On Thu, 17 Nov 2011 17:48:45 -0800, Hawke
wrote:

On 11/17/2011 4:34 AM, wrote:
On Nov 17, 2:49 am, wrote:

I knew I could count on old "Buggy Whip" Johnson to oppose green
technology and stand tall to keep 19th century forms of energy number
one on America's energy menu. But sadly for him and the old tech, the
modern people are moving away from burning things to make energy. Maybe
in a couple of decades Buggy Whip will see you don't have to burn stuff
to make energy like he always thought. But he's not going to see that
for a long, long time. Like all right wingers he's got his head firmly
set...to look to the past.

Hawke

I am all for green energy, but only when it is cost effective. I have
been adding insulation to our house because it decreases the amount of
energy I need to live comfortably.

But right now natural gas is cheaper than it has been for years and we
have about a hundred years supply at our current rate of use. Solar
energy is not competitive with natural gas. It takes too much energy
to make the solar cells. So all the trendy people are going to things
like electric cars that either use gasoline to generate the
electricity or use power generated mostly by burning coal.

At the rate solar energy is developing, you will be using power from
burning things until you die. It sure is not going to be here in a
couple of decades. Meanwhile the Keystone pipeline would be
transporting 590,000 barrels per day. Have you any idea of how much
energy that is? And how long it will be before solar energy will be
supplying that amount of energy?


If you would watch that interview with Clinton I told you about on Book
TV you would have a much better idea of how soon solar would be cheaper
than oil.

I'm only paraphrasing but he was saying that every time we put in
another solar energy farm the cost goes down 30%. He said that in five
years it'll be as cheap as oil. He said Solyndra went down because new
technology changed so fast that it made them unprofitable. Every year
oil is going to keep going up in price because it's getting harder and
harder to get it. All the easy oil is gone. Oil tar sand is profitable
when the price gets to around 10 bucks a gallon. By the time we reach
that level solar and wind will be cheaper.

Clinton also said in North Dakota alone there is enough wind power to
provide something like 24% of our energy needs. What we need is a modern
electrical grid to make it happen. So what do you want to do? Stick with
trying to get more fossil fuels, which gets harder and more expensive
all the time or just go for the newer cleaner fuels. If you choose to go
the clean route all the old energy industries and their allies call you
every name in the book. I can understand why. They're going the way of
the buggy whip.

Hawke

Hawke, if you want to know how well these "green" energy sources work
talk to some sailing cruisers, the people who are making open ocean
crossings. They all use solar panels and nearly all use a wind
generator. And 99% of them carry a internal combustion generator set
and have big alternators on their auxiliary engines.

Look at all the people living "off grid". A zillion dollars of solar
power and a diesel gen-set out the back.

People who are in circumstances where they must depend on electricity
seem rather reluctant to rely solely on the green stuff.


--
John B.