Odds and ends, 10/10/07

There was dew on my grass this morning. And dew on the car last night.

It's been so long since that happened, I can't remember.

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From the AP:

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Several sites in West Virginia are being considered for a liquid coal plant.Vancouver, Wash.-based Baard Energy is already proposing a $5 billion coal-to-liquids fuel plant in east-central Ohio and is considering developing a second plant.

Company President John Baardson says he’s discussed four or five possible locations with West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin, who has been promoting coal-to-liquid technology. Baardson would not dislose the sites, nor did he offer a timeline on a decision.

Another company has proposed a liquid coal plant for Mingo County.Any such project in West Virginia would face opposition from environmental groups, who oppose the process — saying it could generate too much carbon dioxide and increase coal mining.

Several thoughts:

First, I will have to do some research on my own about the amount of carbon dioxide and other gases such a plant would emit. (I may be skeptical about the idea that humans are totally responsible for whatever global warming is going on, but I also see no reason to add large volumes of "greenhouse gases" to the atmosphere for no good reason).

Second, are we looking at any monetary incentives to get this plant here?

Third, what kinds of liquid fuels are we talking about? Jet fuel for the military? Gasoline and diesel fuel for the consumer and industrial markets? Feedstock for biodiesel?

Let's get some answers before we jump on the pro or con bandwagon.

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Crow cam?

The scientists developed miniaturised video cameras with integrated radio-tags that can be carried by wild, free-flying birds. Using this new ‘video-tracking’ technology, they spied on the behaviour of New Caledonian crows, a species renowned for its sophisticated use of tools, recording behaviours never seen before.

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I have to ask this one. It sounds really petty, but maybe it's not.

You know how Hollywood women celebrities don't wear the same outfit in public twice? We're running a photo of Hillary Clinton on the editorial page tomorrow, and I was wondering how many times she can wear the same outfit in public. With men, it doesn't matter because to most of us, one navy blue suit or one blue Oxford shirt looks like another. But women's wardrobes are more distinct.

Does she have to live by the Hollywood rule or a variation of it? Has anyone heard or read anything about this? Or noticed it themselves?