Comments on: Desert Solar Power Plants - Don’t Get Your Hopes Up http://www.cheatseekingmissiles.com/2009/06/09/desert-solar-power-plants-dont-get-your-hopes-up/ Sun, 21 Mar 2010 01:37:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Francis Drouillard http://www.cheatseekingmissiles.com/2009/06/09/desert-solar-power-plants-dont-get-your-hopes-up/#comment-8429 Francis Drouillard Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:55:18 +0000 http://www.cheatseekingmissiles.com/?p=6823#comment-8429 Christa Jeanne,   Why would you want to destroy a unique desert habitat when the benefits are so dubious? Just because the Sierra Club opposes it?   That's utterly foolish. The choice you present -- human life or random desert creatures -- is a false dilemma. You don't have to choose between one or the other. We can have alternative forms of energy without harming the environment or destroying habitat, desert or otherwise, and it isn't that difficult to do.   As for seeing things in black and white, that applies more to you than it does those that want to consider the costs (including environmental costs) and benefits of a project before diving in with both feet.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('8429','Francis Drouillard'); return false;">Reply</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('8429','Francis Drouillard','Christa Jeanne,\r\n \r\nWhy would you want to destroy a unique desert habitat when the benefits are so dubious? Just because the Sierra Club opposes it?\r\n \r\nThat\'s utterly foolish. The choice you present -- human life or random desert creatures -- is a false dilemma. You don\'t have to choose between one or the other. We can have alternative forms of energy without harming the environment or destroying habitat, desert or otherwise, and it isn\'t that difficult to do.\r\n \r\nAs for seeing things in black and white, that applies more to you than it does those that want to consider the costs (including environmental costs) and benefits of a project before diving in with both feet.'); return false;">Quote</a></div> Christa Jeanne,
 
Why would you want to destroy a unique desert habitat when the benefits are so dubious? Just because the Sierra Club opposes it?
 
That’s utterly foolish. The choice you present — human life or random desert creatures — is a false dilemma. You don’t have to choose between one or the other. We can have alternative forms of energy without harming the environment or destroying habitat, desert or otherwise, and it isn’t that difficult to do.
 
As for seeing things in black and white, that applies more to you than it does those that want to consider the costs (including environmental costs) and benefits of a project before diving in with both feet.
Reply - Quote
]]> By: Christa Jeanne http://www.cheatseekingmissiles.com/2009/06/09/desert-solar-power-plants-dont-get-your-hopes-up/#comment-8376 Christa Jeanne Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:32:42 +0000 http://www.cheatseekingmissiles.com/?p=6823#comment-8376 Oh, for the love. Are these people ever going to realize that human life and well-being should take precedent over random desert creatures? It's like a friend's friend who taught at an exclusive school in Beverly Hills and could not convince the rich Hollywood offspring that a human life - even a human who cured cancer - was of greater value than a dolphin's.I understand that we have to be wise stewards, but nothing - NOTHING - in life is without its tradeoffs. I wish these NIMBY warmies would stop seeing life as starkly black and white, all or nothing. I second the Governator - if not in the Mojave, where would you build solar? I don't necessarily endorse solar - I just get so sick of people being at the bottom of activists' priority lists.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('8376','Christa Jeanne'); return false;">Reply</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('8376','Christa Jeanne','Oh, for the love. Are these people ever going to realize that human life and well-being should take precedent over random desert creatures? It\'s like a friend\'s friend who taught at an exclusive school in Beverly Hills and could not convince the rich Hollywood offspring that a human life - even a human who cured cancer - was of greater value than a dolphin\'s.I understand that we have to be wise stewards, but nothing - NOTHING - in life is without its tradeoffs. I wish these NIMBY warmies would stop seeing life as starkly black and white, all or nothing. I second the Governator - if not in the Mojave, where would you build solar? I don\'t necessarily endorse solar - I just get so sick of people being at the bottom of activists\' priority lists.'); return false;">Quote</a></div> Oh, for the love. Are these people ever going to realize that human life and well-being should take precedent over random desert creatures? It’s like a friend’s friend who taught at an exclusive school in Beverly Hills and could not convince the rich Hollywood offspring that a human life - even a human who cured cancer - was of greater value than a dolphin’s.I understand that we have to be wise stewards, but nothing - NOTHING - in life is without its tradeoffs. I wish these NIMBY warmies would stop seeing life as starkly black and white, all or nothing. I second the Governator - if not in the Mojave, where would you build solar? I don’t necessarily endorse solar - I just get so sick of people being at the bottom of activists’ priority lists.
Reply - Quote
]]> By: Laer http://www.cheatseekingmissiles.com/2009/06/09/desert-solar-power-plants-dont-get-your-hopes-up/#comment-8375 Laer Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:24:19 +0000 http://www.cheatseekingmissiles.com/?p=6823#comment-8375 <p>I tend to agree with you about wind and solar.  The Obama admin, however, will have great difficulty reaching its goals for alternative energy without massive arrays, since the alternative - units at the point of use - demand property owners to invest in iffy energy sources, and they won't.<br /><br />I agree wholeheartedly on wave energy, something I've endorsed since first reading about it in the mid-70s.  Also of note, here's a recent tweet from my @LPAWater page on Twitter:<br /><br /><a href="http://twitter.com/LPAWater" title="LP&amp;A Water" rel="nofollow"><strong><span style="color: #0084b4;">LPAWater</span></strong></a> <span class="entry-content">Water out of thin air - exciting new water vapor capture technology runs on renewable power. Hmm ... water rights? <a href="http://cli.gs/SJTPnp" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #0084b4;">http://cli.gs/SJTPnp</span></a></span></p><div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('8375','Laer'); return false;">Reply</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('8375','Laer','<p>I tend to agree with you about wind and solar.  The Obama admin, however, will have great difficulty reaching its goals for alternative energy without massive arrays, since the alternative - units at the point of use - demand property owners to invest in iffy energy sources, and they won\'t.<br \/><br \/>I agree wholeheartedly on wave energy, something I\'ve endorsed since first reading about it in the mid-70s.  Also of note, here\'s a recent tweet from my @LPAWater page on Twitter:<br \/><br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/LPAWater\" title=\"LP&amp;amp;A Water\" rel=\"nofollow\"><strong><span style=\"color: #0084b4;\">LPAWater<\/span><\/strong><\/a> <span class=\"entry-content\">Water out of thin air - exciting new water vapor capture technology runs on renewable power. Hmm ... water rights? <a href=\"http:\/\/cli.gs\/SJTPnp\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span style=\"color: #0084b4;\">http:\/\/cli.gs\/SJTPnp<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>'); return false;">Quote</a></div> I tend to agree with you about wind and solar.  The Obama admin, however, will have great difficulty reaching its goals for alternative energy without massive arrays, since the alternative - units at the point of use - demand property owners to invest in iffy energy sources, and they won’t.

I agree wholeheartedly on wave energy, something I’ve endorsed since first reading about it in the mid-70s.  Also of note, here’s a recent tweet from my @LPAWater page on Twitter:

LPAWater Water out of thin air - exciting new water vapor capture technology runs on renewable power. Hmm … water rights? http://cli.gs/SJTPnp

Reply - Quote
]]> By: Francis Drouillard http://www.cheatseekingmissiles.com/2009/06/09/desert-solar-power-plants-dont-get-your-hopes-up/#comment-8365 Francis Drouillard Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:57:59 +0000 http://www.cheatseekingmissiles.com/?p=6823#comment-8365 Large solar farms in the desert are a really bad idea from both an environmental  and practical viewpoint. They require a huge amount of additional infrastructure to collect, distribute and maintain this form of alternative energy. Large wind turbine farms have similar problems.   In my view, both wind and solar are better suited for use where the energy will be used -- at the home or commercial building. They don't need the massive new infrastructure required for large farms (or arrays) built far from population centers. Much better to stick with coal, oil or natural gas. That is true from an environmental, cost, practical and energy-efficient point of view.   Wave energy is another matter. Although environmentalists are lining up against deploying test arrays off the coasts of Sonoma, Mendocino and Humboldt Counties, they should reconsider. This is the one form of alternative energy (other than nooklar) that can replace fossil fuels for electricity generation and give the US a big step towards energy independence.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('8365','Francis Drouillard'); return false;">Reply</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('8365','Francis Drouillard','Large solar farms in the desert are a really bad idea from both an environmental  and practical viewpoint. They require a huge amount of additional infrastructure to collect, distribute and maintain this form of alternative energy. Large wind turbine farms have similar problems.\n \nIn my view, both wind and solar are better suited for use where the energy will be used -- at the home or commercial building. They don\'t need the massive new infrastructure required for large farms (or arrays) built far from population centers. Much better to stick with coal, oil or natural gas. That is true from an environmental, cost, practical and energy-efficient point of view.\n \nWave energy is another matter. Although environmentalists are lining up against deploying test arrays off the coasts of Sonoma, Mendocino and Humboldt Counties, they should reconsider. This is the one form of alternative energy (other than nooklar) that can replace fossil fuels for electricity generation and give the US a big step towards energy independence.'); return false;">Quote</a></div> Large solar farms in the desert are a really bad idea from both an environmental  and practical viewpoint. They require a huge amount of additional infrastructure to collect, distribute and maintain this form of alternative energy. Large wind turbine farms have similar problems.
 
In my view, both wind and solar are better suited for use where the energy will be used — at the home or commercial building. They don’t need the massive new infrastructure required for large farms (or arrays) built far from population centers. Much better to stick with coal, oil or natural gas. That is true from an environmental, cost, practical and energy-efficient point of view.
 
Wave energy is another matter. Although environmentalists are lining up against deploying test arrays off the coasts of Sonoma, Mendocino and Humboldt Counties, they should reconsider. This is the one form of alternative energy (other than nooklar) that can replace fossil fuels for electricity generation and give the US a big step towards energy independence.
Reply - Quote
]]>