EGAD

Today's Reading Material

It's always a little disconcerting when the answer to a seemingly simple engineering question turns out to mean wading through fifty or so pages of computer-generated reports. So now I'm whipping up some software to summarize it for me. Let's just hope I don't end up having to summarize the summary.

The Senate today decided to roll over and play dead in exchange for lavish porky treats, and overwhelmingly pass the final iteration of the gigantic Energy Bill That Wouldn't Die (wire coverage lacking so far). Well, party favors for all except those of us who are actually concerned about climate change, but this suprises precisely nobody. Just like the fact that it took the AP until now to notice this potentially related and really creepy story that's been kicking around all summer.

In honor of which, here's the good if broadly fluffy cover story of this month's National Geographic summarizing what's right and what's very, very wrong with the world's energy policies. My only real complaint: failure to distinguish Brazilian biodiesel efforts from American ethanol. The former is generally sustainable and probably carbon-neutral, whereas the latter consumes so much fertilizer and energy that it's a net loss in the global carbon and energy balances.

And just for the space geeks out there, the New York Times summarizes the current state of play in NASA's thinking on a Shuttle replacement. I have to hand it to the present crop of planners -- this is a bit of deft institutional judo that takes full advantage of both Congressional and technological inertia.