March 29, 2018

Trump Looks To Undo Fuel Efficiency Standards

The Trump administration is laying the groundwork to gut fuel efficiency standards for U.S. cars and light trucks, one of the signature achievements of the Obama era.

The EPA has readied a final determination that calls for the rolling back of corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards, according to the Wall Street Journal. The current standards would require automakers to sell vehicles that average 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025.

This move by the White House will likely be subjected to litigation. Putting regulations in place requires a lot of legwork and several years of procedure. Undoing them is not all that much easier.

The CAFE standards are a fleet-wide average, which means that a company, such as Ford, can still sell vehicles that do not meet the fuel efficiency standard so long as their entire fleet averages out to that level. So, for every inefficient SUV that the company sells, it will need to also sell a lighter car, a hybrid, an EV, or simply a more efficient SUV, to raise the fleet average.

However, carmakers are now trying to argue that it will be difficult to achieve the tighter fuel efficiency standards because cheap gasoline has led to a resurgence of interest in SUVs and pick-up trucks.

To complicate matters further, California has long held a waiver from the EPA to set its own standards, a quirk that dates back to the state’s smoggy days from decades ago. California, unlike other states, can set tighter standards than federal law dictates. As a result, California has the ability to lead the nation in tightening fuel efficiency, dragging the rest of the country along.


More: https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Trump-Looks-To-Undo-Fuel-Efficiency-Standards.html

March 29, 2018

Building The Worlds Largest Solar Project

Saudi Arabia wants to pour $200 billion into solar to build the world’s largest solar project.

The Saudi sovereign wealth fund and SoftBank Group Corp. of Japan jointly announced plans to build a solar project that is staggering in size – 200 gigawatts (GW) by 2030. That would be about 100 times larger than some of the largest projects in the world right now. “It’s by far the biggest solar project ever,” Masayoshi Son, CEO of SoftBank said at a news conference Tuesday in New York after signing a nonbinding agreement with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS).

The project would begin with a $5 billion investment, initiated this year, which would translate into about 7.2 GW, slated to come online in 2019.

The logic of massive and aggressive development of solar in Saudi Arabia is obvious. Sunshine is not a scarce resource. The country burns oil for about a third of its electricity, a costly way of generating power both environmentally and in terms of lost oil exports. SoftBank’s Son said the 200 GW of solar would cut electricity costs by $40 billion while creating some 100,000 jobs.

The scale of the construction would alone help develop a domestic solar manufacturing industry in Saudi Arabia, SoftBank’s Son said. The project will eventually integrate energy storage, although not right away.

Moreover, the project would be a cornerstone of MbS’ long-term economic strategy, with clear spin off benefits in terms of economic diversification, employment, and a strategy for a post-oil economy.


More: https://oilprice.com/Alternative-Energy/Solar-Energy/Building-The-Worlds-Largest-Solar-Project.html

March 29, 2018

The Daily Show: An Alabama Sheriff Legally Siphons Cash From Inmates

An Alabama Sheriff buys a $750,000 beach house with money meant to feed inmates, and Michael Kosta explores the nuance between "legal" and "wrong."

March 28, 2018

Stephen Colbert: Guest Samantha Bee Has Committed Grand Theft Auto

'Full Frontal with Samantha Bee' host Samantha Bee was utterly impressed by the teenagers protesting gun violence and not - as she did during her adolescence - stealing cars with her boyfriend.

March 28, 2018

Stephen Colbert - Monologue and Opening - 3/27/18

Trump Has A New Nickname In Washington



The inventor of 'Lyin' Ted' and 'Sloppy Steve' is getting a taste of his own medicine.



Robert Mueller Pities The Fool



Some believe the special counsel's 'A team' has concerns about Trump's inability to assemble 'a team' to defend him.



The Scariest, Hairiest Trump Appointment



The White House's recent appointment of National Security Advisor John Bolton is the latest example the Trump's obsession with Fox News.



More Show: Stephen Tries Out The Nest Video Doorbell



Knock, knock. Who's there? Stephen finds out, by using Nest Video Doorbell in this edition of 'More Show.'



Galino & Farnes: Lawyers That Sue Lawyers



With Stormy Daniels' attorneys embattled with Donald Trump's attorneys, Galino & Farnes are looking

March 28, 2018

Study: wind and solar can power most of the United States

Wind, solar, and storage could meet 90–100% of America’s electricity needs

In order to combat climate change, we need to rapidly move from fossil fuel energy to clean, renewable energy. The two energy sources I am most interested in are wind and solar power; however, there are other sources that have great potential.

Some people doubt how much wind and solar can supply to a country’s electricity grid. This is a particularly challenging question to answer in part because both solar power and wind power fluctuate in both space and time. We all know solar panels work well during the day, when the sun shines – they don’t work so well at night. And wind turbines only send electrons when the wind is blowing.

Fortunately, these two sources of energy fluctuate in ways that complement each other. For instance, solar power generation is highest in the summer and lowest in the winter. Wind power is greatest in the spring and fall. Wind turbines work at night when solar panels are dormant. So, can these complementing variations help balance out the power that the two technologies can provide?

This question was addressed in a very recent paper published in the journal Energy and Environmental Science. The author list included Dr. Ken Caldeira, who is extremely well known for his years of work in environmental science and energy.

The authors analyzed 36 years of hourly weather data (1980–2015) in the US. They calculated the available wind and solar power over this time period and also included the electrical demand in the US and its variation throughout the year.


More: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2018/mar/26/study-wind-and-solar-can-power-most-of-the-united-states



Wind turbines and solar panels. Photograph: Alamy

March 28, 2018

The Daily Show: Third Month Mania - The Bracket of Bullshit Reaches the Final Eight

Michael Kosta and Roy Wood Jr. break down the final eight in the Bracket of Bullshit, with expert analysis from "President Trump."



Desi Lydic Heads to the March For Our Lives



Desi Lydic talks "teen" to students at the March For Our Lives in Washington D.C.

March 28, 2018

The Daily Show - Profiles in Tremendousness: John Bolton

Trump names John Bolton as his third national security adviser, prompting Trevor to look back on his time as a war-horny Fox News pundit and a short-tempered diplomat during the George W. Bush era.



Between the Scenes - Donald Trump Needs a Proper Spanking



Stormy Daniels says Trump's behavior improved after she spanked him with a magazine. Should foreign leaders follow suit?

March 27, 2018

Stephen Colbert - Monologue and Opening - 3/26/18

Stormy Daniels' '60 Minutes' Ratings Beat Trump's



Stormy Daniels' '60 Minutes' interview was must-see TV and, for Trump, must-not-tweet TV.



Rick Santorum's Hot Take On The March For Our Lives



In a surprise to no one, conservative commentator Rick Santorum doesn't understand millennials.



The Dirty Dossier Gets Salacious



The 'Fox & Friends' hosts routinely call the Steele dossier 'the dirty dossier.' They have NO idea.



Stephen Interviews Anderson Cooper's Interview Of Stormy Daniels



Adult film actress Stormy Daniels sits down with Stephen Colbert at different times in separate locations.

March 27, 2018

The Daily Show - So Much News, So Little Time: Trump Edition

Trump expels 60 Russian diplomats, fires H.R. McMaster, hires John Bolton, issues a transgender military ban and gets roasted by Stormy Daniels on “60 Minutes.”