Thread: Earth Hour

Originally Posted by rovercare

So what is your proposal for clean(er) energy sources?

I do agree, human nature dictates that we relie on necessaty becoming the means, but what forethought do you have to fix the situation?

How abour a sensible debate on nuclear power ?

Originally Posted by rovercare

So what is your proposal for clean(er) energy sources?

I do agree, human nature dictates that we relie on necessaty becoming the means, but what forethought do you have to fix the situation?

How about a sensible debate on nuclear power ?

Originally Posted by p38arover

Crikey, I'll be dead before it's a problem so I'm not concerned. You young fellas can sort it out after I'm gone.

That's exactly what I am talking about, selfishness.
Ok here's my alternative approach:
Nuclear will have to happen, simple as that. Makes the most sense, plenty of resources in OZ for it and is also a very efficient way of generating electricity. BUT the only real big con is what do you do with the radioactive material that is left over. Sure you can bury it in the desert, but it has to be carted there, and bit hole dug and dumped there. But this also has enviromental implications, emissions are being produced by carting the waste there etc etc.

Or go solar, sure it will work well here, very sunny country after all. But you need a ****load of panels to generate a lot of power. This means that a lot of expensive "high embodied emissions" panels need to be produced.
In the first year of my degree, we had to do a report on embodied emissions for a proposed new dam to produce Hydro power, and it was the figures for embodied emissions were staggering. I could look up the figures, but can't be bothered as I have a prac report on fracture mechanics to do. This has nothing to do with solar power, but I am using it as a point to prove that embodied emissions need to be considered as well.

Finally, what about wind power, produces a lot of Belgium's power, why can it not contribute more to the grid over here. Did another report on them last year in one of my courses, fascinating machines. A great idea if you can find a windy place, but you also need a lot of them to generate the supply required for the demand.

In regard to transport, yes the electric car can be viable, but only if you can find a means of generating greener power. Hybrids are not the way I personally think, the embodied emissions in producing the batteries are just too great, and they need to be replace often too.

Originally Posted by Hendrik

That's exactly what I am talking about, selfishness.

Yep. Happy to be selfish.

Oh, BTW, I'm installing a 3 kW solar power system.

Why? Well, to tell the truth I wouldn't except (1) the Federal govt is giving me an interest free loan to do it and (2) NSW is offering a 60 c/kWH gross feed in tariff until 2017.

If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't waste the time on it.

Originally Posted by Hendrik

Nuclear will have to happen, simple as that.

On a worldwide basis, certainly. In Australia, probably much later, after Hot Rocks, Solar and Wind are fully utilised.

Originally Posted by Hendrik

Or go solar, sure it will work well here, very sunny country after all. But you need a ****load of panels to generate a lot of power. This means that a lot of expensive "high embodied emissions" panels need to be produced.

Large scale solar doesn't need acres of PV panels, heat storage solar and concentrator PV systems are more efficient in bulk. Technologies to reduce refined silicon in PV are happening, e.g Sliver Cells in Aust. Building materials with PV applied will reduce embodied energy in new construction. Sticking solar panels on a perfectly good roof is sooo 20th century...

The age of cheap oil is over, the age of cheap coal will be over soon enough. Energy Return On Investment is never going to be that good again in the forseeable future. Cutting edge design to reduce wastage will be vitally important.

Originally Posted by Hendrik

Finally, what about wind power, produces a lot of Belgium's power, why can it not contribute more to the grid over here. Did another report on them last year in one of my courses, fascinating machines. A great idea if you can find a windy place, but you also need a lot of them to generate the supply required for the demand.

SA and western Victoria have a very windy coastline, when all our wind resources are fully utilised we will be exporting heaps of power eastwards. It's in its beginning stages yet. It means of course bigger transmission lines, undersea cables like the DC Basslink to Tasmania, with superconducting DC cables being on the drawing board in the US.

Local wind resource development by communities is also happening, common in Europe but happening now in Victoria with the Hepburn Springs people.

Earth hour is a big load of horse *@#% ..... I get sick of the all the boring morons who crap on about this just so they can feel good about themselves.

I'm no greenie, in fact, I detest those people, I find most of them are dole bludgers anyway.

I own a farm so i am always on the look out to make my land better by planting trees, using water wisely and clearing noxsious weeds and so forth. I also do my bit around the house and recycle and turn lights off when not in use.

The problem with the green movement is that they are unrealistic with their constant bleating ..... just listen to WONG, GARRETT, BROWN and not to forget 'global warming is the greatest challenge of our time' KRUDD ... haven't really heard much about the great global warming climate change con from these idiots ...... Oh climate change is real don't worry about that, we know it is real because it has been happening since the dawn of time and will continue to happen long after we have turned off the lights .....

I will also acknowledge that we need to do things differently ..... nuclear power is inevitable, forget solar, hydro, wind and all the other stuff, they are way to expensive and cost a fortune to maintain ..... when the idealogical simplistic sheeple and the head nodding politicians get it then maybe, just maybe we will get somewhere ....... until then you go and have your stupid earth hour and all the other con jobs that get heaped on to us and I'll keep living my life just the way i like it ...

Personally, I see it as an opportunity to sit back and reflect on the great achievements of the human race and the fact that we no longer live in caves as the Greens would have us.
As for you young ones who've been indoctrinated by all this man made climate change bulltish, in years to come you'll look back with an embarassed smile and realise how naive and gullible you were.
Get on with life, enjoy it and don't be dragged down to the imbecillic levels of the doomsayers who will remain negative losers their entire lives.

Yes climate change has happened since the dawn of time, but yonks ago no one was pumping billions of tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. It has to have some profound effect, there must be some sort of reaction effect, otherwise no one would care about global warming.
The problem is, everyone is too set in their ways, they don't wants to do anything about it. Everyone is saying "Lets worry about it later" it will be too late then.

I grew up on a farm as well, my dad still farms vegetables under irrigation. He has changed all his ways, went to minimum tilling which saves money, time, fuel and water, gives better yields. He tried convincing the local farmers in the valley to change their ways as well...but no they are too set in their ways. The figures and stats are there to show that it works season in, season out...but yet it still isn't enough. They simply cannot be bothered to make a change, they just keep doing the same as previous generations have.