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Ed Begley Jr. – From St. Elsewhere to Sustainable SETAC

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Ed Begley Jr.Many people will remember Ed Begley Jr. as Dr. Victor Ehrlich in the 1980s medical drama, St. Elsewhere. Begley was part of an all-star cast that including Howie Mandel, William Daniels, Denzel Washington, Mark Harmon, and many others. Fewer people know that Ed Begley Jr. has been a lifelong environmentalist and has pioneered the use of solar and wind power for home use. Last night Begley was the keynote speaker at the annual Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry meeting being held this week in Long Beach, California. He fit in nicely with the SETAC theme this year – innovation and sustainability.

Ed Begley Jr at SETAC 2012

One thing that struck me was that Begley is not some wild-eyed environmentalist screaming for the destruction of the oil companies. His main message was that no one has to bankrupt themselves to be environmental. He says to do what you can afford. In his own life he couldn’t afford solar panels early on so he focused on conservation of energy, avoiding waste, starting to compost. Over the years as he could manage it fiscally – which he could in part because he was saving so much money through wise conservation – he added on a solar water heater (and is now spokesperson for the Cirrex brand), then solar electricity, then invested in a wind turbine. His reminder to all is to be fiscally responsible but understand that not making changes has a cost too. With the use of renewable energy, walking and biking when he can, and driving an electric car for longer distances where mass transit in not available, he discovered a basic truth:

It’s good for the environment and also good for your wallet.

After a wonderfully delivered and very appreciated keynote speech Begley took questions from the packed ballroom. The audience consisted of many industry representatives (including from oil and chemical companies), academics, and other environmental researchers. When asked what role environmental scientists may have played in the shift toward sustainability back in the 1970s and beyond, Begley was adamant:

Environmental scientists are critical for doing the science and communicating it to public.

Without the science there is no way to inspire public opinion and get action. It became clear that Begley is one of those people who doesn’t just preach his views, he lives them. And yet he understands that the transition is a process. We have taken care of the most acute problems like deadly smogs in Los Angeles and burning rivers in Ohio. We did that through identifying the problems and taking action. He acknowledges that we cannot stop oil production tomorrow because we depend on it so much, but that to deal with the realities of man-made climate change we can take steps, work together, and innovate to build a more sustainable energy economy.

We can do what we can do now as long as we keep moving forward.

And moving forward is the key to sustainability. This week at SETAC we will take these thoughts into consideration – innovation and sustainability.

It turns out Ed Begley Jr. was a perfect opening night speaker. Thank you.

David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (2013) and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (2016) (both Fall River Press). He has also written two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate. His next book is on Abraham Lincoln, due out in 2017.

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It’s Time to Travel

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James JoyceI’ve been feeling a bit cooped up. The last time I traveled was in July when I went to Niagara Falls and New England. On that trip I visited Nikola Tesla’s two statues, then worked my way around Lake Ontario, past Lake Champlain, and down through New England to see the family. But that was months ago. I need to get out of the house.

Luckily I’m headed to southern California this weekend for a scientific conference. The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) is an international group and its North American component holds a meeting every November. This year is Long Beach. I missed the last four annual meetings because I was living in Belgium for three years (and then was just arriving back from a trip to China and Japan as the last one got underway). So I’m excited to get back there, especially because I am becoming President of the SETAC Chapter that serves my region, the Chesapeake and Potomac Regional Chapter. Check out our new logo:

CPRC logo

Even Nikola Tesla is coming with me to SETAC. I have donated a signed copy of my book, to be signed and delivered when it comes off the printing press in the spring. I’m sure he will enjoy the southern California weather.

But that isn’t the only trip planned. In December I’ll be taking my parents on a cruise of the Caribbean, with stops in Roatan (Honduras), Belize City (Belize), Costa Maya and Cozumel (both Mexico). I’ll have more on that later.

That will cover my traveling for the rest of the year. I already feel the need to plan for next year. Where should I go – Any ideas?

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Two Men + Two Tesla Coils + Special Suits = ELECTRICITY FIGHT (aka, Nikola Tesla is Very Cool)

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Okay, by now we all know that Nikola Tesla is very very cool. So how about a really cool electricity duel? You got it.

These guys were part of a demonstration at a festival in Belfast (Ireland, not Ohio). So how do they keep from getting electrocuted? First, the electricity comes from Tesla Coils. These are high-voltage, low-current, high frequency alternating current” in a system perfected by Nikola Tesla in the late 1800s. The weird suits they are wearing form  “Faraday cages,” named after Michael Faraday, the scientist who first came up with the idea of electromagnetic fields. He showed that an electric charge would stay on the outside of a charged conductor, so the electricity basically circulates around the “cage” the men are wearing. Which is good, because otherwise the high voltages used would quickly make the performers, well, dead, and that would have made the performance quite a bit shorter.

As it stands, the crowd was electrified. Figuratively speaking, of course.

Nikola TeslaMore on Tesla coils.

More on Nikola Tesla: The Wizard of Lightning.

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Happy Anniversary – Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln

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Abraham LincolnHappy Anniversary! On this date, November 4, 1842, Abraham Lincoln married Mary Todd. They would remain married for more than 22 years until that fateful day our 16th President was assassinated in Ford’s Theater, his wife at his side. They had four sons, only one of whom, Robert, lived to adulthood.

From the beginning they were an odd pair. At 6’4″ in height and only about 180 pounds he was the spindle to her 5’2″ short – and in her post-childbirth years tending to plumpness – presence. He grew up poor while she grew up in wealthy elite family. And where he was self-educated “by littles,” she was well-schooled and could converse on many interesting topics in either English or French. Her family was against her marrying someone of a lower social caste, and encouraged her to give in to another suitor of the time – Stephen A. Douglas (who was closer to her in both height and education).

Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mary Todd and Abraham had a marriage that everyone else seemed to always have an opinion on, and mostly not a positive one. But they remained together through the tragedies of two sons dying young, a long period of non-political life in Springfield, and then a war that pitted brother against brother. In a bit of supreme irony Abraham’s life was snatched away just as the war was ending and the two were planning for both his second term and their post-presidency life back in Illinois.

On this 170th anniversary of their marriage let us remember how they stood together through the good times and the bad. While others may find many faults with their relationship, it seemed to work for them. And that is all that matters.

More on my Abraham Lincoln page.

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Science Traveler Shows Increasing Trend in Viewership

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David J. KentScience Traveler is only months old but the recent trend in viewership has been very encouraging. The original website was started in February 2012 and the views during the first few months reflected the efforts of friends and family to make me feel wanted. In August 2012 I changed the name of the blog to Science Traveler to better reflect my emphasis on both science and traveling. [And some ideas for the future that I’ll keep under my proverbial top hat for now.]

The last few months have shown tremendous progress in gaining an audience, or as they say in the publishing biz, a platform. We’re not talking J.K. Rowling or or E.L. James type numbers here for sure, but given that I started from scratch I’m comfortable with where I am right now. As you can see, my monthly views are going in the right direction.

And since the total number of views is influenced by the number of days in the month, the following shows the average daily views for each month. Very encouraging for such a short period of time.

The key to keeping this trend is to continue to gain more readers and understand why the ones I have came here in the first place. It should come as no surprise that my forthcoming Nikola Tesla book has been a draw and I am continuing to become more and more fascinated by the man and the people who work hard to bring his genius to the public. I anticipate that my book will help raise Tesla’s Q-score.

And then there is Abraham Lincoln. I’m working on the book proposal now.

And the travel. I’m traveling out to California to attend the SETAC meeting (and will be bringing Tesla with me), then cruising the Caribbean in December. My Science Traveler site will be getting more travel science as it develops.

And aquariums.

See a trend?

The plan is to redesign the site to provide a better experience for visitors, including a new landing page, links to information about my books and other writing, and make it easier to follow the topic people find most interesting. I’ll even be offering some freebies! So stay tuned.

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Abraham Lincoln Book Review – The Oliver R. Barrett Lincoln Collection

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Abraham LincolnOf the estimated 15,000 or more books written about Abraham Lincoln, I have about 700 in my collection. As I do the research for my next book I have been reading some key tomes and came across a rather unique volume called The Immortal Autograph Letters…Lincolniana Collected by the Late Oliver R. Barrett.

This is a truly amazing book, for two reasons that I will get to in a moment.  The book is really the hard bound catalog of the public auction of the Oliver R. Barrett collection, a sale held in February 1952 by Parke-Bernet Galleries.  While that may sound a little dry, I assure you the book offers a wealth of historical information that is both insightful and exciting.

Oliver R. Barrett amassed a private collection of Abraham Lincoln that was second to no one.  After his death in the latter part of the first half of the 20th Century, a public auction was held of his collection.  This hard bound version of the catalog documents every one of the 842 items sold.  In the collection there are many documents, letters, manuscripts, portraits, personal relics, and a multitude of other “Lincolniana.”  Many are handwritten letters by Lincoln himself, others are letters by Secretary of State Seward, various Generals and other key players in the Civil War, and friends.  There are even letters from Confederate President Jefferson Davis, General Robert E. Lee, and others in the Confederacy.  All of these documents, and associated photographs and relics, are presented and were sold in roughly chronological order, so one can read the summaries of each item and excerpts from important letters to experience the history of the 1850s leading up to Lincoln’s election, through the Civil War itself, and then the immediate reactions to Lincoln’s assassination.

The second feature that makes my particular copy of this book extraordinary is that one of the attendees of the auction has penciled in next to each and every item the sale price, and if known, the buyer.  To see what collectors paid for each item is a wonderful insight into the value people put on Lincoln almost 100 years after his death.  Most items sold for less than $100, but many sold in the hundreds to thousands of dollars.  The highest price paid for any one item was $35,000 for a series of 14 letters from Lincoln to his best friend Joshua Fry Speed.  The letters provide a rare insight into Lincoln’s personal feelings and friendships as Lincoln met Speed when he first moved to Springfield, Illinois to begin his law career and continued throughout his life.

The auction attendee has gone a step further and has at the end of the book written in pencil a table totaling the sale prices for each of the four sessions held over two days, and the grand total, which amounted to $273,632.50.  Keep in mind that this was in 1952 and in current dollars would amount to many millions of dollars.

I am privileged to own this first edition annotated copy.  I expected a rather dull list of items sold at auction, but what I found was an amazing insight into history.

More on my Abraham Lincoln page.

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Nikola Tesla Goes to the Silent Auction

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Nikola TeslaIn a few weeks I will attend the annual scientific conference of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC). This year Nikola Tesla will go with me. And then he will leave with someone else.

The conference attracts about 2500 members each year and we juggle our time between attending presentations of the latest science, attending committee meetings and other events, and attending to the myriad conversations held in the hallways of the convention center. The latter is where most of the collaboration is done. Or at least it seems that way.

There are also socials and various other events, this year including a dinner in the Aquarium of the Pacific since the conference is being held in Long Beach (and yes, I will be adding the aquarium to my list!). Every year there is also what is called a Silent Auction. Members donate everything from artwork to golf clubs to earrings made from the sand castings of worm-like fly larvae (you have to be there to appreciate it). For three days the items all sit on display in the main exhibit hall and everyone has a chance to write down their bids on whatever items appeal to them. As a scientific organization it shouldn’t surprise anyone to learn that there are a lot of books donated. And that is where Tesla comes in.

While my Nikola Tesla book won’t have a hard cover until the spring of 2013, I have donated a signed copy to the silent auction. The winning bidder will get to specify whatever inscription they desire, which I will duly apply with my signature and then send the book to them free of charge as soon as it pops out of the printing press. Here is the flyer I will put on display:

Nikola Tesla Silent Auction

One thing you might notice is that the title has changed. This wasn’t entirely unexpected since “Scientific Rock Star” was merely a working title from the beginning. But you’ll see I have cleverly found a way to keep it on the cover. 🙂

All proceeds from the silent auction go toward funding student activities, including helping to cover the cost of doing research, developing presentations, and traveling to scientific meetings like SETAC. So I’m hoping that the book will get plenty of attention. I’ll let you know.

More about Nikola Tesla.

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Peregrine Falcons, Albatross, and Sumatran Tigers – The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

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When you think of a place to go bird watching – specifically to see peregrine falcons – you most likely would not have been thinking of a trip to the Tate Modern museum in London. But here I was strolling along the Thames River when I spotted, well, spotting scopes, the cross between binoculars and telescopes used by avid birders seeking distant raptors. Drawn to the small group earnestly gazing at the tower that rises above the world famous museum of modern art, I soon found myself also drawn into the world of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).

Tate Modern London

Based in the United Kingdom but working worldwide, the RSPB is a non-profit group whose work “is driven by a passionate belief that we all have a responsibility to protect birds and the environment.” With over a million members and 18,000 volunteers donating their time, the RSPB has grown into an effective and far-reaching force.

Carol Rawlings, RSPB

One of those volunteers is Carol Rawlings, who graciously spent time telling me about peregrines as we searched for the pair who make the top of the Tate tower their home, along with their single offspring. Named Misty and Houdini, they join more than a dozen breeding pairs of peregrine falcons soaring above London’s skyline. The birds perch on the high buildings and then upon spotting potential prey – usually other medium-sized birds – the peregrine goes into a steep dive, called a stoop, at speeds of over 200 miles per hour. Usually the prey doesn’t stand much of a chance.

But peregrine falcons in London are not the only focus of the RSPB, as Carol explained to me over lunch during her recent trip to Washington DC.

One current project is working with fishermen to reduce or eliminate the death of albatross from longline fishing. These huge birds with wingspans up to 12 feet spend most of their time at sea. They catch fish and squid by diving near the surface, which puts them at severe risk from the up to 80-mile long squid-baited fishing lines containing thousands of hooks being dragged behind fishing vessels. According to the RSPB, around 100,000 albatrosses are drowned every year after getting caught on these longline hooks. This is the main reason that 18 of the 22 albatross species are now threatened with extinction. A short film highlights the problem.

The RSPB has collaborated with fishermen and engineers in the design of a hook cover that effectively eliminates 80% of the albatross deaths from longlines in pilot programs. The next step is to get funding to provide these devices to all fishermen.

So what about Sumatran tigers…aren’t they a bit far-afield for a UK based charitable organization? Actually, no. The RSPB partners with other bird and wildlife protection organizations around the world. One such partnership has employed a unique strategy to help save the rainforests of Sumatra, part of the nation of Indonesia.

The Sumatran tiger is rare subspecies that is critically endangered. The main reason – logging of its shrinking rainforest habitat. To combat this loss, the RSPB and its partners bought the logging rights to thousands hectares of rainforest in the Harapan region of Sumatra. They also got the laws changed to allow them to restore the forest – previously the law required the logging rights owners to log the property. The project is a big one and will be ongoing for many years. Check here for more background and a video explaining the efforts to save the tigers and birds of Sumatra.

A stroll along the Thames has turned into a renewed appreciation for the natural world, both within the urban environs of London and Washington DC and the almost anachronistic beauty of far-flung locations such as Sumatra. As Carol and I chatted over lunch it seemed appropriate that we both have visits to the Galapagos Islands at the top of our travel lists. I’m looking forward to writing more about RSPB and their work internationally, and am already planning a series of articles for national and international magazines to highlight their work.

More travel stories and photographs can be found on my travel page or by searching on the keyword “travel” at the top of the page.

David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (2013) and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (2016) (both Fall River Press). He has also written two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate. His next book is on Abraham Lincoln, due out in 2017.

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[Note: The photos of the peregrine falcon, albatross and Sumatran tiger all are from Wikimedia Commons.]

 

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It’s Abraham Lincoln Group Night in Washington DC

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Abraham LincolnOnce a month I attend the Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia. The non-profit group has been around for four score minus three years and is dedicated to sharing the history and study of Abraham Lincoln. As the longest continuously active Lincoln society in the United States the Lincoln Group of DC boasts some of the most notable Lincoln scholars extant.

Tonight’s dinner will be followed by a presentation on the Supreme Court and the Civil War by Roberta and Lydon Swartzendruber. These two scholars will…

…trace the origin and consequences of this conflict and explore the interactions between the full Supreme Court and the conduct of the war. During his tenure as president, Lincoln appointed five Supreme Court Justices. His appointments, his handling of the court, and the response of the court to the challenge of balancing civil liberties with the war powers of congress and the president, had important consequences for the outcome of the war and for the recovery of the nation following the war.

I’m looking forward to tonight’s event.

More information on the Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia can be found on our web site.

More information on my Abraham Lincoln activities is on my Abraham Lincoln page.

David J. Kent is an avid science traveler and the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, now available. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (both Fall River Press). He has also written two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

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