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Develop enough renewable energy resources and it will cease to be a concern.
You cannot and will not replace fossil fuels with solar and wind. You have compounding issues that make the amount of capacity and storage you need ridiculously high.
It has been said over and over again with certainty that each morning the sun will rise. Just as certain is that every evening the sun will set.
Wind turbines are not maintenance free. All you have to do is look at a typical wind farm to see the number of turbines sitting idle and it isn't because there is no wind. Now start scaling that up considerably.
At night, solar panels don't do a thing except wait. It doesn't matter how much electric they produced during the sunlit hours, at night they contribute nothing.
Lets truck hydrogen to homes. Yeah, that should go over well. Truck it with what? You mean diesel trucks or somehow there are going to be OTR EV trucks now too? Maybe the truck will run on hydrogen too?
It has been said over and over again with certainty that each morning the sun will rise. Just as certain is that every evening the sun will set.
Yep, and that solitary sun of ours, in the limited time that it is "up" in each respective time zone, supplies 71X the total amount of energy mankind currently uses.
Then there's geothermal energy to add to it. And within the next decade I believe we will see the practical launch of fusion energy. ANd though I don't favor it, nuclear fission energy. And of course storage technology could release Solar Energy from the clock. And ALL superior to anything that burns carbon in terms of ecological impact.
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Wind turbines are not maintenance free. All you have to do is look at a typical wind farm to see the number of turbines sitting idle and it isn't because there is no wind. Now start scaling that up considerably.
A lot of that is old Gen I equipment, that was not as well engineered as today's equipment. And it continues to improve. In any case, theoretical calcs aside, wind power technology is proving itself to be cost effective all over the world. Why shouldn't it? When you have zero fuel costs and zero pollution charges to pay, the break-even point is much lower than fossil fuel operation, even with "cheap" carbon fuel available.
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At night, solar panels don't do a thing except wait. It doesn't matter how much electric they produced during the sunlit hours, at night they contribute nothing.
But the released heat energy from the day drives the wind power during the night , and it drives the natural processes that supply the water to hydropower generators. And keep in mind that fossil fuels are all about stored solar energy from millions of years ago. So other than nuclear energy, geothermal energy, and tidal energy, all the energy we use originates from the sun. So why the resistance to tapping into it directly?
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Lets truck hydrogen to homes. Yeah, that should go over well. Truck it with what? You mean diesel trucks or somehow there are going to be OTR EV trucks now too? Maybe the truck will run on hydrogen too?
Yes, most likely a non-polluting Hydrogen Fuel Cell EV (HFCEV)
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In just what century is all this taking place?
Century? It could become a real possibility in this decade. GM has been running a fleet of hydrogen fuel cell powered EVs in Los Angeles for over 3 years already, and they are piloting a home hydrolyzer to generate hydrogen for fuel in Orange County. Fuel cells and electric drive motors scale up easily. And now that several manufacturers, including Toyota, are making major plays around the world to sell hydrogen powered cars, can trucks be far behind?
... That ignores the fact that woodsmoke is highly toxic, and people who depend on wood for heat have much worse health overall. It's a hidden cost of using woodstoves.
I have seen a number of published studies trying to analyse the sources of health issues. So far, I have not seen any that was able to isolate woodsmoke as being a significant cause of any health problems.
I have seen a number of published studies trying to analyse the sources of health issues. So far, I have not seen any that was able to isolate woodsmoke as being a significant cause of any health problems.
You simply need to broaden your search. The dangers of wood smoke are well documented, from increased breathing disorders to increased rates of cancer, and are a prime reason for the EPA tightening regulations on wood stoves, including requiring catalytic converters and approved stove and fireplace insert designs.
In Oregon the state law is that if you sell a property that has an unapproved woodstove, you have to replace it with an approved one before the sale can be completed.
And many communities have restricted the use of wood fires, like Denver did back in the 70s, when they just stopped issuing new permits in order to reduce the horrendous unhealthful air pollution there.
You simply need to broaden your search. The dangers of wood smoke are well documented, from increased breathing disorders to increased rates of cancer, and are a prime reason for the EPA tightening regulations on wood stoves, including requiring catalytic converters and approved stove and fireplace insert designs.
So you admit that there is nothing to suggest that regions known for using more wood heating have any higher rates of health problems. Thank you.
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... In Oregon the state law is that if you sell a property that has an unapproved woodstove, you have to replace it with an approved one before the sale can be completed.
And many communities have restricted the use of wood fires, like Denver did back in the 70s, when they just stopped issuing new permits in order to reduce the horrendous unhealthful air pollution there.
Entirely different topics there.
There have been laws requiring approved woodstoves for decades.
So you admit that there is nothing to suggest that regions known for using more wood heating have any higher rates of health problems. Thank you.
Sorry, but no i didn't say that. To the contrary, areas with the most use of wood for fuel have the highest incidence of health issue because of it. Don't play word games and expect me to take you seriously.
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There have been laws requiring approved woodstoves for decades.
Exactly, because the health issues and air pollution issues have been known for so long. It's not even remotely a debatable issue at this point, so why be contrarian about it?
Sorry, but no i didn't say that. To the contrary, areas with the most use of wood for fuel have the highest incidence of health issue because of it. Don't play word games and expect me to take you seriously.
You keep making these mythic claims, yet offer no proof.
You keep making these mythic claims, yet offer no proof.
<sigh> i have posted this information here numerous times before. I hate to have to keep digging the same stuff up over and over again because non-believers are unwilling to take a few minutes to check the facts for themselves.
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Although wood smoke conjures up fond memories of sitting by a cozy fire, it is important to know that the components of wood smoke and cigarette smoke are quite similar, and that many components of both are carcinogenic. Wood smoke contains fine particulate matter, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, sulfur dioxide and various irritant gases such as nitrogen oxides that can scar the lungs. Wood smoke also contains chemicals known or suspected to be carcinogens, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and dioxin.
Wood smoke interferes with normal lung development in infants and children. It also increases children’s risk of lower respiratory infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia.
Wood smoke exposure can depress the immune system and damage the layer of cells in the lungs that protect and cleanse the airways.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), toxic air pollutants are components of wood smoke. Wood smoke can cause coughs, headaches, eye, and throat irritation in otherwise healthy people.
For vulnerable populations, such as people with asthma, chronic respiratory disease and those with cardiovascular disease, wood smoke is particularly harmful— even short exposures can prove dangerous.
The particles of wood smoke are extremely small and therefore are not filtered out by the nose or the upper respiratory system. Instead, these small particles end up deep in the lungs where they remain for months, causing structural damage and chemical changes. Wood smoke’s carcinogenic chemicals adhere to these tiny particles, which enter deep into the lungs.
Recent studies show that fine particles that go deep into the lungs increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. EPA warns that for people with heart disease, short- term exposures have been linked to heart attacks and arrhythmias. If you have heart disease, these tiny particles may cause you to experience chest pain, palpitations, shortness of breath, and fatigue.
HEALTH EFFECTS OF BREATHING WOODSMOKE
Summary: Numerous scientific studies report potentially serious adverse health effects
from breathing smoke emitted by residential wood combustion. Smoke contains fine
particles, which can affect both the lungs and the heart. Residential wood smoke may be
a significant source of exposure to fine particle pollution
I have seen a number of published studies trying to analyse the sources of health issues. So far, I have not seen any that was able to isolate woodsmoke as being a significant cause of any health problems.
As noted in the study the lower asthma cases could also be the result of the outside environment and lifestyle, certainly that's a factor. I'd suggest the wood and coal is better because they may be installed in basements that are typically damp in many houses. Plus you have other factors like more fresh air coming into the house to replace combustion air etc.
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