solar power

[imexilundsonah (deleted)]

IMHO, the traditional concept of large scale central power production and long distance distribution, is bankrupt. For one thing, the production of very high volume of electricity destined to be transported long distance, requires obligatorily the use of highly polluting energy sources such as cole, oil, nuclear or even natural gas. Then such large scale operations is profit oriented, at the detriment of technological evolution, and condusive to corruption. It suffice to have a rapid glance on the situation of the USA with regard to energy, to arouse our of reasonable cynicism. Corrupt oil business, Enron, corrupt nuclear industrial complex, the antiquated coal industry and for all: their dirty hands in the governement. Not to mention that through such short sighted profit oriented view, they have even managed to let the US stagnate in the first part of the 20th century, in 110 volts that is!

In the CURRENT state of technology it is possible, and vital for our planet, that we switch to small, local, clean power production. Certainly solar is the "cleanest", but decentralisation of power production opens the door to a more nuanced approach, which allows the use of local characteristics, such as wind- or geothermal energies. In the west of the USA, we have enough available natural energy sources, sun in the south and wind in the north, to be entirely energy sufficient, WITHOUT the use of polluting, global climate change exarcebating use of fossil fuels and nuclear energy.

It opens a fantastic prospect, even economically, to plan, built, retrofit, houses, businesses, neighborhoods, towns, which generate their own power, in the appropriate quantity, on their roofs or gardens. Architecture, electricity, town planner, transportation specialists, etc etc are all fields of the economy that would be focused on and benefit from such prospect which would in reality be for the common good.

If it were not a question of urgency, given the alarming state of degradation of our climate and its soon desastrous consequences on life on our little planet, it might even be all right to accept the idea that our antiquated vues of the economy, would be the regulating drive letting grow the demand for "alternative energy" implementations, but this would be without planning, and at utterly slow speed. Again, by looking at the 110 volts, we can reasonably assume that the traditional liberal economy fantasies would make "alternative energy" a mainstream energy source may be in...the twenty second century? ...but according to most honest and serious science, life as we know it until now, will have disappeared from our planet long before then, if we do not act radically and immediately, at a global level.

For these reasons, the immediate, massive implementation of local "alternative energy" solutions and the massive, and incidently radical deconstruction of the dinosauric energy producers and pollution mongerer, has to be our goal.

If survival of life and quality if life are our goal, it is our moral obligation to built political forces, inexorable forces, to implement such program, that can only be brought on by political will. We have to establish strategies, *nalyze the tactics that have made it possible for the crazy, irresponsible fundamentalist criminals to have been so successful in overtaking power and obtaining quasi totalitarian power. Given the level of power we have to deconstruct, it has unfortunately become necessary to be fiierce, and machiavelic. The goal is so important and viutal that the "by any means" principles have to be applied.

Well my message has gotten out of hand...sorry! I just wanted to suggest to Green-Passions members the reading of the HOME POWER Magazine, also at www.homepower.com which is an invaluable source for understanding the current possibilities of "alternative energy". It is IMHO the best source in the USA. They have been dedicated to Solar Power and environmentally sustainable living since many decades. Their integrity goes beyond just the "milking of an idea". For example, they print their paper magazine on 100% recycled paper not bleached, haven even gone so far to import such paper from Europe since, sadly, such paper was not available in the USA, from what i understand!

[rachael (deleted)]

I think that you are 100% correct and I have been experimenting with my own creations, trying to generate my own electricity. Not getting very far, but I'm just a poor college student terrified of global warming. I think that in addition to all energy being somewhat "home based" that it would be good to have most everything being produced from the home. I propose an entire change in the values of humans so we stop craving stupid s--- and secondary re-enforcers (money) and learn to determine what we really want, and then figure out how people can make their own.
What specific machiavellian actions would you propose to bring the energy crisis to the attention of the masses? I kind of like the idea, ala Fight Club, of just blowing up every factory and forcing people to start over from scratch.

[temperedoil (deleted)]

I agree that renewable energy generally is urgently needed, and that solar power is one of the most promising forms of renewable energy. However, looking at global energy needs, it is not going to be enough on its own with the technology at the level of development it is at present.

Certainly, there is more energy reaching Earth's surface from the Sun every day than the whole of humanity could use, when looking at how we use energy at the moment. The forms of transforming that energy into usable electricity are not yet efficient enough to be used in parts of the world where there is not a steady flow of solar energy (such as in cloudy areas or in polar regions - particularly in winter, of course).

One problem (aming many) with our reliance upon oil over the past few decades is that because oil is so versatile, it has led us to assume that one source of energy, that one resource, is all we need. That is not an assumption we can afford to make as we seek alternatives to oil, to fossil fuels in general.

Ironically, our heavy dependence upon oil may in itself lead to the uptake of renewables sooner than might have otherwise been the case. This is due to the greatly increased growth in demand for oil and gas leading to prices being so high as to make such renewables as solar power and wind more commercially viable when costs are considered.

Ultimately, in my view, if we are going to be able to lead lifestyles of similar affluency on a global basis to what we have grown accustomed to in the Western world, then we must move to renewable energy sources. We can already see how oil supply is struggling to keep up with demand. It has been suggested that Peak Oil is either already upon us or is just around the corner. If the people of such countries as India and China are to attain the level of affluence that people in such countries as New Zealand, the USA, Europe have grown accustomed to, then there needs to be a reduction in the stresses and strains we place upon the environment, and we need to stop being so heavily reliant upon those resources (such as oil, natural gas, coal, uranium) which are limited and the use of which is damaging to the environment.

I would suggest that the financial aspect is what will drive people toward solar power, wind power, geothermal, and others - but the time factor is something which is not on our side as a species.

It takes time to develop such alternatives, it takes time to shift everyone over to using such alternatives, replacing what we already use. If it was announced on the news tonight that, as from the start of next year, all drivers would be legally required to stop using oil-fuelled cars and switch instead to electric (solar electric, fuel-cell powered, whatever the case may be) vehicles... how many people would simply say "nice idea, but I can't afford that" ?

Here, in New Zealand, there is some debate going on among industry and political leaders about whether we should be building an LNG terminal or a CNG terminal in preparation for when the big gas field we have been reliant upon reaches the end of its production life. I have looked at what has been reported in the news and asked myself "do these people not realise that they will be throwing away the time, effort, and money by building such terminals? That Natural Gas is in decline just as Oil is in decline? That by insisting upon sticking to what has worked so well to date, we are merely putting off what must be done soon, and wasting money on such things instead of the research into alternatives that we should be doing?"

Of course, the people who make these decisions have vested interests in keeping the status quo. OPEC and others have a vested interest in assuring everybody that there is nothing to worry about, plenty of oil and gas, everything will be all right, no need to spend a lot of money on unnecessary renewable alternatives.

In another five to ten years, a lot of common people are going to be very angry at our leaders (globally) for having not done what needed to be done to shift from an oil-based economy to one based upon renewables. Those people who take action now on a private basis to set up solar power for their homes, or wind power farms for their communities, or whatever the case may be, will be much better off in future than those people who either cannot afford to, do not want to, or cannot see the need to.