To the editor:
With regard to the proposed sports complex, I would like to point out that, for about half the cost we are being told it would cost to build this dubious project, the City of Lawrence could become a primary force in enabling the world to address the climate issue that has recently become a front-and-center priority for the nation.
I would also like to suggest that because Lawrence once played a pivotal role in ending slavery in this nation is no reason for Lawrence to become complacent when it comes to moral issues. I would also like to point out that many trillions of dollars of property and billions of people are at ever-increasing risk from the destructive forces of climate change.
I think, due to these issues, Lawrence voters should be asked to choose how they would like to proceed, toward an area sports complex or toward enabling humanity to achieve a greater level of sustainability and improve humanity’s ability to survive relatively intact the climate changes scientists are predicting in the remainder of the 21st century. I think it would also behoove us to consider that Kansas is still in prolonged drought with no letup in sight.
The thought also occurs to me that if Lawrence had better name recognition and a better image across America, it could perhaps recruit doctors, nurses, teachers, police officers and university faculty a little bit easier.
Comments
weiser 3 months, 3 weeks ago
I'm sure China, India, and South Korea, etc, will close all of their industries right after they find out how great it is.
Water 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Les, Should you be approaching the US Patent Office, Venture Capitalists as can be found at Kickstart or appearing on Shark Tank? Maybe, so you can stop eschewing obfuscation, the LJW could interview you so we can experience this idea of yours? Is it a big air filter? Does it capture electricity from lighting bolts? Gold from straw? Can someone else fill me in?
gphawk89 3 months, 3 weeks ago
"Better name recognition" and "better image" do not necessarily go hand-in-hand. Often just the opposite.
rtwngr 3 months, 3 weeks ago
The next time something "occurs" to you, don't feel obligated to share it with the rest of us.
ThePilgrim 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Climate change is not a moral issue.
jafs 3 months, 3 weeks ago
If one thinks that life, including human life, is valuable, and worth preserving, even "sacred", it certainly is.
LesBlevins 3 months, 3 weeks ago
I've obtained patents and developed a technology that fits with the US DOE's Biomass Program Mission and Goals and am currently seeking local, state or federal support for taking the project to the next level, however state support is problematic as I don't have any local support and federal support is problematic as I don't have any local or state support. I'm told by KU that they don't have faculty qualified to assist me either.
The mission of the DOE's Program is to: Develop and transform our renewable biomass resources into commercially viable, high-performance biofuels, bioproducts, and biopower through targeted research, development, demonstration, and deployment supported through public and private partnerships. The goal of the Program is to develop commercially viable biomass utilization technologies to: • Enable sustainable, nationwide production of advanced biofuels that are compatible with today’s transportation infrastructure and can displace a share of petroleum-derived fuels to reduce U.S. dependence on oil • Encourage the creation of a new domestic bioenergy industry supporting the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 goal of 36 billion gallons per year of renewable transportation fuels by 2022. Technology Portfolio The Program manages a diverse portfolio of technologies across the spectrum of applied RDD&D within the dynamic context of changing budgets and administrative priorities. The portfolio is organized to reflect the biomass-to-bioenergy supply chain—from the feedstock source to the end user (see Figure A). The Program has developed a coordinated framework for managing its portfolio based on systematically investigating, evaluating, and down-selecting the most promising opportunities i Last revised: November 2012 See full text at: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/pdfs/mypp_november_2012.pdf
Advanced Alternative Energy’s fuel conversion technology can be installed as depicted in schematics found on pages 160, 161, 162 and 163 in figures A-3 to A-6
fred_mertz 3 months, 3 weeks ago
Why depend on my taxes for your project? Do it yourself. And yes, I feel this way for all businesses
Water 3 months, 2 weeks ago
I'm empressed you have obtained a patent. Many inventors experience difficulty marketing their invention. After succeeding in getting the invention to market, they don't make a fortune from it's sale or licensing fees. Generating electricity from waste is not as valuable to society as putting a bouncy ball thru a hoop.
LesBlevins 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Fred_Mertz, the city is going to take taxes and obligate taxpayers, not me. All I'm trying to do is to get the city to offer another choice to local taxpaying voters before obligating them to the sports complex project for many years in the future.
fred_mertz 3 months, 2 weeks ago
So, explain to me what this sentence means? "I don't have any local support and federal support is problematic as I don't have any local or state support. I'm told by KU that they don't have faculty qualified to assist me either."
Isn't getting support and assistance from the government using public resources funded by, in part, my tax dollars? Correct me if I am wrong, but it sounds like you indeed will be using tax dollars to assist with your project.
fishcat 3 months, 2 weeks ago
I wish I was a player too. I think I have some good ideas that could benefit humanity and make me a pile of money. All I need is a large infusion of somebody else's cash, like the rest of the players. It would help capitalize the front end of my projects and free up some risk. I won't share what my idea is just like Mr. Blevins, but trust me.
fishcat 3 months, 2 weeks ago
The climate. 650,000 years ago this piece of dirt was covered by 300 feet of ice. The earth, she's a churnin'
Cant_have_it_both_ways 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Some people would be much better off if they just sucked it up and got a real job.
ThePilgrim 3 months, 2 weeks ago
Mr. Blevins, if you have patents for technology to fight climate change, then you (almost) completely discredit your editorial, and it becomes little more than a message of "don't spend money on a sports complex, spend it on me" (or my biz), which most of the posters on LJW would call at best self serving and at worst no better than "crony capitalism", regardless of the potential altruism involved.
LesBlevins 3 months ago
All I asked the city of Lawrence for is a letter of support. I never asked for nor proposed any financial support from the city. I nor the city of Lawrence is responsible for global warming and climate change but it behooves all of us to find a workable solution. The fact that Lawrence will not even write a simple letter of support for my R&D project is indicative that they must have "other obligations" with those that would not like it if the city provided even verbal support.
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