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TODAY Wednesday 3 December 1997 Each weekday. Conn Nugent on what's new in the world, on the site.

 

TODAY IN THE WORLD: God from Machine

If anyone doubts that the way out of this global warming problem is to rely on American know-how, he or she should just read the morning paper.

On Monday, we learned about Patent Number 5,671,604 (available for $3 from the Patent and Trademark Office, DC 20231). Arthur Rudick has devised a system whereby containers of Coca-Cola can come out of a modern machine covered with a thin layer of frost that simulates the look and feel of a drink pulled from the ice bucket at a Fourth of July picnic. Here's the relevant text, from The New York Times:

"(A) can or cup of Coke is placed on a platform. A conveyor belt moves it past a spray nozzle, where it is doused with mist or water drops, and then into a refrigeration chamber where the moisture freezes on the exterior of the container to form an icy coating. The drink then moves onto a spot where it can be picked up by the consumer."

Mr. Rudick is on to something here, namely the presentation of energy-efficient goods and services in reassuring ways that look as if they come from the wasteful Good Old Days. Solar electricity, for example, could power little units that make the pleasant hissing sounds of a steam radiator. Hydrogen fuel-cell cars could keep V-8 gasoline engines under the hood for nostalgia purposes; the ignition could be linked with a CD that plays ten seconds of revving every time you start her up. Smokestacks could belch out clouds of baking soda.

On Tuesday morning the news was less visionary but perhaps more immediately influential. The Capstone Turbine Corporation of Los Angeles appears to have developed an economical and reliable microturbine, capable of generating 30 to 200 kilowatts of electricity, powered by almost any portable fuel, virtually maintenance-free, and much cleaner burning than conventional plants producing comparable power. The microturbine, says Capstone, is perfectly sized for small commercial applications -- a convenience store, say, or a pizza parlor. So attractive is the technology that some famous venture capitalists, among them Paul Allen and Bill Gates, have thrown in big bucks to achieve market lift-off.

The immediate opportunity for return on investment is provided by the already-started deregulation of the nation's electrical utilities. On the first of January, California consumers will be able to buy their juice from a wide variety of providers. The Capstone people say that it will often make sense for the consumer to become his or her own producer. This will be particularly so if the consumer can use some of the waste heat generated by the little jet engines that turn the tiny turbo wheels at an unbelievable 96,000 rpm. If the electricity-generating costs of the microturbine can stay competitive with the big utilities, its potential savings for space heating/cooling costs should make it an attractive proposition for small businesses, farms, and biggish houses.

And environmentally? The high heat generated by the microturbine's jet engine makes for relatively small nitrogen oxide emissions, but the carbon dioxide emissions depend a lot on the fuel. The microturbine can run on gasoline, natural gas, diesel, or methane. Methane from the town dump (or your own compost pile) would be a great strategy ecologically, but the costs of digesting, transporting, etc. will vary widely. Natural gas would be pretty good -- a whole lot better for the atmosphere than just plugging into the grid -- and it will stay abundant and probably cheap until you can switch over to hydrogen.

Efficient appliances, insulated walls and ceilings, some of those new gas-filled windows facing south, and now this microturbine -- hell, we got this sucker licked already.

 

TODAY ON THE SITE

Good news! Liberty Tree's technical team -- High Frontier Productions -- has just received final approval to open the Official Don Rickles Website. That's right. The same wizards who post our own little effort have gotten a green light from the fabulous Mr. Warmth to go public with a terrific compilation of new and old from the world's most beloved insult comedian and ethnic slur artist. Remember, this is the man who, upon seeing Frank Sinatra in the audience for the first time, said: "Make yourself at home, Frank. Hit somebody."

 

Recent "Today" columns:

12/2: Gentlemen's Bet
12/1: Public Opinion
11/26: Sperm
11/25: Sound Sound-Bite Science
11/24: Home Sweet Storage Locker
11/21: Tim Wirth's Inscrutable Adventure
11/20: Better to Receive than to Give
11/19: Wes Jackson's Problem with Agriculture
11/18: "Stay Home and Be Decent"
11/17: World Cups (Soccer; C02)

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