Muenchhausen: MUENCHHAUSEN, Oct. 21, 2011

MUENCHHAUSEN
AN ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER ABOUT ENVIRONMENT,
RENEWABLE RESOURCE TECHNOLOGY,
AND RELATED TOPICS
By BOOTSTRAP PRESS, INC.
BETHESDA, MD
JJGREENBARON(at)VERIZON.NET
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OCTOBER 21, 2011 ===============================================================
WELCOME!
The Green Baron (TGB) welcomes one and all who take the time to read Muenchhausen. He aims to “tell it like it is” as much as possible, and avoid advocacy and ideological positions. There are enough of those to go around in other publications. The Green Baron also welcomes comments from anyone who may read Muenchhausen. Please send comments to the e-mail address above.

THE SOLYNDRA CAPER
TGB wants to indulge in a comment or two about a company called Solyndra (Fremont, CA), now bankrupt and essentially defunct, located in California's famous Silicon Valley. It had been founded as a firm that would manufacture components for solar-energy installations, essentially sun-to-electricity, as part of the Obama Administration's current "Green Jobs" program. Accordingly, the federal government guaranteed loans for this company to the tune of $535 million ($5.35 x 10⁸ in scientific notation, just to show the order of magnitude of this loan). It would appear that Solyndra may well default on this loan, given its declaration of bankruptcy. Some cold comfort: The Solyndra loan comprises "only" 3.4% of the federal solar-energy budget (1). Nevertheless, it is being described as a scandal--perhaps rightly so--in the popular press.

Regrettably, the term "Green Jobs" has been bandied about widely, and could have almost any meaning one wishes to ascribe to it. More loan guarantees likely will be loaned or granted to companies in the so-called "green sector"; who can predict how many of those firms will come a cropper? And of those that seem to succeed, how many of those will outsource their component manufacture and relevant jobs to other nations, principally, the People's Republic of China? Let's be fair here, however. China has a near-monopoly on the rare-earth elements, some of which are essential for a renewable- or "green"-energy system. Moreover, Chinese authorities have made it quite plain that many who wish to purchase and use those rare earths must locate their manufacturing facilities in China.

Solar module made by Solyndra. It uses copper indium gallium diselenide thin-film technology (2). Though not a rare earth, indium, for example, is not abundant in nature.

TGB could go on for many paragraphs on the Solyndra caper, and perhaps on many similar capers to come, and yes, he confidently expects them. He would hope that to go the "green"-renewables path in energy, science and engineering research efforts emphasize the development of economically viable accumulation, concentration, storage, and distribution methods for such energy, which, though abundant, is highly diffuse. There likely is such research going on, but not nearly enough to meet the needs of an industrially developed society.

As one can surmise, TGB often harps on the subjects of economically viable accumulation, concentration, storage, and distribution of renewable energy. He will continue to do so ad infinitum. Without clearance of these hurdles, the wide use of renewable energy and the abandonment of fossil and perhaps nuclear energy remains a will-o'-the-wisp.

"CLASS WARFARE"
In mentioning "class warfare", TGB cites the "Occupy Wall Street" (OSW) and parallel demonstrations nationwide and even worldwide. These demonstrations and encampments are said to have arisen spontaneously as gestures of resentment against the American and world financial establishment, whatever that may be. TGB, however, looks at "spontaneously" with a jaundiced eye for, as the old maxim has it, "ex nihilo nihil fit" ("from nothing comes nothing"). He rather thinks the movement was quite adeptly organized and is, or shall be, quite well funded. True, there is a whole potpourri of causes, but as one acquaintance of TGB--one he dislikes, by the way--has it, the marginal causes will fade away and the movement will blossom into a revolutionary cadre (one must give credit where credit is due, even if doing so be repellent). TGB also surmises that once the OSW and parallel movements integrate, coordinate, and solidify, methodical violence will begin to occur.

Among the many demands of the OSW and similar movements is environmental protection and all that it entails, which is where TGB comes in here. Most of the movement's adherents likely have little or no idea of how to go about tackling such a broad issue, but they demand that it be done. TGB would like to see a demonstrator come up with a scientifically and engineering-wise valid proposal. So far, he has seen or heard none.

What TGB has learned from various sources is that senior members of the current administration have expressed sympathy with the OSW movement. (TGB takes no personal political stand on this matter.) This may cast doubt on the notion that the movement and its rallies are entirely spontaneous. Indeed, some commentators suggest--most likely and hopefully far-fetched--that either a political revolution is under way, or that conditions are being created with the aim of a declaration of national emergency and ultimately a suspension of civil liberties and constitutional guarantees. In principle, that would amount to what in other countries would be characterized as a "palace coup". The foregoing does not necessarily reflect TGB's views. He can but chronicle what might be occurring before our very eyes.

OSW demonstrators on Brooklyn Bridge, New York, NY. About 700 were arrested. Ex nihilo nihil fit.

Actually, this type of movement, in the US and abroad, was predicted as long ago as the 15th century by Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli (3). The chapter in The Prince that describes such a situation carries the title, "On Liberality Versus Miserliness" (3).