The world has long sought economical electric grid storage, but without success. The quest has been likened to the futile search for the Holy Grail. Recently, Elon Musk announced that Tesla will supply a cheap Lithium grid battery that will solve climate change. Just how serious is his claim?
For our next meeting, we will look at current efforts to supply grid storage, particularly batteries from Tesla and other serous contenders. Here are the videos that will be used for background:
- The state of grid storage just three years ago
- Al Gore anticipating the grid battery boom
- Elon Musk announcing the PowerWall and PowerPack
- Al Jazeera reports the start of the grid battery race
- The liquid metal battery by Donald Sadoway
- The Aquion battery by Jay Whitacre
- The vanadium flow battery by Pacific Northwest National Labs
Dear Zoom-Iners:
ReplyDeleteI want to acknowledge that Michael was correct in his observation in our most recent meeting that the elderly would find it harder to get photo IDs to vote; and that the elderly might be discriminated against. My observation about the elderly was in error and was beside the point that the elderly get more from government than any other age group. Michael’s point was on target that if the elderly cannot get photo IDs, they would be discriminated against. So, I apologize to Michael and the group for raising my voice and insisting that I be heard. No excuses.
I was inept in my attempt to express the point of view that the relationship between voting and policy (what government does) is both complicated and complex. Voting should be open to all and should be easy to access. In my view, many of the recent additional qualifications to vote are to harass a potential voter and make it difficult for them to cast a vote. In many cases this means, poor individuals and the elderly among others. However, voting often does not achieve the results that the voter intended.
For example, if 80% of the population supports stronger gun controls, then why don’t we get stronger gun control legislation in Congress and many states as well? Obviously there are other avenues in addition to the vote for influencing policy. And in my view lobbying has become the more direct route for to affecting policy than has voting. I do not mean that voting is not important. It’s just that individuals and groups especially corporations have an inordinate amount of resources to influence the political system. And by that the political system I mean the American Federal System that includes states, cities and counties as well. Our Zoom In discussions usually focus on national politics and presidential elections. But, if you think of it, state and local governments provide the overwhelming bulk of education, highway and roads, public works, public safety and other services.
If in the future I raise my voice or demand to be heard at human meetings please “correct” me. There is no excuse for me not to be civil.
Vince
No offense taken. You are always welcome to our group.
DeleteI just feel I have to come to the defense of my buddy Vince,
ReplyDeleteYou, my friend, are never uncivil. And, my friend, you are SELDOM wrong. However, I must admit that sometimes I think you are a little bit screwy! But you are among so many of my friends, and I, in that category!
Takes one to know one!
Al Goldman