It seems to be a aircraft that utilizes it's lighter-than-air-cavity as a signifigant structure of it's primary airfoil - this means that the airfoil and the engines are providing the lift capacity.
An airship's primary means of lift is bouyancy - this craft does not seem to use bouyancy as it's primary means of lift.
If this craft could stay above the ground, even with the use of a secondary lighter-than-air cavity to give it the required bouyancy, then it would be an airship. Similairly if it was possible for this aircraft to lose the weight of an engine or two and then become bouyant enough to rise above the ground without the use of lift I could see why they are calling it a hybrid airship/plane
If the aircraft:
1)reduced all uneccessary weight{ ie weight reduction in gondala, engines, control mechanisms, etc};
2)without altering the structure or weight of the airfoil;
3)and could still not get aloft on bouyancy;
then it is an aerodyne, not an airship nor a hybrid airship/plane.
There is a pilot project Solar focusing dish and Stirling engine combination that does not require the nasty chemicals associatated with photovoltaic systems. I beleive it's being tested in California this year with the possibility of many more to be ordered if the test is succesfull.
Ummm what part of this airship is plane like? 2%... maybe 5% on a good day? How does that makew this a hybrid?
It's a blimp with tiny wings that are control surfaces; because it seems to me that the amount of lift the wings could provide, would be insignifigant.
I have seen concepts of a delta wing blimp - that could reasonably be called a hybrid ariship-plane
These books were not written for the lowest common denominator - but rather for people who are in very stressful conditions and need information urgently.
The manuals are meant to keep everything clear, simple, and in a standardized format, this lessens the possibilty of a screw up when people need the information.
How can you claim that 10% of government users having Blackberries constitute essential infrastructure? Are you trying to claim that the Blackberries are their only source of email service?
If a Canadian company was physically hosting a more significant percentage of US government email capabilities - or if it was really 10% of essential email { which you have not shown - just assumed} then I could understand your argument but to claim that 10% of handheld pushed email is essential infrastructure does not show a through understanding of the issue.
Using an argument similar to yours; the rest of the world's governments should ban Microsoft Windows, write the own OS's, as well as the majority of their own server & database software.
Oh and they should also each have their own internet!
As for your statement about "Of course, it also shows how the Feds mismanage national security, prioritizing fear and $BILLIONS in expenses, without identifying actual risks." Canadain companies that work on/or assist with US national security infratructure products are required to provide easy access and explanations to code, not just the services and programs but actual code.
If you can show that the US Feds have given over control of essential handheld pushed email services to a foreign company then I will be willing to listen but please don't try arguing that all government email is essential either!
Think about the essential service allies provide you by being your allies then think about how that truly rates against 10% of {hypothetically by most likely non-essential} handheld email service!
Depends on the conviction of his parents... I know of one family who has an exceptional son {though not at this level} and the mother required him to regularly attend activities for children his age.
He was against it at the time, but after about half a year he became very interested/involved in his "kids" activities { scouting, basketball, hockey}. It allowed him to relate better to his sisters and for the older kids he went to school with to realize he still was a little boy.
- first there is the large "blanket" of green house gasses that is prety tranparent and keeps heat low to the earths surface ( global warming -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming )
- second is the blanket of particle polution that is not so transparent and is blocking the sun's energy from getting down to the earth. ( global dimming - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_dimming )
The particle polllution is decreasing rapidly because of cleaner burning technology but the greenhouse gases are not decreasing at the same rate. So the earth will get warmer sooner and because of the increasing global warming the release of more greenhouse gases may continue from natural sources.
So we should decide upon a way to rapidly decrease the amount of greenhouse gases in the next 10-20 years - after that we start to hit a rapidly increasing chance of large scale temporary and permanent flooding.
Wind, hydro, solar, and nuclear power plants are options that many contries will have to invistigate. As well hybrid and alternate fuel and propulsion vehicles ( not just cars but large trucks, buses, trains, boats, and ships ) will need to be produced on a masssive scale.
There is a massive "ship-kite" already under development - the company beleives that the kite can cut a ship's oceanic fuel costs by up to 50% - this is not an alternate fuel - it is alternate propulsion.
Honda's hydrogen car ( with its home refueling station) is an alternate fuel vehicle.
In case you are wondering - I am not anti-oil, nor anti-coal. Both of these fuels have a place in this equation -it just happens that the worlds dependence on them should decrease sooner than these industries wish.
British Petroleum( though they have changed their name and I can't remember what the new one is ) was very smart and a number of years started a large scale solar division.
Was the first link a mistake?
I am only asking because most of the links have accepted that global warming is happening but the first page seems to go against the grain of most of the other links you have posted.
If I correctly understand the articles that I have read on the issue then the patent office is not issuing patents on naturally occurring substances - they are issuing them because groups involved in the the research want protection for
1) the process to discover a particular sequence
2) the "purified" form of the naturally occurring sequence ( ie a non natural sequence )
If it is a naturally occurring sequence - it can't be patented.
So no the patent holders can't stop research on, or production of;) the naturally occurring sequence but they can stop you from using a particular process to discover a particular sequence and from making their version of a "purified" form of the naturally occurring sequence.
Yeah but that other "half" with trees rocks, lakes and brush is really not Canadian territory... rather it is the Kingdom of Mosquitoes.
Their government graciously allows us to frequently wander into their territory in order to keep their food supply fresh. For those of you who have never seen a northern mosquito, they are about 20 lbs of flying blood sucking madness that generally travel in extremely large, well organized hunting parties. Your best portable defenses are a flamethrower or a shotgun, because they think of bug spray as flavor enhancement;)
Does the Baton Rouge floodway take enough water out of the riverbed so that the canals and riverbed running through New Orleans could be used to transfer water away from the city?
I took a quick look and I could not find the Baton Rouge canal on the map I am using. Would you please give me an idea of it's starting and ending locations?
I'll try to look it up again but a quick question -- is the Baton Rouge floodway on the north-west side of New Orleans? and does it run south of Lake Salvador?
I am aware that the greatest flooding is happening because of Lake Pontachartrain overflowing.
I suggested a floodway that runs below the southern Lakes which would reduce the water levels of the riverbed. Then the riverbed running through New Oreleans could then be used in conjunction with the canals and new dikes/floodways to relieve the water presure from the northern lake.
I thought it might be important to redirect the water around Lake Salavador on the southern side of New Orleans as well.
Once again - going to display my ignorance of New Orelans' local geography - In Lutcher the area bounded on the north by the 18, south by the 3127 west by Martin Street and east by Chopin St - anything important there?
I am erbmjw - the inidividual who posted "Re: Full article text - Real versions" and wondering if you are asking others to mod my post down or was it the original post "Full article text" you were asking to have modded down?
I copied the articles directly and aside from including the formatting character - br - I have added nothing else.
I re-checked the source material for the articles against the information in my post and I can still see no difference.
I don't think that you are being a karma whore and I don't think people are after you - though I am glad that the AC post has now dissapeared.
I was suspicious of the AC post and so I checked out the weblinks and have now put the real articles up on slashdot ( see RE: Full article text - Real versions )
The CanX-2 Mission is the second "NanoSatellite" Mission at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies, Space Flight Laboratory (UTIAS/SFL). The Canadian Advanced Nanospace eXperiments (CanX) push the envelope of what can be achieved in space with small, low-power devices. With a focus on aggressive experimentation, CanX missions use the latest commercial technologies and manage moderate risks in exchange for low cost and quick turnaround. UTIAS/SFL is part of an international community of nanosatellite developers that share common launches to reduce costs.
At 3.5 kilograms and the size of a carton of milk, CanX-2 will be a pathfinder mission in 2006 to evaluate novel technologies that will be used on the CanX-4 / CanX-5 dual satellite mission in 2008 to demonstrate controlled formation flying in space. Formation flying technology will open the door to larger missions for highresolution Earth observation and interferometric imaging that can also be used for space astronomy. The technologies to be tested include a novel propulsion system, custom radios, innovative attitude sensors and actuators, and a commercial GPS receiver.
In addition to evaluating these miniature technologies, the satellite will also perform experiments for other university researchers across Canada. These include a GPS radio occultation experiment to characterize the upper atmosphere (Calgary), an atmospheric spectrometer to measure greenhouse gases (York), a network communications experiment (Carleton), and a space materials experiments (Toronto).
Canadian Researchers To Showcase CanX-2 Nanosat August 31
Toronto ON (SPX) Aug 30, 2005
University of Toronto researchers will demonstrate how a satellite the size of a milk carton that may revolutionize the space industry on Wednesday, Aug. 31, at 10 a.m. at University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS) Lecture Hall, 4925 Dufferin Street.
At only 3.5 kilograms, the Canadian Advanced Nanospace eXperiment 2 (CanX-2) will test small, low-power devices that could lay the groundwork for flying formations of small satellites that could eventually replace larger, more expensive satellites.
At the demonstration, researchers will control the CanX-2 nanosatellite through a wireless radio link and download real-time images and telemetry from on-board equipment including a GPS-based positioning system, a miniature propulsion system and tiny devices used for sensing and controlling the satellite's orientation in space.
"The point of this mission is two-fold," says Professor Robert Zee, managing director of the UTIAS Space Flight Laboratory (SFL).
"The first is to provide complete development cycle training for students through a real space mission that has to be completed in two years. The second is to launch a tiny research platform into space to test innovative, revolutionary technologies in a rapid, risk-taking manner and also to perform important science missions that are now benefiting from the availability of smaller and smaller instrumentation."
CanX-2 is the second nanosatellite mission at UTIAS/SFL. CanX-1, Canada's first nanosatellite and one of the smallest satellites ever built, was launched with the MOST microsatellite in 2003 by Eurockot Launch Services from Plesetsk, Russia.
Sidebar to Second story
In collaboration with researchers from across Canada, the primary mission of CanX-2 will be a GPS radio occultation experiment to determine vertical profiles of atmospheric properties. It will also perform a number of additional experiments including mobile ad-hoc networking, autonomous control, advanced surface mate
"Canada sent condolences to the victims and offered help.
Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan said she told Michael Chertoff, the U.S. secretary of homeland security, that Canada was ready to provide assistance if needed."
From what I have seen, the canals seem to be on the northern side of the lower lakes - ie between the lakes and the city. The canals don't seem to have done enough to keep the city from flooding. According to news reports the broken levees on the river and both lakes Pontchartrain and Salvador are contributing to the flooding of the city.
The report that started this Slashdot discussion mentioned that the main flooding would be
1) south of Lake Pontchartrain and north of the river; and
2) south of the river ie north of the lower lakes.
My suggestion is a dedicated ( very large ie 70+- km long) floodway that start further inland and runs south of the southern lakes - it should be capable of diverting a significant amount of water far away from the city. And the diverted water should either be stored in a reservoir or dumped back into the natural watershed well below Lake Salvador.
With the river water diverted south of the lower lakes the riverbed and canals ( and new dikes ) could then be used to divert the floodwaters from Lake Pontchartrain.
I'm never been to New Orleans but I wonder if it would be possible to use a floodway?
Winnipeg (Manitoba's provincial capital - Canada) has the 47 km Red River floodway that has saved the city from flooding a number of times.
I have just quickly looked at some maps of New Orleans and the surrounding area - it seems to me that a floodway starting west of Lutcher and curving south around the bottom of the city would allow water from the Mississippi river to be diverted into a large reservoir or possibly connect the floodway directly into Little Lake and then out into Barataria Bay.
And No, I'm not talking about diverting the whole river - just redirecting water during potential floods. I think it still would be necessary to build dikes for other areas of New Orleans.
One way to get more than one use out of a floodway - build it between a seperated highway( freeway) ie the floodway is in the middle of two multi-lane raised ground roads.
Like I said earlier - never been to New Orleans so maybe this idea is way off because of the geography and/or land use.
He's correct about the change in spray on the foam - and that the old spray worked much better.
I can't confirm if the change in spray was because of environmental reasons.
I would advocate that NASA re-consider their decision on the old spray. I would even suggest that if the reason for no longer using the old spray was EPA related that NASA take the fight public; release all the pertinent data and see how many people would advocate an EPA exemption for the shuttle flights.
Oh and for those of you who are now considering a reply that "erbmjw hates the environment"
1) I have been involved with numerous environmental causes in various roles.
2) There are some of us within the environmental movement that can understand the need for rare but extraordinarily useful exemptions.
3) I asked that NASA release all pertinent data!
Yes, but on their website they also admit to using 12 volt DC motors ( 2 per dish I believe ) to aim the dish as well as using the amplified version to attain the original signal lock.
I am considering the set-up to have a least use power drain for regular connection usage, but also having the power based capability to re-align and/or re-amplify the dish as required.
Still I hope that the "wired" article gives enough information so that this hopefully low expense approach can be tried.
This would be useful for many developing nations. No expansive infastructure required for internet connections in remote locations.
Wondering when "wired" will have the article on the competition out.
Also wondering what the power requirements for the entire setup are ie -- can the whole setup be run off of micro dams, solar power, etc.
Slashdot Mirror
ROFLMAO ... that didn't occur to me!
Finally was able to read more about this craft.
It seems to be a aircraft that utilizes it's lighter-than-air-cavity as a signifigant structure of it's primary airfoil - this means that the airfoil and the engines are providing the lift capacity.
An airship's primary means of lift is bouyancy - this craft does not seem to use bouyancy as it's primary means of lift.
If this craft could stay above the ground, even with the use of a secondary lighter-than-air cavity to give it the required bouyancy, then it would be an airship. Similairly if it was possible for this aircraft to lose the weight of an engine or two and then become bouyant enough to rise above the ground without the use of lift I could see why they are calling it a hybrid airship/plane
If the aircraft:
1)reduced all uneccessary weight{ ie weight reduction in gondala, engines, control mechanisms, etc};
2)without altering the structure or weight of the airfoil;
3)and could still not get aloft on bouyancy;
then it is an aerodyne, not an airship nor a hybrid airship/plane.
There is a pilot project Solar focusing dish and Stirling engine combination that does not require the nasty chemicals associatated with photovoltaic systems. I beleive it's being tested in California this year with the possibility of many more to be ordered if the test is succesfull.
Ummm what part of this airship is plane like? 2% ... maybe 5% on a good day? How does that makew this a hybrid?
It's a blimp with tiny wings that are control surfaces; because it seems to me that the amount of lift the wings could provide, would be insignifigant.
I have seen concepts of a delta wing blimp - that could reasonably be called a hybrid ariship-plane
from Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_war
ROFLMAO ;)
and I have laid a bike down more than once.
I ride a small motorbike during the summer months and I had the same thought.
I agree with Anonymous brave guy.
These books were not written for the lowest common denominator - but rather for people who are in very stressful conditions and need information urgently.
The manuals are meant to keep everything clear, simple, and in a standardized format, this lessens the possibilty of a screw up when people need the information.
How can you claim that 10% of government users having Blackberries constitute essential infrastructure? Are you trying to claim that the Blackberries are their only source of email service?
If a Canadian company was physically hosting a more significant percentage of US government email capabilities - or if it was really 10% of essential email { which you have not shown - just assumed} then I could understand your argument but to claim that 10% of handheld pushed email is essential infrastructure does not show a through understanding of the issue.
Using an argument similar to yours; the rest of the world's governments should ban Microsoft Windows, write the own OS's, as well as the majority of their own server & database software.
Oh and they should also each have their own internet!
As for your statement about "Of course, it also shows how the Feds mismanage national security, prioritizing fear and $BILLIONS in expenses, without identifying actual risks." Canadain companies that work on/or assist with US national security infratructure products are required to provide easy access and explanations to code, not just the services and programs but actual code.
If you can show that the US Feds have given over control of essential handheld pushed email services to a foreign company then I will be willing to listen but please don't try arguing that all government email is essential either!
Think about the essential service allies provide you by being your allies then think about how that truly rates against 10% of {hypothetically by most likely non-essential} handheld email service!
Thanks for the information.
Depends on the conviction of his parents ... I know of one family who has an exceptional son {though not at this level} and the mother required him to regularly attend activities for children his age.
He was against it at the time, but after about half a year he became very interested/involved in his "kids" activities { scouting, basketball, hockey}. It allowed him to relate better to his sisters and for the older kids he went to school with to realize he still was a little boy.
- first there is the large "blanket" of green house gasses that is prety tranparent and keeps heat low to the earths surface ( global warming -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming ) - second is the blanket of particle polution that is not so transparent and is blocking the sun's energy from getting down to the earth. ( global dimming - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_dimming ) The particle polllution is decreasing rapidly because of cleaner burning technology but the greenhouse gases are not decreasing at the same rate. So the earth will get warmer sooner and because of the increasing global warming the release of more greenhouse gases may continue from natural sources. So we should decide upon a way to rapidly decrease the amount of greenhouse gases in the next 10-20 years - after that we start to hit a rapidly increasing chance of large scale temporary and permanent flooding. Wind, hydro, solar, and nuclear power plants are options that many contries will have to invistigate. As well hybrid and alternate fuel and propulsion vehicles ( not just cars but large trucks, buses, trains, boats, and ships ) will need to be produced on a masssive scale. There is a massive "ship-kite" already under development - the company beleives that the kite can cut a ship's oceanic fuel costs by up to 50% - this is not an alternate fuel - it is alternate propulsion. Honda's hydrogen car ( with its home refueling station) is an alternate fuel vehicle. In case you are wondering - I am not anti-oil, nor anti-coal. Both of these fuels have a place in this equation -it just happens that the worlds dependence on them should decrease sooner than these industries wish. British Petroleum( though they have changed their name and I can't remember what the new one is ) was very smart and a number of years started a large scale solar division.
Was the first link a mistake? I am only asking because most of the links have accepted that global warming is happening but the first page seems to go against the grain of most of the other links you have posted.
If I correctly understand the articles that I have read on the issue then the patent office is not issuing patents on naturally occurring substances - they are issuing them because groups involved in the the research want protection for 1) the process to discover a particular sequence 2) the "purified" form of the naturally occurring sequence ( ie a non natural sequence ) If it is a naturally occurring sequence - it can't be patented. So no the patent holders can't stop research on, or production of ;) the naturally occurring sequence but they can stop you from using a particular process to discover a particular sequence and from making their version of a "purified" form of the naturally occurring sequence.
Yeah but that other "half" with trees rocks, lakes and brush is really not Canadian territory ... rather it is the Kingdom of Mosquitoes.
Their government graciously allows us to frequently wander into their territory in order to keep their food supply fresh. For those of you who have never seen a northern mosquito, they are about 20 lbs of flying blood sucking madness that generally travel in extremely large, well organized hunting parties. Your best portable defenses are a flamethrower or a shotgun, because they think of bug spray as flavor enhancement ;)
Does the Baton Rouge floodway take enough water out of the riverbed so that the canals and riverbed running through New Orleans could be used to transfer water away from the city?
I took a quick look and I could not find the Baton Rouge canal on the map I am using. Would you please give me an idea of it's starting and ending locations?
I'll try to look it up again but a quick question -- is the Baton Rouge floodway on the north-west side of New Orleans? and does it run south of Lake Salvador?
I am aware that the greatest flooding is happening because of Lake Pontachartrain overflowing.
I suggested a floodway that runs below the southern Lakes which would reduce the water levels of the riverbed. Then the riverbed running through New Oreleans could then be used in conjunction with the canals and new dikes/floodways to relieve the water presure from the northern lake.
I thought it might be important to redirect the water around Lake Salavador on the southern side of New Orleans as well.
Once again - going to display my ignorance of New Orelans' local geography - In Lutcher the area bounded on the north by the 18, south by the 3127 west by Martin Street and east by Chopin St - anything important there?
erbmjw
I am erbmjw - the inidividual who posted "Re: Full article text - Real versions" and wondering if you are asking others to mod my post down or was it the original post "Full article text" you were asking to have modded down?
I copied the articles directly and aside from including the formatting character - br - I have added nothing else.
I re-checked the source material for the articles against the information in my post and I can still see no difference.
erbmjw
I don't think that you are being a karma whore and I don't think people are after you - though I am glad that the AC post has now dissapeared.
I was suspicious of the AC post and so I checked out the weblinks and have now put the real articles up on slashdot ( see RE: Full article text - Real versions )
First story from : http://www.utias-sfl.net/nanosatellites/CanX2/
The CanX-2 Mission
The CanX-2 Mission is the second "NanoSatellite" Mission at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies, Space Flight Laboratory (UTIAS/SFL). The Canadian Advanced Nanospace eXperiments (CanX) push the envelope of what can be achieved in space with small, low-power devices. With a focus on aggressive experimentation, CanX missions use the latest commercial technologies and manage moderate risks in exchange for low cost and quick turnaround. UTIAS/SFL is part of an international community of nanosatellite developers that share common launches to reduce costs.
At 3.5 kilograms and the size of a carton of milk, CanX-2 will be a pathfinder mission in 2006 to evaluate novel technologies that will be used on the CanX-4 / CanX-5 dual satellite mission in 2008 to demonstrate controlled formation flying in space. Formation flying technology will open the door to larger missions for highresolution Earth observation and interferometric imaging that can also be used for space astronomy. The technologies to be tested include a novel propulsion system, custom radios, innovative attitude sensors and actuators, and a commercial GPS receiver.
In addition to evaluating these miniature technologies, the satellite will also perform experiments for other university researchers across Canada. These include a GPS radio occultation experiment to characterize the upper atmosphere (Calgary), an atmospheric spectrometer to measure greenhouse gases (York), a network communications experiment (Carleton), and a space materials experiments (Toronto).
Second story from : http://www.spacedaily.com/news/microsat-05j.html
Canadian Researchers To Showcase CanX-2 Nanosat August 31
Toronto ON (SPX) Aug 30, 2005 University of Toronto researchers will demonstrate how a satellite the size of a milk carton that may revolutionize the space industry on Wednesday, Aug. 31, at 10 a.m. at University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS) Lecture Hall, 4925 Dufferin Street.
At only 3.5 kilograms, the Canadian Advanced Nanospace eXperiment 2 (CanX-2) will test small, low-power devices that could lay the groundwork for flying formations of small satellites that could eventually replace larger, more expensive satellites.
At the demonstration, researchers will control the CanX-2 nanosatellite through a wireless radio link and download real-time images and telemetry from on-board equipment including a GPS-based positioning system, a miniature propulsion system and tiny devices used for sensing and controlling the satellite's orientation in space.
"The point of this mission is two-fold," says Professor Robert Zee, managing director of the UTIAS Space Flight Laboratory (SFL).
"The first is to provide complete development cycle training for students through a real space mission that has to be completed in two years. The second is to launch a tiny research platform into space to test innovative, revolutionary technologies in a rapid, risk-taking manner and also to perform important science missions that are now benefiting from the availability of smaller and smaller instrumentation."
CanX-2 is the second nanosatellite mission at UTIAS/SFL. CanX-1, Canada's first nanosatellite and one of the smallest satellites ever built, was launched with the MOST microsatellite in 2003 by Eurockot Launch Services from Plesetsk, Russia.
Sidebar to Second story
In collaboration with researchers from across Canada, the primary mission of CanX-2 will be a GPS radio occultation experiment to determine vertical profiles of atmospheric properties. It will also perform a number of additional experiments including mobile ad-hoc networking, autonomous control, advanced surface mate
"Canada sent condolences to the victims and offered help.
g ename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1 125397185530&call_pageid=968332188492&col=96879397 2154&t=TS_Home&DPL=IvsNDS%2F7ChAX&tacodalogin=yes
Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan said she told Michael Chertoff, the U.S. secretary of homeland security, that Canada was ready to provide assistance if needed."
from
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pa
From what I have seen, the canals seem to be on the northern side of the lower lakes - ie between the lakes and the city. The canals don't seem to have done enough to keep the city from flooding. According to news reports the broken levees on the river and both lakes Pontchartrain and Salvador are contributing to the flooding of the city.
The report that started this Slashdot discussion mentioned that the main flooding would be
1) south of Lake Pontchartrain and north of the river; and
2) south of the river ie north of the lower lakes.
My suggestion is a dedicated ( very large ie 70+- km long) floodway that start further inland and runs south of the southern lakes - it should be capable of diverting a significant amount of water far away from the city. And the diverted water should either be stored in a reservoir or dumped back into the natural watershed well below Lake Salvador.
With the river water diverted south of the lower lakes the riverbed and canals ( and new dikes ) could then be used to divert the floodwaters from Lake Pontchartrain.
I'm never been to New Orleans but I wonder if it would be possible to use a floodway?
Winnipeg (Manitoba's provincial capital - Canada) has the 47 km Red River floodway that has saved the city from flooding a number of times.
I have just quickly looked at some maps of New Orleans and the surrounding area - it seems to me that a floodway starting west of Lutcher and curving south around the bottom of the city would allow water from the Mississippi river to be diverted into a large reservoir or possibly connect the floodway directly into Little Lake and then out into Barataria Bay.
And No, I'm not talking about diverting the whole river - just redirecting water during potential floods. I think it still would be necessary to build dikes for other areas of New Orleans.
I've included a wikipedia link for the Red River Floodway.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_River_Floodway
One way to get more than one use out of a floodway - build it between a seperated highway( freeway) ie the floodway is in the middle of two multi-lane raised ground roads.
Like I said earlier - never been to New Orleans so maybe this idea is way off because of the geography and/or land use.
He's correct about the change in spray on the foam - and that the old spray worked much better. I can't confirm if the change in spray was because of environmental reasons. I would advocate that NASA re-consider their decision on the old spray. I would even suggest that if the reason for no longer using the old spray was EPA related that NASA take the fight public; release all the pertinent data and see how many people would advocate an EPA exemption for the shuttle flights. Oh and for those of you who are now considering a reply that "erbmjw hates the environment" 1) I have been involved with numerous environmental causes in various roles. 2) There are some of us within the environmental movement that can understand the need for rare but extraordinarily useful exemptions. 3) I asked that NASA release all pertinent data!
Yes, but on their website they also admit to using 12 volt DC motors ( 2 per dish I believe ) to aim the dish as well as using the amplified version to attain the original signal lock. I am considering the set-up to have a least use power drain for regular connection usage, but also having the power based capability to re-align and/or re-amplify the dish as required. Still I hope that the "wired" article gives enough information so that this hopefully low expense approach can be tried.
This would be useful for many developing nations. No expansive infastructure required for internet connections in remote locations. Wondering when "wired" will have the article on the competition out. Also wondering what the power requirements for the entire setup are ie -- can the whole setup be run off of micro dams, solar power, etc.