Interesting stuff from the Swiss, Ettringite concrete, reported below from DW TV. Concrete blocks are made which heat when exposed to water. Copper pipes are threaded through the blocks, which act as a heat exchanger. The hot water then circulates through the house, heating it.
DW TV Video
It would take only a few blocks to heat an average size home all winter. Would these blocks last? It appears they will, at least as long as the home will, which has got to be something worth considering. Are they expensive to produce? Simple answer - I don't know, but the process looks a little complicated, the blocks heat up when made, can they explode if you get the recipe wrong?
One of the guys featured in the video can be found here...
Frank Winnefeld of Empa - the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology
October 14, 2015
October 08, 2015
A Reminder - GM - Where Did The Money Go?
Found the following article which explains clearly what happened as a result of the General Motors bankruptcy back in 2009.
http://www.dailywealth.com/2125/gm-americas-biggest-bankruptcy
Put simply, the union got the money and the bondholders were screwed. Don't worry about the company not being able to make a decent car, or the chance to have capitalism go to work and make the GM assets available to new entrepreneurs, No, Obama had to win Michigan and the US taxpayer forked out.
http://www.dailywealth.com/2125/gm-americas-biggest-bankruptcy
Put simply, the union got the money and the bondholders were screwed. Don't worry about the company not being able to make a decent car, or the chance to have capitalism go to work and make the GM assets available to new entrepreneurs, No, Obama had to win Michigan and the US taxpayer forked out.
October 06, 2015
TPP Snowball Effect
The Trans-Pacific Partnership has been agreed, the actual value of which is now to be debated. What struck me is how something so small at the start can grow very fast, now covering 40% of the world's economy.
A rough timeline...
2001 - the process starts when New Zealand and Singapore conclude a free trade deal.
2002 - a year later Chile is on board, now called the Pacific Three Closer Economic Relations
2005 - now Brunei joins and we have the P4; the term Trans-Pacific Partnership begins
2008 - joined by USA, Australia, Vietnam and Peru, now this thing is big
2010 - Malaysia join
2012 - Canada and Mexico are now in
2013 - Japan join the party.
A rough timeline...
2001 - the process starts when New Zealand and Singapore conclude a free trade deal.
2002 - a year later Chile is on board, now called the Pacific Three Closer Economic Relations
2005 - now Brunei joins and we have the P4; the term Trans-Pacific Partnership begins
2008 - joined by USA, Australia, Vietnam and Peru, now this thing is big
2010 - Malaysia join
2012 - Canada and Mexico are now in
2013 - Japan join the party.