10 problems with renewables

[rainforests1]

http://oilprice.com/Alternative-Ene...ttency-is-a-Problem-for-Renewable-Energy.html
I thought Ronald Reagen's hatred of renewables was a big mistake, but after reading this article I'm not so sure. Are the complaints legitimate?

 

[das_nut]

Ugh. I critique the belief in an all-renewable energy utopia, and nobody believes me...

Find one article online, then you have doubts.



Anyways, my view is there's no magic bullet. Renewables can do some things well, but they have limitations.

 

[rainforests1]

I've read many articles about renewables and they don't go into the problems. I've read a lot of articles from Gail. She knows what she's talking about. With the pollution problems and Wind Power only providing energy for 15 or 20 years, it's not better than the alternatives IMO.

 

[Tom L.]

I recently attended a solar-energy presentation, and asked the presenter about pollution problems from photovoltaic cells which use certain minerals such as arsenic (when they are disposed of at the end of their useful life or recycled). He said that this was a concern with some solar cells, but that silicon-based photovoltaics did not have these problems. We didn't go into the energy cost of manufacturing the cells in the first place, true. But I think he said that the usable life of silicon cells is quite long. I'll have to try to dig that information up again.

 

[das_nut]

I also went to a presentation, this one by an oil company, and I asked about that pesky global warming thing and burning petroleum and they told me it wasn't a problem! According to them, it's not even proven, and even if it is, it won't be too bad and anyways they've developed more efficient engines that'll reduce CO2 emissions.

I felt much relieved. After all, if you can't trust someone who has a vested interested in an energy source, who can you trust?

 

[rainforests1]

I also went to a presentation, this one by an oil company, and I asked about that pesky global warming thing and burning petroleum and they told me it wasn't a problem! According to them, it's not even proven, and even if it is, it won't be too bad and anyways they've developed more efficient engines that'll reduce CO2 emissions.

I felt much relieved. After all, if you can't trust someone who has a vested interested in an energy source, who can you trust?

Gail is one of the experts on Peak Oil. She rarely talks about renewables pro or con. I'm not sure what you're referring to.

 

[das_nut]

You really are lost, aren't you?