NASA Busted For Removing Data

Magnetosphere squeezed

Published on Mar 25, 2017

Views:10,072

NEVER have I been able to catch NASA removing something AFTER it was Published.... UNTIL NOW! The old fashion way NASA used to hide second solar wind, ie, Planet x, was to just take down the simulations or not post data publically and then call it a technical issue... This is a game changer. They actually pulled something AFTER IT WAS PUBLISHED.

Sleeping On The Street Charity Pie. Episode 3

Published on Mar 24, 2017

Views: 28,969

Pie ponders the state of a nation that relies on handouts to solve it's problems

Homeless Charity Pie 2

Published on Mar 22, 2017

Views: 48,082

Pie reports form a charity that helps the homeless find work

Sub-Standard News

Published on March 26,2017
Views: 32,896

Make Your Mark Downtown Today: Latino & African-American Heritage

The exhibit includes over 40 veterans from Washington-Escobedo Community.
Today from 12-3
435 N Hibbert [just above University Drive]
This community exhibit, taking place in one of the original buildings in what was once a segregated neighborhood, includes not only African-American and Mexican-American residents but also a Native American vet from the Lehi Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Reservation. Bruce Nelson, the creator of this display of mostly archival published news images that were researched for his new in-the-works documentary, greeted visitors today taking the time to read the stories and talk with a good turn-out of guests who had even more stories and histories to tell him.
Heritage Room Mission: To preserve, publicize, educate the public on the African American and Latino heritage and culture of Mesa; while promoting local visual artist with interactive projects for youth and seniors.
A short screening of the trailer from the Veterans of Washington-Escobedo Community documentary and the Army recruiting film "The Negro Soldier" was shown to small groups.

History of the Washington Neighborhood is shown on the wall panel, along with some images of then-mayor Wayne Pomeroy playing a game of pool at the center with a group of residents.
Like much of the Confederate South, swimming pools were segregated by race way past the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
In one image Tom Ikeda, whose Japanese family is also an important part of Mesa's is shown awarding prizes for sports competitions on the athletic facilities.

Mesa-born and raised in the Washington neighborhood, documentary film producer Bruce Nelson is on the right  

 

Here again on the left 

 

Life, Liberty & The Pursuit of Happiness

Are we sliding down for all three?
These countries beat America in the latest World Happiness
By Quentin Fottrell

Published: Mar 20, 2017 5:21 p.m.

The U.S. doesn’t even rank among the Top 10 on a list of 155 countries. The report, introduced in 2005, involved polling of 1,000 residents per country by research organization Gallup.

 

It was put together by Sustainable Development Solutions Network, a group linked to the United Nations and led in part by economist Jeffrey D. Sachs, known for “The End of Poverty” and other books. Where necessary, Gallup seeks the permissions of national, regional, and local governments. The interviews are conducted by phone and face-to-face.

The U.S. has seen its happiness slide happiness over the last decade.

In 2007, it ranked No. 3 among the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries.

Last year, it was 19th, down from 13th the year before.

“The predominant political discourse in the United States is aimed at raising economic growth, with the goal of restoring the American Dream and the happiness that is supposed to accompany it. But the data show conclusively that this is the wrong approach,” the report concluded.

For those interviewed in the report, perception is reality. At least, as far as their happiness is concerned and, experts say, the divisive political climate likely hasn’t helped.
“The United States can and should raise happiness by addressing America’s multi-faceted social crisis — rising inequality, corruption, isolation, and distrust — rather than focusing exclusively or even mainly on economic growth, especially since the concrete proposals along these lines would exacerbate rather than ameliorate the deepening social crisis,” the report said.

The U.S showed less social support, less sense of personal freedom, lower donations, and more perceived corruption of government and business, it said. “America’s crisis is, in short, a social crisis, not an economic crisis… Almost all of the policy discourse in Washington, D.C. centers on naïve attempts to raise the economic growth rate, as if a higher growth rate would somehow heal the deepening divisions and angst in American society. This kind of growth-only agenda is doubly wrong-headed.”

The U.S. economy’s expansion slowed in the fourth quarter of 2016, and annual growth failed to reach 3% for an 11th straight year, according to Commerce Department data released in January

All of the other countries in the Top 10 — Finland, the Netherlands, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and Sweden — also have high values in all six of the key variables used to explain happiness differences among countries: income, healthy life expectancy, having someone to count on in times of trouble, generosity, freedom and trust, with the latter measured by the absence of corruption in business and government.

 

Fast-Forward To The Future [and a City of Mesa Electric Energy Survey]

Why the combination of the two in this post headline? One is the start of a revolution for battery power and the other is dinosaur thinking, relying on the grid of fossil fuel-generated electric energy in Sunshine-rich Arizona. What's the bright, or brightest, idea?
Think about it: do the survey.
Will Mesa become a solar city? It could happen in less than 3 years.Apple's global command center here may lead the way recently reaffirming its worldwide commitment to using 100% renewable energy.

Tesla’s Battery Revolution Just Reached Critical Mass

Three new plants in California show how lithium-ion storage is ready to power the grid.

by Tom Randall         @tsrandallMore stories by Tom Randall

‎30‎ ‎January‎, ‎2017‎ ‎4‎:‎45‎ ‎AM

Source: Bloomberg

" . . . this is a revolution that’s just getting started, Tesla Chief Technology Officer J.B. Straubel said in an interview on Friday. “It’s sort of hard to comprehend sometimes the speed all this is going at,” he said. “Our storage is growing as fast as we can humanly scale it.”

Tesla Motors Inc. is making a huge bet that millions of small batteries can be strung together to help kick fossil fuels off the grid. The idea is a powerful one—one that’s been used to help justify the company’s $5 billion factory near Reno, Nev.—but batteries have so far only appeared in a handful of true, grid-scale pilot projects. 

Three massive battery storage plants—built by Tesla, AES Corp., and Altagas Ltd.—are all officially going live in southern California at about the same time. Another one by Tesla in Hawaii.

A Question of Price
The battery storage industry—a key part of the plan if wind and solar power are to ever dominate the grid—is less than a decade old and still relatively small. Until recently, batteries were many times more expensive than natural gas “peaker” plants that fire up to meet surging demand in the evening and morning hours.

But prices for lithium-ion batteries have fallen fast—by almost half just since 2014. Electric cars are largely responsible, increasing demand and requiring a new scale of manufacturing for the same battery cells used in grid storage. 

Battery costs and profitability for utilities are difficult to evaluate. Companies are reluctant to give up their pricing data, and the expense is highly variable. Nevertheless, battery plants take up a much smaller footprint than gas-powered plants, they don’t pollute, and their instant response can provide valuable services better than any other technology. In a small but increasing number of scenarios, batteries are already the most economical option. 

City of Mesa flag

THE SURVEY
Affordability, Sustainability, Reliability: What’s important to you as an electricity customer in Mesa?

Post Date: 03/13/2017 4:55 PM

Mesa’s electric utility, the Energy Resources Department, is currently working on our 10-year Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) to examine the different options for providing energy to electric customers (including solar, wind, hydro and traditional power sources) and is currently seeking citizen input.
Mesa’s current power supply is 20% renewable hydroelectric power and the remainder is composed of the sources that make up Arizona’s mix as a whole (nuclear, coal, and natural gas).

Mesa receives its renewable hydroelectric power from the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) and is required to complete an IRP every five years.  
The IRP process helps both the Energy Resources Department and its customers follow the best path forward by determining the best resources for its stakeholders.
At the beginning of the IRP process, all resources are considered viable for meeting Mesa electric customers’ needs. 
These resources include:
1. Long Term Contractual Resources
This is where Mesa issues “Requests for Proposals” from energy suppliers whereby the suppliers can generate energy and sell it to Mesa for an extended period of time. 
The energy may be generated by any technology that the supplier chooses, but typical supplies in the southwest region may include

• natural gas generated electricity,
• coal generated electricity,
• nuclear generated electricity 
• possibly some small contributions from wind generated electricity or electricity generated at hydro-electric generators.

2. Purchasing Physical Resources
Mesa may have opportunities to own the resources that could provide electricity to its customers. 
This may include owning and operating

• natural gas fired generation,
• wind-powered generation or
• solar photovoltaic generation. 

Mesa may also have opportunities for joint ownership in tandem with other utilities in larger resources, accessing economies of scale.

3. Demand Side Management
Opportunities may exist for Mesa to facilitate programs which incent Mesa electric customers to reduce their electric consumption. 
This way, Mesa helps its customers to keep their demand low to avoid the cost of acquiring other resources -- through staff analysis and input from the public on what energy values are most important to them (sustainable energy options, affordability, etc.).

We invite you to share your thoughts on energy sources in this 5-minute survey:
English version: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MesaEnergy
Spanish Version: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MesaEnergyEsp
For further information on the IRP planning process, please contact Anthony Cadorin, Energy Resources Coordinator, at Anthony.Cadorin@mesaaz.gov.

This is a reply received 4 days ago in response to questions sent

Thank you for your response to our survey, we appreciate the feedback.  Regarding your questions:

 

1. What's the city paying now for electric supply?

 The cost of electric supplies for the City of Mesa’s electric utility are published monthly on our website in our tariff adjustment sheet.

·         The ELRF is the electric supply cost for our residential customers

·         The ELCF is the electric supply cost for our commercial customers 

·         The ELFF is the electric supply cost for our interdepartmental customers 

These costs are inclusive of generation, transmission, and all ancillary services required to deliver electric supplies from the energy market to Mesa’s electric utility:

http://www.mesaaz.gov/residents/energy-resources/energy-factors

2. Please be more specific about dollar figures, financing and proposed entities for joint ownership:

 

City of Mesa Energy Resources is always trying to keep abreast of any new resource opportunities that may be available to Mesa for electric supplies.  We’ve previously has evaluated resource options like the ones that you’ve listed, on multiple occasions.  In each case, the drawbacks of ownership, including unit contingent generation, have outweighed the potential benefits to the City when considering the City’s load profile and opportunities on the wholesale market.  However, we’re always interested in hearing about and evaluating new opportunities when they arise.

 

Thank you,

Amy McConnell

 

 

 

Amy J. McConnell

Transportation | Energy Public Information Officer

480-644-6553 - Office

Visit us at http://www.mesaaz.gov