[Greenbuilding] Electrical Generation

Wed Jan 9 07:32:42 CST 2008

I suggest you read Monbiot's HEAT: HOW TO STOP THE PLANET FROM BURNING for
viable answers to that question.

In the desperate short term, he suggests that we capture the carbon from
coal-burning power plants and pump it into the underground caverns that once
held natural gas, since that technology is now available--and policy-makers
have begun discussing that option. In the long-term he suggest centralized
solar-driven power plants in places like the Sahara and wind farms out at
sea where the winds are non-stop and birds don't hang out, since the DC
transport technology, which had been the hold-up, is no longer an issue
(please don't ask me particulars--electricity is not my forte--read the
book). He goes on to say that the decentralized mode which appeals to so
many of us, where solar cells and wind mills are scattered throughout a
community, is not a viable solution right now, since they cannot provide
instantaneous peak energy, which cities rely on, and small windmills
anywhere other than out at sea have a host of problems...

We are going woodburning and electric at Chalice Farm: No fossil fuels.
Evidently (according to our local electrician), Sonoma County gets all its
electricity from The Geysers--geothermal. So, we really are not using fossil
fuels! When the geysers ran out of their own underground water, the County
started pumping waste water into them, thus solving two problems (I haven't
had a chance to look into the details--I'm sure it is not as neat and simple
as all that)!

Cheers and Happy New Year!!!

Mary

Mary Bull, Co-director
Greenwood Earth Alliance, Save the Redwoods - Boycott the Gap Campaign
252 Frederick, San Francisco, CA 94117 http://www.gapsucks.org
Chalice Farm and Sustainable Living Center, 748 Montgomery Rd, Sebastopol CA
95472
415-731-7924 - 415-509-1188 chalicenew at earthlink.net

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dan Antonioli" <dantonioli at earthlink.net>
To: <geoedb at idiom.com>
Cc: <greenbuilding at listserv.repp.org>
Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2008 9:18 PM
Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] Electrical Generation

> George, perhaps you can answer your question:
>
> How are you going to get your electricity when we run out of cheap
> fossil fuels?
>
> Care to share?
>
>
>
>
> On Jan 8, 2008, at 7:44 PM, George J. Nesbitt wrote:
>
> > While natural gas is a finite energy source as are most fuels, how
> > is your electricity produced?
> >
> > 50% of U.S. electricity is produced with Coal!, yes you read right.
> > In California 42% of electricity is produced with natural gas.
> >
> > Solar & renewables are a pitence in the total energy use in the
> > U.S. and worldwide.
> > At our ever expanding rate of population and energy use it will be
> > even less for the for-see-able future.
> >
> > How are you going to get your electricity when we run out of cheap
> > fossil fuels.
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