Skip to main content

SOLUTION TO GLOBAL WARMING: The Ocean

President Joe Biden tested negative for COVID-19.  The four shots and Paxlovid worked well.

Authorities don't know how best to de-stigmatize Monkeypox, but:

The global monkeypox outbreak appears to mostly affect men who have sex with other men. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that 98% of people diagnosed with the virus between April and June in more than a dozen countries identify as gay or bisexual men, and the WHO says that 99% of U.S. cases are related to male-to-male sexual contact.

Maybe the best policy is to just focus on this community.

As of a week ago there were 14,000 cases and only 5 deaths.  While in the past monkeypox had a 5% mortality rate, the strain that is currently dominating has a much lower death rate, similar to COVID-19 before vaccinations.  There is a vaccine, and if given within four days of exposure, protects about 85% of the time.  There are also antivirals and immunoglobulins to treat the disease.

The July 11th TIME magazine was a special issue about the ocean, mostly by Elijah Wolfson and Tom Vanderbilt.  The former head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Jane Lubchenco, is quoted:

It’s time to stop thinking of the ocean as a victim of climate change and start thinking of it as a powerful part of the solution.

In short:

  • The bottom of the Pacific Ocean is littered with rare earth metals.
  • The tides can be harnessed.
  • Offshore wind farms are poised to expand exponentially.
  • Maritime shipping is on the verge of being decarbonized.
  • There is a plug for mangroves, salt marshes and seagrasses to sequester CO2.
  • There was a lot more, but there was no sense that all these options can develop better if linked as a total system solution.
So I checked on the background of Elijah Wolfson:
  • American writer and editor, covering health and science for Time.
  • Studied rhetoric and creative writing at Cal-Berkeley.
  • Noted for his work on child abuse.
What about Tom Vanderbilt?
  • American journalist blogger with expertise in traffic, as in transportation.
  • Was a contestant on Jeopardy.
My gripe is that the subject matter is fine, and individual contributions okay.  But these two authors in particular, and the overall Time editor, missed a golden opportunity to make a huge difference for the Blue Revolution.

For those familiar with this blog site, I need say no more.  Those new to this field, watch my TEDx talk of December 2021, a podcast on the Blue Revolution of 2020 and another presentation, this one a decade ago, given to the Seasteading Institute.

Why am I more qualified to address this matter of the ocean as a powerful part of the solution to global warming?

  • PhD in biochemical engineering.
  • When I worked for the U.S. Senate, drafted the original hydrogen and ocean energy thermal conversion legislation that became law.
  • Directed the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute at the University of Hawaii for 15 years.
  • As deep seabed rare earth metals are mentioned above, I also was the lead staff in the U.S. Senate on this subject, and HNEI was the national center on this subject for the Department of Interior.
  • Assisted in creating the Pacific International Center for High Technology Research, and hired the engineers who built and tested the 210 kW open-cycle OTEC facility at the Natural Laboratory of Hawaii Authority on the Big Island.
  • An international partnership to provide an opportunity for the private sector to embark on a geoengineering solution to remediate global warming, while developing and marketing sustainable products in harmony with the marine environment.

As much as I am most definitely griping and heaping disrespect on capable writers, I've too miserably failed.  No luck in finding an imaginative billionaire to, with his friends, fund the Blue Revolution.  Not only these three, for there are around 2700 billionaires in the world.  The USA has 724 and China 698.  Help!

- 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

THE ENIGMATIC PHIL SPECTOR

The first presidential debate of Donald Trump and Joe Biden ended up in a near tie.  Both lost.  However, it was an unmitigated disaster for Biden, who just might be too old to win this re-election. For Trump, it was a reinforcement of what he does all the the time, lie.   There will be significant calls for the Democratic Party to work out "something" to replace Biden as their presidential candidate.  Suddenly, Kamala Harris, Gavin Newsom and Michelle Obama are added to the spotlight.  But what can "legally" occur at the August Democratic Convention? The situation is different on the Republican side, as Trump is the Republican Party, and no matter if he gets 4 years at his felony sentencing on July 9, or even if the Supreme Court determines he is not immune next week or later, he will be the presidential candidate. Trump is a damned boastful liar and convicted felon, but that is the only option for Republicans.  His vice-presidential choice now become...

ON THE MATTER OF PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

Hawaii today celebrates King Kamehameha the First Day as a public holiday.  Next Monday, June 19, or  Juneteenth,  is a Federal holiday.  However, 22 states, including Hawaii, do not recognize this as a public holiday.  Four of these will begin to honor this day next year, not Hawaii.  Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery.  Here are the Hawaii holidays, and note three that only we have: New Year’s Day: 1st day in January Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: 3rd Monday in January Presidents’ Day: 3rd Monday in February Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Day: 26th day in March Good Friday: Friday before Easter Easter:   Calculating Easter Memorial Day: Last Monday in May King Kamehameha I Day: 11th day in June Independence Day: 4th day in July Statehood Day: 3rd Friday in August Labor Day: 1st Monday in September Veterans’ Day: 11th day in November Thanksgiving Day: 4th Thursday in November Christmas: 25th day in December There are  11 paid Fede...

THE TRUMP ENERGY PROGRAM

From  Time  magazine, I begin with a slew of Trump topics.  You can read the details. The unpopular Big Beautiful Bill is now in the House . The only truly effective anti-Trump person:  Elon Musk. The Trump Gaza ceasefire proposal . The July 4th Free American Anti-Trump Protest planned across the USA . This site began as a renewable energy and environment blog, and has evolved to just about any subject.  I try to keep Wednesdays for sci-tech, with perhaps a monthly focus on energy.  More recently, I've drawn from the  Energy Matters  info sent to me by the American Energy Society.  I'm inserting direct quotes this time to eliminate my predilections for more credibility. This service starts with some broad topics. - Fossil fuels: Helium is locked in a supply crunch, and prices are surging. - Renewables: Congress will probably pass new renewable fuel standards for 2026 and 2027. - Policy: President Trump is now focused on Califor...