Editorial: Bidding debacle

bidrigging101 hit the nail on the head -
where's the outrage?

May 17, 2013 at 9:41 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Incoming dean praises KU engineering school

Please forgive me for saying so but my goal is to enabling community scale conversion and utilization of most locally available biomass resources, including municipal wastes and coal in distributed power generation and biofuels production.
Somewhat like a multi-function food processor, my invention is in reality a multi-fuel and multi-process capable fuels processor.
The AAEC Sequential Grates fuels conversion technology is similar in concept in that its users (homes, towns and cities) can get widely varying results depending on exactly what fuels are being processed and what fuel conversion or processing option button is chosen.
Like a food processor or blender; the AAEC Sequential Grates ™ fuels processing technology has an opening at the top and several operational choices for selecting the desired fuels conversion process and end products. Available fuel conversion processes run from the choice of clean coal use via gasification at one end of the scale to advanced thermal biomass and waste conversion modes at the other end. End products available are cleaner heat power, chemicals and biofuels.
Les Blevins believes the best way for creating jobs and keeping the cost of oil in line; and keeping a lid on carbon emissions; may be for us to begin making more of our heat, power and transportation fuels is by using our own locally abundant biomass resources along with coal in our own localized clean energy conversion systems like AAEC’s advanced Sequential Grates ™ system.
Les Blevins
President & CEO Advanced Alternative Energy Corp.
1207 N 1800 Rd., Lawrence, KS 66049
Tel: (001) 7858421943 Fax: (001) 7858420909
LBlevins@aaecorp.com
http://aaecorp.com
http://aaecorp.com/ceo.html
http://www.linkedin.com/profile/edit?...
http://www.lawrencerecycles.org/pdf/L...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...

May 10, 2013 at 11:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Incoming dean praises KU engineering school

Kansas faces dangers from rising CO2 Say KU Scientists We can expect more heat, more intense storms and more drought, say KU scientists in climate change report

By Scott Rothschild
November 11, 2008

Higher temperatures, more intense storms and increased drought will plague Kansas this century because of rising carbon dioxide emissions, according to a study by Kansas University scientists that was released Tuesday.

The study details numerous dangers posed by climate change and should serve as a warning and prompt new policies that reduce CO2 emissions, the scientists said.
“What’s important to remember — these are projections,” said Johannes Feddema, a geography professor who is a member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
The study by Feddema and KU’s Nathaniel Brunsell, also a geography professor, was done for the Salina-based Land Institute’s Climate and Energy Project.
By 2100, if greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase as projected, temperatures in Kansas will rise an average of 2 degrees to 4 degrees, the study said. Southwest Kansas could see an increase of 8 degrees.
By 2060, winter temperatures will stay mostly above freezing. That means more insects, diseases, and the need for farmers to increase the use of costly pesticides, the scientists concluded. Higher summertime temperatures will also hurt crops and livestock and increase the need for irrigation.
Climate change will also cause more extreme weather patterns, including intense rain and flooding, but because of higher temperatures, soil moisture will decrease, and that means more intense drought. “What hurts Kansas also hurts the nation,” the report said. “Climate change will increase stress on America’s breadbasket, risking our food security.”
An earlier study by the National Council of State Legislatures estimated that climate change could cost Kansas $1 billion per year.
The report recommends that Kansas embrace renewable energy, focusing on wind, biomass and solar. Not only will this help the environment but it will also play into Kansas’ economic hand, the report said.
“When people talk about climate change, too often they ignore the costs of not dealing with it. They also ignore the economic opportunities for Kansas in shifting to a clean energy economy,” said Nancy Jackson, executive director of the Climate and Energy Project.

May 10, 2013 at 11:42 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Incoming dean praises KU engineering school

Hopefully Dean Branicky possesses the proper skill set and will be able to introduce KU's research thinking to the important opportunity that lies ahead for KU to address humanity’s urgent need for innovative new concept climate management technology in time to prevent a looming global catastrophe.

May 10, 2013 at 11:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Simons' Saturday Column: Lawrence has lost growth, economic momentum

Excellent editorial Dolph, I didn't think you had it in you. You asked; "Who is at fault" and I have to admit I am at least partly to blame. You see since the 1980s (when I discovered that conversion of liabilities to assets was a good thing) I've been suggesting that Lawrence cut ongoing expenses by converting it's municipal waste streams (which costs the city a lot of money annually to dispose of) into higher value products (which costs the city a lot of money annually to purchase) I've essentially boggled the minds of mayors, city commissioners and yes the city manager and became the object that caused a lot of confusion and consternation within city government, which has essentially turned off the good fiscal management thinking, wise priority selection, and conservative practices the city once enjoyed. And it seems that as long as I keep suggesting such common sense approaches to solving such a wide array of the city's ongoing problems the powers that be at city hall cannot regain their composure. So I guess you can blame me and of course yourself and your own publication for not explaining it all for the people of Lawrence so that they can understand it and get their voting prioritized.

May 4, 2013 at 7:36 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Truancy policies can catch parents by surprise

"The bottom line is that it's important for students to be in school in order to learn," superintendent Rick Doll said. Therefore there is no reason for schools to send students home early that can be justified as a 'normal' course of action.

April 30, 2013 at 7:14 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Truancy policies can catch parents by surprise

At Deerfield School, which Meisenheimer's daughter attends, the handbook states that all absences are unexcused except those for "illness of the student, death in the immediate family, and exceptionally urgent reasons that affect the student" therefore the mother's inability to drive qualifies as an urgent reason.

April 30, 2013 at 7:10 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Legislators question paying more for NBAF

The choice for the Kansas legislature is clear; choose to spend 200 to 300 million to import a potentially deadly toxin and disease production facility within the borders of Kansas or spend 2 or 3 million to empower humanity to wind down the threat of global warming and earn money on exporting that technology around the world into Kansas and watch as hundreds of millions in returns roll in creating thousands of good paying jobs in Kansas. It's a good choice for Kansas lawmakers because it's what's called a "no-brainer."

April 26, 2013 at 11:52 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Letter: Earth’s not flat

It also has a lot to do with money.

Today's JW Editorial - Westar’s latest rate shift request would be burdensome for smaller consumers.

Westar Energy’s latest rate-increase request would represent a major shift in the burden for supporting the utility from larger customers to smaller consumers

By J-W Editorial
April 22, 2013

Ask and ye shall receive. Especially if you’re Westar Energy Inc.
The cheering on one sideline comes from medium and large businesses and schools. The mumblings and exclamations of discontent come from residential customers, small businesses and, unlikely as it might be, probably Kansas City Power & Light.
The current concern is Westar’s request to the Kansas Corporation Commission to raise an additional $31.7 million annually by boosting rates for its residential customers — and lowering them for some 5,500 business customers. According to figures compiled by the Citizens Utility Ratepayer Board, medium and large businesses will see their rates decline between 6 percent and 8.4 percent, resulting in about $36 million less revenue for Westar. At the same time, however, rates for residential customers will go up by 8.77 percent, resulting in an additional $62 million for Westar. Increased rates for small business will contribute another $21.5 million.
Altogether, those increases represent more than half a billion (with a B) in resources not available for individuals to save or spend on education, purchases to cycle through the local economy, or just plain fun.
It’s time for Kansas utility customers to stand up to climbing rates.
Unlike Westar, they may not get everything they want, but they should at least ask!
Comments
skull1 hour, 12 minutes ago
It's ok...Westar is going to use all those profits to create jobs...

LesBlevins says;

Wake up Kansas, Wake up Lawrence Leaders, Wake up citizens
It’s time for local citizens and utility customers to stand up to City Commissioners and to Westar Energy concerning energy issues and constantly climbing utility rates,, and it’s also time for Kansas government to take action to stop the shift of economic burdens from the rich to the poor.
Representatives of utilities operating in Kansas say there is nothing they can do about their present CO2 emissions. (WRONG)
“There is no large-scale, proven technology to reduce carbon dioxide emissions,” said Karla Olsen, a spokeswoman for Westar Energy Inc.(WRONG)
This statement is actually irrelevant because there are distributed energy options that are cleaner and can save money for local ratepayers but City of Lawrence officials will not even discuss how to implement such improvements even though the would provide many benefits.
==================
Google this;
Google has invested $1B in renewable energy in hopes that investments made now will put them in a strong position in the future when energy from fossil fuels become more expensive and renewable energy becomes cheaper.
It’s called forward thinking.

April 22, 2013 at 11:48 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Editorial: Rate shift

Wake up Kansas, Wake up Lawrence Leaders, Wake up citizens

It’s time for local citizens and utility customers to stand up to City Commissioners and to Westar Energy concerning energy issues and constantly climbing utility rates,, and it’s also time for Kansas government to take action to stop the shift of economic burdens from the rich to the poor.

Representatives of utilities operating in Kansas say there is nothing they can do about their present CO2 emissions. (WRONG)

“There is no large-scale, proven technology to reduce carbon dioxide emissions,” said Karla Olsen, a spokeswoman for Westar Energy Inc.(WRONG)

This statement is actually irrelevant because there are distributed energy options that are cleaner and can save money for local ratepayers but City of Lawrence officials will not even discuss how to implement such improvements even though the would provide many benefits.

==================

Google this;

Google has invested $1B in renewable energy in hopes that investments made now will put them in a strong position in the future when energy from fossil fuels become more expensive and renewable energy becomes cheaper.

It’s called forward thinking.

April 22, 2013 at 11:31 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )