Solar makes a lot of sense, even as a Mexico-US border wall

By Jarrett Leinweber

Mexico News Daily | Saturday, February 4, 2017

Mexicans are reminded on a daily basis of the recent 20% hike in the price of fuel at the pumps. The so-called gasolinazo – as the gasoline price hike is known – resulted in blockaded highways and looting and forced service stations to close across Mexico in a wave of angry protest.

However, what few people noticed was that in 2016 the price of electricity increased even more dramatically.

Electricity is expensive in Mexico. On average electricity prices are 25% higher than in the United States and Canada for commercial and non-subsidized residential users.

In 2016, the cost of electricity for businesses increased substantially, between 22 and 35%. Similarly, the residential rate for high-consumption users increased by 22%. If you have ever received a monthly power bill for many thousands of pesos you will know what Tarifa DAC is. It stands for Doméstica de Alto Consumo, or high domestic consumption.

Mexico employs a progressive rate structure for residential power consumption to encourage energy conservation and penalize high consumption. The more power you consume, the more you are charged. Residential rates are broken down into three categories: subsidio, excedente and DAC.

DAC must be avoided at all costs. It is the most expensive utility rate in Mexico and remains one of the highest utility rates in all of North America. Last month, the DAC rate reached 5 pesos per kilowatt hour (kWh), or about US $0.25 per kWh, when IVA (the 16% sales tax) and the fixed monthly fee are included.

Over the past decade, DAC and electrical rates for commercial and industrial users have increased steadily and are anticipated to keep going up.

Renewable energy has reached a tipping point globally and is now the same price or cheaper than fossil-fuel generated electricity in more than 30 countries according to the World Economic Forum. This is known as reaching “grid parity.” Consequently, global investment in renewable energy is growing rapidly.

Mexico is one of the sunniest countries in the world. The overall cost to install a solar system in Mexico is about 35% less compared to the U.S. and Canada. This, combined with rising power prices, makes generating and consuming clean, solar energy less expensive than purchasing it from the grid.

2016 was a ground-breaking year for Mexico’s renewable energy sector. Last year the country held its first-ever private power auctions after the government ended a decades-long state electricity monopoly in 2013. Mexico awarded long-term power contracts to private developers, who will develop 4,731 MW of new renewable energy capacity (60% solar, 40% wind) that is expected to generate US$6.1 billion of investment.

For homeowners and small businesses, Mexico’s net metering laws allow you to generate your own electricity for self-consumption and accumulate credits to reduce or offset 100% the amount of electricity purchased from the grid. Therefore, the electricity produced by your solar system can be valued at the high retail price of power.

In January, Mexico’s energy secretariat announced measures to reduce red tape for small-scale solar installations with the goal of increasing distributed generation. This makes investing in solar energy a no-brainier. It is a high-return investment that provides decades of savings, not to mention the important environmental and social benefits.

In related news, it was recently suggested that the wall U.S. President Donald Trump wishes to build should instead be a “border wall of solar panels” built by Mexico. That way “Mexico and the U.S. would be connected by a truly beautiful wall, a symbol of progress and unity, visible even from space.”

Since construction and maintenance costs for solar plants in Mexico are substantially lower, building a wall of solar panels on the Mexican side of the border could power cities on both sides faster and more cheaply than similar arrays built north of the border.

This would create jobs for Mexicans and benefit both countries by alleviating a range of binational problems, including border security and climate change, something I think we can all agree on.

Source: http://mexiconewsdaily.com/opinion/electricity-costs-are-up-will-continue-to-rise/

7 HEALTHY REASONS TO DRINK BEER

Think of all the reasons to enjoy a beer. There’s the obvious: after a hard day, it tastes like the liquid equivalent of a high-five.

And the less proven: it functions as a performance enhancing drug for previously untested dance moves.

But those aren’t the only justifications to knock back a cold one. Here are seven ways beer can keep you healthy.

1. Beer can help reduce your risk of heart disease 

According to Harvard University, more than 100 studies found an association between moderate drinking and a 25 to 40% reduced risk of heart attack or death from cardiovascular disease.

2. Beer can lower your risk of Type 2 diabetes

In a meta-analysis of 15 studies on moderate alcohol consumption and Type 2 Diabetes risk, the American Diabetes Association found a 30% reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes when people drank 6 to 48 grams per day compared to those that drank more or less.

It’s important to note that a standard 12-ounce beer contains about 14 grams of alcohol – so drink responsibly if you want these health benefits.

3. Beer can increase your bone density

Studies have found that beers – particularly darker, hoppier ales – have a high amount of silicon, which contributes to bone and connective-tissue health.

The Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture reports that this suggests a moderate intake helps fight osteoporosis.

4. Beer can prevent dementia

Drinking in moderation can actually help you stay at the top of your mental game.

Researchers at Lanzhou University recently found that a compound found in beer hops, xanthohumol, can guard against oxidative stress and might fight the onset of dementia or cognitive decline.

5. Beer can reduce your cholesterol 

A study recently found that moderate beer consumption can increase HDL, or healthy cholesterol.

The American Heart Association recommends you don’t get carried away, though, and recommends no more than one to two drinks a day for men.

6. Beer can prevent kidney stones 

A toast to never finding out how miserable it feels to pass a kidney stone!

One study found that beer intake has an inverse relationship with this painful ailment, with each bottle consumed per day estimated to reduce your risk for it by 40%.

7. Beer might be able to fight cancer

Researchers in Germany discovered that the xanthohumol in beer hops – the same stuff that helps prevent dementia – can block excessive testosterone and thus reduce the chance of prostate cancer in men.

They’re further studying xanthohumol for potential use as a cancer-fighting drug, but in the meantime you can get your dose from a nice IPA.

Source: http://www.menshealth.co.uk/food-nutrition/7-healthy-reasons-to-drink-beer

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small white onion, minced

2 tomatoes, chopped*

1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined, chopped

1 cup canned tomato puree

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

8 corn tortillas

1/2 cup shredded Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese

Lime wedges, for serving

Hot sauce, for serving (recommended: Tapatio)

Directions

In a large heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bell pepper and cook for 3 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree, oregano, bay leaf, and smoked paprika. Cook for another 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside. Remove the bay leaf and discard.

Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Lay 2 tortillas, flat on the bottom of the pan, side by side. Put a small mound of cheese on 1 side of each tortilla. Wait until the cheese melts slightly, about 1 minute, and then add about 2 tablespoons of the shrimp mixture to each tortilla. Fold the tortillas over into half-moon shapes and cook to melt the cheese completely, another 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a platter and keep warm.

Repeat with the remaining tortillas, cheese, and shrimp mixture. Arrange the tacos on a serving platter and serve with lime wedges and hot sauce on the side.

*Cook’s Note: Use only the outer part of the tomatoes without seeds.

Recipe courtesy of Marcela Valladolid

Source: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/marcela-valladolid/classic-shrimp-gobernador-tacos-recipe.html

My neighbor wants to know…

Rip Current

I saw my neighbor  he was a bit concern because his nephews  are coming to visit and he was not sure the beach is safe , I say yea just advice them about he rip current , he had no idea so I explain what its , better be safe than sorry …

A rip current, often referred to simply as a rip, or by the misnomer rip tide, is a specific kind of water current which can occur near beaches with breaking waves. A rip is a strong, localized, and narrow current of water which moves directly away from the shore, cutting through the lines of breaking waves like a river running out to sea, and is strongest near the surface of the water.

Rip currents can be hazardous to people in the water. Swimmers who are caught in a rip and who do not understand what is going on, and who may not have the necessary water skills, may panic, or exhaust themselves by trying to swim directly against the flow of water. Because of these factors, rips are the leading cause of rescues by lifeguards at beaches, and in the US rips are the cause of an average of 46 deaths by drowning per year.

A rip current is not the same thing as undertow, although some people use the latter term incorrectly when they mean a rip current. Contrary to popular belief, neither rip nor undertow can pull a person down and hold them under the water. A rip simply carries floating objects, including people, out beyond the zone of the breaking waves.