Thog's Science Masterclass #4

[realthog]

Thanks to Think Progress (which see for a fuller story) for this:

Rep. Bill Sali (R-ID), who is participating in the GOP’s ongoing “Drill Now” energy stunt, has a unique idea about how to bring down gas prices: extracting oil from trees. In a meeting in his Capitol Hill office, Sali reportedly told a candidate for Idaho’s House of Representatives, Byron Yankey, that there “‘could be up to 40 barrels of oil‘ in a single tree.” Yankey wrote on his campaign blog:

Congressman Sali informed us that a solution to the high price of gasoline was to make petroleum from “all those trees in our forests.” … He continued by saying there “could be up to 40 barrels of oil” in a single tree.

Sali made a similar comment in 2006:

“Forty percent of the mass of every tree in the forest is crude oil,” he said. Going after that, he said, “could put Idaho in the oil business for the first time.”

There's further discussion on Obsidian Wings and The Stupid Shall be Punished (and, I imagine, lots of other places!).

Comments

[realthog.livejournal.com]

"Or even leaves."

Well, nuts, too.

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

That last might confuse the poor man.

[realthog.livejournal.com]

My, you're on form today, aren't you?

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

Comes from having had my office burgled.

[realthog.livejournal.com]

"Comes from having had my office burgled."

Oh, lordy. All commiserations, mate.

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

Happened ten days ago. They stole my office computer and some money that was in my desk; left the office pretty trashed. They also got into the offices of some colleagues downstairs and ransacked those. Result: one unhappy political scientist, and two unhappy psychologists.

Curiously, when I asked the president what he was going to do about physical security for our building -- which is one of the most remote, since it isn't on the main campus -- he said he hadn't heard about the incident. That's a bit odd, since I reported it to the campus police, and spoke to the vice president of academic affairs about it.

[realthog.livejournal.com]

"Curiously, when I asked the president what he was going to do about physical security for our building . . . he said he hadn't heard about the incident."

Clearly he's been taking lessons on this sort of thing from another president.

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

That could be the case. He's a lot more approachable than his predecessor, but is pretty oily.

[realthog.livejournal.com]

That wasn't quite what I meant . . .

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

Oh, I know that.

[realthog.livejournal.com]

In which context you might want to take a read of this: http://www.consortiumnews.com/2008/081508a.html

It's longish. Strong drink and/or tranquilizers recommended.

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

How Colin, my distant cousin (come to think of it, possibly your distant cousin as well) got his ballocks cut off. A sad tale.

[realthog.livejournal.com]

More to the point in context is how Il Buce point-blank refused to listen to contradictory evidence. Of course, we knew this had happened, but not the extent. Nice to see it beginning to be documented.

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

Reality had to be shaped to conform to the predetermined narrative. The world was supposed to fit the movie scripted by George, Dick and the Neo-Con crew. Evidence could be trampled over. After all. It worked in 2000. It got George elected. It should be able to work all the time. How were they to know that reality was intractable?

[realthog.livejournal.com]

"How were they to know that reality was intractable?"

They're still to a great extent getting away with it. And McCain's learned the lesson: he's doing the same.

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

Perhaps he isn't. We shall see.