Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin More than eighty percent of eligible voters turned out for the Philippines Presidential Election, and it looks a landslide victory for Ferdinand (Bongbong) Marcos Jr. While they are finishing the vote count, several media critics are already trying to punch holes in Bongbong’s stunning landslide victory. Some have pointed to the excesses of his father’s regime (of 36 years ago), while others have targeted his 92-year-old mother (Imelda). Some allege a closer friendship to China, but few have spent time examining the erosion of Philippine love for America – an important analysis for a former USA colony - where the average citizens really do love America. In bygone days, Capitol Hill pushed for closer ties with Manila but, sadly, the former pro-Philippine hawks have long since vacated the building. With Bongbong now on the rise, the U.S. Government is taking a fresh look at ways to improve the relationship. As everyone … [Read more...] about Retail’s Worry: As Philippines Trade Ramps Up – Will Bongbong Marcos Question America’s Love?
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Infrastructure 2021: Delivering more sustainable and equitable infrastructure
After 13 grueling years of political debate, Congress passed a bill that enabled some of the largest infrastructure spending in U.S. history—an almost 20% increase over the annual federal public works budget. advertisement The spending created clean energy, jobs, addressed environmental issues (while creating others), and ultimately, while backstopped by Congress, paid for itself. If this sounds too good to be true—it isn’t—because this happened in 1928. The spending was for the Hoover Dam. And while there were other projects part of the “infrastructure stimulus” of that era, this iconic project is a great representation of the good and bad of a meaningful infrastructure spend. Over the past 10 years, infrastructure has become an outsized and unrequited topic—it has featured prominently in presidential campaigns, has been the subject of many (mostly unpassed) bills and hundreds of conferences, and marketed in at least a dozen “Infrastructure Weeks.” Will it be said … [Read more...] about Infrastructure 2021: Delivering more sustainable and equitable infrastructure
Green Electricity Can Be Unstable. Big-Battery Backups Are The Solution.
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin The electricity system in the U.K. was its greenest ever on Easter Monday 2021: 76%. The very next day it fell to 45%. Obviously, it varies widely with how much sun is shining and how strongly winds are blowing. The energy mix on Easter Monday was 39% wind, 21% solar, and 16% nuclear. Gas power plants provided 10% and coal plants provided zilch. Wood-burning biomass was 4%. But the race to renewables had already been won by a large state with low population in Australia. In October 2020, South Australia’s electricity was carbon-free – for one hour – powered by large-scale wind and solar but also by rooftop solar collectors (one in four houses have rooftop solar in Australia). What large daily variations in green electricity tell us is that backup supplies are needed for renewables. In the U.K., backup is mainly gas-fired power plants. In the U.S., reliability of renewables is a concern and it’s important to … [Read more...] about Green Electricity Can Be Unstable. Big-Battery Backups Are The Solution.