Thursday 12 December 2013
Environment 1 - Where There's Smoke ....
For some time, recently, I have been searching the Internet for some details related to an intended visit to the U.K. Specifically, renting accommodation. My search reveals an alarming trend that is spreading throughout Europe, the increasing use of burning carbon creating fuel in private homes.
I grew up in a lower/middle income family and we had a three-bedroom home. One thing that I remember was the situation of a fireplace in every room (except the smallest room). And at times, every fireplace was in use, and I can still picture the sound and sight of our black-faced coal-man driving his horse and cart full of our weekly sacks of coal.
Eventually, people became aware of the pollution and, more importantly, the ease of simply switching on an electric fire. This continued to the present day, and introduced air-conditioning systems capable of using gas, oil, and other forms of heating. Then, costs rose and double-glazed windows became essential. In addition, a chimney on the roof became a heat-loss device and fire places were quickly blocked and plastered over (or remodelled as a bookcase). A few were retained to house simulated fire inserts, but only switched on during weekends ... or when the vicar came to call.
But, now, guess what? The cost of energy has 'gone-through-the-roof' ... if you'll excuse the pun, and the term 'kilowatts per hour' has become as unclean as coal. Innovation has taken over. Now, there are hundreds of fire-place shops opening in every town selling caste iron, wood-burning (or anything) stoves for use in the home. Real-estate agents highlight the advantages of such devices, and holiday cottage renters are always supplied with a "free" supply of logs. Once again, it is possible to buy coal but, this time, the coal is a "clean" type ... another oxymoron, I suggest.
Is this the sign of the ingenuity that we can be proud of?
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It seems there is a trade off of cheap heating fuel and environment/health concerns. The widespread use of coal in England years ago and in China today resulted in fog and smog that was even famous is Sherlock Holmes stories..Shanghai has recently been smothered in smog so thick it was difficult to see and Beijing is notorious for it.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the answer when electricity prices sky rocket like is about to happen in our own homeland?
Technology must hold the answer. Heating and lighting devices that use electrical energy more efficiently. It is possible to do it, look at LED lighting devices for example.
More efficient electricity generating and transmission plants must be created. Wind power is not the answer. Lets use small local nuclear power plants like are installed on submarines and warships. They have been in service for over fifty years without reported problems and could be installed near consumers. Nuclear energy powers the universe. It can power our world with cheap, clean, abundant energy.
I agree that technology must provide the answer but, at the same time, we must be very aware that Nature will resist every attempt of innovation that is not 'green'.
DeleteHere, I must correct some minor comment. Firstly, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle set 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' in the eery, dark, and misty part of Dartmoor which is a hundred miles from any source of smog and, thus, this is a 'red herring'.
I do agree with you about the polluted air in China. The way the authorities amend pollution standards downwards is just criminal, and one must wonder how much longer the 'people' of the People's Republic of China will remain passive. Nevertheless, almost every country in the world is guilty of pollution, one way or another.
I referred to Mother Nature earlier; could we imagine having a conversation with her? No, I'm not suggesting having a 'hug-a-tree' moment. But, certainly, inviting the Devil's Advocate to speak for her at the next energy conference would be a good idea, in my opinion.
If I should presume to advocate, I would suggest having an aboriginal person as a member of my staff. Some would scoff as we talked about Earth, Wind, and Fire, but isn't that what you refer to when you state that "Nuclear energy powers the universe"? But it, certainly, does not mean stabbing Mother Earth in her heart, or burning her protective coat ... we can do better than that.
Here, I must argue with your dismissal of wind power. Next time you walk through either an industrial or residential area, please take note of the ugly spiders web of electricity, telephone, and TV cables everywhere. Is that ugliness worse than the windmills dotting the horizon? If we visit The Netherlands, we may send postcards showing their windmills, but we are most unlikely to send postcards of our electricity cables. Actually, we are so used to them that we no longer see them.
Therefore, wind must be an option. Add the power of water and the sun, create more innovation such as using laser technology to transfer the power of the sun, and replace cables with WiFi, etc. Using these three free sources, speaking as her advocate, I can report that she feels much happier.
I do too.
Many of the Sherlock Holmes stories were set in foggy London town Bernie. There is plenty of energy without destroying our planet. The deep earth is very hot and could be mined for the heat, eg Iceland. OK, the electrical and telephone wires on our streets are a left over from an earlier time. Cables should be buried with the water mains, gas lines, sewers etc. Nicolas Tesla had a plan the illuminate the whole world without wires and could have done it if Thomas Edison and the technology of his era hadn't blocked him. One day Tesla's idea will provide WiFi communications world wide since communications today are at about the same stage as electrical energy distribution in 1900.
DeleteTouché Monsieur Pussycat!
DeleteExcellence de la recherche