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OP
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Joined: May 2000
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I just got to see this message on my local rag website. Thought a lot of the ecologically-minded would like to share in the good news. http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2002/0204/breaking36.htm I like all of the points made but the second point stands out as a fine example. Now, if only the rest of the world would follow suit....sigh [emoticon of hopefulness but dire resignation that such a dream will be unfulfilled in my lifetime]  Now we really are a Green Isle!!! 
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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wtg, Emeralds! meanwhile, the dozy ~~~~~ running UK energy policies have just sneaked out a weasel-worded report that opens the door to another 12 nuclear dustbins being sited in Wales just across the water from your green and pleasant land... [sickasaparrot]
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Joined: Nov 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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the Irish lead the way again! would love to go back again. It's a great spot to visit for a woman alone ... no language problem and friendly folks everywhere!
Have one for me in celebration!
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,146
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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meanwhile, the dozy ~~~~~ running UK energy policies have just sneaked out a weasel-worded report that opens the door to another 12 nuclear dustbins being sited in Wales just across the water from your green and pleasant land...
Well, maybe. But I've been hearing reports that the same report has basically slagged any chance of further usage of nuclear plants because of the requirement that the builders/owners would also have to pay for dismantling and disposal at the end of play. Please ignore those new holes in Wales which are the exact size of foundations for reactor cores ...
The idiot also known as Capfka ...
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Joined: Sep 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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would also have to pay for dismantling and disposal at the end of playyeahbut® I bet there will be a similar sized hole in their accounts when we get there - "EnronNuclear Power". It took us *years to get the filth of Trawsfynnedd closed down... Get ready to start screaming good and loud, Ireland - you won't find the politicians such a push-over as the Welsh pack this weekend
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Joined: Nov 2000
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veteran
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veteran
Joined: Nov 2000
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Mav, didn't Wales get some kind of autonomy and local govt (or was that Scotland only) lately? Will they be the bird that fouls its own nest, or can they blame it on Westminster?
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old hand
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I applaud the announcement and am pleased to see that Ireland is following Western Australia on this - well perhaps I am overstating it a bit, but a bloody great windfarm WAS opened outside of Albany last year.
I am concerned however that "clean and green" has been seen as an antonym to nuclear power - especially seeing nuclear power wasn't mentioned in the announcement.
Having roused the sleeping AWAD dragon, I will press on....all I ask is that emotions do not replace scientific fact in the hullaballoo that is no doubt about to erupt around here.
Some things to think about:
(1) Fossil fuel power stations emit more radiation throughout their life than a comparable nuclear power station. Even worse, the emissions from fossil fuel fired power stations are subject to less control than those of nuclear power stations - they are indisciminantly released to the atmosphere. If it's a new, very green, plant then a lot of effort is put into trapping the fly ash - particles of which are the subject of my concern. Good. But what happens to the ash? Oh, it's used for house bricks, road base etc etc.
(2) The gamma ray radiation (from pottasium, thorium & uranium) and radioactive gases (radon) given off by the groundrock in many places of the world far exceed that released by the local nuclear power station. Again, these natural releases are indiscriminate. Typical examples are Edinburgh (all that lovely granite), Sydney (those black shales that decompose to make such fine market garden soils) and the hilly suburbs of Perth (granitoids again).
(3) The energy required to produce a solar cell is greater than the energy that it will output throughout its life.
In stales' opinion...
Wind power? Excellent.
Tidal power? Fantastic.
Hydrothermal power? Yep - good stuff (onya Kiwi's)
Hydroelectric schemes? Good - but pity about all the riverine ecosystems that get buggered up. (And in Australia's case, the salinisation of the lands that use now use the available water for irrigation).
Nuclear power? Hmmm - well, if you must - after all, it is the most efficient.
Fossil fuel for power stations? Bring on the 2 headed babies.
Post Edit: Should be fair and separate gas turbines from coal and dieasel fired power stations. They are very clean, but still produce vast quantities of ozone depleting gases such as carbon dioxide.
stales
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Joined: Jul 2000
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old hand
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old hand
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stales, what's the difference between hydrothermal and hydroelectric? I figured they were both produced by dams.
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Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
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Hydrothermal relies on abstracting heat from the earth's mantle by means of tapping into aquifers - viz, the whole of Iceland! edit: see this for a good basic guide:http://www.eren.doe.gov/geothermal/whatisgeoenergy.html
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Dear stales: Windfarms sound great, but I saw an article that in many areas, even small bug smears reduce efficiency almost thirty percent. And new one in UK promptly was put out of action by blade fracture, I'll bet from hitting a bird. Elsewhere windfarms kill many birds. And I haven't seen any discussion of problems with blade icing in cold weather, which destroyed early MIT unit on Mt.Washington many years ago.
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