Varoujan “Pops” Karentz ( AKA Aristotle Onassis)

IN OUR APRIL 3, 2015 VERO COMMUNIQUE WE WROTE AN ARTICLE ABOUT VAROUJAN ‘POPS’ KARENTZ, AKA ARISTOTLE ONASSIS, who has had an extraordinary maritime career.

http://atomic-temporary-93487818.wpcomstaging.com/2015/04/03/aristotle-onassis/

Mr. Karentz has written several books, including one book on US Life Saving Service, a predecessor to the US Coast Guard. This story has never been told. In the late 1800’s when ships were basically shipping commerce and there were no lighthouses, lifesavers were stationed every seven miles down the East Coast. There were a total of 280 along the East Coast. If a ship was in danger or there was a shipwreck, the ship would light a lantern. At that point the lifesavers would row out to the ship(s) or shoot out a line to the ship for passengers to slide to safety. In 1926 the US Coast Guard took over their operations.

In response to last week’s article by Corry Westbrook on how “We Need to Develop a Robust Offshore Wind Industry in America and Florida,” Mr. Onassis quickly emailed us the following:

“Hey……. Wake up down there.

The nations first wind farm is being installed NOW ……. up here in Rhode Island waters and not in Massachusetts.”

See attached photo of two of the footings passing by my house this past week being towed to the site off Block Island and read: http://dwwind.com/press/#/1

It will be cranking out megawatts soon.

Aristotle Onassis”

Corry responded as follows:

“In hindsight I would have included the Rhode Island project. I considered adding what happened with the lease sale in Virginia as well but the article was pretty long already. I tried to stay focused on what Floridians asked me about wind energy – will it hurt wildlife, will it be expensive, will it block my view, what happened in Massachusetts, why is Europe so much more advanced, etc. I would like to write a follow-up article when the fist US non-experimental turbine spins! Plus maybe go into detail about how it all works. Knowledge of the details might make Floridians more comfortable with wind energy – and willing to fight for access to it.”

Then we received this email from Wyatt Garfield, Jr., who lives on Cuttyhunk Island, in Buzzard’s Bay, Massachusetts:

“Looks like, unfortunately, cape wind is dead; the kw #’s in the article are compelling, it will happen but oil is below 50. bucks again.

Another email followed to the effect that: “wind and solar are both intermittent; so you really have to have both together but the problem with both is storage and they haven’t developed sufficient batteries to do so. So we will still have to have fossil fuels in the equation.”

Corry responded as follows:

“Yes, obviously.  We need sun for 50% (day time) and wind at 16% in Florida.
For some reason people discount it because there is no storage yet but ANY reduction, and a 66% reduction in carbon emissions in Florida is HUGE. Not to mention all the other environmental and public health benefits. And by the time the infrastructure is in place – we will have storage.”

Then this email:

“How about Corry writing an article about turbines using the Gulf Stream to generate electricity?”

Corry’s Response:

“Unfortunately I do not know enough about ocean currents to write about it. Having expertise on something makes it easy to determine credible sources.”