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June 18, 2010
Dam It All!
Let's say we want alternative power to produce just 30% of our current baseline power needs.
Let's make a very conservative estimate that we only need to have a 25% stored reserve. (This very optimistically assumes that alternative power will otherwise be able to provide sufficient power, when it's needed, 75% of the time.) So, 25% of 30% equals 7.5 % of the total (0.30*0.25=0.075).
By happenstance, hydroelectric power today produces 8% of the nation's electricity. This means that if we want to use hydraulic storage to make alternative power work, we will have to recreate the 93% of the generating capacity of every currently existing hydroelectric facility in this country. That's right, Hoover Dam, the entire TVA, all the damns in the Rock Mountains, all the rest, all duplicated.
That alone raises the question: Where the hell are we going to put these dang dams anyway? -- Shannon Love @ Chicago Boyz -- The Myth of Alternative Power and Hydroelectric Storage
Posted by Vanderleun at June 18, 2010 8:15 AM. This is an entry on the sideblog of American Digest: Check it out.
Your Say
The most important thing to understand about liberal ideas is they aren't intended to be accomplished. Liberals use words, not to express what they believe, but to misdirect and occupy their enemies' efforts. Think of it as using a tennis ball to send the guard dog running off away from the front door so you can kick in the door and steal the valuables inside the house.
Conservatives tie themselves in knots, and waste universes of energy refuting the details of the lliberal plan for utopia. Their plans should garner no more serious consideration and discussion than a child's "plan" to fix the world's problems by eating all the chocolate. The child didn't study the problem and evaluate all possible solutions before settling on eating chocolate. The child is distressed by something and his favorite thing in the world is chocolate, ipso facto, eating chocolate will cure the world.
This is also why a liberal will not stay on topic beyond one reply from a well-prepared conservative opponent. The point of the liberal utterance is to express a wish and connect it with the world without regard to any possibility that the wish will cure the world.
Conservative talk radio and blogs are frequently hijacked and derailed by discussion of the details of liberal utopian dreams. We allow them to set the agenda even on our home turf.
Posted by: Scott M at June 18, 2010 9:38 PM
Correctly perceived and well said Scott.
Posted by: vanderleun at June 19, 2010 7:37 AM
"That alone raises the question: Where the hell are we going to put these dang dams anyway?"
My guess would be somewhere in China...
Posted by: monkeyfan at June 20, 2010 2:40 PM