Harry K wrote:

Whale oil is a renewable resource.

Okay, you provide it and I will use it to for my next tank fill.
There is practical and then there is pie in the sky.

I can't. It's against the law.


When it comes to heating, it is a necessary evil and must be done
somehow. Currently there are no 'clean' methods that are economically
viable. Someone will spring up now with "solar" ignoring the
"economically viable" bit. When someone can show me where an entry
level house can be totally solar at a reasonable cost...


Do the math. About 745 watts per sq meter falls on the earth's surface. On
the equator. At noon. With no clouds. The only way to increase this number
is to move the orbit of the earth closer to the sun.

Assuming 70% efficiency for solar collectors, and adjusting for latitude and
40% cloud cover, it would take a collector farm the size of the Los Angeles
basin (~1200 sq miles) to provide power for California (~50GW).

Overlooking the cost to build and maintain 1200 sq miles of collectors, the
people of Los Angeles would have to fight in the shade.