Climate Change -- conspiracy theory or is it time we all drive a Prius?

Quote: the upthread CNN link

“Texas is, by rhetoric, anti-renewables. But frankly, renewables are bailing us out,” said Michael Webber, an energy expert and professor at the University of Texas at Austin. “They’re rocking. That really spares us a lot of heartache and a lot of money.”

Despite the Texas Republican rhetoric that wind and solar are unreliable, Texas has a massive and growing fleet of renewables. Zero-carbon electricity sources (wind, solar, and nuclear) powered about 38% of the state’s power in 2021, rivaling natural gas at 42%.

Now let's see. What's wrong with this picture? 

"renewables are bailing us out”.............  why would this be necessary? Did Texas decide not to build traditional or nuclear power plants and close old ones? They needed renewables because if you build traditional/nuclear power plants there is no fuel to run them? 

"Despite the Texas Republican rhetoric that wind and solar are unreliable" ...............................CNN of course can't resist taking a shot at Republicans. Can't have an article that has no political purpose, can we?

"rhetoric that wind and solar are unreliable".......................... oh, so nobody else ever says stuff like that? And we all know 'unreliable' never happens with renewables. 

"Texas has a massive and growing fleet of renewables"............................ I could only conclude this planning was done during Democratic administrations.... *if* I wasn't able to see what CNN is up to here. I guess Ann Richards back in the early 90s was some kind of renewables whirlwind, and the Republicans who governed afterwards were too feckless to reverse her deeds

https://lrl.texas.gov/legeleaders/governors/govBrowse.cfm

So here is a prediction for you. If a hot summer gets a little less windy, Republicans will get blamed for not providing 'energy security first' before plunging into mindless over-dependence on renewables. Oh, uh oh, look at Texas here. But never mind, CNN, preparing your Texas articles about that in advance. You'd better work up your spin on what's predicted to happen in the MISO area. 'Failing to provide energy security' before relying on renewables is a phrase that's going to very much repeated there. CNN will have to make sure we understand that anybody who uses that phrase is a Ultra MAGA Climate Change Denier !




https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-midwest-danger-rotating-power-blackouts-this-summer-2022-06-03/

I’m not on twitter, so could someone send Elon Musk a memo tweet.

See first we have this…

Quote:

USS Kitty Hawk today started her final voyage from Bremerton to a scrapyard in Texas. Built for $264 million in 1961 ($2.5 billion in 2021), the Kitty Hawk was sold to the scrap company for the bargain price of 1 cent. For another penny, the company also got USS John F. Kennedy,” tweeted the U.S. Naval Institute.

So…Musk buys himself a decommissioned ship for a penny with a nuclear power plant, and he sends barges out to it with Tesla batteries and gets them recharged by the reactor. The ship operates out in the cool ocean water and sends the charged batteries back to large port coastal cities.

If he doesn’t like it, or laughs too hard, just tell him kenarman says Thanks for your consideration.

Quote: rxwine

One more minor issue that generally isn’t a issue with solar. Security. The U.S. government has a few concerns with concentrated radiation sources.

I’m not saying there’s no place for small nuclear, it has a place no doubt. Eventually.

I don't agree, it has a place now (and by now I mean like decades ago). It is the only form of green energy that is currently sustainable.

Nuclear Power could be a reliable form of green energy until other renewable technologies progress.

I don't understand the resistance to nuclear power by some of both side.

Unfortunately it takes many years to open a nuclear power plant, so this is something that should have started decades ago if people were serious about 100% renewable sources of power.

I would much rather live down the street from a nuclear power plant than a coal plant. The very low risk of a terror attack that may be successful (unlikely), is better than a lifetime of exposure to the emissions.

It's a weird bargain that people would slowly destroy their health and the environment over the most miniscule risk that there would be a terror attack, and one successful enough to actually pose a local hazard.

Quote: Gandler

I don't agree, it has a place now (and by now I mean like decades ago). It is the only form of green energy that is currently sustainable.

It's more or less the same issue as the Exxon Valdez and BP oil spill that helped put a hold on things. Only 3 mile island and Chernobyl,. Fukushima didn't help matters.

OR if you will, shooting school kids interfering with the total push to remove all gun regs

Another thing to mention is Yucca Mountain. Putting a radioactive dump in your backyard no matter how safe it is claimed to be somehow even brings a lot of stanch Republicans on the side of, "not here' in come to Jesus moment when it's their backyard.

Quote: Gandler

It's a weird bargain that people would slowly destroy their health and the environment over the most miniscule risk that there would be a terror attack, and one successful enough to actually pose a local hazard.

Can't say I spend a lot of time worrying about remote risks, but then I can't say I had any clue we'd be fighting a proxy war with Russia either while they make random threats of nuclear war.

Though i'd still like to think that is remote.

Quote: rxwine

One more minor issue that generally isn’t a issue with solar. Security. The U.S. government has a few concerns with concentrated radiation sources.

I’m not saying there’s no place for small nuclear, it has a place no doubt. Eventually.

You need either storage or back-up for solar for 1/2 the day, how do you envision that be accomplished. Currently carbon based fuel generators are the back-up.

Quote: kenarman

You need either storage or back-up for solar for 1/2 the day, how do you envision that be accomplished. Currently carbon based fuel generators are the back-up.

I envision improving battery tech
If I wanted to
I could boondock and watch TV every night
Pretty cool with the right solar/battery kit

Quote: kenarman

You need either storage or back-up for solar for 1/2 the day, how do you envision that be accomplished. Currently carbon based fuel generators are the back-up.

I've never envisioned relying on one renewable, so that's not been my point. But people survived without gasoline and electricity before, you know. Apparently, it's not impossible.