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Today was a perfect example of why the green energy solution is a loser. Today I drove thru an area with at least 100 windmills It was 10 degrees F, a light snow, a complete overcast sky, and no wind, and maybe 10 out 100 windmills were turning... ever so slowly, and one even stopped turning as I watched it. So, if we let the green zealots have their way, and all new energy sources were wind and solar, we would have had black outs today. The only reason we did not have any blackouts was because good old coal-fired power plants were providing the electrical power.
Coal-fired power plants are sources of main power generation, wind and other renweables, except hydro for the most part, are only supplemental power sources. The supplemental power sources are neither dependable nor reliable. I cannot plan my power generation needs for the super bowl game with wind power, because I have no idea if the wind will decide to blow, and if the game is at night then solar is a complete flop.
With coal, nuclear, natural gas, and for the most part even hydro power, I can arrange it so that power generation is there when power is needed for a planned event, like a ball game or even if a cold weather front is predicted to be moving into the area. Even if that cold weather front is supposed to bring wind, I have no real idea if the wind will be steady or just gusting around and cause the energy produced by wind to surge all over the place. I also cannot predict how much sun will shine on my solar panels.
Sorry people, but wind and solar are not a dependable source of electrical power generation, they are too erratic and unstable, and the more wind and solar we dump onto the electrical grid, the less stable and reliable our electrical grid will become, and the more costly the energy bills will be for we the people.
The problem with good ole' fossil fuels is that they are FINITE resources. All are expected to peak and go into decline someday.
World production peaks (both observed and predicted):
Oil : 2005/2006 or 2008 for all liquids (this is including 'alternative' oil ie tar sands, liquidized natural gas etc)
Coal : around 2025. Yes resources are massive (as coalman will point out) but the bulk of world coal reserves are low grade sub bituminous or lignite (basically rocks) with very low EROEI ratios (low energy return ratios). You can't run a modern economy on low EROEI fuels (same goes for 'alternative' oil). Btw the peak for energy return on world coal was back in 1981.
Gas : sometime between 2020 and 2030 worldwide, however there is no world natural gas market so what matters for the US is when will canada peak and for Europe when will Russia? I'm not sure about Canada but Russias production has been flat since 2006 (indicating they are peaking). More exploration is needed in Russia.
Uranium : before 2040, at current production rates.
So there you have it.
Edit: as far as renewables go, if we scaled all the available technologies to their theoretical maximums we would achieve around 20% of the current world energy demand, also renewables require cheap abundant fossil fuels in their manufacture if these technologies are to be scaled up.
Last edited by archineer; 12-03-2010 at 08:25 AM..
The fissile fuel resource in effectivly unlimited when used in breeder reactors. By converting nonfissile material to fissile material these machines make more fuel than they use. Hard to believe, but true.
FERD - The point of government support is to speed the maturity of the technology. Then the private sector, having avoided the development costs, will be all over it.
The fissile fuel resource in effectivly unlimited when used in breeder reactors. By converting nonfissile material to fissile material these machines make more fuel than they use. Hard to believe but true.
yes how many breeder reactors are there though, and how long would it take to transition off fossil fuels to them?
That has more to do with the IMF and World Bank loan sharks than anything else. Spain will be just fine as are many countries that have repudiated the loans that were forced upon them.
More proof that the green agenda is a losing agenda.. SPAIN!
What about it?
Neighboring Portugal, a poor country, is very ambitious regarding renewable energies, last year already 45% of all electricity used came from such sources and the mid-term goal is 80% if I remember correctly. It is a good development as the country becomes pretty independent of fossil fuel suppliers.
The fissile fuel resource in effectivly unlimited when used in breeder reactors. By converting nonfissile material to fissile material these machines make more fuel than they use. Hard to believe, but true.
FERD - The point of government support is to speed the maturity of the technology. Then the private sector, having avoided the development costs, will be all over it.
I dont have a problem with "seed". I do have a huge problem with ultra billions being spent (current proposals from governments around the world).
but "seed" should stay in the area of research. let investors take the risks.
I also have massive issues with the insanity of governments (like ours) making restrictions on CO2. the EPA treating CO2 as a polutant is stupid and an economy killer.
rational investment in the form of research grants is fine. spending billions the way we are talking about it, and setting up carbon trading schemes are just moronic.
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