Tag: Energize America

Mar 28 2010

Sunday Train: Revisiting What’s in SUPERTRAINS for Small Town and Rural America?

Burning the Midnight Oil for Living Energy Independence

Originally late April, 2009

This last weekend I wrote up a small diary, cross-posted to various places … which even stumbled into being wrecklisted at Agent Orange … about the High Speed Rail plan released by the Obama administration.

That diary focused on laying out the three “tiers” of HSR in the announced plan. “Express HSR” is one of the bullet train systems, like they are planning for California. But between that tier and conventional rail, are two more tiers, “Regional HSR” and “Emerging HSR”.

The bullet trains are the show ponies … but for small town and rural America, the genuine seat at the table for Emerging and Regional HSR is the real good news from the announcement.

Nov 01 2009

Sunday Train: High Speed Rail – The Recruiters

Burning the Midnight Oil for Living Energy Independence

Crossposted from MyLeftWing, also in Orange

The big knock against high speed rail is, of course, that it does not run door to door. This is, of course, why the passenger air transport market is such a strategic target … it is an existing fuel-inefficient mode of transport where everyone travels as a pedestrian. And a well designed high speed rail system will deliver the target market among pedestrian travellers from as close or closer to their origin, and drop them off as close or closer to their destination.

But those are not the only passengers that HSR will be catering to. A term I have heard railfans use for this type of activity is “recruiting” patronage, so, after the fold, I step through some of the important current, and potential, recruiters.



 

Jul 27 2009

Looking Past the End of the End of the Recession

crossposted from Daily Kos … comments there after the “recent diary list” deadline has passed are also welcome.

Bonddad has YERRD (yet another reclisted Rosenberg diary) up, on the issue of whether the recession is coming to an end, or the sky is falling and we face an unending recession from now through to the visible horizon.

But the Great Depression was not made of a recession that did not end for ten years. It was, indeed, made up of one and a half complete business cycles … the post-Crash Recession, from late 1929 to 1932, the New Deal Recovery, from 1932 to 1937, the Roosevelt Recession of 1937/38, and then the recovery that merged with the start of WWII, which was the government spending program substantial enough to actually bring us back to a full employment macro equilibrium.

So the question of whether or not we face another Depression is not, “will this Recession ever end?” … but rather, “After this recession, what comes next?”

So over the fold, I turn to that, far more urgent, question.

But first, an Action Note: Transportation for America reminds us that its not too late to tell your Congressmen to increase support for clean transportation.

Aug 25 2008

Energizing America: Setting a Freshmen Agenda for Progress

At Netroots Nation, six dedicated people joined to discuss Energizing America:  Setting an Agenda for Progress.  On this panel were three core members of the Energize America team and three Energy Smart candidates who are part of the effort to change the composition of Congress toward one more knowledgeable and concerned about creating a sensible energy future.

Part of the discussion was how to provide a rallying point for the freshmen (and women) class of 2009, to join together for passage a set of legislative initiatives to help spark an Energy Smart renaissance across the United States.

This effort is developing.  

But, this development is missing something.

YOU!

Join me, after the fold, for a discussion of concepts and ideas as to moving forward together.

Jul 10 2008

Energize America: FESA not FISA!

Join us at Netroots Nation, next Friday, room 19, 9 am, for Energizing America:  Setting an Agenda for Progress.  This panel will range far and wide across our energy challenges and opportunities.  

Part of the discussion: the Freshman Energy Smart Acceleration (FESA) Act.  

FESA is a package of suggested programs that could provide a rallying point for the freshmen (and women) class of 2009, to join together for passage a set of legislative initiatives to help spark an Energy Smart renaissance across the United States.