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  • From: Krista <lightleightread@yahoo.com>
  • To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] Design-Bioregional-Energy
  • Date: Sun, 17 Jun 2007 21:26:01 -0700 (PDT)


Wow, I've missed a lot the past few days...
I haven't seen so much drama since high school :p

-------Michael Wrote:
>I'd still like to echo the original comment,
>which was that someone should do the math
>to see how viable next-generation solar would
>be for providing power to the state of Florida.
>
>Here are the 2004 figures for energy consumption in
that state.
>http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/states/sep_sum/html/sum_btu_tot.html
>
>I see they used 755.2 trillion btus of natural gas--
>nearly all, I would suspect, in electrical
generation--
>plus 325.5 trillion btus from nuclear power, 699.1
trillion btus
>from coal, 176.1 trillion btus from biomass and a
negligible amount
>(2.7 trillion btus) from hydroelectric power.
>Or, very roughly, 1,200,000,000,000 btus total for
the year.
>
>That's a lot of juice. Just so we can wrap our heads
around
>the concept, could someone with a grasp of the new
solar technology
>size a system for us that could, say, provide just a
trillion btus per year?
>I'd like to see what we're talking about.
>
>Michael

You've got a point - Solar energy probably can't meet
the energy needs of Florida at it's current
consumption levels, even if we had more efficient
systems.

One of the huge problems with weaning the World off of
petroleum based energy is to teach people to limit
their consumption. Here in the USA, many people
believe it's their God-given right to drive an SUV,
live in a 7,000 square foot house with a huge green
lawn, and leave the water running while they brush
their teeth. Add to all of that, in Florida, it seems
that most of the population would be happier living in
Canada. I carry a sweater or jacket in my car
year-round, because most of the restaurants, movie
theaters and malls keep the thermostat at 62F(17C)
when it is 95F(35C) outside. I say, if you can't stand
the heat, get out of the sub-tropics, but nobody
listens :(

Really, to consider almost any alternative energy plan
starts with re-educating the vast majority of the
population, at least here in the US. I would love to
see us do what Europe did decades ago, and add an
exhorberant tax to petroleum fuels to hit people in
the pocketbook. It might be the only way to get them
to listen. Europeans have smaller cars, smaller homes,
smaller and more efficient appliances, and still seem
to have a fine lifestyle.

~krista
Clearwater, Florida





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