Paul, Noosphere is a word coined by a popular French Catholic futurist. It comes from the greek "mind" and "sphere," and is an extension of geological terms--lithosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, ionosphere--into a human global consciousness. Technology is the lastest phase in evolution that is thursting us into a tighter unification.
Costs of electric energy sources ranked generally from cheapest to most expensive are as follow: natural gas, coal, wind, oil, hydro, nuclear, solar. All the experts know wind power beats nuclear hands down in price. In California nuclear power is subsidized and receives twice the pay of wind power. Why? Vested interests. Wind power beats oil. Wind power nearly beats coal. The existence of super efficient railroads in North America is all that is keeping coal ahead of wind power. Gas beats wind power, but not in areas like India where no pipeline infrastructure exists. The fossil fuels really have their backs against the wall: any surge in fuel prices, and suddenly wind power is clearly number 1!
It is thought that Shell Oil, among all the oil giants, best forecasted, rode out, and profited from the oil shocks and crashes of the last 2 decades. Shell Oil now officially predicts that renewables will have over 50% of the energy market in the year 2050. The energy market will then be much bigger . . . so growth in wind power will be excellent.
Energy experts will forever point out the weakness of wind power: variability. The winds don't blow all the time. But the winds do follow predictable seasonal patterns. Thus estimates of monthly and yearly output can be made with a high degree of confidence, even several years out. The same can not be said for fuel prices. Wind power, the fossil fuel man will say, is not there 100% of the time. It is not reliable. Well the rain does not fall 100% of the time and the sun does not shine 100% of the time--and look what rich abundance of organic wealth our earth produces from these varying sources! Sure, wind does not blow all the time, but when it does blow it is free, and many a man has become rich by harvesting what is free from the earth---even if only 30% of the time.
Shell Oil officially predicts renewables will dominate the energy market by the year 2050. |
