Comments on: “The Unbearable Lightness of Wind” http://www.pennwellblogs.com/nuclear_notions/2009/04/21/the-unbearable-lightness-of-wind/ A PennEnergy.com Blog with William Tucker Thu, 17 May 2012 05:18:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Ken Maize http://www.pennwellblogs.com/nuclear_notions/2009/04/21/the-unbearable-lightness-of-wind/#comment-239 Ken Maize Wed, 22 Apr 2009 20:55:46 +0000 http://www.pennwellblogs.com/nuclear_notions/2009/04/21/the-unbearable-lightness-of-wind/#comment-239 The observations are spot on. Wind, as the Danes and Germans have established, is a prescription for more gas for black start capability. Wind introduces instabilities into the grid, at very high costs in terms of backup requirements, with little or no impact on carbon emissions (as if those were somehow important). Solar suffers from some of the same problems, although at bit less, because sunshine is a somewhat more predictable than wind. Virtually any energy or environmental policy advocated by California is, by definition, nuts. To borrow from the economists, they don't work in theory and they won't work in practice. As for Tea Parties, they don't work either. I don't think the politicians are essentially corrupt (although some clearly are) but are craven and of limited vision (what works for my district, my special interests, and my party?). My response would be more and better push-back against the "green, clean energy machine" hype, linking it to cold fusion and perpetual motion. One of the first rules of environmentalism, propounded by Denis Hayes on the first Earth Day, was "There is no free lunch." The observations are spot on. Wind, as the Danes and Germans have established, is a prescription for more gas for black start capability. Wind introduces instabilities into the grid, at very high costs in terms of backup requirements, with little or no impact on carbon emissions (as if those were somehow important). Solar suffers from some of the same problems, although at bit less, because sunshine is a somewhat more predictable than wind.

Virtually any energy or environmental policy advocated by California is, by definition, nuts. To borrow from the economists, they don’t work in theory and they won’t work in practice.

As for Tea Parties, they don’t work either. I don’t think the politicians are essentially corrupt (although some clearly are) but are craven and of limited vision (what works for my district, my special interests, and my party?). My response would be more and better push-back against the “green, clean energy machine” hype, linking it to cold fusion and perpetual motion. One of the first rules of environmentalism, propounded by Denis Hayes on the first Earth Day, was “There is no free lunch.”

]]> By: Ara Barsamian http://www.pennwellblogs.com/nuclear_notions/2009/04/21/the-unbearable-lightness-of-wind/#comment-237 Ara Barsamian Wed, 22 Apr 2009 18:53:21 +0000 http://www.pennwellblogs.com/nuclear_notions/2009/04/21/the-unbearable-lightness-of-wind/#comment-237 Sadly, I have to agree. The level of dishonesty of our politicians is only matched by our populations ignorance of basic science and economics, to wit, our high schoolers ranking 25th out of 30. A bankrupt state like California is pushing ahead with low carbon fuels which is going to raise fuel prices affecting the majority of its poorest citizens; same with EPA merrily going its way with GHG regulations, totally oblivious to our disastrous economy and millions of unemployed that will be the first affected by the higher prices. Yes, we will all be healthier but starving to death! The only thing that could remedy this "vodoo" science and economics are more robust "tea parties" to eventually throw out the current cliques of corrupt polticians that are ruining our country. Sadly, I have to agree. The level of dishonesty of our politicians is only matched by our populations ignorance of basic science and economics, to wit, our high schoolers ranking 25th out of 30.

A bankrupt state like California is pushing ahead with low carbon fuels which is going to raise fuel prices affecting the majority of its poorest citizens; same with EPA merrily going its way with GHG regulations, totally oblivious to our disastrous economy and millions of unemployed that will be the first affected by the higher prices. Yes, we will all be healthier but starving to death!

The only thing that could remedy this “vodoo” science and economics are more robust “tea parties” to eventually throw out the current cliques of corrupt polticians that are ruining our country.

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