On 2006-11-18 02:51:00 +0000, John Beardmore said:

In message , raden
writes


Solar panels have a reasonably well spec'd return

Agreed, but some people buy them for other reasons.


I don't see what my folks signed for as being economically viable

No, but I think our clients divide into at least four categories.

People that want to save the world.

People that like interesting toys.

People that want to set an educational example.

People that want to save money.


All three seem worthy in one respect or another. Another category may
also creep in.

People that follow fashion.

I think that that is probably a fair assessment of reasons to purchase.

I wonder how much the sales people focus on any of the others than the
possibility that the customer might save money. Maybe.

In terms of worthiness, I suppose it depends on what one means by worthiness.
Incrementalism is a poor argument at the best of times and one might have
hoped that people would be smart enough to realise that they won't save
the world
through installing a solar panel.





Still - I suppose their CO2 is as bad as anybody elses, and every
little helps !


Well, hmmm... isn't that Tesco's tag line as they report their latest
set of profits?

All of this is focus in completely the wrong area. All the time that
the U.S. continues
not to make much of a federal effort in terms of emissions control and
China is opening
a new coal fired power station weekly, all of this other stuff makes so
little difference
that it is a waste of time on environmental grounds. I would
suggest that efforts are turned
towards dealing with the major issues, and that does not include
getting GW Bush to sign up
for silly politicised nonsense like Kyoto, but for serious efforts for change.