German’s self-driving streetcar puts autonomous tech on track

OF THE MANY acronyms engineers spend their lives internalizing, few are more valuable than KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid. Constrain the problem, reduce the variables, and make life as easy as possible when designing novel systems—like, say, a self-driving car. The world is a messy, complicated place. The less of it you need to solve, the closer you are to having a working product.

In the past year, Siemens' (passenger-free) street cars
 have puttered through Potsdam more than 450 times.

That's why Waymo tests and plans to deploy its vehicles in Chandler, Arizona, with its reliably sunny weather, calm traffic, and meticulously mapped roads. But even there, its robots are still reportedly running into issues with routine maneuvers, like left turns into traffic. Which makes it easier to understand why engineers in Potsdam, Germany, have taken the KISS idea to an extreme: They've put their autonomous vehicles on tracks. Siemens Mobility has spent the week showing off the first autonomous streetcar-style, light rail project—what Europeans would call a tram—at the giant InnoTrans rail trade show in Berlin.

Read the story by Jack Stewart from Wired - “German’s self-driving streetcar puts autonomous tech on track.”

What if Economic Growth Isn’t as Positive as You Think?

When Donald Trump says “Make America Great Again,” he’s alluding, at least in part, to the promise of economic growth. Just as when Bill Clinton said, “it’s the economy, stupid,” he was really saying that “it’s about economic growth, stupid.” This is the Golden Promise of politics: more economic growth. 

We are nearing the need to make our final payment on
our debt and this time it will be with the Earth itself.

Golden, because it is effortlessly translated in voters’ minds to mean more jobs, more money in the economy, and therefore more income in everyone’s pockets. Because economic growth is, obviously, a thing greatly to be desired.

Equally obvious is the knowledge that no economic growth is a bad thing. When economies and companies don’t grow, they stagnate and falter. Which means fewer jobs, lower wages, less money to invest, more business shut downs, and bankruptcies. In short, more misery for all.

It’s all so obvious, right? It’s one of the precious few things we can all agree on in this fractious age.

Read the Fast Company story by By Martin Kirk - “ What if Economic Growth Isn’t as Positive as You Think?”

Abrupt Climate Change: In Hurricane Harvey, Texans Reap What They Sow.

After 25 years of writing regarding looming abrupt climate change and biosphere collapse, nonetheless I find no succor that my predictions have come true with Hurricane Harvey. Firstly, my heart-felt sympathy goes out to the hardy Texans who continue to weather nature’s wrath on the Gulf Coast. I have had the fortune to spend some time in Port Aransas and Rockport areas visiting family and it is a beautiful spot full of warm, generous people.

“Hurricane Harvey is abrupt climate change. And it shows collapse of the atmosphere and ecosystems that threatens to destroy the biosphere and end being… Texas’ war against science and the natural world must draw to an end. Like waking up after a long drinking binge, it is time for Texans to sober up and accept their living large – as if the land, water, and air have no value – has brought them to the edge of utter ruin.” — Dr. Glen Barry

However, let there be no mistake (now comes the “tough love” part). Hurricane Harvey is a man-made disaster that has directly resulted from Texans’ oil addiction, anti-science denial, disdain for common sense regulations, and super-sized lifestyles.

So where did all that rain come from anyway? It’s global warming stupid.

The basics of climate science have been known for 100 years. Simply, what has occurred in the Gulf of Mexico with Hurricane Harvey is all about heat, which is growing because of fossil fuel emissions (the greenhouse gases that are released trap heat), including by Texans. Since 1970 the average temperature in the South has risen 3.3° F. Galveston Texas set a shocking 33 record temperatures since Nov. 1^st of last year. Across Texas temperatures have been averaging 10° F warmer than usual.

Read the EcoInternet story by Dr Glen Barry - “Abrupt Climate Change: In Hurricane Harvey, Texans Reap What They Sow.”

Questionable government decision draws ire on social media

Christopher Pyne.

A new Growth Centre established by the Australian Government will drive innovation, competitiveness and productivity across the oil, gas, coal and uranium sectors.

The Oil, Gas and Energy Resources Growth Centre, to be known as National Energy Resources Australia (NERA), will promote collaboration and innovation across the energy resources sector.

Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science Christopher Pyne said the Australian Government was investing $15.4 million over four years in the growth centre.

Read the story by the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Christopher Pyne - “Energy resources growth centre launched.”

(This Federal Government decision contradicts a world-wide move to renewable energy and has brought many comments on social-media ranging from stupid to confusing and mystifying and short-sighted. It is rather difficult to disagree with those observations and equally difficult to disprove them – Robert McLean).