In my last posting I failed completely to mention geothermal energy as an alternate to energy derived from fossil fuels. A report recently released by a group at MIT describes the potential for geothermal that goes well beyond current applications in California and other Western USA areas. There's a lot of heat a few thousand feet below the surface that has the capacity to drive turbine generators much as in the case of any conventional steam driven generation plant in existence today. Obviously, it should be developed to further reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

It's a far cry from energy politics, but the announced euthanization of 2006 Kentucky Derby Champion Barbaro this morning saddened me and I suspect everyone familiar with the story of that gallant animal. Having been educated at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, I developed a liking of thoroughbred horses and racing. On Sundays, we frequently took our little daughter out to Calumet Farm to see the horses. She was particularly attracted to the yearling paddock area where she could reach her little hands between the fence rails and let the young horses nuzzle them. We would also visit the "Million Dollar"barn with its red carpet running between the two rows of stalls containing such winners as Whirlaway. In an adjacent paddock all by himself was the proud sire of all of them, Bull Lea. Indications are that Barbaro
may be buried at Churchill Downs outside Louisville or Kentucky Horse Park in mearby Lexington. Either location would be a fitting memorial to a very gallant animal.

Global warming, or "climate change", is back in the news with a new study showing that man is responsible for most of the warming that has occured in the last century. Some scientists project that much of South Florida will be part of the ocean by as early as 2030 but surely by 2100. By the latter time, they say ocean waters might have risen by 10ft. or more. Add a normal 2-3ft. tide and it's easy to see much of the area will be gone. Assuming the projections to be true, the issue becomes what can we do about it?

Reducing the production of greenhouse gasses will help but it's not likely to eliminate the problem. Greatly elevated seawalls could do a lot to protect the area. It would be a costly solution for sure, but it may be the only solution. I don't think people with high priced condoos and businesses along South Florida's beaches and its many waterways will stand still to see their properties disappear.

Of course the media is having a field day with the warming issue. It fits their doomsday mentality and "blame America" attitude. Where does such thinking come from anyway?
America has done more to benefit the rest of the world than all the other developed countries combined, yet these fools go on blaming us for all of mankind's ills. We rebuilt Western Europe after WWII and helped Japan become one of the most vibrant economies on Earth. Had it not been for the Communists we would have done the same for Russia and China.

Communisim is still a problem in the world and not just in places like China, Southeast Asia, Cuba and parts of South America such as Venezuela. The communist mentality is still present here at home, personified by many in the Hollywood crowd. The Anti-Iraq War gathering in Washington, D.C. being the most recent example. Jane Jihad, formerly Hanoi Jane, was there as were Susan Sarandan, Tim Robbins, Sean Penn and others doing their damnedest to repeat the devastating influence their ilk had in getting us to pull out of Vietnam after we had the military war won. The only worthwhile result of the demonstration last weekend was the fact that so few people showed up for it.