While I support renewable energy production, especially the solid state energy from solar on roof tops and in urban areas I have many questions about industrial solar facilities, especially when big corporations are asking for exemptions from long standing environmental laws designed to protect our water and land.

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While I support renewable energy production, especially the solid state energy from solar on roof tops and in urban areas I have many questions about industrial solar facilities, especially when big corporations are asking for exemptions from long standing environmental laws designed to protect our water and land. Industrial solar not converts green space – farm land and forest to an industrial wasteland covered with panels made out of hazardous materials. I think we should be skeptical of industrial solar.

Indeed, the whole purpose of the NEPA and SEQRA is to take a hard look at these industrial facilities to review their environmental impacts and take steps to mitigate their impacts. I’m not saying that industrial solar has no role in energy generation but I think we should be skeptical, especially due to the low energy density of the panels – they consume enormous amounts of land for tiny amounts of energy. Unlike agriculture, where a field can be left fallow and revert back to wilderness, industrial solar facilities are littered with hazardous waste and metals that must be removed and disposed off site when the facility closes.

Ice Forming

Hudson River

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This is south of Kingston, near the bay where the Roundout Creek runs into the Hudson.

Taken on Friday December 17, 2010 at Overlook Mountain.

Wisconsin waste coalition forms to combat negative PFAS reputation | Waste Dive

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Wisconsin waste coalition forms to combat negative PFAS reputation | Waste Dive

A group of Wisconsin landfill operators have formed a coalition as they seek to avoid shouldering the blame for toxic chemical contamination, WXPR reported last week. The coalition comes as landfills grapple with the looming fallout from the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the waste stream. Chemical companies like 3M, Chemours, and DuPont are the manufacturers of PFAS, but the substances have wound up in landfills, composting sites, and wastewater treatment plants. The new Wisconsin coalition argues those manufacturers should be responsible for cleanup associated with the contamination. They also aim to improve communication between landfills and wastewater treatment plants, in addition to coming up with both short and long-term solutions to the PFAS problem. "We are sick and tired of having the finger pointed at the solid waste industry," Meleesa Johnson, administrator for Marathon County's solid waste department and president of the Associated Recyclers of Wisconsin, told Waste Dive. "Until we actually have a conversation about the real cause and effect, we will only put a band-aid on the problem," she added.

This should be fun, especially for the lawyers who make the big bucks.

How to charge all lead acid batteries; how to charge SLA lead acid batteries,a tutorial for engineers about lead acid chargers and charging.

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How to charge all lead acid batteries; how to charge SLA lead acid batteries,a tutorial for engineers about lead acid chargers and charging.

When you charging a starting battery or other battery that cycles a fair amount and has a limited amount of time to charge, you want to push the voltage to the point where it's close to gassing voltage, but not above it. Too much voltage and you'll start turning the water in the battery into hydrogen. Too little voltage and battery won't charge properly in the cold.

That's why a modern car alternator might be put out 15.2 volts are freezing, and 15.4 volts around 10 below -- but only 14.1 volts in hot weather. So if you see your alternator is putting out a higher voltage in cold weather, this is totally normal.