Stephen Gloor

More Hissink Crap Disposed Of

More of Hissinks rantings punctured.

theoldhogger - "Ender....Your complete bafflement with science is obvious. You have been listening to false priests and priestesses."

Really so lets have a look at Louis's ludicrous claims about his knowledge with the kilo of feathers and kilo of lead example which he failed to point out where I was wrong despite claiming so.

So we have established that a kilo of lead does have the same mass as a kilo of feathers. That is what an intensive property is - independent of the physical properties of the mass.

Now a completely different problem is this. Which weighs more a cubic meter of feathers or a cubic meter of lead? The obvious answer is of course a cubic meter of lead. Why - because lead is denser than feathers. Density is therefore an extensive property. That is that the property depends on the material. Despite the fact that volume is intensive, density is not. However there is a further problem as the density of a material will be different in different conditions. Molten lead has a different density than lead a 0 degC so extensive properties are always qualified. So the density of lead is quoted at a specific temperature and pressure, usually STP, which is 0degC and 1atm pressure.

With feathers there is a different problem - not all feathers are the same. To solve this problem you would need to exactly specify the type of feather that comprised the cubic meter. The other way is to take many samples of different feathers, measure the density of them at STP and then take the average of a large number of samples. This way then you could have the average density of feathers and could then calculate the mass of feathers in a cubic meter at STP.

For both measurement, a M^3 of lead and a M^3 of feathers you would get an answer that is valid at STP and within a few percent of reality.

So contrary to Louis's ravings it is possible to work with extensive properties as long as you are careful about the conditions that you specify so that you get the correct answer. The idea that average temperature somehow contravenes thermodynamics is only a pathetic attempt to baffle with bullshit. If you throw enough long words around then people turn off and think you must know what you are talking about.

If someone mentions measuring temperatures just relate it to measuring the density of a mass of feathers and cut through the bullshit.

In physics simple questions often have very very complex answers and the greatest insights come from the simplest questions. The question of what is heavier a kilo of lead or a kilo of feathers is actually quite a profound one. One that Louis failed to see the implications of because he really does not understand it.

Definitely be wary of false priests and priestesses spouting pseudo science however at least show up the pseudo scientists by asking them to explain their ravings. Most of them at this point will retreat muttering about the second law of thermodynamics which they probably don't understand either. Or they will resort to stupid sock puppets.

Mr Hissink is on the list of 400

This is an exchange we had with Louis Hissink on Jennifer Morohasy's blog.  I am posting it here because in the brave new world of this blog it could get deleted because it is potentially embarrasing.

Anyway Louis claims that he is not on the list of the 400 scientists against Global Warming.  When I point out that the he is he denies that he knew he was on it.

________________________________________ start of extract ________________________________

Louis - "SJT has not read the list because if he/she had, he/she would realise I am not on it. So that makes his/her comment above not something one would expect from someone in full command of all the facts."

Is this you or the evil robot Louis that is impersonating you????????

http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Minority.SenateReport

"Planetology, School of Ocean Earth Sciences and Technology, University of Hawai'i at Manoa; Albrecht Glatzle, PhD, sc.agr., Agro-Biologist and Gerente ejecutivo, INTTAS, Paraguay; Fred Goldberg, PhD, Adj Professor, Royal Institute of Technology, Mechanical Engineering, Stockholm, Sweden;

Louis Hissink M.Sc. M.A.I.G., Editor AIG News and Consulting Geologist, Perth, Western Australia;

Andrei Illarionov, PhD, Senior Fellow, Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity, U.S.; founder and director of the Institute of Economic Analysis, Russia; Jon Jenkins, PhD, MD, computer modelling - virology, Sydney, NSW, Australia; "

Posted by: Ender  at January  4, 2008 08:55 PM

Why Ender,

Thank you, I hadn't realised I was so notorious. I have erred! I am on the list, not only as one of the 100 but now one of the 400!

Mind you, you have shot yourself in the foot as I have never initiated a law suit (Your post previous to the one above), so I can only assume that the hysterical ranting from you and SJT here means than you (collectively) consider me as a serious threat to your dogma.

Still waiting for the empirical (read experimental) support for your Oil theory, by the way.

Posted by: Louis Hissink  at January  4, 2008 09:56 PM

Given the denseness here, I opted to sign the list of 100, but I had no idea I was included on the list of 400, and would not until Ender corrected me.

Nonetheless, it's an honour.

And keep an eye on Henry Thornton folks, because the editor there has asked I amplify some points. Pure science of course, physics included, which should amuse SJT who thinks I don't have any credibility in that area.

Physics that is.

Posted by: Louis Hissink  at January  4, 2008 10:05 PM

More wiggles!

http://motls.blogspot.com/2008/01/2007-warmest-year-on-record-coldest-in.html

Posted by: Mark  at January  4, 2008 11:16 PM

Louis - "Thank you, I hadn't realised I was so notorious. I have erred! I am on the list, not only as one of the 100 but now one of the 400!"

Thats alright Louis always a pleasure. Now this question rears it's ugly head. If Louis really did not know that he was not on the list then how many of the others also do not know they are on the list?? OR were all the people on the list informed that they were there and Louis is just fibbing when he said he did not know.

Either way it is pretty bad. So what is it Louis? Were some the 400 put there without their knowledge or were you telling a bit of a fib????? I am sure we really need an answer here as most people don't like fibbers that are caught out.

"Still waiting for the empirical (read experimental) support for your Oil theory, by the way."

Do I really have to? I am still waiting for the oil wells that replenish, Oil without biomarkers and where oil has been found where abiotic oil theory predicted it would be. So far your petroleum geologist peers have found a couple of trillion barrels of oil where the biotic theory would predict it would be. So the current score is:

Biotic theory of oil formation ~2 trillion barrels
Abiotic theory of oil formation 0 barrels

Not convincing to a person of your beliefs however to anyone else, including your peers, it would be pretty conclusive.

Posted by: Ender  at January  5, 2008 12:03 AM

___________________________________ end of extract ____________________________________

I will be interested in his response.

The Rodent is Gone.

Finally the coal mining government is gone.  Guess I will have to starting whinging about Kevin 07 now.

Not sorry to see Howard gone at all.  I think that he firmly set Australia on the path to the 1950s in the year 1996.

Dilbert That Neatly Sums Up Climate Change Skeptics

This Dilbert so neatly sums up the attitude of fossil fuel vested interests it is breathtaking.

My Political Compass

After reading a post on Peak Energy I thought I would take the Political Compass Test again to see if I had changed over the years.  Here is mine - which has not changed:

The Political Compass

Economic Left/Right: -8.00
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -7.23

Authoritarian
Left		Right
Libertarian

This is the international chart - I don't mind being with those people.

"A diverse professional team has assessed the words and actions of internationally known contemporary leaders to give you an idea of how they relate to each other on the political compass.

 

 

 

Intermittant Nuclear Power

Wind and Solar critics constantly point to the intermittent nature of renewables as one of the reasons that renewables are not a viable 24 X 7 power source.  While this is not absolutely true it is also not true that fossil fuels and nuclear are always available.  All generating systems have capacity factors.  Wind varies from 20% for turbines placed in unsuitable locations to 40% for offshore wind.

Nuclear power also has a capacity factor and in the US they have achieved remarkable reliability:
Download u.s._capacity_factors_by_fuel_type.ppt

If you have a look at the attached table nuclear is at 89.8% however the effect on the grid when a nuclear plant drops out is quite dramatic.  The problem is that nuclear reactors need cooling water and as global warming really starts to kick in this commodity is going to be in short supply as evidenced by this news report.

ATHENS, ALA. — The Tennessee Valley Authority shut down one of three units at the Browns Ferry nuclear plant Thursday because water drawn from a river to cool the reactor was too hot, a spokesman said.

The nation's largest public utility shut down Unit 2 about 5:42 p.m. CDT because water drawn from the Tennessee River was exceeding a 90-degree average over 24 hours, amid a blistering heat wave across the Southeast.

"We don't believe we've ever shut down a nuclear unit because of river temperature," said John Moulton, spokesman for the Knoxville, Tenn.-based utility.

He said TVA would compensate for the loss of power by buying power elsewhere. The utility announced earlier Thursday that it was imposing a fuel surcharge on customers because of lower hydroelectric power production caused by drought conditions."

There are two problems here.  One the nuclear plant had to shut down because the river was too warm AND secondly there is not enough hydro to make up the difference.  In this situation a Solar CSP plant would be at it's best performance.

Perhaps we need to figure into nuclear power the cost of the solar CSP plant to back up the intermittent nuclear power.

Pure Howard Hypocricy

So India has a good non-proliferation record does is Mr Howard?

Mr Howard will be speaking to his Indian counterpart today about the possible supply of uranium.

He has told Parliament that he does not believe Australia should refuse to sell uranium to India when it sells to China.

But Mr Howard says there would be conditions including that India agreed to inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

"India does have a very good non-proliferation track record [and] it has indicated that it does not intend to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty," he said.

So apart from BUILDING ILLEGAL NUCLEAR WEAPONS is has a great non proliferation record.  What does a country have to do to get a bad non proliferation record.  This is what it takes to NOT sell uranium to a country:

THERE'S no prospect in the near future of Australia exporting uranium to Pakistan, says Foreign Minister Alexander Downer.

The Federal Government yesterday confirmed it was considering selling uranium to Pakistan nuclear rival India.

Apparently Pakistan illegally constructed nuclear weapons so of course we will not sell uranium to them.

I wonder if Iran needs uranium?

Giving Up This Stupid Thermal Soaring

Really have a look at the sky on this perfect Perth morning

Flew around for three climbs with my electric sailplane and do you think I could find ONE   thermal????  Not bloody one.  Puffy cumulus clouds everywhere.

Bugger.

I will have another go tomorrow.

My plane:

Is This Really Where we Want to Sell Our Uranium?

To illustrate the lunacy of selling our uranium to really anybody who will buy it consider this:

Pakistan warned Thursday that a civilian nuclear accord between India and the United States threatens regional stability, saying it would allow its arch rival to produce more atomic bombs. The caution came at a meeting of Pakistan's National Command Authority (NCA) chaired by President Pervez Musharraf, a statement said. The body oversees the country's nuclear strategy. The long-delayed deal announced in July in Washington allows US exports of civilian nuclear fuel and technology to India for the first time in 30 years.

So Pakistan considers that India is a nuclear rival - no surprises there.  However we will be contributing to this instability.  We are going to be selling uranium to India.

CANBERRA, Australia -

Australia might lift its ban on selling uranium to India if New Delhi forms the nuclear partnership it is negotiating with the United States, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Thursday.

Australia, which holds 40 percent of the world's known uranium reserves, currently won't sell uranium to India because New Delhi is developing nuclear weapons and refuses to join an international nonproliferation treaty.

But Downer said India's dramatic economic expansion and the threat of global warming has forced the government to reconsider that ban.

Australia will take its cue from the civilian nuclear partnership deal that Washington and New Delhi have been negotiating for the past two years, Downer said.

So despite the inconvenient fact that India has not signed the NPT we will still sell uranium to them in direct contravention of the policies of selling uranium.  However we will not sell our uranium to Pakistan, our brothers in arms in the GWOT.

THERE'S no prospect in the near future of Australia exporting uranium to Pakistan, says Foreign Minister Alexander Downer.

The Federal Government yesterday confirmed it was considering selling uranium to Pakistan nuclear rival India.

That prompted Pakistan's Minister For Religious Affairs Ejaz ul-Haq to call on Australia to also consider selling uranium to Islamabad.

Neither Pakistan nor India have signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Mr Downer today said Pakistan had shown no interest in negotiating with the International Atomic Energy Agency a system of safeguards and inspections for its two non-military nuclear power stations.

Oh I see it is OK to sell it to a nation that will not sign the NPT however as long as it's reactors are inspected it is OK.  Why does India not sign the NPT if it's reactors are kosher?

The double standards and hypocrisy of this government is beyond belief.  Nuclear is safe and clean and uranium sales are OK and we will only sell to people that sign the NPT.  No wait - nuclear is safe and clean and we now co-incidently believe in global warming, so we will sell uranium to anybody to help the Earth.  No wait again we don't want to help the Earth so much as to sell uranium to a Muslim country because nuclear is so safe and clean that we would not want it to get it into the hands of a possible enemy because it is so safe.  C o n t r a d i c t i o n   h e r e - self destructing ........

Anyone else see the problem here?

A Couple of Electric Vehicles Available in Australia

The new Vectrix electric scooter is now going to be available in Australia. I rang the Australian distributers  and have found out that it will cost $17 500.00.  This is a bit steep however if I buy one I can use it for commuting.  My work may be starting 6:00am early shifts and this starting time makes it almost impossible to take my normal public transport.  If I had a Vectrix I would be able to commute with a clear conscience.

Anyway here is the details of the Vectrix:

VECTRIX SPECS

 

Performance	Max Speed	62 mph / 100 km/h
	Acceleration	0-50 mph (80 km/h) - 6.8 seconds 0-31 mph (50 km/h) - 3.6 seconds
	Range	68 miles (110 km) @ 25 mph (40 km/h) Simulated urban driving - 5 hours
	Braking	Patented multi-function throttle (DAaRT) provides regenerative braking and slow-speed reverse Front and rear Brembo disc brakes
	Tires	Pirelli: GTS23 120/70-14 (Front) and GTS24 140/60 13 (Rear)
	Fork	Marzocchi Telescopic Fork
	Suspension	Sachs Twin Shocks
Battery	Battery Type	Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH)
	Rated Battery Capacity	30 Ah, 3.7 kW-h
	Rated Battery Voltage	125V
	Charger	1.5kW on-board battery charger
	Recharge Requirements	110V-220V (50/60Hz)
	Recharge Time	2 hours (80% charge)
	Battery Discharge Cycles	1,700 (80% charge)
	Estimated Battery Life	10 years or 50,000 miles / 80,000 km
Motor & Gearbox	Motor Type	Brushless DC, radial air-gap motor
	Peak Power	20 kW peak power at 3000 rpm
	Max Current	275 Amps
	Max Torque	65 Nm
	Gearbox	Integrated rear-wheel mounted planetary gear drive
Electronics	Controller	DSP & IGBT based all-digital electronic control and motor drive system
	Instrumentation	LCD¹s display speed, odometer, battery charge,, estimated range, and system status
	Communications	Controller Area Network (CAN) Bluetooth wireless sytems diagnostics and communication
Dimensions	Weight	462lb (210 kg)
	Wheelbase	60" (1525 mm)
	Seat Height	30" (770 mm)
	Wheels	Front - 14" Rear - 13"
	Storage Capacity	Under seat storage for a full-faced helmet Glove compartment
Other	Frame	Lightweight aluminum frame
	Warranty	24 months
	Emissions	Zero
	Retail Price	$11,000, not including tax, registration, freight or delivery charges.

Pretty impressive and the ideal commuter.  Nickel Metal Hydride batteries make sense when extreme range is not needed.  They are less expensive and conserve lithium for longer range requirements.  Why use more expensive Lithium batteries if you only need a 100km range.

The other one is a electric conversion that I read about in ReNew magazine - Blade Electric Vehicles.  You can view their website here.  It is a Hyundai Getz conversion called the Blade Runner however I do not know what the motor is and whether it is AC or DC.  I have emailed the company with some questions and I will update this post with the reply.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Recommended car for conversion to electric       drive       Hyundai Getz 2002 - 2007              Readily available through       Peter Stevens Motorworld - Ballarat, Victoria       Telephone Tyrone Mahoney 03 5336 8777
0- 60kph	9       seconds and cruse at 100kph
Body	Retro-fitted       Hyundi Getz
Drive	Variable electric drive
Range	100 - 120km in urban areas
Controller	500Amp
Fuel       cells	Lithium ion
Life	Li ion 8        - 10 years (dependent on use and recharge frequency)
kwh	Li ion 14 to       19kwh
Recharge times	Charger A       - 240v @ 16amps takes around       9 hours              Charger B - 240 v @ 10 - 50amps       takes around 2.5 hours
Cost to       fuel	Approximately $1.20 per 100 klms (Off peak rates)
DC       electric motor	40kw       electric motor
Occupants	4 seat
Towing       capacity	500kg towing       a small Aunger box trailer
Price	Please       contact Ross Blade on  61 (0)             3 5472 2960
Warranty	5 years on labour, manufacturers warranty applies to parts

 

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Again almost the perfect commuter - depends on the price though