David Nebenzahl wrote:
On 6/2/2008 12:58 PM Rod Speed spake thus:

dpb wrote:
Rod Speed wrote:

The vast bulk of our electricity doesnt come from oil, it comes from
coal, and even if we stop doing that because of the CO2 produced by
that approach, we'll be using nukes instead, not 'various green
sources'

Nuclear _is_ a "green" source...

Nope.

Yep (meaning "I agree with you"). ...

See above...removes almost all the issues the greens are complaining
about in an economical, reliable form.

... But I don't understand why you seem so
sre that we'll be using this decidedly non-green source when so many
other truly green sources have such better chances of not only providing
practical power but also doing it economically. (Specifically: solar
photovoltaic, wind, geothermal, tide [being proposed for the San
Francisco Bay Area], cogeneration, recovered landfill methane,
small-head hydro, etc.)

'Cause they don't have the energy density and reliability required for
replacement of baseload generation on the scale required. Every where
I've been the sun still goes down at night when lights are wanted, wind
isn't reliable (I just published in earlier thread results of analysis
of large wind farm in W KS which is highest US area for wind suitability
and it has only produced at less than half installed capacity on average
for six years with several _months_ of operation at roughly 20%).

The other sources you listed are even smaller contributors and are even
more limited in their availabilities other than waste methane which is,
while widely distributed, still a relatively small source.

The problem w/ the "green" plans has always been and remains one of
confusing wishing for it to be so w/ making it actually work in
practical and economical manner. These all have their place but there
is still a need and will always unless there is some truly revolutionary
breakthrough for baseload, 24/7 reliable generation.

Not only that, but doing it in a truly distributed fashion, allowing
better matches between sources and loads.
....

Can you say expensive?

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