Here are this week's topics: a futuristic "walk;" CO's economy; an astronomer extraordinaire; looking far-far-far out; one city's economic livelihood. 

An electrifying walk. I had seen an earlier reference to France's solar road in Tourouvre, (northwestern France). The roadway was scheduled to be dedicated last Thursday. Who knows what the future holds. Link here. Look closely at the picture, though, and you have to wonder why the workers are wearing respirators!

CO and the new economy. Even though things in the Mile High state are not so very dark, there is good and bad news: growth, development, and earnings. Though, like other areas/states, not everyone is prospering. Continuing education is increasingly important.

Working for $2.35/hour. In this story, Nic Smith relates what it is like to work in a fast food restaurant for low wages, relying on tips to scrape by. His town is 98% white, but he says that when he joined the "Fight for $15" movement, he discovered other allies. "White, black, brown —we’re all in this together — fighting for a better life for our families."

Carl Sagan. Science writer Joel Achenbach wrote  an op-ed rememering one of America's most well known astronomers, who passed away December 20, 1996. In an era when science denial is an oft mentioned topic, Sagan's ability to explain complex idea/phenomena to the average reader is much missed. Amen.

He had many strong beliefs, none greater than his conviction that science was a candle in the dark. There’s a lot of darkness these days — science denialism [sic] in its various forms. It’s certainly not a novel development, but it’s a bigger problem than ever given the scale of our scientific and technological challenges...The list of scientifically mediated, politically divisive issues is a long one, and Sagan would have been a busy man these last 20 years...The world still needs people who can explain stuff — and so it misses Carl Sagan.

Truly, Far Out stuff. This story appeared several times last week: a dispute between native Hawai‘ians and the astronomical community over the installation of yet another telescope atop 13,803 Mauna (Mona) Kea. Not only is Mona Kea the highest point in the state, it is above 40% of the earth's atmosphere and thought to be the perfect place for a new mammoth thirty meter telescope (TMT) which will "look" further than ever before "back" in time.  The summit site, Maunakea, now has thirteen independent observatories.
    Enough is enough, though, say native activists. This linked article, from no less than Scientific American, notes that other of earth's high points are similarly in the news: Mount Graham and Kitt Peak (both in AZ) and Cerro Paranal (in Chile's Atacama desert) are only three examples. The authors note....

The very qualities that make many sites valuable to science—remote locations far from city lights, summits soaring above a good chunk of the atmosphere and clear views that sweep from horizon to horizon—often also draw native worshipers who value mountains as spiritual homes of the gods as well as environmentalists aiming to protect the vulnerable ecosystems of pristine regions.

Truly explosive economic news. The fireworks market in San Pablito, Mexico, was totally destroyed by the most recent explosion. Even though this is the third time the market has exploded in flames, residents want it rebuilt. Why? To paraphrase and emphasize a recent tagline, "It [the fireworks industry] is the [town's] economy, stupid."
     “This was an accident, like many others, an oversight,” said Señior Cervantes, a 44-year veteran of the industry who fled to safety..." That is to say, bad stuff just happens.

During the high season [in San Pablito], which runs from August to the end of the year, vendors at San Pablito will sell close to 100 tons of fireworks. During those five months they can earn up to 150,000 pesos, or nearly $8,000, the equivalent of a full year’s salary for a college-educated employee and more than 17 times the minimum wage.
 
Indeed, "bad stuff' is something to ponder as America's aging infrastructure continues to deteriorate and available local revenue dries up. Does Flint, Michigan, and mercury-poisoned drinking water ring a bell?

Thank you for reading. A Happy New Year to one and all.