Environmentalist against Solar and Wind Power.....

[TheSilverBuick]

Re: Environmentalist against Solar and Wind Power.....

I've always figured it was from solar activity interacting with the earths magnetic field. Either the Solar flares get stronger or the magnetic field fluctuates and the solar winds blow away the ozone.

Ozone is formed from UV sunlight reacting with upper atmosphere oxygen. So imagine that, the poles get much less sun light AND have less of it :o Then followed up by upper atmospheric winds, especially the huge vortex that circles the south pole pulls the ozone away as well. Far as I'm concerned it's still one of the elements of nature we have not monitored/kept record of long enough to make a valid guess as to what is completely normal for it. The hole has been there as long as we have monitored it. CFC's chemically were proven (tested) to break the O3 down so that isn't junk science.

[DanStokes]

Re: Environmentalist against Solar and Wind Power.....

Just for the record - A friend of mine at the EPA is a real expert on the Kyoto accords, and she tells me that the Chinese and Indians were NOT excluded from it's provisions. They were, however, given additional time to comply - a LOT more time (I can't recall the specifics, although she detailed a long and complex formula). While less than ideal, this was the best bargain they were able to drive - at least everyone was on board. The Administration then decided to pull out at the last second - that was a nasty deal which I won't go into here.

Dan

[milner351]

Re: Environmentalist against Solar and Wind Power.....

Dan
your time in Ann Arbor has obviously educated you in the EPA realms- EPA has become a big nasty thing to most of us - and we see it as a threat to our hobby.
To me in the auto industry - the worst thing the EPA and the feds over all have done is allowed for state control of emissions regulations - the 'enviro freaks' just don't have any clue what is involved in creating different hardware software and calibrations for the "green states" compared to the rest of the country - what would really help out the auto industry from an efficiency stand point is to have the euro and us emissions and crash regulations commonized --- that would also mean we got more cool stuff over here we can't get now!

I digress --- it's already been summed up - some people need a cause --- what they really need is a hobby - like we have.

Dan hit the nail on the head - we need intelligent people that are willing to see both sides of each possibility - and have a willingness to compromise -- one thing is for darned sure - if we do nothing - we loose -- big time.

The most promising thing I've heard of lately is algae that turn garbage into fuel --- this is the type of thinking we need to embrace and get funded -- solving multiple problems with one process --- turn garbage into fuel --- think of the implications of that!

[dieselgeek]

Re: Environmentalist against Solar and Wind Power.....

common emissions laws would be awesome!! but then, either the Europeans need to have US Big Oil companies control their emissions (which means, cut your potential fuel economy in half) or the US Big Oil companies are gonna have to give up control of something that helps them sell more gas. Probably not gonna happen.

[squirrel]

Re: Environmentalist against Solar and Wind Power.....

Could you elaborate? I can't figure out what you're trying to say.

[milner351]

Re: Environmentalist against Solar and Wind Power.....

The other issue with this I've heard about is how the European refineries are more set up for diesel, and ours are by far biased toward producing gasoline - another reason why emission laws are more diesel friendly in the European countries.

We really need to loose the stigma of the early 80's diesels in this country and wake up to the new ones - you can buy a TDI VW right now and get 45 mpg and better - a friend had a manual trans jetta and routinely got 52!

The overall design of the diesel is just more efficient especially on the highway where throttling losses / pumping losses really hurt the efficiency of a gasoline engine - diesels have no throttle, you want more power - you inject more fuel, the intake is always wide open.

[Shawn Anderson]

Re: Environmentalist against Solar and Wind Power.....

One phrase sumes up my thoughts on energy "drill here drill now" but I work in directional oil drilling so I am not the most objective person

[milner351]

Re: Environmentalist against Solar and Wind Power.....

Is there NON directional oil drilling?? ;D

[Shawn Anderson]

Re: Environmentalist against Solar and Wind Power.....

By directional it is meaning horizontal not just vertical as most wells are, or it can be re entering a well that is not producing as it once was and making it produce again

[squirrel]

Re: Environmentalist against Solar and Wind Power.....

I kinda think it might be wise to use up as much of their oil as we can, before we use up what little we have left. (yeah, I know we have a lot left, but if we stopped importing and could pump it all out very quickly it probably wouldn't last us 10 years at our current rate of consumption).