Monday, January 11, 2016

Let's Be Cool, Boy

I'm pretty exhausted.  I don't sleep well on the weekends, because a particular railroad switches trains on Sunday afternoon.  All day, and night.  Two Dash 8's toil.  I am talking about traction dating from the early l990's.  Certainly their emission standards are not in compliance with those established by the Environmental Protection Agency in the year 2016.  Some rail providers have begun to use GenSet locomotives in accordance with new EPA standards.  They have several diesel prime movers than engage only when their power is needed.  It very much is like a Honda motorcycle carburetor which only uses as much fuel/air mixture as it needs.  I can't remember its name.  There are other modern diesel locomotives which make attempts to pollute less.  The Dash 8 is not on the list.  Formerly this particular railroad made use of SD-60's when switching trains.  Why the change, other than the Dash 8's are like the devil himself?  They pollute not only the air but the air.  Did I say polluted the air with hydrofluorocarbons?  They do this.  We all know like what smells diesel exhaust.  Did I say also they pollute the air, something we cannot see but is crucial to human existence?  Our air gets overlooked.  There are world summits on how to stop the warming of the earth, but no one pinpoints the causes.  No one will come out and say that the airline industry, the rail industry, and the wireless telecommunication industry largely are responsible for global warming.  Why?  Think about it.  Yes coal-burning power plants account for a large percentage of emissions, but they are not the only culprits.  Coal is cheap, but it relies upon the rail industry to move its product.  Double whammy.  Let's pollute our air, twice.  If you believe the television advertisements you would think the railroads are as green as Kermit the Frog.  Bah.  They move so much more freight on a gallon of fuel.  They have put the truckers out of business, just as Apple and internet streaming services have put the record industry out of business.  Things dramatically have changed in America.  Not only did five trillion dollars disappear during the financial crisis of 2015, the balance of power has shifted.  Truly it is a new millennium, and no one much is paying attention.  Our air is polluted with gaseous toxins, but that is not all.  Also it is polluted with invisible sound.  Yes, sound is invisible, but also it is inaudible.  Sound below 20Hz is inaudible to the human ear.  If you can't see it, and you can't hear it, it doesn't exist, right?  Ask the Dash 8.  Ask any of the artists from the Grunge Era who complained of so many things.  Take Kurt Cobain for example.  No one expressly ever consented that the Union Pacific railroad may have contributed to his demons.  Musicians are sensitive to sound, but sound you cannot hear?  Come on.  Lobbyists have been using this argument since the inception of infrasonic pollution.  When I become president of the United States, I will sanction Diesel Down Day.  On this day every diesel engine in the country will be powered down.  Every diesel electric locomotive operating in America will stop bleating for one whole day.  They difference will be startling.  Then I will sanction Jet Turbine Spin Down Day.  Every jet engine operating in America will stop.  Then I will sanction a national day of humanity.  All wireless communications will cease for one day.  The earth will cool.  We all will be cool boy.