[mdlug-discuss] Winds of Change

[Aaron Kulkis]

Novak, Louis (L.M.) wrote:
> "When the winds of change blow, some people build walls and others build
> windmills." - Chinese proverb 
> 
> 
> http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=a-path-to-sustainable-e
> nergy-by-2030 
> 
> A Plan to Power 100 Percent of the Planet with Renewables
> 
> Key Concepts
> 
> *	Supplies of wind and solar energy on accessible land dwarf the
> energy consumed by people around the globe.
> *	The authors' plan calls for 3.8 million large wind turbines,
> 90,000 solar plants, and numerous geothermal, tidal and rooftop
> photovoltaic installations worldwide.
> *	The cost of generating and transmitting power would be less than
> the projected cost per kilowatt-hour for fossil-fuel and nuclear power.
> *	Shortages of a few specialty materials, along with lack of
> political will, loom as the greatest obstacles.
> 
> 

 I used to be a subscriber to Scientific American.  I started
reading it in the late 70's.

I quit reading it when it became clear that changes in the
editorial staff had caused political causes and spin to
take precedence over science.

Yes, there is LOTS of energy, but anyone with an even
basic understanding of thermodynamics will tell you that
some forms of energy are less recoverable than others,
even assuming loss-less conversion.

The above list is political, not scientific.