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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: carranza2 who wrote (135603)	6/4/2004 11:49:10 AM
From: Valley Girl	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 281500

I agree, this is a big deal, way bigger than terrorists. This is the geopolitical issue for the 21rst century. Although I don't think it'll happen, you don't have to use much imagination to visualise a war between the US and China over middle eastern petroleum. I've been fretting about it for years now but it always seemed like the peak was still moving farther away. The passion for 7000 pound SUVs getting 12mpg has looked like a form of mass insanity to me. It now appears that 2005 will be the peak; OPEC is going to be pumping flat out to meet demand this winter. Your point about solar panels is well-taken. I've been looking for information of that sort as a way to either reassure myself that there's a way forward or to prick the bubble of the solar fantasy. Anything you find is generally biased. That said, have a look at this: ecotopia.com They claim to have crunched the numbers and the conclusion is you can meet US electricity needs with an array about 1/5 the size of Nevada. That's probably reaching - an expert that I know personally puts the figure higher, at 10% of the US land area. That's about the same amount of land we use for agriculture, so it's within the realm of the possible. Obviously you'd put the collectors where they'd do the most good and the least harm. I doubt this would never fly from an environmental point of view. Carpeting the deserts with solar collectors is sure to put some endangered critter at risk, and then the game's up. You already have environmentalists lining up against wind farms because they kill a lot of endangered birds. Then again, there are lot of rooftops we could cover, including big flat shopping malls, the roofs over parking structures (we'd build some over top of any that are presently uncovered), and perhaps even along freeways. They would arguably not do any further damage to the ecosystem and would gain us something. A no-brainer if you ask me.

To: carranza2 who wrote (135603)	6/5/2004 10:31:59 AM
From: Zeuspaul	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

it would take a huge number of square miles [more than 50, but I don't recall the exact number] of solar panels to produce the energy equivalent that an Exxon gas station I have enough solar area on my own roof for my own transportation needs as well as most if not all of my other energy needs. If my home and transportation systems were better designed I would have a significant surplus. When the hardware cost comes down I will install it. If you are looking to cover large areas of land you are looking in the wrong place. There is not much profit in solar so don't look for a market solution. Look where the answers are...not where they are not.