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Javier Sanso, skipper of his Renewable Energy Sailing Yacht in
this year’s Vendee Globe challenge. (Source: huffingtonpost.com)
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Thus, having theoretically re-charged thy batteries, albeit I’m not sure if they’re lead based, nickel hydraid or lithium ion rechargeable? And thus as we’re still in a semi-state of off season duress, with the exception of the Dakar & Rolex 24; here’s a few tiny (thought) bubbles that caught my attention whilst I was supposedly spending time away from le ‘Confuzer...
The Good
I’m guessing its somewhat karmic that I was light heartedly discussing with my “Pops” over Christmas our current energy problems and how I get really sick ‘N tired of the continuous ‘Greenwashing over how “Plug-in Hybrids” and “Zero Emissions” vehicles are the mythical silver bullet of the future... Further stating how I’m totally in favour of the new technology, just really frustrated how NOBODY ever discusses how these vehicles are produced or how the power is produced in order to charge said vehicles...
Nevertheless, I did find the following item about how Spanish Vendee Globe competitor Javier Sanso is the arduous around-the-world race’s first challenger to participate in a totally 100% Zero Emission sailing yacht very interesting.
Javier has forsaken the traditional diesel powerplant in favour of running on an electric motor, solar power, and hydrogen fuel cell system backed up by fifteen batteries in his quest to become the first solo competitor to complete the race via 100% green power. And although running in eighth place at the halfway point, Javier could move up in standings wise if his fellow competitors run out of diesel fuel...
The Bad
Sixty million brand new automobiles produced during the manufacture’s annual scrum to be number one - spewing ‘Kuhzillions of harmful, toxic pollutants into the environment, not to mention the even more nauseating myriads of diesel delivery vans, school busses and semi’s...
The utterly distasteful campaign of pouring bucket loads ‘O moohlah into advertising that the Gulf’s “A-L-L SAFE NOW!” Come on in, the water’s just fine positive spin advertising paid by BP, instigators of the worst oil spill in modern history... Uh Gee Wally, I somehow doubt that the Japanese power company TEPCO is claiming such happy messages ‘O joy over the radiating waters & fishing grounds off of Fukushima, eh?
Or how about Brazil’s overly polluted waters whilst rushing to clean ‘em up just-in-time for the upcoming summer Olympics and following world cup when the spotlight is firmly affixed upon Brasilia globally...
Or not only Shell’s rush to capture the potential windfalls of profit by being first to drill in the Bofard Sea with little regard to possible irreversible damage to the Arctic Ocean and surrounding Alaskan fishing & crabbing industry... Having just let their mighty drilling platform go adrift, beaching itself on a remote island and potentially dispersing its 150,000-plus gallons of diesel oil & lubricants onboard...
Versus Canada’s and its neighbors almighty push to ram the Keystone XL pipeline project to carry toxic tar sands sludge across thousands of miles of nature including one of our most vital resources, water; as why does Kevin Costner’s film Waterworld keep coming to mind?
And The Extremely Ugly!
Suppose I shouldn’t be surprised one ‘Wee bit by this latest revelation, nor the fact that our ultra “Fair & Balanced;” NOT! Mainstream media continues keeping its head buried in the proverbial (tar) sands regarding this matter... Yet, why is it that Uncle Bernaughty (Ecclestone) and his partner-in-crime Jean Todt continue pretending there’s absolutely nothing WRONG occurring in the tiny island kingdom of Bahrain
As according to this latest article I’ve just stumbled upon, police brutality, harassment and torture still run rampant underneath Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa’s ruling monarchy, not to mention the continued dismantling of human rights, including immediate imprisonment for seeking treatment in hospitals or incarceration for daring to speak out against the head Pooh-Bah, whilst Obama and his cohorts sit contently from afar with the continuous exchanging of Greenbacks for a never ending supply of military weapons - not to mention hosting the US’s Fifth Naval fleet there...
And continuing to pile-on to this never ending display against citizen’s rights, news now comes on the high court ruling against 13 Dissidents who’ve been sentenced up to life-in-prison for speaking out against the monarchy...