The origin of this idiom is disputed, and some think it came from the British House of Commons where members were required to stand two sword-lengths apart to maintain decorum (and apparently to keep members from being able to reach someone arguing with them with their sword). However, Wikipedia believes it is more likely that the origin was barefooted seamen standing at attention for inspection lined up along the seams of wooden planks on the deck, “…hence, to ‘toe the line’.” Others attribute it to the starting line in track events and boxers lining up on either side of a line to start a match.
Jefferson Country Parkway and the Rocky Flats Plant
There has been long-time opposition to completing the metropolitan beltway by constructing a parkway for vehicles and bicycles on the eastern edge of the site where the Rocky Flats Plant once constructed plutonium components for nuclear weapons. There was a previous posting about the controversy, which is mostly about the plutonium contamination in the area of the proposed parkway. I’ve exchanged emails with the group that was formed to oppose the parkway to discuss and disagree with their contentions about the risk from plutonium. Chapter 25 of the book “An Insider’s View of Rocky Flats, Urban Myths Debunked,” gives detailed information about plutonium releases from the plant, and there was much less released than critics would like you to believe. The bottom line is that plutonium is everywhere from the atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons, and disputing construction of the parkway on the basis of plutonium contamination is, in my opinion, a flawed argument.
A recent article in the Denver Post by Bruce Finley describes recent developments. Some of the long-time opponents of the Parkway have recently changed their positions because of a proposed land swap that would open more public open space and lock in “…an open-space bridge to the mountains.” “The emerging green ring around Denver includes Rocky Flats, the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, Barr Lake State Park, Cherry Creek State Park, Chatfield State Park and seven or so county and municipal parks set against the foothills.”
The city of Golden recently modified a proposal to create a bicycle and pedestrian trail where the parkway is proposed to be constructed. They then withdrew their opposition to the toll road after being promised $57 million for traffic and noise mitigation. However, the town of Superior plans to file a lawsuit to block the swap because of failure “…to conduct a sufficient review of likely environmental impacts…”
An article in Westword by Patricia Calhoun titled, “Plans for the Jefferson Country Parkway are kicking up lots of dust,” expresses some skepticism. The regional director of Fish and Wildlife commented, “Accepting this exchange proposal will significantly expand the Rocky Flats NWR (National Wildlife Refuge) not only for the benefit of wildlife, but it will also anchor a network of green space for the people of the Denver metro area to enjoy for years to come.”
The author then adds, “If you don’t mind a little radioactive dust in your picnic.”
The article also provides more detail about the basis for Superior’s lawsuit. “The conclusion of the environmental assessment should have been that a full study leading to an Environmental Impact Statement was necessary to fully understand and evaluate the impact of the expansion of the refuge and the building of a four-lane toll road.”
I’ve told opponents of the toll road that I am not taking a position; several friends are opposed to the road. My position is that opposing the road because of plutonium contamination in the area of the proposed construction is a very weak argument.
Bad Money: Reckless Finance, Failed Politics, and Global Crisis of American Capitalism
This review will be one of the few times I spend a significant amount of time writing about what is wrong with a book. Perhaps I should have posted this on the blog link, since my opinions consume a significant portion of the posting. However, I picked up the book at the library because I wanted to review a book on this subject. I prepared a combination blog/review posting because I found what was not included in this book to be more interesting than the content.
The book discusses some of the causes of the mortgage crisis, but I can’t explain the omission of the government’s role. Politicians have long looked for policies that would open the American Dream of home ownership to more people. (The idea is admirable as long as the people who are given access to a home have some chance to actually afford the costs.) Loan agencies began to be forced to make loans to people who couldn’t previously qualify. The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) was passed during the Carter era to monitor and punish banks that weren’t making enough loans to people in inner cities, and the CRA is not even listed in the table of contents. CRA was just the beginning of government meddling. The Clinton administration added more penalties for loan agencies that turned down loans to people who weren’t previously approvable. The Government Sponsored Entities (GSEs) Freddie Mae and Fannie Mac were directed to make a significant percentage of their lending support to “affordable housing.” (There is a short discussion of the two GSEs on page 187 of this 209 page book.) Continue reading
Electricity Generation Problems and Politics
I began doing research on solar generation of power for this posting, but expanded to asking how we continue to power our society in the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly manner. Let’s make a few generalizations. Everyone wants inexpensive energy, and we would prefer to have as little impact on the planet as possible. Some of us might even want to drive cars that are battery powered, which means the batteries have to be recharged from some source of electricity generation. Solar and wind generated electricity are “darlings,” because they don’t use those ugly petrochemicals and don’t emit carbon dioxide. However, they aren’t as dependable as plants that burn coal or natural gas. They are also unfortunately more expensive. Many consumers want to turn on their computers and feel superior because they think the energy is coming from a renewable source such as solar or wind. Some might also selfishly want the energy to be inexpensive and dependable.
This is an immensely complicated problem, but let’s begins with costs for various methods of generating electrical energy. Mark Jaffe wrote an article in the Denver Post that is a pretty good summary of the costs and dependability of various methods of energy production. The flaw is that nuclear power generation is not mentioned. I’ll attempt to summarize the excellent data in the article. Natural gas costs between 6.6 to 10.9 cents to generate a kilowatt of electricity, coal is 7.4 to 13.5, wind is 4.4 to 11.5, and solar comes in last ( in the cost race) at 14.1 to 21. The dependability is perhaps more concerning in comparing “renewable” solar and wind to oil and natural gas. Coal and natural gas are rated at about 70-90 percent dependable. Solar and wind are rated at twenty-two to forty-two percent dependable.
Let’s try to be honest. Would you prefer to accept a less than fifty percent chance of having your home heating or air conditioning to work or your computer to be powered to be between 70-90 percent dependable, or would you be willing to accept a less than fifty percent chance of that energy being available?
Solar has especially come under pressure recently. An article in the Wall Street Journal by Yuliya Chernova reports that 8% more solar panels would be installed in 2011 than in 2010, but that increases are expected to end in 2012. The United States is about the only country that is expected to have stable or increased demand in this New Year, and that is because utilities have to install new panels to meet State mandates. Price competition for the panels, to include from the Chinese where the government directed banks to lend freely to new manufacturers, is driving companies out of business. At least seven solar panel producers, including Solyndra, filed for bankruptcy in 2011. Stock prices have of course plummeted.
And now let’s discuss nuclear power generation. I know it has been successfully vilified by those who are against anything that is titled “nuclear,” and Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and the recent problems in Japan after the tsunami haven’t done anything to encourage people to advocate that source of electricity. However, let’s think about this. Nuclear power doesn’t generate carbon dioxide, and therefore doesn’t contribute to the currently frightening “boogieman” (which I don’t believe) of global warming. For those who are so selfish to be interested in costs of electricity, nuclear power generation is the least expensive method. It is also dependable so long as a tsunami doesn’t wipe out the cooling systems.
The criminal investigation of government loans to Solyndra won’t help the reputation of the solar industry. An article in the Washington Post by Joe Stephens and Carol D. Leonnig reprinted in the Denver Post contains some troubling information. The loans that were made “…were thick with political considerations.” Thousands of memos, company records, and internal e-mails show that the government was almost exclusively worried about how the story would impact Obama’s campaign for reelection. There was rarely if ever a discussion of the impact Solyndra’s collapse would have on laid-off workers, the development of solar power, or the impact on taxpayers. The discussions were almost exclusively about “How are we going to manage this politically?” The bottom line is that senior officials pushed career bureaucrats to rush their positive decision on making the loans so Vice President Joe Biden could announce it on a trip to California.
A matrix at the end of the Washington Post article presents connections between Solyndra, the Department of Energy, several senior members of the administration, and Solyndra investors. One of those investors was the billionaire George Kaiser who was a “bundler” for the Obama campaign.
Pass the Buck
Infoplease.com observes that card players would place a marker, called a “buck” in front of the person who was the dealer. The buck would be passed to the next person who then had the responsibility to deal. The expression “passing the buck” eventually became synonymous with passing responsibility.
The River of Doubt, Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey
I posted a two part review of “Destiny of the Republic, A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard (November 16 and 25). That book led me to this magnificent book, which I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a well written story with fascinating events and characters. The book has many details about Roosevelt that were new to me, and I had never heard of the expedition down the Rio da Duvida, or the River of Doubt.
The book begins with Theodore Roosevelt deserting the Republican Party to run for President for what would be his third term in office. He had become President after McKinley was assassinated, finished about three years remaining on that term, and had been reelected. He was disappointed in Republican William Howard Taft who followed him, and ran as a Progressive against Taft and Woodrow Wilson. He was shot and badly injured while campaigning, but continued campaign appearances with the bullet still in his body. He said, “It takes more than that to kill a bull moose!” He and his party were thereafter called the “Bull Moose.” Roosevelt finished with the second highest number of votes behind Wilson and ahead of Taft and the Socialist Eugene Debs. Angry Republicans blamed him for Wilson’s victory, and made him miserable by their scorn.
The American Museum of Natural History recruited Roosevelt to lead a “…not particularly dangerous…” exploration of a tributary of the Amazon. George Cherrie, a talented explorer and naturalist was chosen to accompany him. Brazilian officials provided Colonel Candido Rondon as the guide for the expedition. Rondon brought a contingent of military “camaradas,” or companions to the expedition. Roosevelt’s son Kermit joined the expedition. Less competent members were winnowed as the trip progressed. The five tons of equipment selected for the trip contained many unnecessary items. One stevedore commented about the piles of goods, “Nothings lacking but the piano!” The boats were never put into service because they were far too heavy for portages, and the expedition was reduced to using cumbersome dugouts.
A Catholic priest, Father John Zahm, who was inexplicably added to the expedition, casually mentioned to Roosevelt that perhaps he should “…go down an unknown river…” Thus the River of Doubt was chosen. Many thought the selection was far too dangerous, and Roosevelt’s backers wanted the plan changed. Roosevelt wanted to do something dangerous that would test him physically and mentally, and he responded “…if it is necessary for me to leave my bones in South America, I am quite ready to do so.”
There is fascinating information in the book about Roosevelt and his son, but I’m going to focus Colonel Rondon, and his troops. His camaradas were dedicated to Rondon and were the backbone of the expedition. Rondon and his men faced frequent danger with skill, bravery, discipline, and stamina. They lived on starvation ratios and completed the many portages while under onslaught from swarms of a variety of biting and disease-carrying insects. They moved through a jungle so massive, dark, and silent that it was said to drive strong men near or to insanity.
Candido Rondon was born to parents who were of mixed Indian and European descent. Both died of smallpox; his father died before he was born and his mother died when he was two. He was raised by grandparents and went to a military school when he was sixteen. He was so poor he couldn’t afford books, and no one noticed he was slowly starving to death until he collapsed. He survived and became a “Positivist” with a primary goal of gaining better treatment for the Indians of Brazil. He led many expeditions into territories where there were Indians willing and able to kill outsiders. All but one of his men complied with his command, “Die if you must, but never kill.”Many of the scattered tribes of the Amazon dared to trust Rondon. Roosevelt was the figurehead of the expedition, but Rondon was the commander.
The cannibalistic Cinta Larga Indian tribe allowed the expedition to pass down the River of Doubt. Some future expeditions were apparently wiped out. Rondon’s ritual of leaving gifts in clearings might have resulted in the survival of Roosevelt and his companions.
There is considerable attention given to Roosevelt’s struggle to survive a leg injury and infection. Roosevelt implored his companions, “You can get out. I will stop here.” He was not left to die because he had demonstrated thoughtfulness to Rondon and his men.
There are descriptions of the fish and animals of the Amazon. One man made the mistake of sticking a piranha stunned by a dynamite blast in his mouth as he gathered others with his hands. He nearly bled to death after the piranha bit his tongue. There is also the candirus fish, which swims up an orifice such as the anus, vagina, or urethra. It then feeds and is unable to detach, which causes intense difficulty for the victim. The man-eating priaba can grow up to nine feet long, and are so dangerous people would build stockades in the water where they could bathe in safety. Some of the fifty species of coral snakes in the Amazon do not follow the adage “Red touching yellow, dangerous fellow.” The anacondas and caimans were seen, but didn’t cause a problem. The expedition was too noisy to often be able to harvest food from the jungle despite the large numbers animals that were able to blend into the jungle.
The expedition lost one camarada to drowning and another to murder by one of his fellows who ran into the jungle and was eventually abandoned to what was likely to have been a quick death. The ones who survived to make it through were nearly starved and wearing little but rags. Roosevelt survived because of the care he received and probably because he was robust when he began the trip. He never fully recovered from the leg infection other maladies. He was however, able to give a triumphant speech about the expedition after some questioned the validity of the story. The river was renamed Rio Roosevelt.
Read the book. You are likely to enjoy the wealth of interesting detail I haven’t included.