Radioactive Boars (Due to Chernobyl?)

[Daveman]

I feel like it's even more OT than the thread drift so far.

Where are the MODS when you need em to step in to help avoid a time-sink?!?   

- Dan

bunch o' slackers...

[BC]

Follow the buck..

At current energy prices, any new developments allowing alternative energy at lower cost will be gobbled up by energy producing giants in order to protect their interests.  

If I opened a factory today that produces solar panels for 1$ per watt peak, the electric company will buy me out as they do not want either the technology or product directly in the hands of the consumer.

Who do you think owns the majority of the windmills and solar farms or is buying their energy production?

-Certainly not the common man.

Government could quite easily sponsor an open domain program to develop technology that would allow production of low cost solar panels for the end consumer, but guess what - they won't as it will dramatically drop much needed tax revenue.

At this point in time, just view all alternative energy projects as massive projects to ensure technology is protected from the common man with the main interest of protecting energy company revenue and government tax base.

Funny that this is very similar to agencies not wanting their customers to have contact information for the women they are interested in.

[Shadow]

Speaking about solar energy..... I remember last year there was news about a young genius inventing a breakthrough that would make solar panels 5 to 10 times more efficient. Anyone know what happened to it ?

While in some ways mass-production may improve things, the current state of ' alternative'  energy is kind of deplorable the last time I spoke someone who researched in that area.
Solar energy has an earn-back time of 15 to 25 years, where as wind energy is even worse off. The famous wind turbines have an earnback time of 10 years, however major revisions are needed every 5 years, making a net loss. Both technologies would not fare well without the major state subsidized projects.
The most promosing technology as for future application is hydrogen. At current level it still is too expensive to be feasible though. Hydrogen cells produce little waste, are both scalable and transportable, and already pretty efficient.
However in order for any alternative technology to be feasible, the price of energy has to rise. Which is, given the historical developments, not at all impossible.

In order to keep the price of energy up, and make it rise, the people need to feel there is a current or upcoming shortage. In 1973 predictions were that around this time we would not have a drop of oil left. Currently predictions are shifted up 30 years.
Climate change to up the energy taxes has been applied recently, and more taxations might arrive as governments around the world need to put money in making alternative energy feasible. A crisis in the Middle East now and then might help as well.

To summarize... in 1890 a research was done and this predicted hard times in the future. Due to the increase in carriages London would be covered in horse manure within the next 30 years...

Waste disposal is a problem that has to be dealt with. However that too is nothing else as weighing the cost. In our solar system there are lots of places where radiation is much higher, and sending some waste there would technically be possible, however too costly at this time.

[BC]

Shadow,

Look at Nanosolar and First Solar, both who are producing at prices that allow for $1 per peak watt hour.

Then, go try to buy even one panel..  their production capacity is bought up years in advance by big investors, utilities and oil companies.

At this pricing, installed systems could be had for $2.50-3.00 per pwh and provide a payback period of 5 years or so for a small household.  Certainly reasonable, less investment than a new small car and a nice profit at 10-15 years. The cheapest panels available today, to the public start around $3.50 per pwh, still prohibitively high for the common household with installation costs on top.

It almost seems as if the power companies are betting that by the time enough production capacity is available to reach the public at these prices, factories will see that they are just saturating the market and wind down their production. Their capacity plans are geared towards filling Big Biz demand, not consumer. Better to sell a few at a decent price than a slew as throw away bargains.

[tim 360]

Follow the buck..

At current energy prices, any new developments allowing alternative energy at lower cost will be gobbled up by energy producing giants in order to protect their interests.  

If I opened a factory today that produces solar panels for 1$ per watt peak, the electric company will buy me out as they do not want either the technology or product directly in the hands of the consumer.

Who do you think owns the majority of the windmills and solar farms or is buying their energy production?

-Certainly not the common man.

Not to mention the governments will do what the big corps want them to do which is to keep them very profitable and they do pay for that.

Last year a guy put up a very small windmill at his home and it was about 10 feet higher than his roof.  His electric bill went down by 90%.  Within 6 months the town made him remove it because all this neighbors complained it ruined their view. 

[GQBlues]

Not to mention the governments will do what the big corps want them to do which is to keep them very profitable and they do pay for that.

Last year a guy put up a very small windmill at his home and it was about 10 feet higher than his roof.  His electric bill went down by 90%.  Within 6 months the town made him remove it because all this neighbors complained it ruined their view. 

Funny. Sad, but funny in a way....

My wife and I occasionally just attend those little RW/AM couple get-togethers where we are. That's where I get all the friction, static, and hot air we need to last us for about a month. Then we just attend another one and repeat the cycle. Some, we were told, are actually nuclear.

[BC]

Some, we were told, are actually nuclear.

We have quit a few of those huge windmills here so when folks from afar ask what they do, I reply:

"Since the Earth's rotation slows a wee bit every year, they build them to make it rotate a bit faster, otherwise days would get longer."

[GQBlues]

We have quit a few of those huge windmills here so when folks from afar ask what they do, I reply:

"Since the Earth's rotation slows a wee bit every year, they build them to make it rotate a bit faster, otherwise days would get longer."

LOL.

As you likely already know, Palm Springs was one of the first places where they installed these wind turbines. I will never forget when these puppies were still at its infancy and not too many people aren't yet aware what they were for...one remark I heard and will never forget was...

"Man, Bob Hope sure have a lot of power to finally get the city to install these huge electric fans! We sure can use them here in Palm Springs!"

[tim 360]

"Since the Earth's rotation slows a wee bit every year, they build them to make it rotate a bit faster, otherwise days would get longer."

And if its not that windmills just ruin the view for some--National Security--the military doesn't like them either.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/27/business/energy-environment/27radar.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

[kievstar]

I work for a global energy company that is involved with nuclear, oil, gas, and current.  We are just getting into solar and wind but it has slowed as the demand for energy has been more oil, nuclear, gas, and water based.

Companies like First Solar and Acciona only get into solar and wind due to the huge government subsidies.

The huge recent finds of oil off of Brazil (bigger than gulf of Mexico), Africa, and South East Asia just makes solar and wind expensive for many countires.  Small countries under 20 million people can easily go green energy. 

The amount of oil spilled in gulf of Mexico by BP is 165% of the normal spill of oil each year in gulf of Mexico (how many people knew that before?).  With many of the other oil rigs slowed over a 3 year period due to spill the impact of the Gulf of Mexico is estimated to be the same as the previous 3 years.  One year just got a heavy dose. 

Personally nuclear is the way to go.  Would love to see USA build another 100 nuclear plants.

Chernobyl still has had a huge impact on people in Kiev.  The number of misscarriages is extremely higher there than other parts of Ukraine.  There are numerous studies but I prefer looking with my own eyes.  I have toured Chernobyl and lived in Kiev.  People who have done both I tend to listen to about impact of Chernobyl.