Re: [GreenYes] energy supply

[Muna Lakhani <muna@iafrica.com>]

dschere@bgnet.bgsu.edu wrote:
>> Developing technologies for stand-alone facilities, an important,
> anti-terrorist strategy, is a promising path where renewable
> technologies will have advantages they often lack in places where the
> electic grid is the norm.

agreed, although the point is not to drive this to be "anti-terrorist"
but rather as a safe and sustainable long term option....
 
> Countries (and special regions and places, like islands, e.g.) without
> the burden of such infra-structures as the grid or the US transportation
> system are places where developers of renewable technologies are gaining
> footholds with renewable technologies.  Insightful advocates of
> renewable technologies will ponder how to build on those cases.

and more.... Germany and Denmark have committed to 50% electricity by
wind alone, the markets for RE are growing between 25% and 45% per
annum; even the World Bank will fund RE but will no longer fund nukes...
I could go on.....

> Yet as a recyling community, I think we have to realize, as well, that
> US reliance on coal can change no faster than alternatives are on line
> to take the place of coal.  With the millions of tons we burn daily,
> that means continued reliance for a long time.  So do we want to promote
> alternative coal technologies that avoid NOXs and capture elemental
> sulphur as a byproduct?  I should think so.

sorry - cannot agree - if a good efficiency programme was implemented
over the next year or two, you could easily save up to 30% of current
consumption; that will give enough breathing space to implement solid RE
strategies... as is happening now in the US - The USA market for RE
alone was greater than US$6 billion in 2000; Bonneville Power
Administration, Oregon USA says they are "seeing wind power for
California and NW as one way of ensuring stable energy provision and
prices."; USA - renewable energy will create 350000 net jobs by 2010
- Renewable energy will lower our fossil fuel imports, saving foreign
exchange.; The world's largest windfarm (3000 MW) will be installed
within one year (2001) in the USA, as well as a further 200 MW in
California and another 260 MW in Nevada, as well as further new capacity
in wind alone of 2000 MW."

etc etc etc....

the issue of capturing sulphur is a non-starter - we have been doing
that here to some extent, mainly from fossil fuel processes, and we have
a mountain of the stuff with no market...

the argument about continuing with coal / nuclear "until RE proves
itself" is nothing more than misinformation - RE technologies work, and
work well - an island in Denmark is totally self sufficient in energy
from wind; the first commercial wave power generator has gone onstream,
and already signed a 15 year supply contract; I could go on...

the answer is simple: if it is unsustainable, stop it, and stop it now -
no more investment or subsidies for it, and it will soon come right...

regards
Muna


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