On 14 Jul 2001, at 17:10, Michael Harney wrote:
Before I say anything else, I'd reiterate that while I respect the
majority green movement, I am eco-realist and NOT green.
> On the topic of solar power, yes, every power type has an impact on
> the environment, it takes much resources to manufacture solar cells.
> I still believe that it is the cleanest energy source with the least
> impact (note, I never said it had *no* impact I said it had the
> least). Silicon is one of the most abundant substances on earth,
> there is no shortage and little demand for it in the ecosystem, and is
> on the Earth's surface, so mining it is not terribly dammaging to the
> earth.
Mining isn't the issue. It's the actual process. Also, solar power
has some major, major drawbacks. Firstly, except in tropical
countries, it is simply not economical to run solar pannels (we're
talking decades to pay back for a house!), and except the general
public to bite. Also, you need storage for night-time and at times
you will have to get mains power anyway.
Using roof space for equipment to heat water, on the other hand,
especially in tropical countries can be done during the day, VERY
cheaply and with simple equipment...
> Coal mining, oil drilling, and radioactive waste are
> deffinately more damaging (Why not shoot radioactive waste to the sun?
> Simple, if something goes wrong before the rocket leaves the
> atmosphere, you end up with radioactive waste being spread all over
> the rocket's crash site, which could easily be spread over many
> miles).
Commercial carriers into space have a VERY low failure rate..it's
onlt the failures we hear about, generally, after all (unless it's a
manned mission). Also, statistically, it's safer than buring the stuff
and hoping it goes away...
> available, and I suspect (I have no proof of this, it is only an
> untested, unresearched hypothesis) that the large turbine fans may
> effect climactic conditions by slowing wind, potentially affecting
> directions and progression of weather systems. In small quantities of
> fans, I am sure this effect is not even measurable, but if we were to
> convert solely to that as an energy source, and manufacture hundreds
> of thousands of them (if not millions to provide all the power
> needed), I am sure we will feel an effect, though what that effect
> will be is hard to say.
Actually, it's not so much that. It's that wind farms require LARGE
amounts of open space, are a noise hazard, play havock with radar
and many other things.
Andy
Dawn Falcon
