Where's It Wednesday—XLI

Where in Seattle is this?

Answer next week.

Details on the weekly Where's It Wednesday puzzle here.
Other weeks' puzzles here.
Answer to last week's puzzle, after the jump.

Where's It Wednesday—XXVIII

Where in Seattle is this?

Answer next week.

Details on the weekly Where's It Wednesday puzzle here.
Other weeks' puzzles here.
Answer to last week's puzzle after the jump.

10 Reasons Against Government Cleantech Funding...

...And Why None Are Persuasive

---

Business and investors, as well as a significant portion of the general public, have taken a mostly skeptical view of government’s spending tax (or worse, borrowed) dollars on new technologies. It matters little which sector, or whether the funds are termed stimulus or investment, or whether funding is deemed short-term or some kind of “commitment” or even whether it is a response to a catastrophic emergency.

Such skepticism sometimes stems from inchoate reasons. Negative reactions can arise reflexively (“we need to control spending!”), from unexamined prejudices (“government spending is bad!”), or because of ideological biases (“all government spending is wasteful!”) Digging beyond slogans and sound bites, objections are of three basic kinds: (1) Cleantech isn’t important and shouldn’t be a priority; (2) Cleantech is important, but government should not be involved; and (3) Cleantech is important, but funding is not how government should be involved.

Further distillation yields 10 specific objections to government funding of cleantech:

1. Other things are more important
2. It’s a waste of money
3. We cannot afford it
4. It would increase the deficit
5. Government would fund the wrong things
6. Government is inefficient and wasteful
7. Private enterprise should do it
8. It distorts markets
9. It’s unsustainable
10. Other approaches are better

Are any of these objections compelling? A closer examination suggests not:

Of Beer and Bicycles: Fat for the Whole Family

The Tour de Fat comes to Seattle--tomorrow at Gas Works Park!

Yes folks, the Tour de Fat will once again be meandering and pandering through 13 western cities spreading the good word about the positive societal offerings of the bicycle. Along with our exceptional ability to roust a city's inner-cyclist, in 2010 we hope to drive our message even deeper by bringing you the biggest, most enjoyable traveling bike festival that we know of.

New Belgium Brewing makes many fine brews, including the preferred house beer here at Chez Leyerle--Fat Tire Ale. Not only is the beer excellent, but it is great to support a brewery that takes sustainability seriously.

The Tour de Fat is "a Bicycle Festival with beer, not the other way around" but fortunately fine beverages will be available.

The fun officially begins at 10:00 tomorrow, July 31, but if the past is a good guide, it would be smart to arrive quite a bit earlier than that. The entertainments (apart from the attendees themselves!) are scheduled to include musicians, comedic couples, vaudevillians, and perhaps some rental zombies. If I still had a unicycle I would ride it there, although I'm not sure how well they attach to the front of the Metro buses...