[Cadre-politics] [Glpj] Petition against Indo-US strategic deal and nuclear agreement : Pl. Sign
Howie Goodell
howie.goodell at gmail.com
Tue Sep 11 07:04:11 EDT 2007
Hi --
The proposal text in case you can't read it:
SkyTran UMass Lowell Proposal
Chris Fry and Howard Goodell September, 2007
Project synopsis: Build a short SkyTran magnetic levitation transport
system and extend it into an
inter-campus and community network.
Phase 1: Research test track (no daily riders)
Phase 2: Functional SkyTran system links North, South, and East campuses
Phase 3: Link all UML buildings, parking, commuter rail, Middlesex
CC, and community
Phase 4: High-speed (100-150-MPH) SkyTran link to sister system at
UMass Boston, other Boston universities
General info: http://www.unimodal.com (official)
http://www.skytran.net (informal) http://www.skytran.org (social
effects)
Why should the University do it?
- Research that matters, for faculty and students in many disciplines
- Showcase technology too often hidden away in labs
- Working on important problems attracts and retains the best researchers
- Improve education by:
- educational experience and motivation of real-world,
interdisciplinary problem solving
- time savings (.5 - 1 hour/day for 10,000 students and faculty =
1-2 MILLION hours/year)
- course sharing with area schools; eventually a "Boston-Area Megaversity"
- PR:
- UMass reputation benefits from taking the lead on critical technology
- Highly visible to press, donors and funding agencies
- "Cool factor" -- get students excited about technology and the University
- 200-MPG today; potentially 0-0 (ZERO greenhouse-gas emissions;
ZERO net energy from the grid) transportation
- "Save the world"
- Cut greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts of
automobile commuting
- Eliminate Mideast oil dependency
- Solve urban transportation problems; encourage Smart Growth
- University saves money on parking lots and shuttle buses; frees up
land for new building
- Students and faculty save money and time through less need to own
and use automobiles
Who in the University will be involved? A broad cross-section of
departments, including:
Arts & Sciences:
- Physics: Magnetic levitation, propulsion and switching; efficient
and cheap solar cells and energy storage
- Computer Science, Mathematics: Voice/graphical interfaces; critical
embedded controls; optimally routing thousands of vehicles;
cryptographic security protocols
- Criminal Justice, Public Administration: Crime and terrorism;
emergency services; access by disabled; safely transporting impaired
riders (AKA drunk drivers)
- Political Science, Philosophy, Liberal Arts: Security/privacy
trade-offs; public versus private control; regulation
- Psychology: Speech interfaces; passenger acceptance, credibility
and trust of automated transport
- Sociology Use by and impact on different social groups:
immigrants, poor, elderly, youths and mentally-handicapped; effects on
families and city life
- Environmental Sciences(also Engineering): Energy and environmental
effects; policy implications (e.g. subsidies for construction and
renewable energy use)
- Regional Economic and Social Development: Routing; placement of
street and in-building stops ("portals"); effects on housing patterns
and neighborhoods
- Languages: Training computer speech interfaces in many languages
for destinations, information and emergency commands
School of Education:
- Safeguards and policies for transporting high-school, middle-school
and perhaps younger students on SkyTran
- Policies for access to portals in school buildings
- Parental and school policies for youthful SkyTran riders
- SkyTran transport of Special Education students
- Class travel via SkyTran
School of Health & Environment:
- Safety and ergonomics of SkyTran vehicles and portals
- Elder and handicapped travel on SkyTran
- Work environment for trades, professionals, and service personnel
who use SkyTran very often during their working day
- Home nursing, community health care and service delivery on SkyTran networks
- Epidemiology and public health effects
College of Engineering:
- Mechanical: Magnetic levitation, propulsion and switching dynamics;
vehicle dynamics and aerodynamics; low-cost mfg. vehicles, magnets,
coils and switches
- Civil: track and portal construction; safety; designing for
earthquake and storm loads
- Electrical/Electronic/Energy/Computer: System-scale solar power
storage and distribution; sensors; magnetic switching; safety
interlocks
- Chemical(Nuclear), Plastics: Lightweight composite vehicle
materials; organic solar cells (Konarka); possibility of nuclear power
- Assistive Technology: Portal, vehicle and interface designs for
users with disabilities
College of Management:
- Management, Management Information: Models for manufacturing,
deployment and operation; subsidies to compensate positive
externalities
- Accounting, Finance, Marketing: Target markets and price structure;
system expansion and coverage; public/private financing models
Other Campus Groups:
- Nanotechnology/Nanomanufacturing: Application for improved solar
cells, permanent magnets and strong, lightweight composites for
vehicles
- Building and Grounds Routing; placement and installation of
in-building portals; detailed implementation plans; maintenance
- Administration Project coordination; prioritizing research and
routing, safety
- Student Life Student input on route and portal placement; system
evaluation and suggestions; grad student and student intern
participation
- Spin-off companies:
- Konarka for solar cells -- big opportunity & publicity for them;
natural fit because they target large areas (e.g. a factory roof).
- Other Universities:
- University of California at Irvine is now setting up a group to
study various aspects of SkyTran.
- University of Montana has a US Department of Transportation
grant to investigate technical aspects of SkyTran.
- (others in discussions)
Overall: As a shared interdisciplinary project with major social
impact, SkyTran will unify the University in many ways --
research direction, a vision for improving the world, even physical
connectivity -- as no other project is likely to.
Funding Sources:
- UMass Capital Improvement plan. According to the Lowell Sun
09/06/2007 http://www.lowellsun.com/local/ci_6817232
"The capital plan includes $295 million in state money for renovations
and new construction at the
Lowell campus over the next five years as part of a $2.9 billion
capital plan for the entire UMass system. "
Note the budget includes $23M for ONE parking garage. This project
develops technology to end parking/traffic problems on ALL campuses,
and much more.
UML's strong technology capabilities put us in a great position to
initiate this project, but research and benefits will extend to all
campuses.
- Alumni giving: far more visible than just another building; a
project that will change the world
- Mass Technology Collaborative http://www.mtpc.org/#?
- Related research projects in each department are likely to get
priority funding in energy-conscious times
Critical issues:
- While inherently safer than cars, SkyTran is new. To deserve
parents' and the public's trust, we must put student safety first.
- Must show that the design is technically feasible and mature enough
to implement.
- Must show that the system can be built and run cost-effectively.
- Important to show eventual potential for ZERO greenhouse gas; ZERO
net grid usage transportation
Detailed Plans (TBA):
- Route and portal placement
- budget
- schedules
On 9/11/07, Howie Goodell <howie.goodell at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello again,
>
> Since I just caused 2 spams of the list unintentionally, let me do it
> once more with a very good cause.;-) Karthik, I'm not trying to
> defend American policy in the Middle East -- God knows it's been
> enough to inspire deep cynicism -- but I think doing something about
> our dependence on oil from that part of the world would do more to
> reduce the motivation for disasters like Iraq than anything else I can
> think of. Next Wednesday 9/19 U. Mass will host a genuine inventing
> wild man, Doug Malewicki (157-MPH "California Commuter" in the 1980's;
> Evel Knieval's canyon-jumping rocket cycle before Karthik was born
> probably; 40-foot "entertainment robot" Robosaurus that bites cars and
> planes in half at auto shows ....). His new proposed urban
> transportation system SkyTran is 200 MPG now and would solve the
> transport problem of cities amazingly well -- it could be
> solar-powered and zero-carbon; zero-grid dependence eventually. My
> wiki site hosted by the Community Software Lab explains details:
> http://www.skytran.org.
>
> Please take a look at my Google doc proposal "Skytran Campus Proposal":
> http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dc6nfm33_85f9hf8g&invite=c323bbp if you
> can, and send it to someone you know in one of the departments we
> named (the hook is that the whole University could do research with a
> prototype system). The SkyTran inventor Doug Malewicki will be here
> during the day on 9/19/; not sure exactly where or when (except that
> he needs to be down at MIT by 7 -- of course, they have their own
> version of this mentioning the Media Lab, CSAIL, Sloan etc.). My
> adviser Georges Grinstein in CS will send it to Chancellor Meehan --
> this just could happen!
>
> I also did a straw-man campus loop using Google Maps' route editing
> feature: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&saddr=1+university+ave.+01854&daddr=71+Wilder+Street,+01854&sll=42.457765,-71.55687&sspn=0.719355,1.141205&ie=UTF8&z=16&om=1
> It should show an aerial photo view of a route between Olsen, South
> Campus, and East (Wannelancit and Fox). You can probably edit it
> yourself if you have different ideas. Doug, being an inventor, shot
> right back with a 2-page description of how to go right over the river
> ("it's not #$% 80,000-pound semi trailers, but a stream of 700-pound
> vehicles..." -- I'll send it to you if you like.
>
> What do you think? U. Mass Lowell could be the transportation
> trend-setter of the world! Add UML spin-off Konarka's solar cells
> above the tracks, and we'd be on the way to zero-zero (no carbon
> emissions; no net energy input) transportation at 100 MPH (in a
> fully-built system with lots of track that's not frequently used --
> right now they figure they could do it if the vehicles only went 30
> MPH.)
>
> Take care!
> Howie Goodell
>
>
> On 9/9/07, Karthik Ramanathan <kramanat at cs.uml.edu> wrote:
> > Hi Howie,
> >
> > I'm in boston area and would be glad to talk more in private (don't know
> > if you realised that you posted to the whole GLPJ list).
> >
> > But just to clarify: I do not subscribe to your view that its dependence
> > on middle-eastern oil that drives US policies in the middle-east.
> > US only secures about 10% of its oil from the middle-east with the
> > rest 90% coming from atlantic basin/latin america etc.
> >
> > It's control over the region and prevention of independence in the third
> > world, and emergence of an alternative power that's the key element of US
> > foreign policy - and that policy would continue even if there was 100%
> > reliance on renewable sources of energy in the US.
> >
> > Would love to hear more on your end in private.
> > Best wishes,
> > Karthik
> >
> > On Sat, 8 Sep 2007, Howie Goodell wrote:
> >
> > > Karthik,
> > >
> > > Where are you now, and what's going on?
> > >
> > > I'm back in the US and working in Cambridge. It occurs to me that I
> > > should invite your mentor to an event Wed 9/19 at MIT -- it's not
> > > political, but it would do huge political good by potentially ending
> > > our dependence on Middle Eastern oil that is the source of so much
> > > evil in our foreign policy. It's a 200 MPG public transportation
> > > system based on a new kind of magnetic levitation (actually, I'm
> > > proposing that the goal should be to make it zero:zero; all solar etc.
> > > renewable energy) -- the inventor will be there proposing a test track
> > > and prototype loop on campus, then to Harvard, then all over
> > > Boston.... I'll send you an invite soon -- I also think I can get him
> > > to UML. Huge potential for dense cities like India and China have,
> > > but it would even work in the US: $10M a mile initially, falling to
> > > $2M in mass production; probably considerably cheaper once the Chinese
> > > get done with it.
> > >
> > > Howie
> > >
> > > On 9/8/07, Karthik Ramanathan <kramanat at cs.uml.edu> wrote:
> > >> Dear members of GLPJ,
> > >>
> > >> The recent Indian-US nuclear agreement basically frees domestic Uranium
> > >> supplies in India for manufacturing nuclear weapons - increasing the
> > >> production of these many-fold.
> > >>
> > >> This is a clear move - for a almost certain - toward nuclear holocaust in
> > >> the region, given the relations between India and Pakistan, India-China.
> > >> The immediate consequence would be a arms race among the three.
> > >>
> > >> All this while the Bush administration, Congress and the US ruling classes
> > >> cry foul over a non-existent Iranian weapons programme.
> > >>
> > >> With the nuclear deal, also comes a defence agreement which seeks to
> > >> outsource US war operations to India. Apart from the massive
> > >> opposition in India, this is nothing but an attempt to undercut opposition
> > >> to the War mongering in the US - among people who detest and protest the
> > >> war crimes like yourselves at GLPJ.
> > >>
> > >> Please read and consider signing this petition:
> > >>
> > >> www.petitionspot.com/petitions/protestindousalliance
> > >>
> > >> Sicnerely,
> > >> Karthik R
> > >> (old member of GLPJ :) )
> > >>
> > >> _______________________________________________
> > >> Glpj mailing list
> > >> Glpj at lists.greaterlowellpeace.org
> > >> http://lists.greaterlowellpeace.org/listinfo.cgi/glpj-greaterlowellpeace.org
> > >>
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Dr. Howard Goodell http://www.lri.fr/~goodell howie.goodell at gmail.com
> > > Sr. Scientist, InforSense LLC
> > > 155 2nd St., Cambridge, MA 02141 USA
> > > +1 617 547 2500 x243
> > > --
> > > Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff
> > > life is made of.
> > > Ben Franklin 'Poor Richard's Almanack' June 1746
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Glpj mailing list
> > > Glpj at lists.greaterlowellpeace.org
> > > http://lists.greaterlowellpeace.org/listinfo.cgi/glpj-greaterlowellpeace.org
> > >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Glpj mailing list
> > Glpj at lists.greaterlowellpeace.org
> > http://lists.greaterlowellpeace.org/listinfo.cgi/glpj-greaterlowellpeace.org
> >
>
>
> --
> Dr. Howard Goodell http://www.lri.fr/~goodell howie.goodell at gmail.com
> Sr. Scientist, InforSense LLC
> 155 2nd St., Cambridge, MA 02141 USA
> +1 617 547 2500 x243
> --
> Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff
> life is made of.
> Ben Franklin 'Poor Richard's Almanack' June 1746
>
--
Dr. Howard Goodell http://www.lri.fr/~goodell howie.goodell at gmail.com
Sr. Scientist, InforSense LLC
155 2nd St., Cambridge, MA 02141 USA
+1 617 547 2500 x243
--
Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff
life is made of.
Ben Franklin 'Poor Richard's Almanack' June 1746
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