Science Rant, Not politics: Can CO2 cause "Climate Change?"

[Woodsrider]

Good point on services being offered by FaceTime. We have a good friend who is a musician. He supplements his income from gigs by giving guitar lessons and they are mostly all done over Skype. He has a few wealthy students that pay a premium for him to travel to them, but the vast majority of them opt for Skype. It has been a big winner for his bottom line.

I bet we see major increases in it's use with healthcare. Cut your finger badly, but aren't sure if you require stitches? Skype the ER at the local hospital for a recommendation instead of traveling there and taking up space in an exam room. I would imagine EMTs are already using it in ambulances, so hospitals are better prepared for what needs to be done when the patient arrives.

I mainly use FaceTime to help my daughter with homework when I'm traveling on business. But recently I got a really bad infection on my leg and I couldn't see the red lines running up my leg because I am color blind and my family was away on vacation. So I face timed physician family members so I didn't have to keep going to the hospital. It saved me a lot of copayments and could have saved me from sepsis. One of them told me from looking at the advancement of the infection that I needed a stronger antibiotic. Actually they wanted me hospitalized. But that wasn't happening.

[madhatter]

Yes, best NSR ever...

Madhatter vs Deadheadskier

The Honorable Mr. Moose vs Woodsrider

Sgt Eddie Brewers vs The Swamp

There should be a lot of hot ski off action this winter...

never met SEB but I'm sure I will when the snow flies...Never met DHS either...invite is always open though...ski off is optional...

I think I saw on the news last night that rogman outswam michael phelps, a shark, and a bunch of angry tv viewers or something like that...

[Mister Moose]

Where are the electric mowers now? Why don't I see any at Home Depot? The demand must have been too small.

This got me curious, so I went to Home Depots mobile site and searched all lawn mowers. On the portal page what were they pushing? A cordless electric lawnmower.

http://www.homedepot.com/b/Outdoors-Out ... 5yc1vZc5ar" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

They currently have 47 models available of cordless electric lawnmowers.

We'll just have to agree to disagree on video calling being widely adopted. Yes, a lot of folks use it. I do too, but not often. The Bubbas of the world use it once a week, "almost", and I'm willing to guess that he makes upwards of 75-100 other non video calls per week. 100 to 1 isn't widely adopted in my view. It turns out that technology aside, I just don't want Bubba to see me in my Spiderman pajamas, or have to look interested in what he's saying, or see that I'm posting on Kzone and only half listening. Bubba doesn't want me to see that he's watching basketball and has me on muted speakerphone half the time. And it's still easier to call on just a phone.

So tonight I needed to go to Men's Disneyland, aka Home Depot. Glanced at the mower aisle.

They have a whole lineup of a dozen gas walk behind mowers, from $200 for a simple 22" to $350 or so self propelled 22". No corded models on the floor, which is the type I was talking about. ( you can buy corded on line as well, they're still out there somewhere) But you're right, there on the far end (fairly recently I'd think) is a single Ego lithium battery powered mower for $600. It's 56V, claims an hour run time, although that's going to depend on load, ie length, moisture content and density of grass.

They might have 47 cordless models on line a la Amazon, but I go by what's in the store as an indication of what people are buying in any quantity.

$600? That's a lot of lettuce. Reading the reviews, it does fairly well, the big pros being no gas to mix or store, no maintenance of gummed up carburetors, and quiet. The cons are cutting quality, one review said lower blade speed and less airflow, and one "I hit a rock and totaled it, not covered by warranty"

Most of the people that liked it had 1/4 acre lots.

We'll know a lot sooner than automated cars how well cordless mowers do, my guess is in 2-3 years there will be an established niche, but they won't be dominant. I can see it being handy for a trim mower if it was price competitive.

[madhatter]

ideas so good they're mandatory...

https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-k-to-ban ... 0?mod=e2fb" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[deadheadskier]

This would be amazing

https://thekobi.com/meet-kobi/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Imagine that. You wouldn't even have to know the forecast (obviously not a skiers mentality) and the snow in your driveway is quietly removed throughout the night. No more getting up early to clear the driveway before hitting the slopes. Or if you had a late night at the Pickle Barrel and want to sleep in, no more being woken up by your neighbor's loud machine.

Obviously many years away from mass market, but a really cool technology none the less.

Robotic vacuums apparently now are at a 20% market share.

http://fortune.com/2016/11/07/irobot-va ... et-growth/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Robotic mowers and snowblower future is probably pretty bright.

[madhatter]

This would be amazing

https://thekobi.com/meet-kobi/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Imagine that. You wouldn't even have to know the forecast (obviously not a skiers mentality) and the snow in your driveway is quietly removed throughout the night. No more getting up early to clear the driveway before hitting the slopes. Or if you had a late night at the Pickle Barrel and want to sleep in, no more being woken up by your neighbor's loud machine.

Obviously many years away from mass market, but a really cool technology none the less.

Robotic vacuums apparently now are at a 20% market share.

http://fortune.com/2016/11/07/irobot-va ... et-growth/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Robotic mowers and snowblower future is probably pretty bright.

4k dollars buys a lot of neighborhood kid time...or 4 yrs of plow time for the nearly 1mi of road I have plowed here...

[deadheadskier]

Like I said, long ways away from mass market appeal and obviously won't be something of interest for someone in your situation.

However, for the huge portion of our population that live in the suburbs, having a device that takes care of lawn and driveway duties would free up a lot of time. That's why the Roomba is gaining popularity. I have a few friends that have them. They love coming home from work to spotless floors and no longer having to do that chore.

[f.a.s.t.]

This would be amazing

https://thekobi.com/meet-kobi/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Imagine that. You wouldn't even have to know the forecast (obviously not a skiers mentality) and the snow in your driveway is quietly removed throughout the night. No more getting up early to clear the driveway before hitting the slopes. Or if you had a late night at the Pickle Barrel and want to sleep in, no more being woken up by your neighbor's loud machine.

Obviously many years away from mass market, but a really cool technology none the less.

Robotic vacuums apparently now are at a 20% market share.

http://fortune.com/2016/11/07/irobot-va ... et-growth/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Robotic mowers and snowblower future is probably pretty bright.

A late night at the Pickle Barrel and sleeping in? Only a lame skier would do that?
I like snow removal, both shoveling and snow blowing. Won't ever see a robot removing snow in my driveway.

[deadheadskier]

Yes, you're right. All skiers who don't make first chair are lame.

[f.a.s.t.]

Yes, you're right. All skiers who don't make first chair are lame.

A skier that choses to stay out late drinking instead of getting up to go skiing may have a drinking problem, that sure is lame. Never said they have to make first chair. I only get to ski about 25 to 30 days a year, I try to make the most of it. You won't see me late night in a bar the night before I go skiing.

[deadheadskier]

Yes, you're right. All skiers who don't make first chair are lame.

A skier that choses to stay out late drinking instead of getting up to go skiing may have a drinking problem, that sure is lame. Never said they have to make first chair. I only get to ski about 25 to 30 days a year, I try to make the most of it. You won't see me late night in a bar the night before I go skiing.

I'm going to assume you are trolling here.

Because heaven forbid the people that don't subscribe to your Puritan lifestyle. They must have drinking problems and be lame skiers.

I can't imagine there are zoners who work their ass off during the week, kill it on the slopes and sometimes catch a band at the Pickle Barrel and start their ski day the next morning at a more leisurely pace. Heathens!!!

[Bubba]

Meanwhile, back at electric vehicles and grid capabilities....

Will the power grid handle amped demand from EVs?

RP Siegel
Tuesday, July 25, 2017

https://www.greenbiz.com/article/will-p ... reenBiz%29" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Bubba]

This sounds a lot like the discussion here:


In a distributed energy world, customer choice—not political leadership—will drive clean energy forward
Author
David Cherney, Walter Rojowsky, and Charles Janecek

Published
July 25, 2017

http://www.utilitydive.com/news/in-a-di ... il/447145/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

To be clear, government leadership currently remains a significant driver toward the adoption and growth of clean energy. However, the electricity sector is fundamentally changing, shifting increased decision making power directly in the hands of consumers and less within the grasp of government leaders. Through this transformation, we are learning what customers truly value and what customers are willing to pay for. At the end of the day, while not all customers value clean energy, one trend is certain—as customer control increases, the responsibility for carrying the clean energy banner forward will rest squarely in the hands of the consumer.

[Mister Moose]

Yes, you're right. All skiers who don't make first chair are lame.

A skier that choses to stay out late drinking instead of getting up to go skiing may have a drinking problem, that sure is lame. Never said they have to make first chair. I only get to ski about 25 to 30 days a year, I try to make the most of it. You won't see me late night in a bar the night before I go skiing.

On the days I'm out at opening bell, (about a third of the time) I'm glad there are folks that don't. The quiet of 8am is a wonderful thing. And of course there are those days when you party on, knowing the next morning is going to be crap.

[Mister Moose]

ideas so good they're mandatory...

https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-k-to-ban ... 0?mod=e2fb" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Which is an article on the UK banning all internal combustion engines by 2040. Which leaves tons of wiggle room as that is so far away and laws can be changed as usage patterns evolve.

But look at the UK's current generation profile:


From Bubba's link apparently there is some nuclear being built, but even that may not be enough added capacity.

National Grid saying that EV growth in the U.K. could exceed the capacity of the Hinckley Point C nuclear power station by 2030. The idea that the 3.2GW plant, still under construction, could fall short of meeting demand that soon is certainly disturbing.

So how will the UK get rid of internal combustion as a significant percentage of their power generation?

And with zero nuclear on our drawing boards, how will we?