Climate change - MP has second thoughts

[pcstru]

Cheaper isn't the issue at all . My point was that electric cars use a lot of resources and so are not "green" at all:

See here:

Cheaper is usually a factor in "uneconomic" which IS what you said. How can something be uneconomic and cheaper?

BBC News - Electric cars 'pose environmental threat'

 

"The Norwegian University of Science and Technology study found greenhouse gas emissions rose dramatically if coal was used to produce the electricity."

 

So, not green where powered by coal.

 

"However, in some cases electric cars still made sense, the researchers said."

 

So even though they are doing an exhaustive analysis over the lifetime of the product including build and disposal costs, in some cases it does already make sense. Battery technology is steadily improving. The case for electric cars will only get stronger.

[rdsc]

I'd be highly sceptical of anything that originates from the Renewable Energy Foundation - they've been anti wind power from the get-go and you've got to be suspicious of an organisation campaigning against windpower that's sponsored by Calor Gas? See Will the real Renewable Energy Foundation please stand up? | Leo Hickman | Environment | guardian.co.uk

 

Edit:

 

Digging a bit further it appears that the Dude who wrote the REF's paper, Professor Gordon Hughes, testified at the Energy and Climate Change Committee in July 2012 as a representative of the Global Warming Policy Foundation - the one set up by Nigel Lawson. This website puts it bluntly - "The Renewable Energy Foundation is a front for biofuel and energy-intensive industries, and anti-wind campaigners"

Edited February 27, 2013 by rdsc

[zag]

"The Renewable Energy Foundation is a front for biofuel and energy-intensive industries, and anti-wind campaigners"

 

People should really recognise this

 

Vested interest. Simple as.

[Flatpackhamster]

People should really recognise this

 

Vested interest. Simple as.

 

There are vested interests on both sides. That doesn't mean that the information is invalid, it means that knowing about the vested interest is essential if you are to make a successful judgement on what's correct. The ecomentalist movement has 'vested interests', the wind energy lobby is incredibly powerful and rich.

 

That said, IMO wind is a total waste of time. It isn't constant, it's incredibly expensive, it's bad for the environment and it's noisy and unattractive. If you were having a contest for 'Worst choice of energy solution', wind would be at the top.

 

My energy mix for now would be shale gas for the next decade, followed by a rapid ramping up of our fission power, with research in to alternative nuclear solutions and fusion at the top of the tree, and renewables consigned to the fantasy bin of history where they belong.

[Roberto]

There's also the issue of the impact on the environment of a running turbine - it could be dangerous to birds, and a field of them will alter the wind to unpredictable effect - if only to make the energy returned from a turbine farm much less than predicted.

 

I'm a little suspicious of any point of view that suggests it's all cut and dried one way or the other. There's a lot of devils still to be found in all the details of all the options.

[zag]

Just a thought as I was reading about "Peak wind" today but there is enough wind power to supply the entire planet many times over with electricity.

 

All we need to do is work out how to get the electricity to the right places at the right times.

 

Great Britain especially, has huge natural wind sources being an island.

[pcstru]

Great Britain especially, has huge natural wind sources being an island the world foremost consumers of Baked Beans.

 

There, fixed that for you.

[Andrew_C]

Can I commend this site to you? I did know about it, but was reminded of it by one of our maths teachers.

Sustainable Energy Without The Hot Air

[Flatpackhamster]

Just a thought as I was reading about "Peak wind" today but there is enough wind power to supply the entire planet many times over with electricity.

 

All we need to do is work out how to get the electricity to the right places at the right times.

 

Great Britain especially, has huge natural wind sources being an island.

 

You glossed over the important part about price. Cost matters here. Cheap energy is what counts, not theoretical abundance.