MUENCHHAUSEN, JAN. 24, 2015

MUENCHHAUSEN 

AN ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER ABOUT  

ENVIRONMENT, ENERGY, RENEWABLE
RESOURCE TECHNOLOGY,
AND RELATED TOPICS
By BOOTSTRAP PRESS, INC.
BETHESDA, MD 20817
JJGREENBARON(at)VERIZON.NET
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January 24, 2015
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WELCOME!

The Green Baron (TGB) welcomes one and all who take the time to read Muenchhausen. He aims to "tell it like it is" as much as possible, and avoid advocacy and ideological positions. There are enough of those to go around in other publications. The Green Baron also welcomes comments from anyone who may read Muenchhausen. Please send comments to the e-mail address above.


GAS TAX INCREASE?
"Over the past few weeks, lawmakers from both parties have voiced support for an increase in the gas tax, presently assessed at the pump and used to pay for road and other infrastructure improvements. Their reasoning is that with gas prices so low at the pump, now is a good time to collect more money to pay for these needed infrastructure improvements. The reality is that the gas tax pays for only about 70% of scheduled infrastructure projects, so eventually a funding source to cover this gap will have to be found. However, this source will not be an increase in the gas tax. More lawmakers are adamantly opposed to this idea, including leading committee chairmen and those in leadership positions. We may hear more talk about a potential increase in the gas tax as prices at the pump stay low, but we think this is just that - talk" (1). This is the view of economic/political experts at the Washington, DC offices of the Union Bank of Switzerland. TGB thinks, however, that there will be strong pressure to raise the federal gasoline tax because the low gas prices make this move look like harvesting low-hanging fruit. TGB asks pardon for his apparent cynicism, but he has to call things as he sees them.
 
Low-hanging fruit? (2)


KEYSTONE XL: MORE ACTIVITY
It is almost certain that Congress, as it is currently constituted, will pass a bill authorizing the completion of the much-discussed Keystone XL Pipeline, whose function it would be to transport crude oil from Canada and even parts of the northern United States to Gulf Coast area refineries for processing (and possible export of some of it?). As things stand today, a Presidential veto is almost certain, and the votes in both houses of Congress to override this veto are lacking. Some UBS energy analysts indicate that Senate passage could be complete by perhaps January 31 (1). TGB's belief, and please excuse the use of a hackneyed old expression, "Close, but no cigar."

MEDICINE FROM THE "DIRT"
There of some reports that new types of antibiotics may be obtained from the soil--"dirt", if you wish--that have the ability to kill methycillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and TB bacteria. TGB plans to go into this in near-future postings of Muenchhausen. The lead researcher is Kim Lewis of Northeastern University. The aim, already with preliminary success, is to develop novel antibiotics that can overcome drug resistance in bacteria and do so for perhaps several decades (3). Lewis is the director of Northeastern's Antimicrobial Discovery Center (4). TGB wishes the greatest success for his efforts!


Kim Lewis. Could revolutionize drug discovery.

REFERENCES:
1. www.ubs.com/fs.
2. Powell, A. "Hopes rise as gas prices lower." The Inkwell, Jan. 22, 2015. http://theinkwellonline.com/2015/01/22/hopes-rise-as-gas-prices-lower/
3. Feltman, R. "Playing in the dirt yields an antibiotic". Washington Post, Jan. 8, 2015, p. A1.
4. Northeastern University.  http://www.northeastern.edu/news/faculty-experts/kim-lewis/