Articles by Biodiversivist
My real name is Russ Finley. I also have my own blog called Biodiversivist, which contains articles in addition to those submitted to Grist. I live in Seattle, married with children. Suffice it to say that although I am trained and educated as an engineer, my passion is nature. I very much want my grandchildren to live on a planet where lions, tigers, and bears have not joined the long and growing list of creatures that used to be.
All Articles
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ASUW student body transcends State and Federal legislators
A resolution opposing current Washington State biofuel policies (website not yet updated to reflect acceptance of resolution) passed in the University of Washington Student Senate on the third of June.
The Associated Students of the University of Washington are, to my knowledge, the first legislative body in the country to take this bold step.
The following is a brief history of how it came to be:
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Buying a high-mileage car easier said than done
My brother-in-law recently sent me a spreadsheet he'd built that compares a Prius and two similar-sized cars. He just wanted to know if "doing the right thing was going to cost me." The numbers said to buy a Prius. Ideally, going green should always be a win-win situation. Then, however, he found that the waiting list is "baaaack!" So he'll have to put down a deposit just to get in line. He was quite disappointed and may now buy a different car.
My car is also on the ropes. A few months ago, I asked for car advice and got some valuable feedback. I've been procrastinating, but a week ago, my door handle broke off, so in addition to having a jury-rigged ignition switch, I now have to roll the window down and open the door using the outside handle. It's getting embarrassing. At least I don't have to crawl out the window ... yet. I'll eventually get a part from a junkyard, but that was the final straw. Our 17-year relationship is over.
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More hybrid electric bikes hit the streets
I have received hundreds of emails from people wanting to build a hybrid electric bike. I have a standard response that attempts to dissuade them, which seems to work pretty well: You will have to spend about $1,400 on parts, excluding the bicycle. When it breaks -- and it will break -- you will be on your own to fix it. If you are not a reasonably fit cyclist and expect this bike to perform like a scooter, you are going to be disappointed.This generally takes care of the technically challenged chain smokers looking for a cheap scooter. I don't hear back from most, other than maybe a thank you note. If you have to ask for help, you probably shouldn't be building one.
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USDA defends America’s fuel supply
Much of what Vinod Khosla had to say in his latest post, and my responses to that post here, have been covered in previous posts. So, if some of this sounds eerily familiar, now you know why.
Admittedly, I have an advantage in this debate because he can't respond directly to my arguments. Remember the West Wing episode where the Josh Lyman character makes the mistake of responding to a blogger?
On the other hand, I'm not an independent blogger with my own website. Thus, the fine line between courage and stupidity. May I offer an apology to Grist for my stupidity and my thanks for allowing me to express it.
Khosla begins his defense reiterating the following belief:
In fact, I strongly believe any nascent technology that cannot exist without subsidies beyond an introductory period will not gain market penetration and is not worth supporting ...
