Doug Hayworth writes, "...I think that there will be a shift in the
future away from highly centralized production and delivery of energy in the
form of only a few media (e.g., oil, coal, etc.) towards a decentralized
production of energy via an eclectic locally available sources. For
example, wind works very well in some places for production of electricity,
while solar works very well in other places. In some local places, wood is
even a reasonable option for fuel (i.e., it can be sustainable harvested,
and produces less waste than trucking other fuels from far away)."
This may well be true in some cases. For example, les
Iles-de-la-Madeleine in the Gulf of St. Lawrence are rather isolated and
wind power is being considered there. However, these sources of energy will
only supply relatively small amounts of energy. I'm sure that solar power
works fine in places like Arizona and Nevada. As to decentralized
electricity production, it must be kept in mind that all these small
generating stations will have to be equipped with anti-pollution equipment,
which must be maintained. These stations will have to be inspected, a
labour intensive activity. So, it won't be cheap. In our small town, a
number of people have (supplemental) wood-fired furnaces (there are lots of
trees around here). However, in the winter, air quality is not improved by
these "sustainable energy" devices.
Doug then continues, "Solar is a great example as a resource that
can provide significant
> supplemental energy and will likely be produced on a very localized level.
> In most of the temperate U.S., a well designed home with south-facing
> glass will provide significant heating in winter while avoiding undue heat
> gain in the summer. Individual homes can be outfitted
> with solar panels to produce electricity or heat water."
>
Again, I don't have any problem with that, but it's one thing to
design a house to take advantage of the sun. It's another thing to design
an apartment block to take advantage of the sun. Some units will have to
face North, unless you can design them with the hallways on the North side.
Doug ends with "The technology exists for these things, and I think
that in combination, they can make a significant contribution. We just need
to shift our thinking a little; a single energy resource does not have to
provide all we need in order to be useful. Likewise, for the millions of
Americans that pedal a stationary bicycle or walk a treadmill for hours each
day, there could be ways of tapping this for energy production. I wish that
were rewards for manufacturers of appliances and electronics to make them
energy efficient."
I thought that manufacturers of appliances already had to list the
efficiency of their products. The rewards have to be supplied by the
consumer. A foolproof way to make people conserve is to raise the price of
energy. Unfortunately, this affects the poor more than the rich. I agree
that not one single energy source will do the trick.
Chuck Vandergraaf
Pinawa, MB
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