Environment & Energy
In reply to the discussion: The Answer to Climate Change Is Renewable Energy, Not Nuclear Power [View all]PamW
(1,825 posts)ljm2002 states
But whatever traditional eneljmrgy source they are leaning on at present for the remainder of their power -- and for 24/7 capability -- it is still the case that relative to the US, the countries I mentioned have a large part of their demand being addressed RIGHT NOW by renewables -- and all the ones I noted are ABOVE the 20% that the NAS claims is the MOST we can hope to do. These are real, already-existing counterexamples to the NAS claim.
ljm2002,
You are just another "environmentalist" that doesn't understand the NAS claim.
The NAS claim is for a stand alone grid
THINK about it. Your city could get 50% of its power from wind turbines; provided it has a grid to back-up the wind turbines when they slack off due to falling wind speed.
As long as it has the grid to fall back on; it can get ANY amount of power percentage.
But the grid as a whole has NOTHING else to fall back on; the grid is a stand alone grid; so by definition there's no backup
I don't have time right now to refute the TRIPE that you posted; but I will get around to REFUTING that garbage; I promise that.
Let me give you a hint; That data didn't factor in "capacity factor".
That stuff that is "all ready being done" RELIES on "non-renewable" sources.
Did you read the letter by climate scientist Hansen, et al:
http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/03/world/nuclear-energy-climate-change-scientists/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/03/world/nuclear-energy-climate-change-scientists-letter/index.html
Renewables like wind and solar and biomass will certainly play roles in a future energy economy, but those energy sources cannot scale up fast enough to deliver cheap and reliable power at the scale the global economy requires.
Renewables HAVE NOT shown that they can run a WHOLE GRID, and Hansen, et al; like other scientists agree they "CANNOT SCALE"
I'll provide a more scholarly REFUTATION of Lovin's CRAP when I have more time. I promise.
Stay tuned.
PamW