Drop me a text and let me know what you think of this episode!
The automotive industry has always been a battleground where dreams and capital collide - something startup EV manufacturer Bollinger Motors discovered firsthand. Beginning with prototype models B1 and B2, Bollinger's journey from ambitious newcomer to acquisition target illustrates the fundamental truth about automotive manufacturing: you need billions, not millions, and decades of commitment to make a meaningful impact.
After being acquired by Mullen Automotive, Bollinger's story took an unexpected turn. While most startups quickly burn through capital and disappear, Mullen boasts an extraordinary financial cushion - a mysterious benefactor investing $1.5 million weekly, allowing them to wait out current market challenges like Chinese tariff complications. This level of backing represents a rare exception in an industry that routinely crushes underfunded newcomers.
The Lexus TX SUV review reveals a vehicle that brilliantly solves the persistent three-row SUV dilemma - providing genuine cargo space (over 20 cubic feet) behind the third row when all seats are in use. No more choosing between passengers or luggage! Yet despite this impressive achievement, the TX surprisingly lacks the luxury touches and refinement expected from the Lexus brand, raising questions about whether it sufficiently distinguishes itself from its Toyota platform-mate.
Climate change brings increasing urgency to understanding wet bulb temperature - a crucial measurement combining heat, humidity, sun exposure, and wind factors. Unlike the heat index, which measures perceived temperature in shade, wet bulb temperature accurately reflects how heat affects the body during outdoor activities. Once it exceeds 90 degrees, safety guidelines recommend limiting outdoor work to just 15 minutes per hour - critical knowledge as we experience an additional 41 days of dangerous heat annually due to climate change.
The interconnected nature of our technological and ecological challenges becomes clear when considering the crisis facing both domestic honeybees and native wild bees. As pollinators of 80% of flowering plants worldwide, their decline threatens our food security and biodiversity. How are you adapting to these converging challenges of mobility, climate, and environmental sustainability? Join us on The TechMobility Podcast as we ponder these and many other questions!
Be sure to tell your friends to tune in to The TechMobility Podcast!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to the TechMobility Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
I'm Ken Chester On the docket my impressions and
review of the all-new Lexus TXSUV.
What is wet bulb temperatureand domestic bees in crisis?
From the Tech Mobility NewsDesk.
This is kind of a throwback anda sort of a way and an update
(00:33):
at the same time.
We started this program back inabout 2017.
One of the first companies thatwe talked about developing
electric vehicles, a newelectric startup, was called
Bollinger Motors.
Bollinger Motors was started bya fellow who had sold a
cosmetics company to a largercompany, had capital and decided
(00:57):
on his farm in upstate New Yorkthat he had a vision for an SUV
, an electric SUV.
That vision would become therunning prototype known as the
B1.
While he was at it, he thoughtyou know, we could also make
this work for a pickup truck,and that became the B2.
(01:20):
He worked on those projects,ended up moving the company to
the greater Detroit, becausethat's where the engineers are,
that's where everything is Kept,developing, kept developing.
In the end, he decided toexpand to what we would call
(01:40):
medium duty trucks, what wewould call medium-duty trucks,
and that would become the B4,which is a basically electric
truck and chassis what they callmedium-duty or a class 4, class
5, class 6 truck that anybusiness could put some sort of
upfit equipment, box, dump truck, whatever on the back of it.
(02:07):
Like most companies, capital isalways an issue and in the case
of Bollinger, he ended upselling the company to a guy by
the name of David Mickery ofMullen Automotive.
And Mullen is developing theirown electric vehicles and was
bringing money to pass.
And that kind of brings uswhere we are right now.
(02:35):
Long story short, you can neverget two founders in the same
room because when one foundersells his baby to another, they
never can really totally let go.
And usually what happens whenyou have a merger like that or a
buyout, the fella gettingbought or getting merged usually
stays on in a capacity you knowto help the transition.
They say Well, in this case MrBollinger decided to sue Mr the
(03:00):
CEO of Mullen Automotive for avariety of things.
Long story short, they settledit.
Bollinger's out, mickery nowruns both companies and is
trying to make a go of it.
I've told you many, many, many,many times and I'm going to say
it again on my broken record theautomotive industry, regardless
(03:23):
of where you are in it, isextremely capital intensive.
It needs millions on the smallside billions.
If you're a player and you'relooking at 15, 20 years minimum,
if you're going to make a dentand if you can't play with the
big boys, you will not survive.
And the industry is litteredwith a lot of people who tried
(03:43):
and failed and we've coveredsome of those companies here.
In the case of MullenAutomotive, right about the time
they were getting their acttogether, tariffs happened.
And why does that matter forMullen?
That even though they havecontracted for the B4 with a
local American contractmanufacturer, established one.
(04:05):
Most of the parts that go intothem guess where they come from?
They come from China.
So now he's in a world of hurt,kind of stop things as he waits
for it to settle.
But Mr Mickery believes thatthis stuff will get resolved and
that he will be uniquelypositioned as a commercial
(04:26):
manufacturer to capitalize onthe demand for electric
medium-duty trucks.
And in the midst of all of this, even though the B1 and the B2
had been put on hold for a while, he said in a recent Automotive
News article he still believesin both of them and someday they
(04:46):
will be built.
Yeah, we've heard a lot of that.
Right now I'm still mourningthe loss of the Nikola Badger,
which would have been a heck ofa pickup truck.
It was going to be built byWorkhorse and all that in GM's
old Lordstown Ohio plant.
(05:07):
Well, all of that fell apartand in the end, nikola got sold
and all their promises for theirbig trucks.
Tesla's holding on to their semitruck there's a few out there,
but not at the scale andcompanies are still waiting for
them and they're over two yearslate, which is a miracle
(05:29):
considering what they wanted fora deposit on each one and the
fact that companies run cycles.
They run replacement cycles,vehicle replacement cycles.
So if they were planning totake these semis in the
replacement cycle at a certainpoint in time and they can't get
them, that throws their wholeinvestment issue into the mix
(05:50):
With the money that they'vecommitted.
If I can't get this truck, it'snot like you can go down to the
nearest lot and buy a truck.
Most of these class eights,these heavy duty, these over the
road trucks, are spec specificto a client.
It takes months or years tobuild, to get an order.
You just don't go down to thefactory and go yo Mack or
(06:11):
Freightliner or Daimler or Volvo.
Hey, I need a Class A truckwith the following attributes.
So you got one sitting on thelot, don't you?
I can come down and pick it up.
No, no, don't work like that.
But coming back to MullenAutomotive, he is adamant that
(06:33):
this difficult market istemporary and his plan right now
is to wait him out.
Now, how can he do that in anindustry that eats up and spits
out folks financially?
Can he do that in an industrythat eats up and spits out folks
financially?
Because, according to thisstory, he has a very deep
pocketed benefactor that hedoesn't disclose.
But picture this, if you willthat benefactor, who believes in
(06:55):
his company, is investing $1.5million a week into the company.
Did you hear me?
I said a week.
That's what?
About six, seven milliondollars a month every month
(07:17):
while they wait this out.
That's the reason why he can dothis.
That's why he can be smug.
That's why he can wait.
He has his words.
An unnamed benefactor that cutsthat check every week, he can
cover payroll, he can continueto do development work and he
can literally sit on the 40Bollinger B4s that are built
that he's not selling yet.
(07:37):
Not everybody has.
That.
He's one of the lucky ones.
I mean, we talked about FaradayFuture and they were trying to
build a luxury car.
We talked about KarmaAutomotive.
They tried and failed twice.
We talked about Fisker, who atleast got their cars into
production but still ran out ofmoney, couldn't find an investor
(07:58):
.
They went belly up and if youhappen to see a Fisker Ocean
running around, know that it'san orphan and know if it has any
software glitches, you're kindof up a creek Because the
company that built it doesn'texist anymore.
So it's a big deal and this isnot new.
In case you're thinking well,this is just the EV industry.
You know, they ain't prepared,they ain't going to stay.
(08:20):
Look y'all when the autoindustry started over 100 years
ago.
This is how it was.
Companies started, boomed up,merged, went out of business,
created roads from the ashes ofother broken companies Came
together, pulled apart,reorganized, reconstituted.
It happened in automotive, ithappened in railroads.
It happens.
It's American business.
(08:41):
Will Mullen Automotive rise?
Is his gamble the right one?
Will we see Bollingers on theroad at volume?
Finally, the first company weever talked about?
I hope so.
Will the B1 and B2 ever beproduced?
We'll see.
It's not the number one andnumber two thing on his list
(09:02):
right now, but he says he'scommitted to those he believes
in them.
For his sake, I hope so.
I'd like to see him.
They were a novel idea, plainJane, very straightforward, but
that was the point.
But it should be interesting tosee if there's a space for them
.
It's the all-new Lexus TXLuxury SUV.
(09:22):
My impression and review arenext.
You are listening to the TechMobility Show.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
Are you tired of juggling multiple apps and
platforms for meetings, webinarsand staying connected?
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(09:52):
Social media is the main placeto be these days and we are no
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Speaker 2 (10:06):
I'm Ken Chester of the Tech Mobility Show.
If you enjoy my program, thenyou will also enjoy my weekly
Facebook videos, from my latestvehicle reviews to timely
commentary of a variety ofmobility and technology-related
topics.
These short features aredesigned to inform and delight
you Be sure to watch, like andfollow us on Facebook.
You can find us by typing theTech Mobility Show in the search
(10:28):
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Be sure to subscribe to ourFacebook page.
Social media is the place to bethese days, and we're no
exception.
I'm Ken Chester of the TechMobility Show.
If you enjoy my program, thenyou will also enjoy my weekly
Instagram videos, from thelatest vehicle reviews to timely
commentary on a variety ofmobility and technology related
(10:49):
topics.
These short features aredesigned to inform and delight.
You Be sure to watch, like andfollow us on Instagram.
You can find us by typing theTech Mobility Show in the search
bar.
For those of you that listen topodcasts, we have just the one
for you.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester.
Tech Mobility Topics is apodcast where I upload
(11:10):
topic-specific videos each week.
Shorter than a full show, thesebite-sized programs are just
the thing, particularly ifyou're interested in a
particular topic covered on theweekly radio show From Apple
Podcasts to iHeartRadio and manypodcast platforms in between.
We got you covered.
Just enter Tech Mobility.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
Topics in the search bar.
Wherever you listen to podcasts, the average driver spends a
mere 1% of the time in reverse.
Yet considering what's at stake, that's 1%.
We didn't want to ignore thebackup camera available in the
(12:02):
Lexus RX 330.
At your New York, New Jersey,Connecticut.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
Lexus dealer.
That is a 2005 commercial 20years ago about what everybody
has now a backup camera, whichwas novel back then.
And that TV commercial showedkids playing in a parking lot
and this one kid who happened tobe in the back of this car as
she was backing up, which is whyshe saw him and that was the
point they were making.
Children are precious and youwant to make sure you see them
(12:27):
so they never get hurt, and thatis why Lexus developed and
installed in their vehicles backthen the reverse-view camera,
which at that time most vehiclesdid not have one.
Not everybody does Thought youshould know.
Not everybody does Thought youshould know.
(12:51):
No-transcript year.
The first-ever 2024 Lexus TXdelivers, offering a comfortable
(13:13):
yet dynamic way of moving up toseven people.
The TX replaces the RX-L in thecompany's lineup.
The TX is offered in fourgrades Standard, premium, luxury
and F-Sport.
Handling Providing theget-up-and-go for these trips is
a mix of powertrain offerings,including two electrified
options.
(13:33):
For the purpose of this review,the focus is on the
gasoline-powered TX models only.
The Lexus TX rides on parentToyota's GAK platform, dedicated
to midsize and full-sizevehicles with either a front or
all-wheel drive layout.
The new platform, shared withthe Toyota Grand Highlander
(13:54):
offers a slow center of gravitywith optimal height weight
distribution.
The Lexus TS boasts a groundclearance of approximately eight
inches.
Power for the TX is produced bya 2.4 liter turbocharged
gasoline four-cylinder enginethat produces 275 horsepower and
317 foot-pounds of torque.
(14:14):
Energy is communicated to thefront drive wheels via an
eight-speed direct automatictransmission with paddle
shifters.
All-wheel drive is an availableoption.
Epa fuel economy numbers are 21city 27 highway for front wheel
drive, 20 city 26 highway forall wheel drive, both requiring
(14:35):
the use of premium gasoline.
Cargo capacity is 97 cubic feet.
With all three rows folded flat, towing capacity is 5,000
pounds.
Rows folded flat, towingcapacity is 5,000 pounds.
Here's what I liked about theSUV.
The Lexus TX has a passengercabin which is both spacious and
(14:57):
airy.
Second row passengers aretreated to separate climate
controls, as well as heated andcooled captain's chairs with
four aft adjustments to optimizelegroom for both the second and
third row seats.
Unlike many three-row SUVs,lexus extends the comfort and
convenience of the third row aswell, with 50-50 power folding
seats and cup holders.
Overall, the TX delivers onwhat motorists have come to
(15:18):
expect from Lexus a large SUVwith bulletproof quality that's
easy to drive and maneuver.
Despite its size, the driverenjoys a commanding outward view
of the road, the optionalhead-up display and fog lights
and I'm thrilled about the foglights.
I like fog lights, thank you.
Add to the driving experience.
The TX is also equipped withhill descent control, an
(15:41):
off-road mode and manual shiftmode for added driver control in
various road conditions andsituations.
But the one major advantage Ifound with the TX has over the
competition is real cargo spacebehind the third row seats when
in use.
I'm not talking about a littlesliver, I'm talking about over
20 cubic feet of usable cargospace.
(16:03):
Bear in mind, for comparison,feet of usable cargo space.
Bear in mind, for comparison, afull-size Ford Crown Victoria
has a trunk that's 21 cubic feet, which was huge.
This kind of space the TX has.
Without having to put down thethird seat, you could still haul
seven people and still onlyneed that 20 cubic feet.
(16:24):
Let that sink in, because everyother vehicle that size that
claims three row seating haswhat I call the compromise.
You either get to haul folks oryou haul stuff.
You don't get to do both In theTX you get to do both and I
think that's awesome.
You don't have to choose.
(16:47):
So what didn't I like about theSUV.
First, let me start by sayingthis it is rare that I have a
list this long for a Lexus, butunfortunately I do.
And I'm going to sum it up whenI get to the end of my little
rant here.
First of all, I found the TX tobe plain to a fault.
Now, plain's not necessarilybad unless you're a luxury brand
(17:10):
.
Now, most Lexus models that Ihave driven and evaluated down
through the years exude luxuryin presentation, materials and
layout.
I felt that the TX fails torise above its humble beginnings
as a rock-solid Toyota model,which also says something about
how Toyota interiors haveimproved over the years.
But I didn't feel theexperience was at the level of
(17:31):
sophistication that I have cometo expect from Lexus.
I'm missing that surprise anddelight, that wow factor, and it
starts with little stuff like Idon't have retained accessory
power, I don't have extendedrange, remote engine start, and
guess what I mean?
In both of those my inexpensiveChevy Equinox has both and it's
(17:54):
seven years old.
Just put that out there.
While the first two rows ofseating enjoy both heated and
cooled seats, the third rowdoesn't.
The interior door handles wereanother point of contention.
They're just not friendly touse.
No, I didn't like them at all.
And here's the strange Althoughthe TX has a sport mode, you
(18:18):
have to actually dig down intothe infotainment menu to find it
, and that's not okay.
The steering wheel mountedmulti-function buttons were more
of an aggravation than theconvenience.
I also thought the displays,controls and switch gear were a
bit fussy, to use Toyota'sdriver monitoring system boo,
poorly designed at best,completely annoying at worst.
(18:39):
And if I could have plucked itout and threw it and put it in
the side of the road, I wouldhave Do not like that at all.
Finally, there's no spare tireand I couldn't tell if the
Continental Cross Contact LX20tires were run flat,
self-sealing or punctureresistant, and I kind of want to
know.
So here's the bottom line.
(19:00):
Overall, the Princeton Indianabuilt TX is a rock-solid
performer that will give amotorist years and many miles of
trouble-free motoring.
There are few of any SUVs itssize that successfully resolved
the three-row versus cargo spacedilemma that befalls so many,
but it's the lack of aspirationthat's got me wondering if the
(19:23):
Grand Highlander is a morecost-effective choice.
So I ask has Lexus decided toplay it safe these days?
I just want to know the base.
Manufacturer suggested retailprice for the 2025 Lexus TX350
SUV starts from $56,490 for thestandard model up to $65,760 for
(19:44):
the F-Sport.
Handling all-wheel drive.
And please bear in mind theseare the gasoline models, they
are not the hybrid and not theplug-in hybrid.
This is just the gas models.
Destination charges add $1,350.
The vehicle I drove was anall-wheel drive.
An all-wheel drive.
(20:09):
It had a total cost of optionsI won't read the list of $10,553
and totaled out MSRP includingoptions and destination charges
came to $73,793.
What is meant by wet bulbtemperature?
Knowing what it means couldsave your life.
This is the Tech Mobilitypodcast.
(20:33):
Just about anywhere you canenjoy podcasts.
Be sure to follow us from ApplePodcasts, iheart Radio and many
(20:53):
platforms in between.
We are there.
Just enter the Tech Mobilitypodcast in the search bar.
Wherever you listen to podcasts, social media, it's the place
to be.
We, no exception hi, I'm kenchester host the tech mobility
show several times a week, Ipost to tiktok several of the
(21:14):
topics that I cover on my weeklyradio show.
It's another way to keep up onmobility, technology news and
information.
I've built quite a library ofshort videos for your viewing
pleasure, so be sure to watch,like and subscribe.
That's the tech mobility showon tiktok.
Check it out.
Over the last few weeks,extreme levels of heat and
(21:38):
humidity have spread across themidsection in the United States,
blanketing the southwest,midwest and east coast, lasting
several days.
Climate change is making thedeadly combination of high heat
and high humidity more common,and that means you need to
become familiar with a term youprobably never heard before, and
it's called the wet bulb globetemperature, and it's one way
(22:00):
that meteorologists quantifyheat.
This is topic B.
I know I know you're going tofuss at me, but we got to talk
about this.
I told you, and I'm going tosay it again, that, while no
climate change does not causeextreme weather, we've had
(22:21):
extreme weather before, wealways will but what it does is
it makes extreme weather moreextreme more often.
It amplifies is what it does.
I did not know prior to doingthe research, and I found this
in Fast Company magazine and ittalked about the wet bulb
(22:43):
temperature and let me read alittle bit about what they're
talking about here.
And they said high heat aloneis a risk to humans, but heat
and humidity together make anespecially dangerous combination
.
But heat and humidity togethermake an especially dangerous
combination.
Humidity has to do with theconcentration of water vapor in
the air, that cloying stickinessthat separates it from dry heat
(23:05):
.
When the humidity is high, itaffects how well our bodies can
cool down via sweating.
In other words, the moremoisture in the air, the less
able we are to dissipate heatfrom our bodies and cool down.
When humidity is high, itaffects how well our bodies can
cool down via sweating.
(23:26):
And when high humidity happensin conjunction with high
temperatures and intense sun, itposes an even bigger threat.
So let me explain how thisworks.
The wet bulb globe temperatureis one way meteorologists
quantify heat.
It includes not just the air'stemperature, but also factors
(23:47):
including humidity, wind andsunlight.
This makes the wet bulbtemperature a particularly
important measurement for thosewho have to spend time outdoors,
often without shade, like manyconstruction workers or farm
workers.
The National Weather Servicewarns that, as a wet bulb globe
temperature rises above 80degrees, athletes should take
(24:08):
increasing precautions, such asmore rest and water breaks to
help reduce the effects of heat,and they may even want to
remove their pads, gear andother equipment To get the wet
bulb measurement.
Here we go.
The bulb of the thermometer iswrapped in a wet cloth.
As the water evaporates, itcools the thermometer, mimicking
(24:31):
the way evaporation of oursweat cools our bodies.
Meteorologists measure the rateof evaporation and the
temperature difference betweenthe wet bulb and the dry bulb,
or air temperature.
The wet bulb temperature isalways lower than the dry bulb
temperature, except for whenhumidity levels reach 100%, and
then the measurements are thesame.
Something else you should bearin mind the heat index.
(24:54):
You've heard that term.
It's another way to show therisk from extreme temperatures,
but unlike the wet bulbmeasurement, the heat index is
measured in the shade.
I didn't know that it takesinto account the air temperature
and relative humidity whensomeone's not in direct sunlight
, to give a sense of how warm itreally feels like, at least
when standing in a shady spot.
(25:15):
Step into the sun, though, andit's likely to feel hotter.
The wet bulb temp is measuredin direct sunlight and takes
angle of the sun into account,along with humidity, wind, cloud
cover and air temperature Bothare important for figuring out
the risk to our body and hightemperatures and you got to look
at both because they can bedifferent measurements depending
(25:37):
on conditions.
When the heat index is at 80 to90 degrees, for example, that's
a caution warning, per theNational Weather Service,
meaning that fatigue is possible.
Prolonged exposure or physicalactivity Between 90 and 103
degrees is an extreme cautionclassification, with a risk of
heat stroke, heat cramps or heatexhaustion possible.
(25:59):
A heat index of 103 to 124degrees is a danger level,
increasing one's risk frompossible to likely.
And should you be out in it andyou get a heat index of 125 or
higher and the National WeatherService says that is extreme
(26:19):
danger.
Now that's the heat index.
Let's look the other way.
Let's talk about the wet bulbtemperature, what that means.
When a wet bulb temperature isof 80 to 88, 85 to 88 degrees,
experts warn that working orexercising in direct sunlight
would stress your body in just30 minutes.
So in dry heat, 80 to 90.
(26:39):
In wet bulb situations, whereyou've got high heat and high
humidity, 30 minutes, as thatwet bulb temp climbs to 88 to 89
degrees, that amount that youcan be out there safely shrinks
to 20.
And here's something you needto know If the wet bulb
temperature is above 90 degreesplease hear me then only 15
(27:05):
minutes of work or exercise inthe sun will stress your body
and you should take at least 45minutes to rest each hour.
I'm going to read that again Ifthe wet bulb temperature is
above 90, then only 15 minutesof work or exercise in the sun
will stress your body and youshould take at least 45 minutes
(27:25):
to rest each hour.
That means in an extreme highheat, high humidity situation,
you're only working 15 minutesin the hour safely.
You didn't know that 15 minutesin the hour safely.
You didn't know that Wet bulbtemperatures don't always last
all day, especially since theytake into account the sun's
(27:47):
angle.
Usually you're looking atextreme wet bulb temperatures
that show up for about 2 pm toabout 8 in the afternoon usually
, but still, heat can bedangerous even at a lower wet
bulb temperature, and those highand extreme temperatures are
worrisome and as the earth warms, extreme heat is more likely.
Overall, last year 2024, bear inmind this was the hottest year
(28:10):
on record, meaning it was thehottest year since they started
taking measurements, meaning itwas the hottest year since they
started taking measurements andhumans experienced it in general
an extra 41 days of dangerousheat because of climate change.
41 days, that's over a month.
(28:33):
It is a month and 11 days Ayear Extra.
Those of us who have beenaround for a while and you go.
Hey, I don't remember beingthis hot when I was a kid.
I grew up in New England, shoot, in New England, the part of
New England I grew up in, wedidn't even have central air,
didn't even know what centralair was until I moved to the
Midwest and the reason being itdidn't get hot in New England
(28:57):
and I lived in Massachusetts, innorth central Massachusetts, it
didn't get hot until two weeksin August.
There were two weeks in Augustthat got hot and even then it
heist the window Because, again,we didn't have air.
It cooled off at night, thingswere fine.
Two weeks.
Things were fine, two weeks,just two weeks.
Now they're saying an extra 41days.
(29:22):
Something done, changed and inplaces like the tropics,
especially along the monsoonbelt, humidity is also
increasing with the heat,meaning you can't cool off and
if you can't cool your body, youcan't get your body temperature
down.
That's heat stroke folks.
That's bad stuff.
Happens Because your body can'tcool down, it will forcibly
(29:46):
shut down and it will let youknow Through cramps, fainting
All sorts of nasty stuff and,honestly, in extreme cases it
can kill you.
High heat, high humidity.
It's called the wet bulbtemperature.
You can Google it, look it upSomething you need to know,
particularly if you are workingoutside in this weather.
(30:08):
You definitely want to be safebecause we're going to have more
hot days.
That's what they're saying.
Domestic bees are in crisis andyou should care.
We are the Tech Mobility Show.
To learn more about the TechMobility Show, start by visiting
(30:35):
our website.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe Tech Mobility Show.
Start by visiting our website.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe Tech Mobility Show.
The website is a treasure troveof information about me and the
show, as well as where to findit on the radio across the
country.
Keep up with the happenings ofthe Tech Mobility Show by
visiting techmobilityshow.
That's techmobilityshow.
You can also drop us a line attalk at techmobilityshow.
(30:59):
Did you know that Tech Mobilityhas a YouTube channel?
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe Tech Mobility Show.
Each week, I upload a few shortvideos of some of the hot
topics that I cover during myweekly radio program.
I've designed these videos tobe informative and entertaining.
(31:19):
It's another way to keep up oncurrent mobility and technology
news and information.
Be sure to watch, like andsubscribe to my channel.
That's the Tech Mobility Showon YouTube Check it out.
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Social media is the place to be these days, and
we're no exception.
I'm Ken Chester of the TechMobility Show.
If you enjoy my program, thenyou will also enjoy my weekly
Instagram videos, from thelatest vehicle reviews to timely
commentary on a variety ofmobility and technology-related
topics.
These short features aredesigned to inform and delight
you.
Be sure to watch, like andfollow us on Instagram.
(32:26):
You can find us by typing theTech Mobility Show in the search
bar.
You may not realize this, butdomestic bees are in crisis and
the top federal lab on nativebees is set to close under the
administration's new proposedbudget.
Native bees are different fromhoneybees in that they live in
(32:50):
the wild and are not farmed andbred for profit like honeybees.
However, both can be exposed tothe same threats and there are
signs that both are in trouble.
But really bees right?
Why should you care?
We have answers and you should.
This is topic C.
Let me get to the point,because that really is something
(33:13):
I want to even start with.
I want you to know about this,so let me get to the point.
Here you go.
Let me tell you why you shouldcare.
Now the native bees, which arethe wild bees.
They pollinate an estimated 80%of flowering plants around the
world, and understanding thepollinator's behavior helps us
(33:35):
sustain the production of ourfood.
Forests, prairies, grassland,deserts and wetlands rely on the
bees to maintain the uniquebiodiversity.
The more we track bees, thebetter we can understand the
role different species play inthe pollination of crops, such
as pumpkins in the mid-Atlanticapples in Pennsylvania, tomatoes
in California and blueberriesin Oregon.
(33:55):
Basically, what you eat isdependent on a bee's ability to
cross-pollinate, and I don'twant to take you back into
science and the nature lesson,but here's the quickie version
the nectar of the fruit of theplants Draw the bees.
The bees, as they drink thenectar, rub up on the pollen by
(34:19):
design God's beautiful design ofhow this works.
Now, with the pollen on them,they go and as they go from
plant to plant, theyinadvertently fertilize and
pollinate other plants with thatpollen that they rubbed up on
when they were drinking thenectar.
They don't even realize they'redoing it.
And in the case of honeybees,something you didn't know Do you
(34:44):
realize?
Honeybees travel and I don'tmean as a group, I mean
honeybees which are developed,actually are transferred farm to
farm, sometimes completelyacross the country, to pollinate
, to pollinate crops, topollinate different land and
different species and differentplants.
(35:04):
If they did not do this, fruitsand vegetables forget about it
and then there's a whole chainreaction of things that don't
happen if bees don't do whatthey do and that affects you and
your ability to survive andyour ability to have food to eat
is dependent on little beesPesticides, a particular mite
(35:29):
that is a problem and common tobees.
That's knocking them out andcommon to bees.
That's knocking them out.
Even commercial beekeepers saidthis past year they lost 60% of
their colonies, the biggestlosses ever.
Now there's been pressure asour environment continues to
(35:52):
change, as it gets more urban,as their habitat goes away, bees
have less and less places to goand do what they do, and less
land means fewer bees.
Fewer bees starts to cause aproblem.
Put another way, what if therewas a spring where there were no
(36:14):
bees and nothing got pollinated?
What would grow?
What would develop?
How would that affect your foodsupply?
At any price?
Because it affects it in weirdways, because you don't know all
the ways that the bounty of theearth makes it into our food
production system Ways that youknow and a lot of ways that you
(36:36):
don't know, far removed fromfruits and vegetables, far
removed, how it affects otheranimals, all sorts of things
happen.
We have a federal departmentthat tracks all this stuff, that
researches all this stuff, thatis able to keep track of the
(36:58):
bees.
It's not that well funded I'mnot even talking hundreds of
thousands, it's not even thatmuch money but they're getting
caught up in one of these costreduction plans and they're not
going to be around at a criticaltime when we need to know more
about bees, not less, to see howwe can sustain them, get them
to grow, keep things well.
(37:20):
Because if you think that beestraveling on purpose is natural
which it's not, for beekeepersto take their bees to another
state halfway across the countryto pollinate a farm.
That's not okay and that's allby itself fraught with risk, let
alone the natural habitatthey're in.
(37:41):
Our actions as human beingsimpact the planet in so many
ways, including a lot of ways,you don't even realize the old
saying for every action there isan equal and opposite reaction.
You can't turn that much landinto cities and housing
(38:03):
developments, everything withoutsome kickback to the
environment, the habitat thathad been covered for ages and
decades and centuries gone now,the ancient ways of the animals,
fruits, plants and things thatare going away.
We're losing species, we'relosing biodiversity.
(38:25):
That's an important word.
That is what keeps everythingbalanced, because when it gets
out of balance, stuff gets weird, stuff gets bad and disease
happens.
And that's not by design.
In the perfect design, there'sbalance.
In a design where balance getscompromised, there's chaos.
The bees are at a crossroads andwe need them, both the native
(38:50):
bees and the honeybees, and formore than just my honey, which I
love in my coffee, by the way,it's more than that, way more
than that.
They're part of the ecosystemthat makes our survival possible
, and if you believe in divineinvention, then, yeah, that's
(39:12):
the way it was set up To bebalanced, to make work.
Everything, a place foreverything.
Bees are in danger of losingtheir place.
Mm-hmm.
Every road, building, home andlawn that gets built gets rid of
(39:33):
bee habitats, gets rid of beehabitats.
The more than 50% of native beespecies that have enough data
to track are in decline, andthat's according to a 2017
report for the Center forBiological Diversity.
Eight years ago, increasingtemperatures have contributed to
bumblebee populations declinein North America and Europe.
(39:55):
When's the last time you've seena bumblebee?
Think about that.
When is the last time you'veseen a bumblebee?
Populations decline in NorthAmerica and Europe.
When's the last time you'veseen a bumblebee?
Think about that.
When is the last time you'veseen a bumblebee?
Every species has a place, hasa job, has a role, has a purpose
.
There are tons of species ofbees I didn't even know.
I thought a bee was a bee was abee.
(40:17):
No, they're not, and eachdifferent species serves a
different purpose and we need toprotect them.
That's called self-preservationfor us, protecting the bees
protects us Because we're kindof part of that biodiversity.
By the way, bee habitat whoknew?
(40:37):
Who knew about the actions thatwe need to be aware of?
I just wanted to share thatwith you because it's important
that you know about littlethings like that.
Welcome to the TechMobility Podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
I'm Ken Chester On the docket my impressions and
review of the all-new Lexus TXSUV.
What is wet bulb temperatureand domestic bees in crisis?
From the Tech Mobility NewsDesk.
This is kind of a throwback anda sort of a way and an update
(00:33):
at the same time.
We started this program back inabout 2017.
One of the first companies thatwe talked about developing
electric vehicles, a newelectric startup, was called
Bollinger Motors.
Bollinger Motors was started bya fellow who had sold a
cosmetics company to a largercompany, had capital and decided
(00:57):
on his farm in upstate New Yorkthat he had a vision for an SUV
, an electric SUV.
That vision would become therunning prototype known as the
B1.
While he was at it, he thoughtyou know, we could also make
this work for a pickup truck,and that became the B2.
(01:20):
He worked on those projects,ended up moving the company to
the greater Detroit, becausethat's where the engineers are,
that's where everything is Kept,developing, kept developing.
In the end, he decided toexpand to what we would call
(01:40):
medium duty trucks, what wewould call medium-duty trucks,
and that would become the B4,which is a basically electric
truck and chassis what they callmedium-duty or a class 4, class
5, class 6 truck that anybusiness could put some sort of
upfit equipment, box, dump truck, whatever on the back of it.
(02:07):
Like most companies, capital isalways an issue and in the case
of Bollinger, he ended upselling the company to a guy by
the name of David Mickery ofMullen Automotive.
And Mullen is developing theirown electric vehicles and was
bringing money to pass.
And that kind of brings uswhere we are right now.
(02:35):
Long story short, you can neverget two founders in the same
room because when one foundersells his baby to another, they
never can really totally let go.
And usually what happens whenyou have a merger like that or a
buyout, the fella gettingbought or getting merged usually
stays on in a capacity you knowto help the transition.
They say Well, in this case MrBollinger decided to sue Mr the
(03:00):
CEO of Mullen Automotive for avariety of things.
Long story short, they settledit.
Bollinger's out, mickery nowruns both companies and is
trying to make a go of it.
I've told you many, many, many,many times and I'm going to say
it again on my broken record theautomotive industry, regardless
(03:23):
of where you are in it, isextremely capital intensive.
It needs millions on the smallside billions.
If you're a player and you'relooking at 15, 20 years minimum,
if you're going to make a dentand if you can't play with the
big boys, you will not survive.
And the industry is litteredwith a lot of people who tried
(03:43):
and failed and we've coveredsome of those companies here.
In the case of MullenAutomotive, right about the time
they were getting their acttogether, tariffs happened.
And why does that matter forMullen?
That even though they havecontracted for the B4 with a
local American contractmanufacturer, established one.
(04:05):
Most of the parts that go intothem guess where they come from?
They come from China.
So now he's in a world of hurt,kind of stop things as he waits
for it to settle.
But Mr Mickery believes thatthis stuff will get resolved and
that he will be uniquelypositioned as a commercial
(04:26):
manufacturer to capitalize onthe demand for electric
medium-duty trucks.
And in the midst of all of this, even though the B1 and the B2
had been put on hold for a while, he said in a recent Automotive
News article he still believesin both of them and someday they
(04:46):
will be built.
Yeah, we've heard a lot of that.
Right now I'm still mourningthe loss of the Nikola Badger,
which would have been a heck ofa pickup truck.
It was going to be built byWorkhorse and all that in GM's
old Lordstown Ohio plant.
(05:07):
Well, all of that fell apartand in the end, nikola got sold
and all their promises for theirbig trucks.
Tesla's holding on to their semitruck there's a few out there,
but not at the scale andcompanies are still waiting for
them and they're over two yearslate, which is a miracle
(05:29):
considering what they wanted fora deposit on each one and the
fact that companies run cycles.
They run replacement cycles,vehicle replacement cycles.
So if they were planning totake these semis in the
replacement cycle at a certainpoint in time and they can't get
them, that throws their wholeinvestment issue into the mix
(05:50):
With the money that they'vecommitted.
If I can't get this truck, it'snot like you can go down to the
nearest lot and buy a truck.
Most of these class eights,these heavy duty, these over the
road trucks, are spec specificto a client.
It takes months or years tobuild, to get an order.
You just don't go down to thefactory and go yo Mack or
(06:11):
Freightliner or Daimler or Volvo.
Hey, I need a Class A truckwith the following attributes.
So you got one sitting on thelot, don't you?
I can come down and pick it up.
No, no, don't work like that.
But coming back to MullenAutomotive, he is adamant that
(06:33):
this difficult market istemporary and his plan right now
is to wait him out.
Now, how can he do that in anindustry that eats up and spits
out folks financially?
Can he do that in an industrythat eats up and spits out folks
financially?
Because, according to thisstory, he has a very deep
pocketed benefactor that hedoesn't disclose.
But picture this, if you willthat benefactor, who believes in
(06:55):
his company, is investing $1.5million a week into the company.
Did you hear me?
I said a week.
That's what?
About six, seven milliondollars a month every month
(07:17):
while they wait this out.
That's the reason why he can dothis.
That's why he can be smug.
That's why he can wait.
He has his words.
An unnamed benefactor that cutsthat check every week, he can
cover payroll, he can continueto do development work and he
can literally sit on the 40Bollinger B4s that are built
that he's not selling yet.
(07:37):
Not everybody has.
That.
He's one of the lucky ones.
I mean, we talked about FaradayFuture and they were trying to
build a luxury car.
We talked about KarmaAutomotive.
They tried and failed twice.
We talked about Fisker, who atleast got their cars into
production but still ran out ofmoney, couldn't find an investor
(07:58):
.
They went belly up and if youhappen to see a Fisker Ocean
running around, know that it'san orphan and know if it has any
software glitches, you're kindof up a creek Because the
company that built it doesn'texist anymore.
So it's a big deal and this isnot new.
In case you're thinking well,this is just the EV industry.
You know, they ain't prepared,they ain't going to stay.
(08:20):
Look y'all when the autoindustry started over 100 years
ago.
This is how it was.
Companies started, boomed up,merged, went out of business,
created roads from the ashes ofother broken companies Came
together, pulled apart,reorganized, reconstituted.
It happened in automotive, ithappened in railroads.
It happens.
It's American business.
(08:41):
Will Mullen Automotive rise?
Is his gamble the right one?
Will we see Bollingers on theroad at volume?
Finally, the first company weever talked about?
I hope so.
Will the B1 and B2 ever beproduced?
We'll see.
It's not the number one andnumber two thing on his list
(09:02):
right now, but he says he'scommitted to those he believes
in them.
For his sake, I hope so.
I'd like to see him.
They were a novel idea, plainJane, very straightforward, but
that was the point.
But it should be interesting tosee if there's a space for them
.
It's the all-new Lexus TXLuxury SUV.
(09:22):
My impression and review arenext.
You are listening to the TechMobility Show.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
Are you tired of juggling multiple apps and
platforms for meetings, webinarsand staying connected?
Look no further thanAONMeetingscom, the all-in-one
browser-based platform that doesit all.
With AONMeetings, you caneffortlessly communicate with
clients, host virtual meetingsand webinars and stay in touch
with family and friends all inone place and for one price.
We'll be right back.
Revolutionize the way youcommunicate.
(09:52):
Social media is the main placeto be these days and we are no
exception.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
I'm Ken Chester of the Tech Mobility Show.
If you enjoy my program, thenyou will also enjoy my weekly
Facebook videos, from my latestvehicle reviews to timely
commentary of a variety ofmobility and technology-related
topics.
These short features aredesigned to inform and delight
you Be sure to watch, like andfollow us on Facebook.
You can find us by typing theTech Mobility Show in the search
(10:28):
bar.
Be sure to subscribe to ourFacebook page.
Social media is the place to bethese days, and we're no
exception.
I'm Ken Chester of the TechMobility Show.
If you enjoy my program, thenyou will also enjoy my weekly
Instagram videos, from thelatest vehicle reviews to timely
commentary on a variety ofmobility and technology related
(10:49):
topics.
These short features aredesigned to inform and delight.
You Be sure to watch, like andfollow us on Instagram.
You can find us by typing theTech Mobility Show in the search
bar.
For those of you that listen topodcasts, we have just the one
for you.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester.
Tech Mobility Topics is apodcast where I upload
(11:10):
topic-specific videos each week.
Shorter than a full show, thesebite-sized programs are just
the thing, particularly ifyou're interested in a
particular topic covered on theweekly radio show From Apple
Podcasts to iHeartRadio and manypodcast platforms in between.
We got you covered.
Just enter Tech Mobility.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
Topics in the search bar.
Wherever you listen to podcasts, the average driver spends a
mere 1% of the time in reverse.
Yet considering what's at stake, that's 1%.
We didn't want to ignore thebackup camera available in the
(12:02):
Lexus RX 330.
At your New York, New Jersey,Connecticut.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
Lexus dealer.
That is a 2005 commercial 20years ago about what everybody
has now a backup camera, whichwas novel back then.
And that TV commercial showedkids playing in a parking lot
and this one kid who happened tobe in the back of this car as
she was backing up, which is whyshe saw him and that was the
point they were making.
Children are precious and youwant to make sure you see them
(12:27):
so they never get hurt, and thatis why Lexus developed and
installed in their vehicles backthen the reverse-view camera,
which at that time most vehiclesdid not have one.
Not everybody does Thought youshould know.
Not everybody does Thought youshould know.
(12:51):
No-transcript year.
The first-ever 2024 Lexus TXdelivers, offering a comfortable
(13:13):
yet dynamic way of moving up toseven people.
The TX replaces the RX-L in thecompany's lineup.
The TX is offered in fourgrades Standard, premium, luxury
and F-Sport.
Handling Providing theget-up-and-go for these trips is
a mix of powertrain offerings,including two electrified
options.
(13:33):
For the purpose of this review,the focus is on the
gasoline-powered TX models only.
The Lexus TX rides on parentToyota's GAK platform, dedicated
to midsize and full-sizevehicles with either a front or
all-wheel drive layout.
The new platform, shared withthe Toyota Grand Highlander
(13:54):
offers a slow center of gravitywith optimal height weight
distribution.
The Lexus TS boasts a groundclearance of approximately eight
inches.
Power for the TX is produced bya 2.4 liter turbocharged
gasoline four-cylinder enginethat produces 275 horsepower and
317 foot-pounds of torque.
(14:14):
Energy is communicated to thefront drive wheels via an
eight-speed direct automatictransmission with paddle
shifters.
All-wheel drive is an availableoption.
Epa fuel economy numbers are 21city 27 highway for front wheel
drive, 20 city 26 highway forall wheel drive, both requiring
(14:35):
the use of premium gasoline.
Cargo capacity is 97 cubic feet.
With all three rows folded flat, towing capacity is 5,000
pounds.
Rows folded flat, towingcapacity is 5,000 pounds.
Here's what I liked about theSUV.
The Lexus TX has a passengercabin which is both spacious and
(14:57):
airy.
Second row passengers aretreated to separate climate
controls, as well as heated andcooled captain's chairs with
four aft adjustments to optimizelegroom for both the second and
third row seats.
Unlike many three-row SUVs,lexus extends the comfort and
convenience of the third row aswell, with 50-50 power folding
seats and cup holders.
Overall, the TX delivers onwhat motorists have come to
(15:18):
expect from Lexus a large SUVwith bulletproof quality that's
easy to drive and maneuver.
Despite its size, the driverenjoys a commanding outward view
of the road, the optionalhead-up display and fog lights
and I'm thrilled about the foglights.
I like fog lights, thank you.
Add to the driving experience.
The TX is also equipped withhill descent control, an
(15:41):
off-road mode and manual shiftmode for added driver control in
various road conditions andsituations.
But the one major advantage Ifound with the TX has over the
competition is real cargo spacebehind the third row seats when
in use.
I'm not talking about a littlesliver, I'm talking about over
20 cubic feet of usable cargospace.
(16:03):
Bear in mind, for comparison,feet of usable cargo space.
Bear in mind, for comparison, afull-size Ford Crown Victoria
has a trunk that's 21 cubic feet, which was huge.
This kind of space the TX has.
Without having to put down thethird seat, you could still haul
seven people and still onlyneed that 20 cubic feet.
(16:24):
Let that sink in, because everyother vehicle that size that
claims three row seating haswhat I call the compromise.
You either get to haul folks oryou haul stuff.
You don't get to do both In theTX you get to do both and I
think that's awesome.
You don't have to choose.
(16:47):
So what didn't I like about theSUV.
First, let me start by sayingthis it is rare that I have a
list this long for a Lexus, butunfortunately I do.
And I'm going to sum it up whenI get to the end of my little
rant here.
First of all, I found the TX tobe plain to a fault.
Now, plain's not necessarilybad unless you're a luxury brand
(17:10):
.
Now, most Lexus models that Ihave driven and evaluated down
through the years exude luxuryin presentation, materials and
layout.
I felt that the TX fails torise above its humble beginnings
as a rock-solid Toyota model,which also says something about
how Toyota interiors haveimproved over the years.
But I didn't feel theexperience was at the level of
(17:31):
sophistication that I have cometo expect from Lexus.
I'm missing that surprise anddelight, that wow factor, and it
starts with little stuff like Idon't have retained accessory
power, I don't have extendedrange, remote engine start, and
guess what I mean?
In both of those my inexpensiveChevy Equinox has both and it's
(17:54):
seven years old.
Just put that out there.
While the first two rows ofseating enjoy both heated and
cooled seats, the third rowdoesn't.
The interior door handles wereanother point of contention.
They're just not friendly touse.
No, I didn't like them at all.
And here's the strange Althoughthe TX has a sport mode, you
(18:18):
have to actually dig down intothe infotainment menu to find it
, and that's not okay.
The steering wheel mountedmulti-function buttons were more
of an aggravation than theconvenience.
I also thought the displays,controls and switch gear were a
bit fussy, to use Toyota'sdriver monitoring system boo,
poorly designed at best,completely annoying at worst.
(18:39):
And if I could have plucked itout and threw it and put it in
the side of the road, I wouldhave Do not like that at all.
Finally, there's no spare tireand I couldn't tell if the
Continental Cross Contact LX20tires were run flat,
self-sealing or punctureresistant, and I kind of want to
know.
So here's the bottom line.
(19:00):
Overall, the Princeton Indianabuilt TX is a rock-solid
performer that will give amotorist years and many miles of
trouble-free motoring.
There are few of any SUVs itssize that successfully resolved
the three-row versus cargo spacedilemma that befalls so many,
but it's the lack of aspirationthat's got me wondering if the
(19:23):
Grand Highlander is a morecost-effective choice.
So I ask has Lexus decided toplay it safe these days?
I just want to know the base.
Manufacturer suggested retailprice for the 2025 Lexus TX350
SUV starts from $56,490 for thestandard model up to $65,760 for
(19:44):
the F-Sport.
Handling all-wheel drive.
And please bear in mind theseare the gasoline models, they
are not the hybrid and not theplug-in hybrid.
This is just the gas models.
Destination charges add $1,350.
The vehicle I drove was anall-wheel drive.
An all-wheel drive.
(20:09):
It had a total cost of optionsI won't read the list of $10,553
and totaled out MSRP includingoptions and destination charges
came to $73,793.
What is meant by wet bulbtemperature?
Knowing what it means couldsave your life.
This is the Tech Mobilitypodcast.
(20:33):
Just about anywhere you canenjoy podcasts.
Be sure to follow us from ApplePodcasts, iheart Radio and many
(20:53):
platforms in between.
We are there.
Just enter the Tech Mobilitypodcast in the search bar.
Wherever you listen to podcasts, social media, it's the place
to be.
We, no exception hi, I'm kenchester host the tech mobility
show several times a week, Ipost to tiktok several of the
(21:14):
topics that I cover on my weeklyradio show.
It's another way to keep up onmobility, technology news and
information.
I've built quite a library ofshort videos for your viewing
pleasure, so be sure to watch,like and subscribe.
That's the tech mobility showon tiktok.
Check it out.
Over the last few weeks,extreme levels of heat and
(21:38):
humidity have spread across themidsection in the United States,
blanketing the southwest,midwest and east coast, lasting
several days.
Climate change is making thedeadly combination of high heat
and high humidity more common,and that means you need to
become familiar with a term youprobably never heard before, and
it's called the wet bulb globetemperature, and it's one way
(22:00):
that meteorologists quantifyheat.
This is topic B.
I know I know you're going tofuss at me, but we got to talk
about this.
I told you, and I'm going tosay it again, that, while no
climate change does not causeextreme weather, we've had
(22:21):
extreme weather before, wealways will but what it does is
it makes extreme weather moreextreme more often.
It amplifies is what it does.
I did not know prior to doingthe research, and I found this
in Fast Company magazine and ittalked about the wet bulb
(22:43):
temperature and let me read alittle bit about what they're
talking about here.
And they said high heat aloneis a risk to humans, but heat
and humidity together make anespecially dangerous combination
.
But heat and humidity togethermake an especially dangerous
combination.
Humidity has to do with theconcentration of water vapor in
the air, that cloying stickinessthat separates it from dry heat
(23:05):
.
When the humidity is high, itaffects how well our bodies can
cool down via sweating.
In other words, the moremoisture in the air, the less
able we are to dissipate heatfrom our bodies and cool down.
When humidity is high, itaffects how well our bodies can
cool down via sweating.
(23:26):
And when high humidity happensin conjunction with high
temperatures and intense sun, itposes an even bigger threat.
So let me explain how thisworks.
The wet bulb globe temperatureis one way meteorologists
quantify heat.
It includes not just the air'stemperature, but also factors
(23:47):
including humidity, wind andsunlight.
This makes the wet bulbtemperature a particularly
important measurement for thosewho have to spend time outdoors,
often without shade, like manyconstruction workers or farm
workers.
The National Weather Servicewarns that, as a wet bulb globe
temperature rises above 80degrees, athletes should take
(24:08):
increasing precautions, such asmore rest and water breaks to
help reduce the effects of heat,and they may even want to
remove their pads, gear andother equipment To get the wet
bulb measurement.
Here we go.
The bulb of the thermometer iswrapped in a wet cloth.
As the water evaporates, itcools the thermometer, mimicking
(24:31):
the way evaporation of oursweat cools our bodies.
Meteorologists measure the rateof evaporation and the
temperature difference betweenthe wet bulb and the dry bulb,
or air temperature.
The wet bulb temperature isalways lower than the dry bulb
temperature, except for whenhumidity levels reach 100%, and
then the measurements are thesame.
Something else you should bearin mind the heat index.
(24:54):
You've heard that term.
It's another way to show therisk from extreme temperatures,
but unlike the wet bulbmeasurement, the heat index is
measured in the shade.
I didn't know that it takesinto account the air temperature
and relative humidity whensomeone's not in direct sunlight
, to give a sense of how warm itreally feels like, at least
when standing in a shady spot.
(25:15):
Step into the sun, though, andit's likely to feel hotter.
The wet bulb temp is measuredin direct sunlight and takes
angle of the sun into account,along with humidity, wind, cloud
cover and air temperature Bothare important for figuring out
the risk to our body and hightemperatures and you got to look
at both because they can bedifferent measurements depending
(25:37):
on conditions.
When the heat index is at 80 to90 degrees, for example, that's
a caution warning, per theNational Weather Service,
meaning that fatigue is possible.
Prolonged exposure or physicalactivity Between 90 and 103
degrees is an extreme cautionclassification, with a risk of
heat stroke, heat cramps or heatexhaustion possible.
(25:59):
A heat index of 103 to 124degrees is a danger level,
increasing one's risk frompossible to likely.
And should you be out in it andyou get a heat index of 125 or
higher and the National WeatherService says that is extreme
(26:19):
danger.
Now that's the heat index.
Let's look the other way.
Let's talk about the wet bulbtemperature, what that means.
When a wet bulb temperature isof 80 to 88, 85 to 88 degrees,
experts warn that working orexercising in direct sunlight
would stress your body in just30 minutes.
So in dry heat, 80 to 90.
(26:39):
In wet bulb situations, whereyou've got high heat and high
humidity, 30 minutes, as thatwet bulb temp climbs to 88 to 89
degrees, that amount that youcan be out there safely shrinks
to 20.
And here's something you needto know If the wet bulb
temperature is above 90 degreesplease hear me then only 15
(27:05):
minutes of work or exercise inthe sun will stress your body
and you should take at least 45minutes to rest each hour.
I'm going to read that again Ifthe wet bulb temperature is
above 90, then only 15 minutesof work or exercise in the sun
will stress your body and youshould take at least 45 minutes
(27:25):
to rest each hour.
That means in an extreme highheat, high humidity situation,
you're only working 15 minutesin the hour safely.
You didn't know that 15 minutesin the hour safely.
You didn't know that Wet bulbtemperatures don't always last
all day, especially since theytake into account the sun's
(27:47):
angle.
Usually you're looking atextreme wet bulb temperatures
that show up for about 2 pm toabout 8 in the afternoon usually
, but still, heat can bedangerous even at a lower wet
bulb temperature, and those highand extreme temperatures are
worrisome and as the earth warms, extreme heat is more likely.
Overall, last year 2024, bear inmind this was the hottest year
(28:10):
on record, meaning it was thehottest year since they started
taking measurements, meaning itwas the hottest year since they
started taking measurements andhumans experienced it in general
an extra 41 days of dangerousheat because of climate change.
41 days, that's over a month.
(28:33):
It is a month and 11 days Ayear Extra.
Those of us who have beenaround for a while and you go.
Hey, I don't remember beingthis hot when I was a kid.
I grew up in New England, shoot, in New England, the part of
New England I grew up in, wedidn't even have central air,
didn't even know what centralair was until I moved to the
Midwest and the reason being itdidn't get hot in New England
(28:57):
and I lived in Massachusetts, innorth central Massachusetts, it
didn't get hot until two weeksin August.
There were two weeks in Augustthat got hot and even then it
heist the window Because, again,we didn't have air.
It cooled off at night, thingswere fine.
Two weeks.
Things were fine, two weeks,just two weeks.
Now they're saying an extra 41days.
(29:22):
Something done, changed and inplaces like the tropics,
especially along the monsoonbelt, humidity is also
increasing with the heat,meaning you can't cool off and
if you can't cool your body, youcan't get your body temperature
down.
That's heat stroke folks.
That's bad stuff.
Happens Because your body can'tcool down, it will forcibly
(29:46):
shut down and it will let youknow Through cramps, fainting
All sorts of nasty stuff and,honestly, in extreme cases it
can kill you.
High heat, high humidity.
It's called the wet bulbtemperature.
You can Google it, look it upSomething you need to know,
particularly if you are workingoutside in this weather.
(30:08):
You definitely want to be safebecause we're going to have more
hot days.
That's what they're saying.
Domestic bees are in crisis andyou should care.
We are the Tech Mobility Show.
To learn more about the TechMobility Show, start by visiting
(30:35):
our website.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe Tech Mobility Show.
Start by visiting our website.
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe Tech Mobility Show.
The website is a treasure troveof information about me and the
show, as well as where to findit on the radio across the
country.
Keep up with the happenings ofthe Tech Mobility Show by
visiting techmobilityshow.
That's techmobilityshow.
You can also drop us a line attalk at techmobilityshow.
(30:59):
Did you know that Tech Mobilityhas a YouTube channel?
Hi, I'm Ken Chester, host ofthe Tech Mobility Show.
Each week, I upload a few shortvideos of some of the hot
topics that I cover during myweekly radio program.
I've designed these videos tobe informative and entertaining.
(31:19):
It's another way to keep up oncurrent mobility and technology
news and information.
Be sure to watch, like andsubscribe to my channel.
That's the Tech Mobility Showon YouTube Check it out.
Speaker 3 (31:32):
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Social media is the place to be these days, and
we're no exception.
I'm Ken Chester of the TechMobility Show.
If you enjoy my program, thenyou will also enjoy my weekly
Instagram videos, from thelatest vehicle reviews to timely
commentary on a variety ofmobility and technology-related
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These short features aredesigned to inform and delight
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Be sure to watch, like andfollow us on Instagram.
(32:26):
You can find us by typing theTech Mobility Show in the search
bar.
You may not realize this, butdomestic bees are in crisis and
the top federal lab on nativebees is set to close under the
administration's new proposedbudget.
Native bees are different fromhoneybees in that they live in
(32:50):
the wild and are not farmed andbred for profit like honeybees.
However, both can be exposed tothe same threats and there are
signs that both are in trouble.
But really bees right?
Why should you care?
We have answers and you should.
This is topic C.
Let me get to the point,because that really is something
(33:13):
I want to even start with.
I want you to know about this,so let me get to the point.
Here you go.
Let me tell you why you shouldcare.
Now the native bees, which arethe wild bees.
They pollinate an estimated 80%of flowering plants around the
world, and understanding thepollinator's behavior helps us
(33:35):
sustain the production of ourfood.
Forests, prairies, grassland,deserts and wetlands rely on the
bees to maintain the uniquebiodiversity.
The more we track bees, thebetter we can understand the
role different species play inthe pollination of crops, such
as pumpkins in the mid-Atlanticapples in Pennsylvania, tomatoes
in California and blueberriesin Oregon.
(33:55):
Basically, what you eat isdependent on a bee's ability to
cross-pollinate, and I don'twant to take you back into
science and the nature lesson,but here's the quickie version
the nectar of the fruit of theplants Draw the bees.
The bees, as they drink thenectar, rub up on the pollen by
(34:19):
design God's beautiful design ofhow this works.
Now, with the pollen on them,they go and as they go from
plant to plant, theyinadvertently fertilize and
pollinate other plants with thatpollen that they rubbed up on
when they were drinking thenectar.
They don't even realize they'redoing it.
And in the case of honeybees,something you didn't know Do you
(34:44):
realize?
Honeybees travel and I don'tmean as a group, I mean
honeybees which are developed,actually are transferred farm to
farm, sometimes completelyacross the country, to pollinate
, to pollinate crops, topollinate different land and
different species and differentplants.
(35:04):
If they did not do this, fruitsand vegetables forget about it
and then there's a whole chainreaction of things that don't
happen if bees don't do whatthey do and that affects you and
your ability to survive andyour ability to have food to eat
is dependent on little beesPesticides, a particular mite
(35:29):
that is a problem and common tobees.
That's knocking them out andcommon to bees.
That's knocking them out.
Even commercial beekeepers saidthis past year they lost 60% of
their colonies, the biggestlosses ever.
Now there's been pressure asour environment continues to
(35:52):
change, as it gets more urban,as their habitat goes away, bees
have less and less places to goand do what they do, and less
land means fewer bees.
Fewer bees starts to cause aproblem.
Put another way, what if therewas a spring where there were no
(36:14):
bees and nothing got pollinated?
What would grow?
What would develop?
How would that affect your foodsupply?
At any price?
Because it affects it in weirdways, because you don't know all
the ways that the bounty of theearth makes it into our food
production system Ways that youknow and a lot of ways that you
(36:36):
don't know, far removed fromfruits and vegetables, far
removed, how it affects otheranimals, all sorts of things
happen.
We have a federal departmentthat tracks all this stuff, that
researches all this stuff, thatis able to keep track of the
(36:58):
bees.
It's not that well funded I'mnot even talking hundreds of
thousands, it's not even thatmuch money but they're getting
caught up in one of these costreduction plans and they're not
going to be around at a criticaltime when we need to know more
about bees, not less, to see howwe can sustain them, get them
to grow, keep things well.
(37:20):
Because if you think that beestraveling on purpose is natural
which it's not, for beekeepersto take their bees to another
state halfway across the countryto pollinate a farm.
That's not okay and that's allby itself fraught with risk, let
alone the natural habitatthey're in.
(37:41):
Our actions as human beingsimpact the planet in so many
ways, including a lot of ways,you don't even realize the old
saying for every action there isan equal and opposite reaction.
You can't turn that much landinto cities and housing
(38:03):
developments, everything withoutsome kickback to the
environment, the habitat thathad been covered for ages and
decades and centuries gone now,the ancient ways of the animals,
fruits, plants and things thatare going away.
We're losing species, we'relosing biodiversity.
(38:25):
That's an important word.
That is what keeps everythingbalanced, because when it gets
out of balance, stuff gets weird, stuff gets bad and disease
happens.
And that's not by design.
In the perfect design, there'sbalance.
In a design where balance getscompromised, there's chaos.
The bees are at a crossroads andwe need them, both the native
(38:50):
bees and the honeybees, and formore than just my honey, which I
love in my coffee, by the way,it's more than that, way more
than that.
They're part of the ecosystemthat makes our survival possible
, and if you believe in divineinvention, then, yeah, that's
(39:12):
the way it was set up To bebalanced, to make work.
Everything, a place foreverything.
Bees are in danger of losingtheir place.
Mm-hmm.
Every road, building, home andlawn that gets built gets rid of
(39:33):
bee habitats, gets rid of beehabitats.
The more than 50% of native beespecies that have enough data
to track are in decline, andthat's according to a 2017
report for the Center forBiological Diversity.
Eight years ago, increasingtemperatures have contributed to
bumblebee populations declinein North America and Europe.
(39:55):
When's the last time you've seena bumblebee?
Think about that.
When is the last time you'veseen a bumblebee?
Populations decline in NorthAmerica and Europe.
When's the last time you'veseen a bumblebee?
Think about that.
When is the last time you'veseen a bumblebee?
Every species has a place, hasa job, has a role, has a purpose
.
There are tons of species ofbees I didn't even know.
I thought a bee was a bee was abee.
(40:17):
No, they're not, and eachdifferent species serves a
different purpose and we need toprotect them.
That's called self-preservationfor us, protecting the bees
protects us Because we're kindof part of that biodiversity.
By the way, bee habitat whoknew?
(40:37):
Who knew about the actions thatwe need to be aware of?
I just wanted to share thatwith you because it's important
that you know about littlethings like that.
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