its potential for meltdown and far-reaching fallout, and we can’t forget the spent toxic waste generated that will never ever decay. Clean renewable energy: Wind, Solar, Tidal, Hydro, and Bio-Fuels are the answer, so what are we waiting for?

My thoughts are with the people of Japan today, as it will take years and years to clean up, rebuild and recover.