2009-01-18 (Sunday) by Gregory Tucker.

I saw this article on the NY Times website. It was interesting though not particularly shocking–people are cutting back on services or substituting them with DIY efforts.

Separately I am reading a book called Natural Capitalism which, among other things, advocates a utility, service-based model for a number of products which today are largely purchased.

An example I thought of recently was roofing on houses. Consumers typically purchase their roof, which can cost several thousand dollars and last for 10-20 years. Recently homeowners without sufficient cash flow would use a HELOC or 2nd mortgage to acquire the roof. Discarded roofing materials typically end up in the landfill.

In a utility model, homeowners wouldn’t purchase their roof but would lease their roof from a service provider, who would repair, service, and replace the roof on some regular basis. Ideally the service provider could control its costs by designing roofing materials that could be repaired, reused, or recycled easily. The renter would pay a fixed monthly or annual rate for the service, and wouldn’t have to worry about environmental factors such as moss or hail damaging their roof–the service provider would provide all repairs.

I see an economic benefit–namely consumers could not delay roof replacement in order to save money in the short term–what realtors call “deferred maintenance”. They must make payments in good times or bad, provding more consistent revenue flows for the service provider.

As always I see issues with this model. What happens if the renter can no longer afford to pay. Is it ethical to remove their roof, exposing the house to certain damage from the elements? Is it even legal? And if renters know this, will they be tempted to sign contracts for the purpose of breaking them almost immediately?

Posted in Environment, Economics | Print | 1 Comment »

2009-01-16 (Friday) by Gregory Tucker.

On Thursday, January 15, 2009, NASA announced that a team led by Dr. Michael Mumma of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center has conclusively determined the existence of methane in the Martian atmosphere. This discovery could have far reaching implications concerning our understanding of Mars and possibly the nature of life in the universe. Because methane cannot remain in the Martian atmosphere for a long duration of time, methane must be continually replenished. This likely means that Mars either has yet to be discovered volcanic activity or it harbors life below its surface.

In a NASA press release, Dr. Mumma stated “…we do not have enough information to tell whether biology or geology — or both — is producing the methane on Mars, but it does tell us the planet is still alive, at least in a geologic sense. It is as if Mars is challenging us, saying, ‘hey, find out what this means.’ ”

“This discovery is significant whether it is biological or geological in nature,” said Chris Carberry, the Executive Director of The Mars Society. “While we have been building up a significant amount of evidence that Mars is not a dead planet, this evidence strongly supports that theory. The Mars Society sends our wholehearted congratulations to Dr. Mumma and his team for this truly historic discovery.”

“This discovery is of extraordinary importance,” said Mars Society President Dr. Robert Zubrin. “NASA has either found life, or it has found a hydrothermal system which could well support life. It shows that Mars is warm and wet underground, and a place where life could not only have originated in the past, but still persist today. If we are going to know the truth about the place of life in the universe - a question that has held the attention of thinking men and women for centuries- we need to send human explorers to Mars to see what is there.

“The Obama administration is trying to develop a program to stimulate the economy. What better way to do it than by launching another Apollo program, mobilizing the nation’s talent and industry to reach for Mars in the quest for truth.”

Posted in Space | Print | 1 Comment »

2009-01-04 (Sunday) by Gregory Tucker.

New photos from a photo shoot at Sears. The old saying applies: you get what you pay for.

Posted in Energy | Print | No Comments »