Coyote Blog: Why Phoenix Light Rail is Doomed in One Chart

Rail makes zero sense in a city like Phoenix. All this will do is create a financial black hole into which we shift all of our bus money, so the city will inevitably end up with a worse transportation system, not a better one. Cities that build light rail almost always experience a reduction in total transit use (even the great God of planners Portland) for just this reason - budgets are limited, so since rail costs so much more per passenger, other transit is cut back. But the pictures of the train will look pretty in the visitor's guide.

Will September be the month the sun truly transitions to Cycle 24? « Watts Up With That?

...Jansen makes some good points about the possible first month that cylce 24 spots exceed cycle 23 spots. But when you are in a deep minimum like this one, it is hard to pinpoint the transition, because next month may bring the reverse condition.

Convenience stores under attack by global warming zealots « Watts Up With That?

Now I’ve heard everything. Talk about your “Kyoto protocol”. The original source of this silliness comes from the city of Kyoto. In June, in a bid to reduce greenhouse gases and perhaps become a nationally designated “model environmental city,” the municipal government indicated it would request convenience stores to “voluntarily refrain” from staying open all night.

You can read the complete story here in Japan Today. The worst part about this is the complete lack of understanding about where the major energy use is. Closing the store may result in some energy savings from lighting, but the main power use, refrigeration systems, and that Slushee machine, will still operate.