None of the media outlets have been telling us that the world's oil supply is threatened by Hurricane Dean. Dean is heading straight towards the Cantarell oil field, which has been failing as of late but still produces 1 million barrels of crude oil a day. Don't be surprised to see oil skyrocket after tomorrow.
Also, the sea ice has been melting at an accelerated pace, verifying that fact that global warming has been occurring.
See my other blog Beyond the Wind for more details.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Friday, August 17, 2007
Sixteen Tons and Polar Bear
Someone was singing Merle Travis' "Sixteen Tons".
Coal Miner: "You load sixteen tons."
Polar Bear: "No, don't! Don't load sixteen tons."
Coal Miner: "But if I don't load sixteen tons, I won't have anything to eat."
Polar Bear: "If you load sixteen tons, I won't have anything to eat."
Coal Miner: "You load sixteen tons."
Polar Bear: "No, don't! Don't load sixteen tons."
Coal Miner: "But if I don't load sixteen tons, I won't have anything to eat."
Polar Bear: "If you load sixteen tons, I won't have anything to eat."
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Branner Station
I hear there is a meeting of the Chesterfield County's Board of Supervisors on 2007 August 21 at 7 pm. One of the cases being considered is Branner Station, a development in southern Chesterfield County bordering Branders Bridge road. Of course this is a bad name for the development; it will be confused with Brandermill. The developer, HHHunt, calls for 5000 homes on a tract of 1449 acres, which is about 2.5 square miles. With peak oil coming up and no businesses near the site, I wonder why HHHunt wants to build such a large monstrosity in the county. He says it will take 20 years to develop. Maybe we should call the developer HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHunt.
I read an editorial in the Chester Village Voice which suggests that this development will be built along the lines of something called "Smart Growth". That is, the development will take care of such problems as inadequate roads and schools. The developers plan to construct a road through the development and to improve Branders Bridge road, which was designed when horses were the main means of transportation. They plan to construct a school or to provide for the construction of the school on the grounds of the development. There will be a retail area, a park, and some trails. These are all in accordance with Smart Growth.
Fine. However, Smart Growth is still growth. That is one thing that Chesterfield (and indeed the entire world) does not need now. We already have too many developments here. How are the people in Branner Station going to travel once gasoline becomes really expensive, or even unavailable? How are they going to get food? Do they allow for residences to grow vegetables in suitable plots? How is this planned development going to shorten commutes for these people? Many of the residents of this development will probably go to work at Fort Lee, which is doubling in size due to base closures and cutbacks elsewhere. Fort Lee is a 25 minute drive from the area, and will get longer as population grows and traffic lights proliferate.
I think the county needs to reconsider Branner Station. HHHill has done about a 50% job in coming up with a good development design. But he and his people need to read up on peak oil, zero growth, permaculture, cohousing and other housing alternatives before coming up with a new design that takes these future trends into account.
I read an editorial in the Chester Village Voice which suggests that this development will be built along the lines of something called "Smart Growth". That is, the development will take care of such problems as inadequate roads and schools. The developers plan to construct a road through the development and to improve Branders Bridge road, which was designed when horses were the main means of transportation. They plan to construct a school or to provide for the construction of the school on the grounds of the development. There will be a retail area, a park, and some trails. These are all in accordance with Smart Growth.
Fine. However, Smart Growth is still growth. That is one thing that Chesterfield (and indeed the entire world) does not need now. We already have too many developments here. How are the people in Branner Station going to travel once gasoline becomes really expensive, or even unavailable? How are they going to get food? Do they allow for residences to grow vegetables in suitable plots? How is this planned development going to shorten commutes for these people? Many of the residents of this development will probably go to work at Fort Lee, which is doubling in size due to base closures and cutbacks elsewhere. Fort Lee is a 25 minute drive from the area, and will get longer as population grows and traffic lights proliferate.
I think the county needs to reconsider Branner Station. HHHill has done about a 50% job in coming up with a good development design. But he and his people need to read up on peak oil, zero growth, permaculture, cohousing and other housing alternatives before coming up with a new design that takes these future trends into account.
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