Connecticut Prepares For Plug-In Hybrids

Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell, in an apparent rare bit of enlightened foresight for a Republican, has indicated that the state will prepare for infrastructure necessary to support widespread use of plug-in hybrid vehicles.  (Shocking, I know.)

Link

"We need to make sure the state's electric infrastructure is ready for the additional demand, and we want to avoid problems that could crop up if, say, a high number of EVs are charging on a 98-degree summer day when power is at a premium for air conditioners and other devices," the governor said.

Although none are currently in production, it is anticipated that use of such vehicles could begin as early as 2010.

And, oh my goodness, is this recognition of global warming?!!

"The benefits to our planet, our businesses and families, not to mention the potential cost savings from a coordinated and intelligently planned roll-out of EVs, make Connecticut's participation in EV integration discussions imperative," the governor said.

The Governor has directed that Connecticut utilities be involved with preparations.

The integration discussions were announced last week. General Motors and 34 utilities will collaborate with the Electric Power Research Institute on research and development to facilitate integration of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles into the power grid.

Today, Governor Rell directed DPUC Chairman Donald Downes to "ensure Connecticut utilities are actively involved in the discussions."

And here she goes again, seeming to acknowledge global warming.  

"In a time of soaring energy prices," said Governor Rell, "Connecticut has an opportunity to be a national leader in reducing our dependence on foreign energy sources and in integrating available technologies in a way that will reduce emissions and may potentially lower costs to consumers."

Can it really be so?  

 

From The Vine

We've had a grape vine for several years now but 2008 has brought what is shaping up to be a bumper crop of fruit. These will be grapes of the purple variety, should the critters not harvest them prior to full ripening. I've attempted to control the vine but it is a wild beast, growing visibly in a period of mere days. It is on a trellis now. Well, at least part of it is.

Seen below are some of those grapes in a photo taken a few days ago.

Saturday Painting Palooza Vol.155

Welcome back.

This week we will be starting with a new painting. I'm not quite ready to leave the dark to light painting process of our prior subject. (I started with a dark brown background and added lighter elements as the process moved forward.) This one will also be a Victorian house in (West) Cape May, New Jersey. The photo that I'm using is seen directly below.

I am doing this piece in my usual acrylics and, once again, in an 8x10 format on stretched canvas.

As before, I have started with a dark brown background. In our last subject I found that it added a depth and complexity where it peeked through the paint placed over it. I was very pleased with the final result.

Over the brown I began the bones of the structure, careful to place the brushstrokes in a way that would provide overall balance. I've said it many times, those first strokes are important in terms of composition. Of course, they also provide a framework for the details to come.

The current state of the painting is seen in the photo directly below.

That's about it for now. I'll see you next week with more progress, and some of those details. As always, feel free to add photos of your own work in the comments section below.

In Its Image

Last fall I rescued what was left of our coleus from the increasingly chilly outdoor temperatures. Rooting the stalk in some water, it eventually reemerged in its full brilliance in our greenhouse window. Earlier this season I replanted it outside in my newest pot. It now sits at the edge of our deck. It is seen below in its current state.

Growing on the soil below it are its offspring, looking very much like the proud parent towering above.

Saturday Painting Palooza Vol.154

Welcome back.

This week we will be continuing with the painting of the (West) Cape May Victorian house. The photo that I'm using is seen directly below.

I am doing this piece in my usual acrylics in an 8x10 format.

When last seen, the painting appeared as it does in the photo seen directly below.

Since that time I have continued to work on the painting.

I have now made the structure to the left left grainy and more solid. The blue is a bit darker. The Nash (car) has been revised as well. There is now a marked contrast between the lit and shadowed portions.

Also receiving attention is the roadway, now a bit whiter. This has been accomplished with several thin layers of paint. The lawn is a bit brighter with deeper shadowed areas. The edges have newly darkended shadowed areas. The foliage to the left rear has now received highlights on its upper portion. A deeply shadowed area resides below.

And with that the painting is done.

The current state of the painting is seen in the photo directly below. (The white balance now having been corrected.)



That's about it for now. I'll see you next week with a new painting. As always, feel free to add photos of your own work in the comments section below.

It Can Be Done

Powering our towns/cities by alternative means, that is.

At least one small town in Missouri has accomplished that task with wind power.

ENS Link

One American Town Is Entirely Powered by Wind

COLUMBIA, Missouri, July 16, 2008 (ENS) - Four wind turbines supply all the electricity needed by the 1,395 residents of Rock Port. The town in the far northwest corner of Missouri announced Tuesday that it has become the first town in the United States to operate solely on wind power.

Rock Port depends for power on the Loess Hills Wind Farm with its four Suzlon 1.25-megawatt wind turbines developed by the Wind Capital Group of St. Louis. John Deere Wind Energy in Kansas City handled the financing.

The benefits will come to the town in several forms.

Baker said the wind turbines also attract many visitors, adding tourism revenue to the list of benefits.

And for ratepayers, the wind turbines are easy on their wallets. "Anybody who is currently using Rock Port utilities can expect no increase in rates for the next 15 to 20 years."

And where there is a surplus generated, it will be purchased by the local utility company.

The wind farm is sized to provide enough electricity over the course of a typical year to match electricity consumption in the town. The Missouri Public Utility Alliance in Columbia will purchase excess electricity from Loess Hills when the output from the wind power plant exceeds what Rock Port residents use.

Giving credence to Al Gore's 10 year goal.

Once Upon A Nash

I did a post about this a while back. It's always interesting to see this ad again, and now more than ever before. How far we haven't come. Apples and oranges when compared to a modern vehicle you say? Perhaps. But this car is large and fairly heavy. It carries more people and luggage. And still it gets more than 25 mph. Hmm. I wonder if I could get one in a nice shade of maroon.

282 mpg (?)

Volkswagen has determined that it will put its 282 mile per gallon One Liter Car into production.

Volkswagen's had its super-thrifty One-Liter Car concept vehicle -- so named because that's how much fuel it needs to go 100 kilometers -- stashed away for six years. The body's made of carbon fiber to minimize weight (the entire car weighs just 660 pounds) and company execs didn't expect the material to become cheap enough to produce the car until 2012.

Six years?!!

Being obsessed with all things automotive, I actually recall when this vehicle was first unveiled. At the time, there was no indication that it was actually intended for production. It was more of a rolling display of what could be accomplished. Automobile companies do this kind of thing all the time with many of these concept vehicles finding their way to the car shows. They're as much about coming technology as they are about coporate pride. Most do not find their way to production, only the technology(ies) underlying them will actually move forward.

In producing an entire concept vehicle, Volkswagen is taking a very bold step forward, especially with this tiny commuter car. Kudos. It's just too bad that it did not happen far sooner.

Saturday Painting Palooza Vol.153

Welcome back.

This week we will be continuing with the painting of the (West) Cape May Victorian house. The photo that I'm using is seen directly below.

I am doing this piece in my usual acrylics in an 8x10 format.

When last seen, the painting appeared as it does in the photo seen directly below.

Since that time I have continued to work on the painting.

Appearing for the first time is the building appearing in the distance, to the left side. In front stands a car (A '49 Nash, of course!) lit from the left as is the main house. These fill the void on that side of the painting and provide a visual balance.

I'm not satisfied with the way these new elements are painted. Both the car and building behind it are a bit too grainy. I'll have them revised for next week's cycle.

The current state of the painting is seen in the photo directly below. (Note that I had the camera on the wrong setting for white balance when I took this photo, only discovered afterwards.)



That's about it for now. I'll see you next week with more progress on this piece. As always, feel free to add photos of your own work in the comments section below.

For IVG

Here's the goods, IVG. The new Veronica, waiting to be planted in our side bed, along side my somewhat ramshackle patio. Hopefully there will be enough light for our new guest. Purchased on sale, such a deal.

Saturday Painting Palooza Vol.152

Welcome back.

This week we will be continuing with the painting of the (West) Cape May Victorian house. The photo that I'm using is seen directly below.

I am doing this piece in my usual acrylics in an 8x10 format.

When last seen, the painting appeared as it does in the photo seen directly below.

Since that time I have continued to work on the painting.

Appearing for the first time is the house's chimney. It has been shadowed in the same manner as the body of the house with the lit areas to the left side.

I've added another layer of paint to the sky but I'm not quite happy with it yet. It will need at least another thin layer, maybe even a slightly brighter blue.

Further shadowing has been added to the foliage to the right of the house. The bright area remains at the top of that section. I've also added some brushstrokes to the lawn but there is more to do.

Finally, I've added another layer of paint to the walk and roadway. I'm still deciding if I want to do more.

The current state of the painting is seen in the photo directly below.



That's about it for now. I'll see you next week with more progress on this piece. As always, feel free to add photos of your own work in the comments section below.

Happy 4th!

Happy 4th of July to all! Hopefully this November will bring us something to really celebrate!

(Note that the above image has nothing at all to do with this day, but the staff made me post it! Really.)

Tired

These days, the rat race is making its impact fully felt. I'm even too tired to do an overdue Tribal Council, though I had every intention of nominating the writer of the now famous WaPo smear article about Obama's slightly favorable mortgage interest rate. (By roughly a third of a percentage point.) Such a revelation! That a large borrower with a high credit rating gets a slightly better rate! What is this world coming to?!! What's next, an expose of Obama's dry cleaning habits?

Should anyone happen by, treat this as an open thread. (Have we ever had one of those?)