President Trump Tries To Open Up Arctic For Oil Drilling, Judge Says No

Photo by:  Willian Justen de Vasconcellos on Unsplash

Breaking news -- not really.  Read all about it...President Trump tries to open up the Arctic Ocean for oil drilling and is met in court with a response of 'No':

 In a major legal blow to President Trump’s push to expand offshore oil and gas development, a federal judge ruled that an executive order by Mr. Trump that lifted an Obama-era ban on oil and gas drilling in the Arctic Ocean was unlawful.

The decision, by Judge Sharon L. Gleason of the United States District Court for the District of Alaska, concluded late Friday that President Barack Obama’s 2015 and 2016 withdrawal of about 1120 million acres of Arctic Ocean from drilling “will remain in full force and effect unless and until revoked by Congress.” She wrote that an April 2017 executive order by Mr. Trump revoking the drilling ban “is unlawful, as it exceeded the president’s authority.”

The decision, which is expected to be appealed in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, immediately reinstates the drilling ban on most of the Arctic Ocean off the coast of Alaska, a pristine region home to endangered species including polar bears and bowhead whales where oil companies have long sought to drill. It also has broader implications for Mr. Trump’s effort to push drilling across the American coastline and on public lands.

Specifically, the Arctic Ocean drilling case could give legal ammunition to opponents of Mr. Trump’s efforts to roll back protections for two million acres of national monuments created by Mr. Obama and President Bill Clinton.

With each passing day, the news is filled with updates on the success of the transition toward a renewable energy future.  Some may detail certain obstacles while others break the news regarding either a private entity or government moving (or making a commitment) toward achieving a non-zero percentage of their energy economy on clean (renewable) energy.  This reality is not new.



Neither is President Trump's inability to realize that 'rolling back' environmental laws put in place by the Obama Administration takes skill (and reason/logic) to reverse.  Congress will have to act at the very least.  Within that act will have to be a good reason to repeal the law put into place.  I have previously stated on this blog site the fact that if a rule is to be changed, the replacement has to be better than the previous law.



Which is to say that the law needs to be even more environmentally friendly than the previous proposal to be passed.  Otherwise, the existing law stays in place and is continuously challenged in courts -- as has been the case for the Trump Administration over the last two years.   I try hard to explain that rule to everyone with whom I meet and discuss the 'rollbacks' that supposedly have been accomplished by the Trump Administration.



The reality is stated in the article above that the Trump Administration has failed miserably on at least 40 accounts to persuade courts to reverse or 'rollback' a given environmental rule put in place by the Trump Administration.  These decisions have been in line with the current standards set in place by Congress.  Which should surprise no one including the President of the United States.  We will next have to see what Congress says about the issue at hand.



So far Congress has been willing to hold bipartisan hearings this year on the critical issue of climate change.  Furthermore, Congress recently wrote a letter to the Director of the Department of the Interior, asking him to not drill for oil off the coast of Florida.  That should be a significant indicator to President Trump that his attempts to 'rollback' any Obama Administration's environmental regulations (at least the majority of them) is not an accessible route to go down.



Of course, we are dealing with a non-traditional President of the United States currently.  The newspapers should keep up the great work at reporting on such failures.  Otherwise, a person might be led to think that a 'rollback' is possible without Congress.  The reality is that even Congress is batting for a renewable energy future.  Although the timeline might be debatable.  Nonetheless, a clean, renewable energy future is coming.  Stay tuned.



Related Blog Posts:


Congress Intervenes And Asks For No More Oil Drilling Off Of Florida

President Trump Is Out Of Touch With The Transition Toward Renewable Energy

EPA Director Finally Realizes Reality Of Trying To Roll-Back Obama Era Clean Air Act Regulation

Environmental Groups Question Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Cuts

President Trump's Immigration Rhetoric Damages International Science Student Enrollment

What Promises Did President Trump Make Science Research During His Campaign?

Can The President Prevent The Public From Learning About Scientific Research???

President Trump's Understanding of the Paris Agreement


World Goes Left, While Trump Leads Right - On Climate - Why?


Is This Behavior Presidential - President Trump?


Paris Climate Agreement Is A Start Toward The Renewable Energy Future


READ THIS BEFORE VOTING -- Presidential Science (WORLD) Issues!


Brings Jobs Back By Promoting Renewable Energy!

Tax Payer Funded Research Should Made Accessible To All United States Citizens For Free

Source: Sara Greene

Tax-payer money is used to fund a variety of entitlement programs along with other government initiatives.  How the money is spent is determined through both Houses of Congress.  Anyone with a reasonable internet connection can access a wide range of Congressional hearings on YouTube, by just searching for the respective Congressional committee's channel.  While this is known, Americans (in the majority) still do not understand the types of programs which are funded by tax-payer money.  Why not? The results of spending tax-payer money are hidden behind "pay-walls" of publishing companies -- that is until recently.



Over the past few years, European countries have been stepping up pressure through negotiations to move the results of scientific research (which is tax-payer funded) to an open-access form.  Publishers are adamantly against such endeavors because they stand to lose out on large amounts of money.  Further, the American public is not allowed to read about exciting scientific results along with the rest of the world.  No wonder that there is such a wide gap between the public and scientists knowledge of science -- to start with?

Make Scientific Results Open-Access

They are making the research that is funded by tax-payer money public would be a first step in closing the gap between knowledge held by scientists and the public.  Although to do so would take quite a move on the part of the major players in the field of science.  Who are such players?  Universities, government laboratories to name two.  Private industry would play a role too -- although, not as large as that of the entire university system across the world.



As I mentioned up top, a couple of European countries (Sweden) have been debating canceling subscriptions with high impact publishers who hold scientific research behind paywalls.  An entire consortium of universities and research institutions in Sweden recently announced that subscriptions would be canceled soon.  Earlier this month, the university system in the United States -- University of Californi -- announced to follow suit:

The University of California has ended its subscription to journals published by Elsevier, citing a failure to reach an agreement that would lower fees and prioritize open access to its scholars’ work, the UC system announced yesterday (February 28). The decision to stop paying for access to Elsevier’s journals came after eight months of contract negotiations. 

The university system’s previous contract with the publishing giant expired on December 31, and the research heavyweight, accounting for nearly 10 percent of research output in the US, aimed to secure a deal to pay a one-time fee that covered both journal subscriptions and the processing fees to make UC researchers’ articles open access for all readers. 

The break with Elsevier is part of UC’s push for free access to publicly funded research. “I fully support our faculty, staff and students in breaking down paywalls that hinder the sharing of groundbreaking research,” says UC President Janet Napolitano in a statement. “This issue does not just impact UC, but also countless scholars, researchers and scientists across the globe — and we stand with them in their push for full, unfettered access.”

Last year, groups of research labs and universities in Sweden and Germany canceled their subscriptions with Elsevier over open access. This stand by UC makes it one of the first and largest US institutions to do so. 

The move is ambitious and bold on behalf of the university system in the United States.  Hopefully, the remainder of the universities in the United States possesses the courage to follow suit.  Some steps are needed to raise public awareness of science. The first step would be to have access to tax-payer funded research results.  Followed by an increased dialogue between scientists and the public at community forums.  The ability to be able to read about science without having to pay twice is imperative for society.  American citizens who pay taxes own the results of scientific research.  The time has come to make them available to the public.



Related Blog Posts:


"Just Make A Generic (Cheaper Version) Of The Drug"? Not So Easy...

Update: On FDA's Policy Agenda For Combatting Opioid Crisis

Have You Ever Heard A Song About Personalized Medicine? Here Is A Scientist Singing A Song.


The future: Making Medicines in your kitchen?

FDA Director Scott Gottlieb Addresses Public On Eliminating E-Cigarette Use Among Youths

The Futuristic Visit To The Physician Is Here!

NIDA Director Nora Volkow: How Health Communicators and Journalists Can Help Replace Stigma with Science

NIAID Director Anthony Fauci: How Should We Communicate About Crises?

What is going on in the FDA for Fall 2018 - message from Director Scott Gottlieb

NIH Director Francis Collins Makes A Statement Regarding Sexual Harassment In Science

Can A Plant Pathogen Be Transported By Wind During A Rain Storm?

Source: WuzupNigeria

The spread of seeds, particles and pathogens over considerable distances is of great concern.  Especially given the current trend of converting crops from tradition crops to GMO (genetically modified crops).  Proprietary seeds are held tightly among farmers who pay to plant special seeds.  The ability to protect the spreading of seeds under storm conditions is nearly impossible.  That is during normal conditions -- i.e. normal weather: sunny, average temperature, humidity level for a given geographical area -- seeds are controlled by the human distribution of seeds.  What happens to this phenomena (spreading of spores, seeds, particles, dust, pathogens, etc.) during a rain storm?


Rain falls to the ground and forms puddles over time.  Water which gathers on the ground contains dirt, particles, pathogens, seeds, etc.  When a rain drops out of the sky and hits the ground during a wind storm, what happens to those pathogens (and other particles) in the water?  What about the surface of a leaf?  Do these pathogens (and particles) travel over distances during a rain/wind storm?  What is the mechanism by which pathogens (and particles) travel over large distances?

How do particles (and pathogens) get into the air?

Past research has shown that rust (build up on metal or other surfaces) can spread in a wind storm a considerable distance -- on the order of kilometers (1 mile = 1.60934 kilometers).  Research published last November in the Journal 'Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences' revealed the mechanisms by which pathogens (and other particles) travel over large distances.  The study revealed the exact mechanisms broken down into parameters such as overcoming cohesive force between spores clustered together on a surface, the ejection mechanism (how to get off the ground into the air), and the traveling of the pathogen over large distances.   Next, add into the mix a rain storm with wind.



To break this down further.  Imagine a pathogen (or seed, particle, etc.) sitting on the ground.  The wind is rushing by above the surface on which the pathogen sits.  How does the pathogen acquire enough energy (kinetic energy) to be ejected into the air rushing by above?  That is where the researchers use high-speed cameras (as shown in the videos below) to tease out the exact mechanisms.  High-speed cameras show that a falling rain drop contains enough energy to eject a pathogen (and other particles) into the laminar air flow which can potentially travel over large distances.



Upon impact with the ground, the energy of the rain drop is distributed unevenly into a series of droplets which splash up and outward.  The kinetic energy of the outward water distributed creates enough of a vortex (as shown in the video below) to eject a pathogen from the ground up into the rushing air above the surface.  From there, the pathogen has sufficient energy to travel large distances given that the wind maintain a constant energy to push the pathogen along.



Also contained in the research paper are the simulations which were used along with the calculations (and equations) on which the phenomena was modeled.  The data was in agreement with the evidence obtained in the high-speed camera videos.  Here are two videos to show how the spores (plant pathogens) are elevated into the air once the drop hits the surface:

The second video shows the formation of a vortex by the rain drop which is one of a few critical parameters for pathogens ejecting off of a surface and joining a laminar flow to travel large distances:

The videos show above that there is sufficient energy in a rainwater drop to eject a pathogen (or other particles) up into the air.  Ejecting the pathogen is sufficient enough to catch a larger airflow of laminar air which could potentially carry the pathogen over large distances -- i.e. kilometers, miles, etc.   The research represents a good model by which pathogens can travel over large distances.  Previous research did not provide exact detail of vortex formation which would be sufficient to lift a pathogen into larger vortexes.


The research represents a quantification of dynamics of pathogen (disease) spreading among the plant community.  Rain drops are one pathway by which pathogens could acquire enough energy to be ejected into the air to travel large distances.  More studies will help optimize the conditions under which pathogens travel and possibly shed light into new avenues of mechanisms of ejection.  The ejection mechanisms uncovered in the research above add to the existing contribution from insects residing on leaf surfaces, leaf vibration, along with other kinetic energy contributions. Overall, the research represents yet another parameter revealed in disease propagation in the agricultural community.



Related Blog Posts:



How Do Scientists Track Bees Inside BeeHives? Use QR Codes?


Want To Improve Science Communication: Add Artists!


Should you consider science while before voting next Tuesday?


The Executive Director Of The American Meteorological Society Educates President Trump On Climate Change


White Blood Cells in action destroying Cancer Cells!


Why Chemistry Matters from the mouths of Nobel Laureates!


Bacteria communicating in communities -- quorum sensing


What Is Going On Inside That Cell?


How Dangerous Are Cigarettes?


What Is Dimensional Analysis?


Chemistry Videos Unveil Problems With Battery Technology


A Virtual Tour Of A Plant Cell? Really?


A Virtual Tour Of A Human Cell?


Richard Branson's Son Produces Short Films To Illustrate The Devastation By Hurricane Irma

Reduce Ignorance, Increase Intelligence? It’s That Simple People

People commonly believe that the there is some secret to learning a given subject. Similar to many writers who express the same solution toward becoming a better writer, learning a given subject requires time spent — it is that simple. Of course, other components exist which contribute to the individual rate at which each of us learn any subject, but generally, time spent is the dominant component (and most important).

Slow Down, Take Fewer Classes, Study More

The academic semester in college can be a stressful time for students trying to learn new subjects. Students are often confounded when I suggest that more time spent is a good solution to their current dilemma during any given semester. Usually, juggling too many courses and work outside of school prevents them from sitting down and putting in the time. Additionally, curiosity is suppressed under stress of having to juggle a difficult schedule.

The solution would be to slow down and take less courses which would allow more time spent on each class. Although, in the hyper competitive world in which we live, that appears to not be a solution possible. I am currently tutoring a student in a Physical Chemistry course (usually taken in 3rd year of college). Physical Chemistry is often referred to as “General Chemistry on steroids.”

It is true, Physical Chemistry requires math which is generally more difficult for the average student taking General Chemistry. Although, it could be argued that the content covered in Physical Chemistry is not anything too new (at least first semester). The Calculus which is part of the math required to solve Physical Chemistry problems is not too demanding.

Typically, Chemistry and Biochemistry majors take the first three semesters of Calculus which is required. The most critical component toward achieving an “A” in Physical Chemistry is no different than any other course — take time (a lot of time) to solve homework problems. Which in a larger picture is really no different than for success in any other college course taken during an undergraduate experience.

Relating back to the equation in the picture above for “intelligence,” each student aims to become less “ignorant” about the world — in turn becoming more “intelligent”. If the two words are separately searched in a search engine (such as Google), the results are shown below (in terms of definitions of the words):

Credit: Google

Credit: Google

The definitions line up quite clearly with the discussion at hand:

Intelligence: “the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills”

Ignorance: “lack of knowledge or information”

Students who spend time writing out equations and reading the accompanying material outside of lecture will find the class rather on the simple side. Why? Because they are used to manipulating (through derivation, etc.) mathematical equations. Their minds have processed the information confronted in lecture and reprocessed outside of class while studying at home or the library. Is that a new realization?

Malcolm Gladwell Suggests 10,000 hours To Master?

Malcolm Gladwell, author and frequent contributor to ‘The New Yorker’, wrote a compelling book titled “Outliers” — for anyone who wants to unpack the recipe for success in any field. In the book, he argues that there are in fact correlations to successful people and success. Some of which are out of our control — i.e. birth month, birth year, family background, etc. We cannot control when we are born or into which family we are born into. Those types of parameters are out of our control. Although, success is not entirely based on those parameters.

A dominant theme throughout his book is that ‘hard work’ plays a large role into success. Yes, being in the right place at the right time does help. Plus, having the family support (emotional, financial, etc.) does contribute greatly to success too. But ultimately, time spent is a dominant contribution.

He shows through three completely different examples (First — the Beatles, Second — Bill Gates, and third — professional athletes)that if you want to succeed, you must spend around 10,000 hours at a given task. What? This may seem outrageous at first sight. Although, if you read through his well written examples — you will arrive at the same conclusion. Which is in line with my equation toward success. In order to become more intelligent about a given subject, one must reduce his/her ignorance on that subject.

Some people may have difficulty entertaining/including the word “ignorance” into the description toward their success. First, it is just a word. Second, if you have such a difficult time, then just use another word which is synonymous with “ignorance”. I personally love the word.

When I think that I am ignorant about a given subject, I find myself at a crossed roads — where a decision has to be made. Will I become less “ignorant” about the subject — i.e. spend time studying the subject? Or do I move on and store in my memory that I will have to eventually come back and tackle at a later point in time — especially if I place a high mark of importance of the subject.

When I see students come to me for tutoring or learning a new scientific instrument, frustration is usually the first sign that more time spent is the solution to their problem. Yes, there are exceptions who just need subject clarifications (on concepts, problem solving steps, etc.). But the majority of students have the same issue at hand. They are not doing so or are unwilling to spend time to become less “ignorant” about the subject at hand. If they were willing to spend time to reduce their “ignorance” on the subject, not only would they see the relevance in learning the subject in the global scheme of their undergraduate education. But they would feel less stressed and a better sense of self due to mastering/completing a successful course due to their hard work (i.e. journey to become “less ignorant” — more “intelligent”). Each of us should encourage everyone around us to aspire to become less “ignorant” about a subject of interest thereby becoming more “intelligent.” Learning is that simple people!

Related Blog Posts:



President Trump Is Out Of Touch With The Transition Toward Renewable Energy


EPA Director Finally Realizes Reality Of Trying To Roll-Back Obama Era Clean Air Act Regulation

Environmental Groups Question Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Cuts

President Trump's Immigration Rhetoric Damages International Science Student Enrollment

What Promises Did President Trump Make Science Research During His Campaign?

Can The President Prevent The Public From Learning About Scientific Research???

President Trump's Understanding of the Paris Agreement


World Goes Left, While Trump Leads Right - On Climate - Why?


Is This Behavior Presidential - President Trump?


Paris Climate Agreement Is A Start Toward The Renewable Energy Future


READ THIS BEFORE VOTING -- Presidential Science (WORLD) Issues!


Brings Jobs Back By Promoting Renewable Energy!

"Just Make A Generic (Cheaper Version) Of The Drug"? Not So Easy...

Source: Kansas City Business Journal

The cost of prescription medications is among the most contested political issues right up there with the associated cost of health insurance.  Anytime health insurance is mentioned, just wait -- a discussion is about to unfold linking that to the cost of prescription medications.  Why are medicines so expensive?  Simple answer: the cost of bringing a new drug to market is around $1 billion along with around 20 years of research/approval process.  What?  Yes.  If you happen to have $1 billion laying around, then you too can create a new medication.  Well, not really.  But in theory (based only on cost).



With this being known, why are generic medications cheaper?  Further, why are generic medications not sought out sooner (i.e. released to marketplace sooner)?  The answer to the second question is that the first medication (the expensive) one has 'ownership rights' -- patent rights -- for a given number of years.  As to why after the patent expires, the generic medication cannot be rolled out sooner -- ask the Food and Drug Administration commissioner.  FDA Commissioner just resigned.  Although, before he resigned, he managed among other many changes to leave a public statement regarding the status of expanding access to generic medications.  Included in the statement are the reasons/parameters which are considered or serve as obstacles to the roll-out of generic medications.  These considerations might clarify for the public the complicated generic drug landscape.



Below is the statement taken from the FDA website on expansion of 'generic medications' into the marketplace:

As part of the FDA’s efforts to promote drug competition and patient access, we’ve advanced many policies aimed at making it more efficient to bring generic competition to the market. We’ve been especially focused on a category of medicines known as complex drugs. These are drugs that, by nature of their formulation, delivery systems or the complexity of their active ingredients, for example, are harder to “genericize” under traditional approaches. As a result, these complex drugs often face less competition.

As a category, there are a number of complex drugs that are no longer protected by patents or exclusivities that would forestall generic approval, yet they continue to face no generic competition owing to the difficulty of developing generics. The agency has advanced many new policies to help promote generic competition to complex medicines once patents and exclusivities have lapsed, and we’re planning additional policy steps in 2019.

To understand the challenges posed by complex generics, we need to go back to the pathway developed in 1984 under the Hatch-Waxman Amendments. This legislation put into place the framework for generic drug review at a time when brand drugs were often simple small molecules requiring straightforward and reproducible manufacturing processes. They were generally easy to characterize and evaluate through traditional methods, including human bioequivalence studies. In many cases, a drug’s activity correlated directly with how quickly it got into the bloodstream and how long the drug stayed in the body, so it could have its intended effect on the anticipated site of action.

In contrast, complex drugs involve cases where the drug is often harder to develop and manufacture because it has a complex formulation or complex active ingredient. In other cases, the drug acts locally on the tissue rather than through the concentration in the blood. This includes, for example, inhaled drugs that act directly on the lungs, a topical patch that is activated directly on the skin, or eye drops that act on the surface of the eyes. The therapeutic effect of these types of drugs does not necessarily correlate directly to the amount of drug in the blood, or it can be difficult to measure through the blood. They can raise other issues that make the traditional, metrics generally used to develop generic drugs harder to employ. In other words, it can be more difficult to meet the standards for generic approval.

In 2019, we’ll advance additional policies to promote generic competition for complex drugs. Among other steps, we intend to issue additional guidance documents for developing specific complex generic drugs, as well as address categories of complex drugs that are hard to copy because of their complex formulation or mode of delivery. This will include the publication of a series of guidances to address regulatory and scientific challenges that make it generally more difficult to develop complex generics. As part of this, we intend to issue draft guidance with recommendations on establishing active ingredient sameness. In addition, we’re going to help advance the development of new analytical tools and in vitro tests that may provide additional accurate, sensitive and reproducible tools to support approval of complex generic drugs. Better tools can reduce complex generic drug development time and cost and can inform regulatory decisions.

These are just some of the new steps that we’re going to be taking in 2019 to promote access to complex generic medicines.

These new policy efforts are aimed at ensuring that we provide as much scientific and regulatory clarity as possible with respect to complex generic drugs. This focus is critical because, first and foremost, these drug products provide important therapies to patients. We believe that they’re also becoming increasingly important to the economic stability of the generic drug industry. Being able to “genericize” a complex medicine can be a high-value opportunity for a generic drug developer.

Addressing the challenges related to complex generics, and promoting more generic competition to these medicines, is a key part of our Drug Competition Action Plan, and the agency’s efforts to promote patient access and more affordable medicines.

The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

The generic drug approval process seems to have changed over the last few decades with the development of new types of medications.  Traditional routes of administration have changed.  Which is to say, become much more specific (precision medicine).  This change has caused an uproar among approval authority.  Old medicines use old approval processes.  New medicines require new approval processes.  Precision medicine will ultimately speed up the approval process by causing federal agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) along with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to update review/approval/funding processes.



Currently, these changes are under consideration by federal agencies.  Recently, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb gave an outgoing interview with the journal 'Politico' -- which is embedded below:





Ultimately, the new landscape brought about by changes in medicine along with the collection of medical data (All of Us - NIH trial) will result in better medical practices for the public.  Stay tuned, the future is exciting.





Related Blog Posts:


 How Much Do New Drugs Cost To Bring To The Pharmacy Counter?


How Do Chemists Discover New Drugs? A Brief Introduction!


Update: On FDA's Policy Agenda For Combatting Opioid Crisis



Have You Ever Heard A Song About Personalized Medicine? Here Is A Scientist Singing A Song.


The future: Making Medicines in your kitchen?

FDA Director Scott Gottlieb Addresses Public On Eliminating E-Cigarette Use Among Youths

The Futuristic Visit To The Physician Is Here!

NIDA Director Nora Volkow: How Health Communicators and Journalists Can Help Replace Stigma with Science

NIAID Director Anthony Fauci: How Should We Communicate About Crises?

What is going on in the FDA for Fall 2018 - message from Director Scott Gottlieb

NIH Director Francis Collins Makes A Statement Regarding Sexual Harassment In Science

CERA Interviews What Appears To Be A New DOE Secretary Rick Perry - Wow!

Source: Fstoppers

Over the last few years, Department of Energy Secretary Rick Perry has been on an educational journey into the variety of ways which the United States will meet the energy demands of the future.  At the start of his tenure as Secretary of Energy, the major opinion of his knowledge was less than stellar  -- especially on the contribution which renewable/clean energy will play on the world table in the future.  With that being said, Secretary Rick Perry has since started to shy away from our dependence on coal (fossil fuel) based dependence and shifted toward Liquified Natural Gas (LNG).  I must commend him on changing his view over time through educating himself.



Recently, the annual conference on energy was held in the heartland of energy -- Texas -- named CERA (Cambridge Energy Research Associates) with the following mission:

In 1983, Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA) was founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts by Daniel Yergin and James Rosenfield. The energy research and consulting firm quickly became known for its critical knowledge and independent analysis on energy markets, geopolitics, industry trends, technology and strategy. Each year, CERA clients gathered for a few days in Houston, Texas to attend the executive conference where they gained insight into the energy future while connecting with their peers. Over time, the program was expanded to five days of informative sessions and networking opportunities—and named CERAWeek. More than three decades later, CERAWeek by IHS Markit has become the world’s premier energy event. The conference is distinctive in the extraordinary depth and breadth of its content and the quality of the dialogue among participants. 

The top minds of energy development along with the customers to the policy makers gather to discuss the future of energy.  A wide range of topics are covered including some which might at first sight seem unrelated to the global discussion of energy.  Some of these will be discussed in the video below and are worth considering as part of the larger picture of energy demand as the United States along with other nations move into the future of energy.  Let's listen to what Secretary Perry has in mind for the future in a brief interview below.



The video below is taken from the conference series CERA which is an interview between Carlos and DOE Secretary Rick Perry (which is 10 minutes in length):


Note: Click lower right hand side of the video screen to 'fullscreen' the video.

The future is exciting to say the least.  Energy transition encompasses more than meets the eye when the average American considers the wide range of technologies which energy support (namely nearly all).  Without energy, the world does not operate.  We do not operate on a daily basis.  How energy transition takes into account the changing global conditions such as climate change are the present topics to discuss and incorporate solutions into tomorrow's policy making decisions.  Secretary Perry shows the growth needed as a high ranking government official to entertain the parameters needed to make the energy transition a reality.  We should commend him on his growth through education.



Related Blog Posts:



President Trump Is Out Of Touch With The Transition Toward Renewable Energy


EPA Director Finally Realizes Reality Of Trying To Roll-Back Obama Era Clean Air Act Regulation

Environmental Groups Question Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Cuts

President Trump's Immigration Rhetoric Damages International Science Student Enrollment

What Promises Did President Trump Make Science Research During His Campaign?

Can The President Prevent The Public From Learning About Scientific Research???

President Trump's Understanding of the Paris Agreement


World Goes Left, While Trump Leads Right - On Climate - Why?


Is This Behavior Presidential - President Trump?


Paris Climate Agreement Is A Start Toward The Renewable Energy Future


READ THIS BEFORE VOTING -- Presidential Science (WORLD) Issues!


Brings Jobs Back By Promoting Renewable Energy!

Congress Intervenes And Asks For No More Oil Drilling Off Of Florida

Source: Fast Company

Last December, Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke stepped down from serving under President Trump.  Secretary Zinke found himself under great scrutiny for advancing President Trump's ill-informed environmental agenda which included expanding access to oil under the sea.  As anyone can imagine, these advancements of a policy designed to put both the environment and the citizens who live (and depend) on clean waters surrounding the United States were not very popular among the American public.  Not to mention dangerous and potentially damaging to the American economy.



In light of this reality, Congress has taken action to solidify on paper (in writing) that any further off shore oil drilling (near Florida) would not occur.  Hopefully other coastal States such as California will eventually secure the same protection from Congress.  Congressional leaders felt necessary to intervene and write a letter to the acting Secretary of the Department of the Interior -- David Bernhardt -- to stop/not proceed with any further Oil Drilling off of the waters of the state of Florida.  The letter is shown below in full:

David Bernhardt
Acting Secretary
U.S. Department of the Interior
1849 C Street N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20240 

RE: Protect Florida's Coasts from Oil and Gas Drilling 

Dear Acting Interior Secretary Bernhardt,

    We write to urge you to protect the costs of Florida from oil and gas development.  As you know, last year, former Interior Secretary Zinke announced that Florida would be exempt from any offshore drilling plans.  However, we remain concerned that no formal action has been taken to prohibit drilling off Florida's coasts.  Florida's natural resources and economy, as well as the military mission as expressed by the Department of Defense, cannot bear the risk and devastating impacts of offshore drilling.  We urge you to take formal action to exempt drilling off Florida's coast from the five year plan for oil and gas lease sales. 

     Florida's economic well-being is dependent upon our state's fragile and treasured coasts.  Clean coasts and healthy oceans are the fundamental underpinning of jobs and revenue in our communities.  Florida's coastal communities thrive in concert with a healthy marine environment.  Views littered with drilling platforms, industrialization of coastline and oil on our beaches spell disaster for Florida's economy and our neighbors who rely on tourism, fishing and related business. 

     We say, firsthand, the destruction offshore drilling can have on ocean health, coastlines, and tourism in 2010 during the Deepwater Horizon disaster.  Tourism dropped across the state, including areas that were unaffected by the rig explosion.  Even without a blowout, offshore oil rigs dump tons of drilling muds, fluids, and metal cuttings -- including toxic metals and carcinogens -- into the ocean, and pose a threat to human health, marine ecosystems, and wildlife. 

     While there are ample environmental and economic reasons to prohibit drilling off Florida's coasts, our national security and military readiness also require keeping the rigs away from Florida.  The eastern Gulf of Mexico is a critical training area for our military and the Department of Defense has stated clearly that the area is an "irreplaceable national asset" for combat force readiness.  Any oil and gas development would be an obstacle to military preparedness and national security. 

     Finally, the people of Florida are also clearly opposed to oil and gas development off our coast.  A constitutional amendment on Florida's November 2018 ballot to ban offshore drilling in state waters passed overwhelmingly.  Here is objective proof that Floridians recognize that the state's economy depends on a pristine environment, and that offshore drilling threatens Florida's future. 

     Florida relies on coastlines unencumbered by oil and gas drilling to sustain its economy, preserve its natural resources, and protect our nation's military.  We urge you to exempt Florida's coasts from any offshore drilling plans.  We must preserve and protect Florida's future.

After reading the above letter, I thought to myself (since I live in Southern California), why does California not have the same ban on oil and gas development?  Take a trip to Santa Barbara and look out to see the sight line filled with oil rigs -- which makes zero sense to me.  Further, take a trip to Santa Monica and go surfing or swimming in the ocean.  See if you are one of the unlucky swimmers/surfers who emerges from the ocean with a 'tar ball' stuck to your swimsuit.  Any person who has had this or a similar experience would immediately call for an outright ban to oil and gas development in the form of rigs off the coast of any land.



With the current transition toward clean sustainable energy in motion (and funded), the time has come to start reducing the amount of oil which is brought to the surface and distributed globally.   There are plenty of other sources of oil to fuel the global need.  The move toward cleaner energy is inevitable.  Just last week, a major energy convention convened named CERA.  At the conference, the CEO of BP Bob Dudley spoke to the audience about the transition toward renewable energy:

BEYOND PETROLEUM, PART DEUX : BP Chief Executive Bob Dudley called on the oil and gas industry to diversify if it wants to maintain its social license in the face of calls for more aggressive climate policies. "We have to move from being pure-play oil and gas companies into broader energy businesses," Dudley said in his speech to CERAWeek. "It means improving the dialogue we have with policymakers around the world, including those behind the Green New Deal. And it means being increasingly open and transparent with our shareholders. We need to demonstrate that we share the common goal of a low carbon future and that we are in action toward it."

With the Green New Deal gaining traction as a commitment across the energy sector, the transition away from fossil fuels is becoming increasingly greater.  Large oil companies are already investing heavily in renewable energy despite what the popular news chooses to report.  The days of oil are slowly fading.



Related Blog Posts:


 Science Topics, Thoughts, and Parameters Regarding Science, Politics, And The Environment!


Parameters: Oil vs. Corn based Ethanol - A Tug-Of-War between Trump Administration and Congressional Leaders


Parameters: Shells Oil Corporation Invests In Renewable Energy Infrastructure

Quick Lesson On Reading Body Language Using R Kelly (the singer) As An Example

Source: Rolling Stones

Each of us would like to believe that we walk around each day 'covertly' without giving away any signs as to our state of mind.  The reality is that despite what we would like to believe, each of us give a large amount of information away about the way we are feeling currently about life, our image, others, and in general about an array of topics.  The simple look of disgust is overtly obvious when viewing something or someone.  What about the more subtle cross of the arms or cross of the legs?  What sign does that say?  What about our body posture?



Well, here is a quick lesson below using the celebrity 'R Kelly' as an example.  Recently, Mr. Robert Kelly has found himself in the middle of a large number of allegations of sleeping with minors (while video taping the events) and abuse allegations.  He is (according to himself) fighting for his life.  The video below shows a ten minute interview during which R Kelly explains himself against the allegations.  What makes the allegations in the video more interesting is his use of body language.  Further, a body language expert is consulted on each movement after a question of an allegation.



In the video below, a quick lesson on Body Language is given by an expert in Body Language - using R-Kelly as an example:

After watching the video above, each of us can sit back and think about the movements we make each day.  What kind of information are we conveying to others without even knowing we are doing it?  For some, the video will serve as a jumping board to study further into body language.  Good for you.  Regardless, there is a large amount of information that is given off by each of us without or with knowing it each day.  In the future, after the trial, we might learn whether the body language expert was right with the outcome or revelations brought about in the trial of Robert Kelly (R Kelly).



Related Blog Posts:


Update: On FDA's Policy Agenda For Combatting Opioid Crisis


Hurricane Maria Destroys Puerto Rico's Science Programs Then Presents Unusual Research Opportunities?


What Are Activist Ralph Nader's Opinions On Radio News Organizations Such As NPR Or PBS?


Parameters: Role of 'Stress Gene' revealed in relation to Chronic Pain


EPA Administrator Nominee Andrew Wheeler's Opening Statement - Confirmation Hearing!


What is the difference between General Anxiety Disorder and Trump Anxiety Disorder?


Senator Carper Blasts Environmental Protection Agency For Considering Relaxing 'Mercury and Air Toxics Standard'?


Parameters: "How widespread within NASA is the conviction that human activity is responsible for climate change?"

Trade Negotiations With China Include Purchasing The Equivalent Of 384 Billion Soy Lattes Worth Of Soy Beans From The U.S.?

Source: AMNY

The emerging trade war with China has been downplayed since the numbers (potential dollars) at stake for the U.S. are rather small compared with other sectors of the economy.   Although, one commodity that keeps surfacing in the news ("Politico Agriculture") is the fact that China is poised to purchase 5 million tons of soybeans from the United States:

 China agreed to buy 5 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans after the two sides concluded the latest round of negotiations in Washington, though a “comprehensive” trade deal still has to be hammered out. Top U.S. negotiators are expected to visit China for another round of discussions in mid-February.

This reporting comes amidst a growing trade war emerging between China and the United States.  As I wrote in a previous blog post, China has essentially closed doors on Soybean demand, which has driven up the storage of soybeans in the United States.  Which ultimately means that Soybean farmers are going to unload a large amount of Soybeans onto the market.  Products like Soymilk will come down in price?  Possibly.



With that being said, after reading the article above, I could not help but thinking the following question:



How many gallons of Soy milk could be made with 5,000,000 tons of Soybeans?


How many Soy Lattes could be made with 5,000,000 tons of Soybeans?



In the paragraphs below, the analysis of determining the total amount of Soy milk and Soy Lattes which could be made with 5,000,000 tons of Soybean will be carried out using dimensional analysis.

How many Soybeans are in a gallon of Soy Milk?

The first question which needs to be answered is the total amount of Soy milk which can be made with a 5,000,000 tons of Soybean.  Following the standard methodology employed by myself in previous blog posts, the following question is inserted into the Google search engine:  How much soybean is required to make a gallon of soy milk?   The answer to which is shown below:

If the first choice is selected from 'instructables.com' with the following recipe (with great pictures) which makes a total of 2 quarts + 2 pints of Soy milk shown below:

Source: Instructables.com

The above recipe is great for making Soy milk for the simple instructions which are accompanied by good pictures.  Although, for the purpose of this blog post, the measurements of 2 quarts + 2 pints of Soy milk made with each batch calls for two separate unit conversions: 1) first, converting quarts to gallons and 2) converting pints to gallons.



For the sake of finding a conversion factor from weight of Soybeans to gallons produced, lets return to the Google search page shown above.  The second hit on the Google page is shown below:

The second choice is titled "Blog: Laura Soybeans" which is from the Chambers Family Farms.  The blog post titled "How much milk can I make?" give the following conversion factor shown below:

Source: Laura Soybeans

The conversion factor for which the search was for indicates that to make 1.8 gallons of Soy milk, a pound of Soybeans will be needed.  With the conversion in hand, the next step is to convert 5,000,000 tons to pounds.  Again, typing into Google the following question: How many pounds are in a ton?  Yields the following answer shown below:

According to Google, there are 2000 pounds in a ton.  To begin with, first a conversion is necessary from units of 'ton' to 'pound' as shown below:

The result indicates that 5,000,000 tons of soybeans is equivalent to 10 billion pounds.  Using the conversion factor of 1.8 gallons of soymilk to a single pound of soybean, the total amount of soymilk which is possible from 5,000,000 tons of soybeans can be determined as shown below:

Wow.  Converting 5,000,000 tons of Soybean to gallons of Soy milk would yield a total of 18,000,000,000 gallons -- 18 billion gallons.  That is no small amount to be sending over to China in hopes of unloading the load at Port.  What kind of monetary loss is associated with the rejection on China's part?  How much money do the U.S. farmers lose if China rejects the equivalent of 18 billion gallons of Soy milk?  Only time will tell.



The second question which was asked at the beginning was considering taking the total load of Soybeans (5,000,000 tons) and converting them to Soy Lattes coffee drinks at Starbuck's.  How many could be made with 5,000,000 tons of Soybeans?  The answer is in the analysis below.

How many Soy Latte's can be made?

In order to start the analysis of determining the number of Soy Latte's with 18,000,000,000 gallons of Soy milk, the amount of Soy milk needed for each drink needs to be known.  Following the method of searching for a conversion factor above, type into Google the following question: How many ounces in a gallon of milk?  The answer is shown below:

Why are we searching for 'ounces' when we have gallons?  A drink commonly requires only small amounts (ounces) of milk not gallons.  Therefore, to determine a conversion factor for the amount of Soy milk required in each drink type into Google: how much soy milk is required to make a soy latte at starbucks?  The answer is shown below:

Click on the first link shown gives the following recipe shown below:

Source: WikiHow

Which calls for 6 ounces of Soy milk for a Soy Latte.  That is the conversion factor which was needed to determine the number of Latte's in a given amount of milk.  The total number of Soy Lattes which can be made with 18,000,000,000 gallons is shown below:

Oh my goodness.  The calculation indicates that with 5,000,000 tons of Soybeans, a coffee maker could make a total of 384 billion Soy Lattes.

Conclusion...

As you may expect from the analysis above, the process of using dimensional analysis to shed light on enormous numbers (values) reported in the news is exciting and illuminating.  Reading over statistics (numbers and values) is easily accomplished without thinking into the true dimension or magnitude of the statistic.  Although, when the statistic is sent through and analysis such as that above, the statistic can take on a new meaning to the reader.



Imagine two large ships transporting that enormous amount of Soybeans across the seas in hope of selling them to China.  To me, that is a giant bet.  Especially, since in my previous blog post, I indicated that essentially China has shut their doors to the possibility of purchasing or accepting any Soybean shipments from the United States.  I guess that the alternative is to lose the product altogether by storing enormous amounts in storage space meant for other crops throughout the season.  Which would throw off the balance of agriculture.  Regardless, the amount of Soybean impacted by the trade dispute has been shown (in the present analysis) to be no small amount.  Hopefully a resolution is found soon for the agricultural sector's sake.




Related Blog Posts:


How Many Women Are Needed To Form A Chain 400 miles Long?

How Many People Can 254 Pounds Of Fentanyl Kill?

Parameters: How many sticks of butter are contained in 7.5 million pounds of butter?

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster asks lawmakers for $1,228,000,000 For Recovery from Hurricane Florence?

Boston Natural Gas Explosion Reveals Old Piping Needs Replacement - Enough To Travel To Colorado?

A Forecaster Predicts That Hurricane Florence Will Drop Enough Rain To Fill 18,400 Mercedes-Benz Superdomes

Hurricane Harvey Drops Enough Rain On Houston To Fill 560 Dallas Cowboy Stadiums

How Much Water Is Contained In All Oceans Around The Globe?

Storm Raises Water Level In Lake Cachuma By 31 feet, How Much Water Is That?

How To Make Sense Of Water Flowing At 100,000 Cubic Feet Per Second

Can 11 Trillion Gallons Of Water Fill 14,000 Dallas Cowboys Stadiums?

How Much Rain Did The East Coast Receive From Hurricane Matthew?


How Much Rain Did Haiti Really Receive?

How Much Rainfall Has Dropped On Louisiana?


How Big Was The "Water Bomb" Of Rainfall In Macedonia?

How Much Rain Did Huauchinango (Mexico) receive?

How Much Rain Did Elliot City (Maryland) Really Receive?

If The Mosul Dam Breaks, The City Of Mosul Would Be Under 65 Feet Of Water?

What is the volume of water in a few inches of rain?


Volume of Waste in the Mine Spill (in Brazil) Equivalent to 78 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spills