permaculture

["Trudie Redding" <tredding@mail.utexas.edu>]

In the documentary Nobelity the host interviews one person who stated
that solar energy, wind energy and hydro-electric power together will
not make enough power to replace the fuel that we presently use each day
as earthlings.
I am not explaining clearly, I think.
I think the speaker may have included biofuels, anyway, he's a
mathematician and figured it out.
A general statement like "Solar should meet nearly 100% of Florida's
energy needs." The statement is subjective because everyone (using
Florida as a possible example)has not come to accept that electrical
power and fuel based power is finite and coulda shoulda ? be doled out
or rationed. In other words everyone does not agree on what Florida
needs versus what Floridians want.
Then the additional info:
Manufacture solar panels
Produce green house gases while doing so
Manufacture metal frames
Produce green house gases while doing so
Build elec system on building site
Produce green house gases while doing so
Rubber, takes time to grow, shipped from far away, copper, dug out of
mines, labor, health issues, plastic, components
Produce green house gases while doing so
Travel to locations. Labor to install, eat food, buy tools, train, takes
electrical power
Some power lost in transforming solar energy into usable electricity.
20 year lifespan on panels, less on the transformer etc.
It would be interesting and very worthwhile to promote the solar right
away, but the actual greenery in Florida may be what is helping keep the
area cooler, and the swamps are a necessity. It's the humans that may
have to cut back.

Trudie 

-----Original Message-----
From: permaculture-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:permaculture-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of jedd
Sent: Friday, June 15, 2007 7:52 PM
To: permaculture
Subject: Re: [permaculture] Infeasible power fantasies (Was:
Energy-EnergyPolicy-Bioregional Design-The Sustainability of
Biofuels.US.FL)

On Sat, 16 Jun 2007, Kenneth Benway wrote:
> Solar should meet nearly 100% of Florida's energy needs.

 Should is such a useful word, isn't it.

 Anyhoo, how do you propose to supply energy when the
 sun isn't shining?

 Have you calculated the surface area that would need to be
 covered with PVC's in order to provide the necessary power?

 Jedd.
_______________________________________________
permaculture mailing list
permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/permaculture
-go to the above link to subscribe to or unsubscribe from this list-