quotables
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‘Poor quality control’ in nuclear construction? Heaven forfend.
“Although the technical issues vary, inspections repeatedly identify a lack of contractor oversight and poor quality control in concrete placement.” — the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, in a report about problems at the Savannah River nuclear plant
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Obama on dealing with dumb debate questions
“I often find myself trapped by the questions and thinking to myself, ‘You know, this is a stupid question, but let me … answer it.’ Instead of being appropriately [the tape is garbled]. So when Brian Williams is asking me about what’s a personal thing that you’ve done [that’s green], and I say, you know, […]
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Nation asks, won’t you choo-choo me home?
“There is an appetite for city-to-city rail. Why should we be different than any other country in the world? You go to Europe and you can’t get an airplane to a city less than 200 miles away.” — Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell, commenting on rising national interest in passenger rail
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Home values near transit stations defy the financial crisis
“With the energy [price] increase, it isn’t too much of a surprise that people are saying, ‘Gee, being close to public transportation is something that I value.'” — Byron Koste, director of the real estate center at the University of Colorado at Boulder, commenting on the fact that Denver homes located near light rail stations […]
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On economic desertification through water mismanagement
“Unchecked climate change will mean that some parts of the world will simply not have enough water to sustain settlements, both small and large, because agriculture becomes untenable and industries relying on water can no longer compete or function effectively. This will trigger structural changes in economies right through to the displacement of people as […]
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U.K. secretary: Economic downturn will not delay measures that could speed economy
“In order to stimulate Britain’s economic growth and support our position as a leading world economy it is essential that we make the right long-term investments in our transport infrastructure and that we plan for future growth, in a way which is consistent with reducing greenhouse gas emissions overall.” — U.K. Transport Secretary Geoff […]
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Sarah Palin on spreading the oil wealth in Alaska
“We’re set up, unlike other states in the union, where it’s collectively Alaskans own the resources. So we share in the wealth when the development of these resources occurs.” — Gov. Sarah Palin, speaking to the New Yorker several weeks before she was nominated for vice president, on Alaska’s brand of socialism collective ownership
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The hidden costs of coal haven’t exactly been a secret
“But under any external-cost scenario, coal’s price advantage erodes. Natural gas becomes a more cost-efficient generating fuel, since it emits less sulfur. More important, renewable resources like geothermal energy, wind, and solar energy, at five to twelve cents per kilowatt hour, suddenly become competitive, because they carry few or none of the external costs associated […]
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If you thought ignoring financial risks blew up in our faces …
“We have seen the consequences of ignoring risk in the current economic and financial crisis. It has already led to negative growth in rich countries. The risk consequences of ignoring climate change will be very much bigger that the risk consequences of ignoring risk from the financial system.” — Sir Nicholas Stern, former World Bank […]
