Andre Hut comments

Hydrogen has "similar" range to electric vehicles, with energy density being the issue. However, electric vehicles already have a marvelous distribution system, the electricity grid. What hydrogen lacks is a distribution system. Fueling hydrogen is also potentially dangerous. Elon Musk is right, hydrogen powered cars are dumb. What "sourpuss" doesn't know is that oil production hides a dirty little secret, and that is the incredible amount of electricity it takes to refine oil. The carbon-footprint of a coal-powered electric vehicle is much, much less than that of a gasoline or diesel powered car. And, gasoline or diesel cars can never use any other power source. Electric vehicles can since the cars themselves only depend on electricity. If you take down that coal power plant and replace it with a wind-farm or solar array, it automatically becomes cleaner. Finally, the EV detractors always love to point out the "environmentally unfriendly" batteries. It's a myth.

This vehicle would compete with the Chevy Volt, another hybrid with relatively low EV range. Toyota should take the plunge and produce an all-electric EV with a range to compete against Tesla. Or, produce a no-frills economy model that could dominate the market.

"not thumbs up or down but this is pretty futile. also sometimes doubt the motivations of some of the Sea Shepherd folks." -- Not at all. The Sea Shepherds have cost the lives of many Japanese dinner tables. The Japanese whaling program flies in the face of the highest court in the world. What the Sea Shepherds do is perfectly justified. And to date, no Japanese fisherman, or Japanese ship have been harmed. The Japanese ships on the other hand, do attempt to harm Sea Shepherd volunteers with stun grenades, sharp objects and LRAD sonar devices. They even attempted to take down a Sea Shepherd helicopter with the LRAD. The Ady Gil was sunk on purpose by a Japanese ship, resulting in no consequences for the captain of the Japanese ship who attempted murder on the high seas. In the meantime, tons and tons of whale meat sit in freezers in Japan, uneaten, unwanted.

This should be settled peacefully, without the use of patrols and warships. Its just a huge pissing match. If these islands were important, then people would be living on them already. They are not important, and certainly not important enough to start a war. If China and Japan cannot settle this issue among themselves, then let the UN decide.

God bless the Sea Shepherds, and may they prevent Japan from taking any whales. Hopefully, the whaling fleet will be met this time by the Australian Navy and taken into custody.

So Japan now defies the highest court in the world. Australia and any country willing to assist her can now legally and without any hesitation defend her own waters and the Southern Whale Sanctuary with her navy. These illegal whaling ships need to be stopped, the crew arrested and all taken into Australian custody. End of whaling, period.

As a supporter of Sea Shepherd, I find the injunction disturbing because SS USA was not involved. The action in question was performed by SS Australia, by ships flagged in Australia and The Netherlands, manned by people from every nation except the US, in Australian waters. The US court thinks it has jurisdiction over the seas of the world and all the ships who sail on it. Another fine example of American imperialism. I will be sending SS more money to help recoup this minor loss. As long as Japan sends illegal whaling ships to the Southern Ocean and the whale sanctuary, SS will be there to do whatever is required short of hurting any person, to stop whaling. I am proud to call Paul Watson my friend.

Once again, the US thinks it owns the world by enforcing decisions on a foreign corporation, run by foreign people in foreign seas. The US arm of the SS organization was not involved, nor was Paul Watson who had officially resigned from SS.

I wish people would stop calling it the "Islamic State". This group of thugs has nothing to do with Islam or its religion of non-violence. No "state" takes hostages, demands payment and then beheads them when they don't get paid. These actions are simply criminal. I hate to say this, but its time to put boots on the ground and end this madness.

The ransom should never be paid, even if it means that the two hostages are killed. Once ransom is paid, it only encourages more acts of hostage taking. If the ransom is not paid, and the hostages killed, then IS looks evil, as it is, and the world agrees. Its less likely that hostages again would be taken knowing that no good for IS will result.

Japan should not mount a military strike on IS. This would only infuriate an already insane organization and encourage them to attack Japan and Japanese allies. The correct response is to aid those countries actively engaged against the regime.

Facts: The world court found Japan in violation of the IWC ban on commercial whaling. The "science" is worthless, and just a cover for putting whale meat on the tables in a country where few people actually eat whale meat. SS is not a "terrorist" organization. They have never hurt or killed anyone. Its the whalers who are eco-terrorists, bringing weapons of death to animals that live in a sanctuary. The court is wrong in this case. The US SS organization was not involved. Bring the suit to Australia and have the trial there in the appropriate court.

What a hopeless, hopeless argument. Cut the "whale" quota to just about what you were catching anyway for the dinner plates. There is no scientific purpose for killing the whales. We know what they eat. You don't need to kill them to count them. You can track their migration by using radios, and not killing them. Do the Japanese officials think that the rest of the world is stone stupid? We know why whaling continues. Its nothing less than political. If you want whale meat, go look in the freezers where hundreds of tons of it are stored. :P

Japan keeps poking itself in the eye with this. Stop already. It hurts. Gone are the days of large commercial whaling. Give it a rest. Get yourself a Big Mac and sushi.

Just what we need, World War III over some uninhabited islands. Japan, China need to grow up and figure out a way to co-manage and share whatever resources are available. Its one world people, don't screw it up.

Japan just wants to "research" whaling with no clear scientific purpose, waste Japanese money, dishonor the entire country, strain relations with allies, all to save face. Stop the whaling whining and join the 21st century. While you are at it Japan, stop killing dolphins. Please.

So, if its not a cat, why call it "Kitty"?

I hope they realize that the term "non-lethal" means that they don't kill them.

Japan should send ships with tourists to spot whales. They would make a lot more money that way than killing them. :)

The key word in the article is the word "scheme". Give it up already. No one wants your whale meat. There is no "science" to this mad killing. Its unprofitable, and the Sea Shepherd organization will never, ever give up. Take this time as an opportunity to get out with a straight face.

Its important to understand that Sea Shepherd Australia is active in the Australian Whale Sanctuary, not Sea Shepherd USA. Sea Shepherd USA is under a US injunction and cannot participate. Specifically, Captain Paul Watson is not involved this year, being a US citizen and mentioned in the injunction. They have the same goals, but are legally separate non-profit corporations.

Sending another check off to Sea Shepherd Australia today!

Millions of dollars worth of Japanese Yens wasted. Oh yeah, next there is a crisis in Japan, like the tsunami, you aren't going to get the help you did before because money for that was criminally used on illegal whaling.

God speed to the Sea Shepherds, may the whaling fleet see thousands of miles of empty ocean, except for the SS ship on their stern.

I shall not be donating any money, the next time something big comes up. I cannot be sure it will be spent on victims.

I guess they needed longer extension cords. :)

The solution to quieter highways is to incorporate used tires into the asphalt. This is done in Arizona. The old tires are cut up into tiny bits and mixed with the asphalt. The rubberized asphalt is very quiet, offers better traction and lasts twice as long as conventional asphalt. Its a great solution to the problem of reusing old tires as well.

The Japanese are operating in Australian Territorial Waters, in a whale sanctuary established by Australia, in defiance of a court order from the Australian Federal Court. Does that sound "legal" to you?

Mass industrialized whaling was something started in 1945 by General MacArthur. Its not cultural at all.

The Japanese took money intended for tsunami victims, and used it for supporting their whaling fleet. Do you think people are going to donate and help, the next time there is a disaster in Japan?

The meat they take, loaded with Mercury, ends up in freezers by the ton, because very few Japanese even like it, then they use it to feed school children.

Now they want to tax the Japanese people even more to help keep this nonsense going. Does this sound smart to you? Really?

Outta here: People are often quick to point out that some record temperature is caused by global warming (hot), or point out some record cold temperature as proof of its non-existence. Local events may be influenced by global warming, or not. Global warming, or climate change as it is now called effects the average worldwide temperature, and that is rising. What is predicted as a result is that local climates may see more radical temperatures, hot or cold. Some areas may see records broken more often. It predicts that weather will become more intense. We have seen examples of this all over the world, ie. hurricanes Irene and Sandy, both 100-year storms coming a year apart. Don't be too quick to dismiss global warming, its a scientific fact. If you choose not to believe in it, that doesn't make it go away.

OssanAmerica: Thanks to your comments, I will be writing an even BIGGER check off to the Sea Shepherds today!

Writing another fat check to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society today! Thank god there are people like Captain Paul Watson in the world.

This message just in from the future: OBAMA WINS!!!