Sci/tech tidbits in and around New Hampshire
Maine jury overturns ban on Quebec hydropower line
I'm sure the "perfect is the enemy of the good" environmentalists will look for more legal blockades, but good news from Maine: A jury has unanimously ruled that the the Quebec hydropower line through that state the one that was proposed when we nixed Northern Pass in...
Your cat – yes, yours – is a wildlife-slaughtering machine; keep it indoors
I love cats but they are wildlife-slaughtering machines that should not be let outdoors. Even your cute will Fluffball who has never brought a dead bird or chipmunk into the house - she kills things, too. I've made this argument several times over the years and also...
Mass. community geothermal heat-pump project moving ahead
Eversource may turn on its pilot program to set up a community-wide geothermal heat pump system in Framingham, Mass., this year. A lot of folks will be watching. The project is pretty straightforward - it's district heating that sends water instead of fossil fuels to...
Extreme precipitation (both wet and dry) is altering New England’s streamflow
From Dartmouth News Service: Over the past 25 years, the Northeast has experienced the largest increase in extreme precipitation nationally. Prior research has shown that the amount of extreme precipitation— rain or snow that results in one- to two inches of water in...
Teaching cursive is mostly a waste of time, part II
You blog/newsletter readers have already seen me rant about state efforts to mandate cursive education, but that earlier item didn't run in the Concord Monitor. So I wrote a longer rant that ran in Tuesday's paper, shown below. As of right now my email is leaning 3-1...
Bridge-building takes climate change into account because reality trumps rhetoric
From the Union-Leader: State transportation officials are designing the replacement bridge on Route 1A spanning the Hampton River between Hampton Beach and Seabrook with climate change on their minds. “They are incorporating 4 feet of sea level rise into the design of...
Another record low power day on New England grid
Rooftop solar reduced New England's demand for electricity on Easter Sunday to the lowest on record. A combination of sunny skies, which boosted solar output, along with mild temperatures and the Sunday holiday, which reduced demand, meant that between 2 and 3 p.m. on...
NH lawmakers boldly lead us into the future by mandating that kids learn … wait, cursive?
New Hampshire Bulletin reports that our legislative body, realizing that we need an educated workforce to tackle the opportunities of the 21st century, are mandating that teachers take time out of the school day to ensure that kids have mastered communication...
State sits out regional ‘green hydrogen’ push
I have no idea whether the push for "green hydrogen" is a good idea or not - there are excellent-sounding arguments for both yea and nay. But it's worth looking into, which makes it sort of puzzling why New Hampshire is the only New England state not to be part of a...
NH patents through April 9
(Links to each patent can be found here, using the patent number.) By Targeted News Service WASHINGTON – The following federal patents were assigned in New Hampshire through April 9. *** Flat Flexible Conductive Fluid Crimp Connector PICA PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT LLC,...
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