Virus Linked To Global Warming

Belgium — In parts of Europe, a rodent-born viral disease has been linked to climate change. The disease nephropathia epidemica was “scarcely known before 1990,” but is now an epidemic in Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands and Luxembourg, said viral epidemiologist Dr Jan Clement of the University of Leuven’s Rega Institute

When people contract the disease, they get fevers and can have internal hemorrhaging that can lead to death.

Citibank reported a fourth-quarter net loss of $8.29 billion (its 5th straight quarterly loss.) They also announced they are splitting into 2 seperate businesses.

Bank of America Corp (BAC.N) posted its first quarterly loss in 17 years. First, they obtained an additional $20 billion from the government’s Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). Then, they reported a quarterly loss of $1.79 billion.

Toyota is likely to report its first quarterly loss in 70 years.

Apparently the distinguished senators from Peabody Coal must repay their masters. Yesterday’s companies paying yesterday’s politicians to burn yesterday’s fuels, to poison tomorrow’s children.

Read, weep, and remember next November

Apparently Big Brother is really bored and wants to know all about your phone calls. And your friends. And their friends. All without a warrant.

“That’s quite ok,” sez the court. “Perfectly legal. Nothing to see here, move along, go about your business.”

This is the kind of thing that drives me to drink. Barkeep, another one please. Make it a double.

NASA finds methane on Mars.
This is interesting since methane can be generated by living things. But they may also be generated by geological processes. Need more data.

“Right now, we don’t have enough information to tell if biology or geology — or both — is producing the methane on Mars,”

UK Ministry of Defense hit by virus. But for security reasons, they will say very little.

The MoD refused to discuss details of the virus, transmission methods, countermeasures or other specifics of the incident “for security reasons”.

I got a tip for them. Don’t use Microsoft products.

Coffee reduces risk

“Middle-aged people who drank between three and five cups of coffee a day lowered their risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease by between 60 and 65 per cent later in life,” said lead researcher on the project, Miia Kivipelto, a professor at the University of Kuopio in Finland and at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.

On the other hand, not too much, please.

The Finnish-Swedish research results surfaced just a day after a separate study published by psychologists at Durham University showed a link between heavy coffee drinking and hallucinations.

“I guess this shows that you shouldn’t exaggerate,” Kivipelto said when asked about the British study, pointing out that her research showed “insignificant” benefits to drinking more than five cups of coffee a day when it came to protecting against dementia.

“Too much is simply too much,” she said.

Energy Sources
Energy is the vital force powering business, manufacturing, and the transportation of goods and services to serve the American and world economies. Energy supply and demand plays an increasingly vital role in our national security and the economic output of our nation. It is not surprising that the United States spends over 500 billion dollars annually on energy.

Increasing energy supplies.
As America’s need for energy grows, the Department of Energy is meeting the challenge by establishing clean fuel initiatives to make the most of traditional fossil fuels while investing in cutting edge research to develop sustainable sources such as fusion and to employ hydrogen (an energy carrier like electricity) which can be produced from diverse, domestic sources and greatly reduce our dependence on imported oil.

Modernizing our energy infrastructure.
By developing the infrastructure to support these fuels, DOE is striving every day to protect our nation’s energy needs and our planet’s environment.

Ensuring the productive and optimal use of energy resources, while limiting environmental impact.
In addition, the Department of Energy is harnessing the power of the earth itself to meet our energy needs. Advances in wind, hydro and geothermal energy allow us to take advantage of clean, abundant energy.

Cooperating on international energy issues.
The Department’s activities are instrumental in establishing the safety, reliability, and efficiency of energy supplies in a global marketplace.

If I were a bank, Bernanke could give me money too.

Bank of America gets more

I see that Bernanke will give banks more:

“Bernanke said Tuesday that the government must pump more money into troubled financial institutions and that further guarantees of their debt could be necessary.”

Meanwhile the Citi never sleeps, losing more every day. Now they will split into two, perhaps each half will get twice as much money? This is the amoeba theory of multiplication by division. Nice job if you can get it.

PPL is a power utility in Pennsylvania. About five years ago, I called PPL about a grid connection for a windmill on a farm. I was told that the connection would have to be entirely separate from the current connection, that I would be credited for any electricity generated, but that all the credits would have to be used up through consumption at that property within 30 days…

Ha! said I, in high dudgeon. A pox upon your house. Why should I even bother to connect to the grid ?

Now I see that PPL has been slowly and reluctantly forced into the new millennium. I quote from the FAQ at

http://www.dsireusa.org/library/includes/printincentive.cfm?incentive_code=PA03R

“The PUC adopted net-metering rules and interconnection standards for net-metered systems and other forms of DG in 2006, pursuant to the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards (AEPS) Act of 2004. In 2007, H.B. 1203 amended the Pennsylvania AEPS and also expanded net metering. Revised rules consistent with these amendments became effective in November 2008. ”

In addition, I am informed that all renewable energy credits will remain with the customer.

And from the PPL FAQ at

http://www.pplelectric.com/NR/rdonlyres/15E0263A-063C-4E86-9F37-B5C75CC66446/0/FAQsCustGenWebPages_r1.pdf

“We will pay you the full retail value of your generation…”

Now they’re talking.

Talking bout my generation….