
Distributed Solar: The Democratizaton of Energy

Blogroll
- Bob Altemeyer on authoritarianism (via Dan Satterfield) The science behind the GOP civil war
- "Talking Politics" podcast David Runciman, Helen Thompson
- Logistic curves in market disruption From DollarsPerBBL, about logistic or S-curves as models of product take-up rather than exponentials, with notes on EVs
- Slice Sampling
- Awkward Botany
- distributed solar and matching location to need
- Dollars per BBL: Energy in Transition
- Lenny Smith's CHAOS: A VERY SHORT INTRODUCTION This is a PDF version of Lenny Smith’s book of the same title, also available from Amazon.com
- Subsidies for wind and solar versus subsidies for fossil fuels
- Mertonian norms
- Charlie Kufs' "Stats With Cats" blog “You took Statistics 101. Now what?”
- Risk and Well-Being
- Number Cruncher Politics
- WEAPONS OF MATH DESTRUCTION Cathy O’Neil’s WEAPONS OF MATH DESTRUCTION,
- Thaddeus Stevens quotes As I get older, I admire this guy more and more
- Flettner Rotor Bruce Yeany introduces the Flettner Rotor and related science
- The Alliance for Securing Democracy dashboard
- Musings on Quantitative Paleoecology Quantitative methods and palaeoenvironments.
- Mark Berliner's video lecture "Bayesian mechanistic-statistical modeling with examples in geophysical settings"
- Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard on how businesses can help our collective environmental mess Patagonia’s Yvon Chouinard set the standard for how a business can mitigate the ravages of capitalism on earth’s environment. At 81 years old, he’s just getting started.
- Pat's blog While it is described as “The mathematical (and other) thoughts of a (now retired) math teacher”, this is false humility, as it chronicles the present and past life and times of mathematicians in their context. Recommended.
- Rasmus Bååth's Research Blog Bayesian statistics and data analysis
- Los Alamos Center for Bayesian Methods
- What If
- Brian McGill's Dynamic Ecology blog Quantitative biology with pithy insights regarding applications of statistical methods
- Brendon Brewer on Overfitting Important and insightful presentation by Brendon Brewer on overfitting
- Gavin Simpson
- Team Andrew Weinberg Walking September 8th for the Jimmy Fund!
- All about ENSO, and lunar tides (Paul Pukite) Historically, ENSO has been explained in terms of winds. But recently — and Dr Paul Pukite has insisted upon this for a long time — the oscillation of ENSO has been explained as a large-scale slosh due to lunar tidal forcing.
- London Review of Books
- Darren Wilkinson's introduction to ABC Darren Wilkinson’s introduction to approximate Bayesian computation (“ABC”). See also his post about summary statistics for ABC https://darrenjw.wordpress.com/2013/09/01/summary-stats-for-abc/
- Giant vertical monopolies for energy have stopped making sense
- The Keeling Curve: its history History of the Keeling Curve and Charles David Keeling
- Why It’s So Freaking Hard To Make A Good COVID-19 Model Five Thirty Eight’s take on why pandemic modeling is so difficult
- The Mermaid's Tale A conversation about biological complexity and evolution, and the societal aspects of science
- Busting Myths About Heat Pumps Heat pumps are perhaps the most efficient heating and cooling systems available. Recent literature distributed by utilities hawking natural gas and other sources use performance figures from heat pumps as they were available 15 years ago. See today’s.
- Tim Harford's “More or Less'' Tim Harford explains – and sometimes debunks – the numbers and statistics used in political debate, the news and everyday life
- Karl Broman
- Mike Bloomberg, 2020 He can get progress on climate done, has the means and experts to counter the Trump and Republican digital disinformation machine, and has the experience, knowledge, and depth of experience to achieve and unify.
- James' Empty Blog
- Earth Family Alpha Michael Osborne’s blog (former Executive at Austin Energy, now Chairman of the Electric Utility Commission for Austin, Texas)
- Prediction vs Forecasting: Knaub “Unfortunately, ‘prediction,’ such as used in model-based survey estimation, is a term that is often subsumed under the term ‘forecasting,’ but here we show why it is important not to confuse these two terms.”
- Carl Safina's blog One of the wisest on Earth
- NCAR AtmosNews
- In Monte Carlo We Trust The statistics blog of Matt Asher, actually called the “Probability and Statistics Blog”, but his subtitle is much more appealing. Asher has a Manifesto at http://www.statisticsblog.com/manifesto/.
- Ives and Dakos techniques for regime changes in series
- Professor David Draper
- Mrooijer's Numbers R 4Us
- "Consider a Flat Pond" Invited talk introducing systems thinking, by Jan Galkowski, at First Parish in Needham, UU, via Zoom
- SASB Sustainability Accounting Standards Board
climate change
- Paul Beckwith Professor Beckwith is, in my book, one of the most insightful and analytical observers on climate I know. I highly recommend his blog, and his other informational products.
- Grid parity map for Solar PV in United States
- Simple models of climate change
- Earth System Models
- Thriving on Low Carbon
- Sir David King David King’s perspective on climate, and the next thousands of years for humanity
- The HUMAN-caused greenhouse effect, in under 5 minutes, by Bill Nye
- "Lessons of the Little Ice Age" (Farber) From Dan Farber, at LEGAL PLANET
- Agendaists Eli Rabett’s coining of a phrase
- Exxon-Mobil statement on UNFCCC COP21
- Climate model projections versus observations
- HotWhopper: It's excellent. Global warming and climate change. Eavesdropping on the deniosphere, its weird pseudo-science and crazy conspiracy whoppers.
- Professor Robert Strom's compendium of resources on climate change Truly excellent
- `The unchained goddess' 1958 Bell Telephone Science Hour broadcast regarding, among other things, climate change.
- “Ways to [try to] slow the Solar Century''
- Eli on the spectroscopic basis of atmospheric radiation physical chemistry
- Simple box models and climate forcing IMO one of Tamino’s best posts illustrating climate forcing using simple box models
- Wind sled Wind sled: A zero carbon way of exploring ice sheets
- Mathematics and Climate Research Network The Mathematics and Climate Research Network (MCRN) engages mathematicians to collaborating on the cryosphere, conceptual model validation, data assimilation, the electric grid, food systems, nonsmooth systems, paleoclimate, resilience, tipping points.
- Tuft's Professor Kenneth Lang on the physical chemistry of the Greenhouse Effect
- On Thomas Edison and Solar Electric Power
- "Impacts of Green New Deal energy plans on grid stability, costs, jobs, health, and climate in 143 countries" (Jacobson, Delucchi, Cameron, et al) Global warming, air pollution, and energy insecurity are three of the greatest problems facing humanity. To address these problems, we develop Green New Deal energy roadmaps for 143 countries.
- Ricky Rood's “What would happen to climate if we (suddenly) stopped emitting GHGs today?
- Climate Change Reports By John and Mel Harte
- Updating the Climate Science: What path is the real world following? From Professors Makiko Sato & James Hansen of Columbia University
- World Weather Attribution
- Rabett Run Incisive analysis of climate science versus deliberate distraction
- James Hansen and granddaughter Sophie on moving forward with progress on climate
- "Climate science is setttled enough"
- The great Michael Osborne's latest opinions Michael Osborne is a genius operative and champion of solar energy. I have learned never to disregard ANYTHING he says. He is mentor of Karl Ragabo, and the genius instigator of the Texas renewable energy miracle.
- Mrooijer's Global Temperature Explorer
- Steve Easterbrook's excellent climate blog: See his "The Internet: Saving Civilization or Trashing the Planet?" for example Heavy on data and computation, Easterbrook is a CS prof at UToronto, but is clearly familiar with climate science. I like his “The Internet: Saving Civilization or Trashing the Planet” very much.
- The Keeling Curve The first, and one of the best programs for creating a spatially significant long term time series of atmospheric concentrations of CO2. Started amongst great obstacles by one, smart determined guy, Charles David Keeling.
- The Carbon Cycle The Carbon Cycle, monitored by The Carbon Project
- The Scientific Case for Modern Human-caused Global Warming
- The beach boondoggle Prof Rob Young on how owners of beach property are socializing their risks at costs to all of us, not the least being it seems coastal damage is less than it actually is
- AIP's history of global warming science: impacts The American Institute of Physics has a fine history of the science of climate change. This link summarizes the history of impacts of climate change.
- `Who to believe on climate change': Simple checks By Bart Verheggen
- Isaac Held's blog In the spirit of Ray Pierrehumbert’s “big ideas come from small models” in his textbook, PRINCIPLES OF PLANETARY CLIMATE, Dr Held presents quantitative essays regarding one feature or another of the Earth’s climate and weather system.
- David Appell's early climate science
- "Warming Slowdown?" (part 1 of 2) The idea of a global warming slowdown or hiatus is critically examined, emphasizing the literature, the datasets, and means and methods for telling such. In two parts.
- Sea Change Boston
- Documenting the Climate Deniarati at work
- Andy Zucker's "Climate Change and Psychology"
- Reanalyses.org
- RealClimate
- Risk and Well-Being
- SOLAR PRODUCTION at Westwood Statistical Studios Generation charts for our home in Westwood, MA
- History of discovering Global Warming From the American Institute of Physics.
- Tell Utilities Solar Won't Be Killed Barry Goldwater, Jr’s campaign to push for solar expansion against monopolistic utilities, as a Republican
Archives
Jan Galkowski
Category Archives: bryophytes
Dr Des Callaghan’s “Bryophytes around the world”
Dr Callaghan is a superb bryophyte photographer.
Posted in bryophyte, bryophytes, The British Bryological Society, zero carbon
Tagged bryophyte photography
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2026 March 14 [J 073.87] “Pi Day”
Geographic coordinates N42.227, W71.230, Westwood, MA, USA
Pohlia lescuriana
Posted in ABLS, blog, Botany, bryology, bryophyte, bryophytes, mosses, New England Botanical Society
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Climacium in Lawns
Posted in Botany, bryology, bryophytes, mosses
Tagged Botany, bryophytes, ecology, mosses
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2024Dec5J340 first snow Westwood: Full temperatures missing as yet
First snow: Cones specifying where sample temperatures etc will be taken described and illustrated in images below: This taken day before snowfall.
2024J315 Mosses of the Day
All Polytrichum. It’s been a couple of months since we have had any serious rain, This is in Westwood, Masschusetts, USA.
2024J281
Taken with 100mm Rokinon lens, OM-5 mirrorless OMD camera.
Posted in bryology, bryophytes, mosses
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Collection of Photos of Moss
As of 2024J266, with various cameras such as Google Pixel, Olympus TG-6 (of two of them), Olympus E-M1 Mark III, and OM Systems (Olympus) OM-5. Various lenses used in case of latter two. Which lenses should be recorded in metadata … Continue reading
Posted in bryology, bryophytes, mosses
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a variety of bryophyte macrophotographs
Posted in ABLS, amateur science, American Bryological and Lichenological Society, biology, Botany, bryology, bryophytes, citizen data, citizen science, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, ecology, field biology, Hale Reservation, macrophotography, mosses, National Phenology Network, quantitative biology, quantitative ecology, sampling algorithms, statistical ecology
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Adobe Lightroom for scientific photos
As some readers may know, now I’m retired, I am deeply invested in a multiyear longitudinal study of (primarily) mosses (Bryophyta) at 25 plots near my home. This has been running since end of November 2020, with the first month … Continue reading
Photo of the week: Repeatedly distressed Mnium hornum
This Mnium hornum community is located near a brook which occasionally overflows its banks and at a relative elevation lower than the brook floor. Because of unusual big rains in Dover, Massachusetts in 2021, this hornum community has been inundated … Continue reading
Cladonia coniocraea in a field of Polytrichum juniperinum
Cladonia coniocraea is a lichen. Polytrichum juniperinum is an acrocarp moss. In any case they are beautiful. Full size is available by right-clicking the image and electing “open image in new tab.” Try it. It’s worth it.
Posted in bryology, bryophytes, lichenology, lichens, macrophotography, mosses
Tagged mosses
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Moss Evolution
A lecture by Professor Ralf Reski.
Posted in biology, bryology, bryophytes, evolution, mosses
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Why I Retired
Today’s New York Times contains an article “For Some People, Working from Home Sped Up their Decision to Retire“, by Paul Sullivan. I also retired in 2020. But my motivation was quite different. Unlike many people, I had the option … Continue reading
Mosses of the Week, 4 June 2021
All photographs by Jan Galkowski, 2021.
Moss of the Week, 2021-05-31: Pohlia nutans
All photographs by Jan Galkowski, 2021.
Posted in American Bryological and Lichenological Society, Botany, bryology, bryophytes, mosses
Tagged Botany, bryophytes, mosses
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Field survey update for 2021-03-03 and 2021-03-10: Bryophytes, lichens, and Lycopodia in winter (LoSoMaaCoF)
Online data from principally bryological the longitudinal field survey described here has been updated in its: spreadsheet Photos for Site 1 Photos for Site 2 Photos for Site 3 Photos for Site 4 with the photos and remarks from 2021-03-03 … Continue reading
New Meetup: Massachusetts Mosses and Lichens
I have started a new Meetup group: Massachusetts Mosses and Lichens. I am inviting anyone with an interest in mosses and lichens to join in, particularly if you live in the “greater Massachusetts area”. Because of pandemic, there’ll be no … Continue reading
Posted in ABLS, American Bryological and Lichenological Society, American Statistical Association, biology, Botany, Brent Mishler, bryology, bryophytes, citizen data, citizen science, ecology, field biology, field research, field science, Hale Reservation, Janice Glime, Jerry Jenkins, lichenology, lichens, longitudinal survey of mosses, macrophotography, maths, mesh models, mosses, Nancy G Slack, National Phenology Network, population biology, population dynamics, Ralph Pope, science, spatial statistics, statistical ecology, Sue Williams, the right to know, Westwood
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Field survey update for 2021-02-24: Bryophytes, lichens, and Lycopodia in winter (LoSoMaaCoF)
Online data from principally bryological the longitudinal field survey described here has been updated in its: spreadsheet Photos for Site 1 Photos for Site 2 Photos for Site 3 Photos for Site 4 with the photos and remarks from 2021-02-24. … Continue reading
Why I care about and study mosses
For a guy who has spent most of his professional career developing, studying, and improving engineered systems, software, and applying mathematics to them, the idea of devoting a substantial part of the rest of his life to the study of … Continue reading
Posted in American Association for the Advancement of Science, astrophysics, bryology, bryophytes, carbon dioxide, climate, Cosmos, Ecological Society of America, icesheets, longitudinal study of mosses, longitudinal survey of mosses, National Phenology Network, Neill deGrasse Tyson, science
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Moss of the Week, 2021-02-19
Actually, mosses of the week. This pair of communities are part of my longitudinal study of mosses, some Cladonia chlorophaea lichens, and a few Lycopodium obscurum individuals. This is Site 3, community instances A and B. Instance A is Mnium … Continue reading
Field survey update for 2021-02-17: Bryophytes, lichens, and Lycopodia in winter (LoSoMaaCoF)
(Updated, 2021-02-23) Online data from principally bryological the longitudinal field survey described here has been updated in its: spreadsheet. This post is simply a matter of record, as are the additional rows in the spreadsheet. There were no observations on … Continue reading
Field survey update for 2021-02-03 and 2021-02-10: Bryophytes, lichens, and Lycopodia in winter (LoSoMaaCoF)
(Updated, 2021-02-23) Online data from principally bryological the longitudinal field survey described here has been updated in its: spreadsheet This post is simply a matter of record, as are the additional rows in the spreadsheet. There were no observations on … Continue reading
Field survey update for 2021-01-26: Bryophytes, lichens, and Lycopodia in winter (LoSoMaaCoF)
(Updated, 2021-02-23) Online data from principally bryological the longitudinal field survey described here has been updated in its: spreadsheet Photos for Site 1 Photos for Site 2 Photos for Site 3 Photos for Site 4 with the photos and remarks … Continue reading
On storing and logging moss specimens
(Updated 2021-02-21) The standard way of storing moss specimens — at least that’s taught — is to press them, like most botanical specimens, or to store them, dessicated, in folders like these: That’s from Ralph Pope’s (2016) Guide, Pope, Ralph. … Continue reading
Posted in biology, bryology, bryophytes, data collection, field biology, field science
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Field survey update for 2021-01-20: Bryophytes, lichens, and Lycopodia in winter (LoSoMaaCoF)
(Updated, 2021-02-23) Online data from principally bryological the longitudinal field survey described here has been updated in its: spreadsheet Photos for Site 1 Photos for Site 2 Photos for Site 3 Photos for Site 4 with the photos and remarks … Continue reading

