John Re...I'm not talking about covering the desert with solar panels. Jeez. I'm talking about covering residential and commercial roofs with solar panels. When people are at home using electricity, the solar supplies some or all of their needs.
Which highlights one of the main failings with solar. You have heard of pollution, and how pollution, especially in the big cities, can get so thick, you can't see through it, and how pollution covers everything in grime. The same happens to all of those solar panels; and if they are on the roof, they are had to clean and maintain.
But for this to happen, you need to change perceptions.
If you tell the people the truth, about the necessity of maintenance of the panels, it will be impossible to change perceptions. While wind power, doesn't have near the problems, even the blades have to be cleaned periodically, to keep them efficient, so the airflow doesn't get disturbed. Its not that maintenance on the panels, or the blades can't be done, it is a cost which should be recognized.
Same story with SUV's v. hybrid or electric. MY WAG on the replacement cycles for autos is 3 1/2 years. Start giving a compelling economic benefit for hybrid and electric vehicles, and you might reduce vehicle energy consumption by 1/3 or more in 5 years. That's progress; right now we are going in the opposite direction
Not at all. Formerly, almost all of the hybrids were foreign, mainly Japanese. This yr. at the auto show, there were several American entrants. One SUV supposedly is designed to get 40 mpg. They are coming, and when they get cheap enough so they don't carry a big price/ benefit relationship, they should sell well.
But in the end, you have to make energy conservation cool, something people are charged about, something they want to do.
Agreed. Usually when it makes economic sense, then it will also be the cool thing to do.
Gore might have, he was committed.
I didn't know that. Did you see Al on the boob tude the other day ranting and raving. Al should have been commited a long time ago, but AFAIK he isn't yet. Seriously, Al dropped his CAFE mileage, and alternate energy sources claims in the election, which is one reason, AL lost a lot of his base.
You need leadership and commitment.
Yes we do. Which is why GW, even with slightly faulty vision, will be better than Kerry, with no vision. Being against everything doesn't show vision. |
