Environment
Technology/Human Interest: Bringing Solar Energy To A Remote Himalayan Town (Video)
June 7, 2017
Great point dude made on the ride in. Our natural reaction when we walk into a dark room is to reach for a light switch, but the folks they are going to see have likely never done that. Never even had that capability. But they soon will, thanks to this team of volunteers and their openness to being powered by solar panels.
Volunteers pack sustainable solar energy parts toward the remote Himalayan town of Lingshed.
– National Geographic
There’s a blessing and a lesson to appreciate in this docu-short.
– @ojones1
Posted in Activism, Environment, Human Interest, Series, Technology, Travel, Videos | 
Tags: Breakthrough, Himalayan town, Himalayas, Lingshed, National Geographic, Solar Energy, solar panels, solar power, Where No Grid Has Gone Before | 
No Comments »
Power To The People: Most Of This Texas Town’s Energy Comes From Wind And Solar (Video)
June 6, 2017
How about that! A Conservative “red” town, in the “red” state of Texas, is walking the renewable energy talk for real! Did the city’s Mayor Dale Ross say that Georgetown was “90% renewable” right now? Like not in talks or planning to be, but currently 90% renewable???
In From the Ashes, Dale Ross, the Mayor of Georgetown, TX, talks about his city’s commitment to a renewable energy future— as that’s what’s best for his residents.
– National Geographic
WOW!
Technology: Bill Gates Is Backing Cranfield University’s Waterless Toilet Concept (Video)
June 6, 2017
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is going hard for ‘the toilet of the future’… still. We posted on a prototype the Foundation backed in 2012 on here.
And now this…
In developing countries, access to public utilities like running water and sewer systems are often not available. The lack of those resources leads to unsanitary conditions that can put people’s lives at risk. Researchers at Cranfield University hope to put an end to that with the waterless Nano Membrane Toilet. The design has so much potential to change lives that it’s been backed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
– Tech Insider
– @ojones1
Cover Story: CEOs Elon Musk And Bob Iger Quit The President’s Advisory Councils After Trump Dumped The Paris Accord (Video)
June 5, 2017
Remember the shocking revelation that our very own ‘real life Tony Stark’ – Elon Musk – would be advising Donald Trump in the White House? We posted on that on here.
When I saw the news that Trump dumped on Musk’s advice, and pulled out of the Paris Accord, I found myself wondering, borrowing a lyric from 4-IZE, “How’d That Work Out?”
Well, Tesla CEO Musk said he’d leave the White House advisory councils on which he serves if President Trump withdrew from the Paris climate agreement. Well, Trump withdrew.
And Musk left.
So…, “How’d That Work Out?” It didn’t.
In the aftermath of withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris Accord, Trump really sees no downside. He had his reasons, and he is not looking to impress folks, at all, including advisors like Musk or Robert Iger (Disney CEO, who also just resigned from his advisory role).
So, to review, the President has just lost the support of ‘real life Tony Stark’ and the CEO of the ‘Universe’ in which movie ‘Tony Stark’ lives… Plus taking the most powerful nation on the planet off the nations-try-to-save-the-world climate change team. Kinda eff’d in the sci-fi world AND real world.
Yup.
– @ojones1
Posted in Activism, Business, Cover Story, Environment, News, Politics, Videos | Tags: Bob Iger, Climate Change, Elon Musk, Paris Accord Withdrawal, President Donald Trump, President Trump, Quit Trump Advisory Councils, Robert Iger, Trump Advisory, Trump Advisory Councils, Western Journalism | No Comments »
Science: A 300-Year-Old River In Canada Vanished In Just 4 days (Video)
May 1, 2017
Wow. A river dried up about as fast as a big puddle after a heavy rain! Because a glacier retreated too fast. Because climate change (e.g. global warming) some scientists believe.
One of Canada’s rivers has vanished. The Slims River has been flowing through Canada for 300 years, but in 2016 something happened that caused it to vanish in the blink of an eye. In just four days, the river dipped in height so much that it could not recover. Today, the only evidence of the Slims River is its empty, thirsty channel. Scientists attribute the river’s disappearance to our warming climate and predict that future rivers may suffer the same fate.
– Tech Insider
– @ojones1
Politics: Scientists Are Running For Public Office (Video)
April 27, 2017
Yoooo! When Bill Nye said, ‘Science is political,’ he must have meant for us to take that LITERALLY! Scientists are running for office folks. They are not just sitting by as politicians try to roll back protections for the environment and wage a ‘war on facts’… they are fighting back… with the ballot! Leadership from the scientific community. Cool!
Bill Nye Speaks On His Mission To ‘Save The World’ And On How Political Science Has Become (Video)
April 24, 2017
The hero we have been waiting for to return… It’s Bill Nye The Science Guy! He’s here to “Save The World” with not only the spread of scientific interest & knowledge, but apparently promoting a point of view. Science is political. You actually know that. Think about great socio-political battles we have fought. They have been over questions that put politics smack dab in the middle of what should be apolitical pursuits: When does life begin (e.g. pro life vs. pro choice)? Are slaves really people or something ‘less than’ that should be owned or controlled (e.g. pre- through post civil war, the battle for civil rights in courtrooms and on congressional floors)? And there is a ‘less uncomfortable’ (but no less important) battle that Bill mentions here… Is Climate Change (e.g. Global Warming) a man-made phenomena that we can/must stop?
As Flavor Flav would say, “We got some nonbelievers out there!” So the fight is on. Save us Science Guy… with KNOWLEDGE… not politics!
The Science Guy sits down with Bridget Carey to talk about his new Netflix show and the three biggest problems the world is facing.
– CNET
Great interview! Take away two things: (1) Most important, Bill is back, now on Netflix, AND (2) Bridget Carey is hella cute…had to be said.
– @ojones1
Posted in Activism, Celebrity, Environment, Interview, Politics, Science, Videos | Tags: anti-science, Bill Nye, Bill Nye on New Netflix Show’s Subject Matter, Bill Nye Saves The World, Bridget Carey, c-net, climate deniers, CNET, Consider The Following, denying science, Netflix, Science Is Political | 1 Comment »
Awake, A Dream From Standing Rock (Extended Trailer)
April 20, 2017
The fight is still on, just not on your TV any more. Like most relevant revolutions… not televised. So what are the Sioux still beefing about over there? Pipelines for certain. But “Awake” goes deeper; telling the story of Native-led defiance that forever changed the fight for clean water, the environment and the future of the planet. You know, ‘trivial’ pursuits like that.
Guess this is not worth the mainstream (or those who say they are not mainstream) media’s air time, huh? Good thing for this documentary.
Posted in Activism, Environment, Film, Investigation, Politics, Trailer, Videos | Tags: A Dream From Standing Rock, Awake, Awake A Dream From Standing Rock, Dakota Access pipeline, James Spione, Josh Fox, Keystone XL pipeline, Myron Dewey, Sioux, Standing Rock, Standing Rock Sioux, Standing Rock Sioux tribe | No Comments »
ZH2: The Super-Quiet 4×4 That Runs On Hydrogen And Produces Water As Its ‘Exhaust’ (Video)
April 18, 2017
So, like about 25 or more years after we should have, are we finally gonna get to drive such automotive tech perfection? PLEASE???
(Hmmm… looks like the soldiers are getting to drive this first. Talking about ‘going green.’ Oh well.)
General Motors aka GM aka the biggest of ‘Big Auto’… has unveiled this joint industry-military creation, the ZH2. It runs smooth, practically silent (with minimal ‘accoustic signature,’as the military folks would say). It does NOT use or burn fossil fuel, so it doesn’t give off much heat that could be picked up by enemy heat-sensing night vision cameras (because, the military) nor does it give off harmful emissions. It runs on hydrogen. And its exhaust is water… drinkable water! Even the waste from this 4×4 is not wasteful. Kinda stylish to boot.
Posted in Environment, Product, Technology, Videos | Tags: 4x4, Chevrolet, Chevrolet Colorado ZH2, General Motors, GM, hydrogen-powered, hydrogen-powered Chevrolet off-road truck, Military, minimal accoustic signature, off-road truck, super-quiet, Tank Automotive Research and Development Center, TARDEC, United States Army, ZH2 | No Comments »
Geostorm (Official Teaser)
March 9, 2017
A couple of things… Star Trek: The Next Generation included planetary control tech in several episodes (read: we control weather in the future), and megabucks Bill Gates, aka The Nerd King, filed a patent for weather control tech way back in 2009 (read: the future is now). So, the geeks are already into this game deep. Now, all Hollywood has gotta do is not f*ck up a story we’ve been so ready for for so long.
After an unprecedented series of natural disasters threatened the planet, the world’s leaders came together to create an intricate network of satellites to control the global climate and keep everyone safe. But now, something has gone wrong — the system built to protect the Earth is attacking it, and it’s a race against the clock to uncover the real threat before a worldwide geostorm wipes out everything…and everyone along with it.
– Warner Bros. Pictures
In the movie “Geostorm,” Gerard Butler stars as Jake, a scientist who, along with his brother, Max (played by Jim Sturgess), is tasked with solving the satellite program’s malfunction. Lots of world-getting-f*cked-the-f*ck-up action in the trailer. Good start for the promo run.
Posted in Action, Environment, Film, Nature, Science Fiction (Sci-Fi), Trailer, Videos | Tags: Abbie Cornish, Alexandra Maria Lara, Andy Garcia, Daniel Wu, Ed Harris, Geostorm, Gerard Butler, Jim Sturgess, Warner Bros., Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Brosthers Pictures, Warner Brothers | No Comments »
Mr. Trash Wheel May Be Coming To Eat Your Garbage (Video)
March 8, 2017
We are actually more than a bit fascinated/entertained by watching work. Like all you city folk… Know how you take your lunch outside or by the big window and watch that new building construction across the street? Yep. Some folks even travel to gawk at a dam as part of a vacation trip. And while at college (The University Of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, ROLL TIDE), I would sometimes request window seating at a local by-the-river restaurant to have a view of the transport barges drifting by as I dined. Yep… even gazed at the garbage barges. Well, this is something like that. But the video on Mr. Trash Wheel above shows more than just an attractive contraption that draws a crowd as it works; it can do so sustainably, cleaning up the city while running on clean energy. Nice!
The adorable and insanely effective Mr. Trash Wheel may soon be eating your very own city’s trash.
– @ojones1
Posted in Environment, Human Interest, Technology, Videos | Tags: Adam Lindquist, Inverse, Mr. Trash Wheel, sanitation, Solar-Powered, water-powered | No Comments »
China’s ‘Making It Rain’ With $168 Million (Video)
February 15, 2017
If you live in the States you are probably used to hearing folks waah-waah-waah about droughts and forest fires. Too bad we can’t cry a river or have some West Coast baller make it rain… Oh, wait. China ain’t crying. They are actually setting up the tech to make it RAIN!
China is spending $168 million on a program that is aimed to alter weather and make it rain in certain regions. The process is called cloud seeding.
– @ojones1
Posted in Environment, Science, Technology, Travel, Videos | Tags: China, cloud seeding, make it rain, rain maker | No Comments »
Apple Campus 2: Looking Good, Even Under Construction (Video)
February 7, 2017
This is craaaaazy! Not like President Trump crazy… yeah, that is happening… but so is this. Major massive cool. Apple HQ ‘Campus 2’ is going up. Peep the aerial drone shoot for proof: Outdoor lighting (check), solar panels (check), fitness center (check), included greenspace (check), parking garages and all that (check check)!
– @ojones1
Posted in Business, Environment, Technology, Videos | Tags: Apple, Apple Campus 2, Apple Headquarters, Campus 2 | No Comments »
Environmentally Conscious And Cost Effective: Solar Roof Tiles (Video)
February 7, 2017
Can we have nice things? Why do we always HAVE to be thinking about how to ‘save the planet’ man? Why does it always have to be about the environment? And you know going green costs hella money, right?
NO! It is costing less and less to go green, and we are not even talking about the cost SAVINGS you get from making the switch (e.g. lower utility bills). Case in point: Peep this vid about the possibilites for a roof of solar panels… cheaper AND nicer than what most folks live under now.
Oh… and you are not really ‘saving’ the Earth either way. Earth means ‘rocks and dirt.’ It will be here whether we try to save it or not. We are talking about our SURVIVAL as a species. No environment, no life on Earth.
(Life. It’s the nicest thing to have. Now, play the video.)
– @ojones1
Posted in Environment, Product, Science, Technology, Videos | Tags: glass panels, photovoltaic cells, photovoltaic panels, PV cells, PV panels, Solar Energy, solar panels, solar roof panels, Tesla | No Comments »
How Much Land Would It Take To Power The Entire USA With Solar Energy? (Video)
December 7, 2016
Hmmm… Solar-powered America for all… laid out plain and simple. Of course, none of this is as plain or simple as the video implies. But I like how it defies any doubters of the concept’s doability. The U.S. made it to the moon (or convinced the world it did, for any alternative history theorists out there) in seven years once President Kennedy set the country’s direction & ambitions toward the goal. This can be done!
But will it be?
– @ojones1
Nigerian Tribal King Takes Shell Oil To Court (Video)
December 2, 2016
Lawsuit for millions and millions of dollars. Think that even makes an oil conglomerate blink? Hardly! Real question is… Where is the humanity?! If you got it for the clean-up, when the courts force you, why not spend the money PROTECTING the people?
(Wait. Don’t answer. I think I already know. Sickening…)
A Nigerian tribal king has taken oil giant Shell to court in London. Here’s why.
– Al Jazeera English
Long Live The Chief! Watch him work. Shame on you Shell! Immeasurable amounts of oil spilled. Land made wasteland. Militarization and the killing of Ken Saro-Wiwa. On you (and the Nigerian government)!
– @ojones1
Posted in Activism, Business, Cover Story, Environment, Human Interest, Politics, Travel, Videos | Tags: Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English, Chief John Ejah, Delta, HRH Emere Godwin Bebe Okpabi, John Ejah, Ken Saro-Wiwa, London, Niger, Nigerian, Ogale, Ogoniland, Shell, Shell Oil | No Comments »
Tesla Powered An Entire Island With Solar Energy (Video)
November 30, 2016
An island of residents dependent on things like generators for power are now solar-powered… the entire island. And NowThis…
– @ojones1
Posted in Environment, Series, Technology, Travel, Videos | Tags: American Samoa, Clean Energy, Island, Solar Energy, Solar-Powered, Ta'u Island, Tesla | No Comments »
This Ice Cave Never Thaws (Video)
November 15, 2016
Stalagmites – those are the ones that come up from the ground – of ice. A cave full of them and ice stalactites (from the ceiling) that never melt. Looks so serene. Beautiful.
Hidden in the mountains of China’s Shanxi Province, the Ningwu ice caves stay frozen all year. These caves, dating back more than three million years, boast icefalls and walls stretching hundreds of feet below the surface. Come explore this spectacular frozen sanctuary.
– @ojones1
Posted in Environment, Nature, Science, Travel, Videos | Tags: China, Ice Cave, Ningwu, Ningwu ice caves, Shanxi, Shanxi Province | No Comments »
NASA: Futuristic Aircraft Design (Video)
October 31, 2016
Airlines are going so far nowadays as to ask passengers to go ‘potty’ before takeoff to make the plane lighter overall. Every little bit counts. Ha!
Seriously. Lighter… as well as more powerful & efficient, more resilient, less pollutant-producing… all goals for airlines. Such are also hallmarks of futuristic air transportation tech. So you gotta know NASA is all over it. Matter of fact, it is likely that research-heavy NASA is leading in many ways. Watch this documentary on how.
Posted in Business, Education, Environment, Science, Technology, Videos | Tags: Advanced Aircraft, aircraft design, Educational Videos, Full Documentary, Future, Futuristic, NASA | No Comments »
The Very Best of the Lasts (Video)
October 11, 2016
This is fascinating watching. You probably did not know that these crafts, craftspeople, exotic animals and occupations existed. And before long, they won’t anymore. All the more reason to press play and stay for the whole docu-short.
From mermaids to barbers, kings to rhinos — these are some of the very best of the last of their kind.
– Great Big Story
– @ojones1
Posted in Environment, Human Interest, Lifestyle, Nature, Series, Travel, Videos | Tags: Great Big Reel, Great Big Reel 109, Great Big Story, The Very Best of the Lasts | No Comments »
