Re: So what exactly do scientists know about global warming?

Thus spake Torsten Brinch <iaotb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
>On Sun, 15 Jan 2006 13:37:30 -0000, "Jim Webster"
><Jim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>>
>>"John Beardmore" <wookie@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>>news:E8IuVVGMlkyDFwFB@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>> In message <dqdesl$b0m$3@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Jim Webster
>>> <Jim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes
>>> >
>>> >"John Beardmore" <wookie@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>>> >news:$W4AfN4O4hyDFwxg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>> >> In message <H8TOX7APLfyDFw1f@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Oz
>>> >> <Oz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >>
>>> >> Safer than wind ? Don't know. There are quite a few risks that
>>nuclear
>>> >> has that wind doesn't.
>>> >>
>>> >
>>> >the problem with wind is that it needs back up,
>>>
>>> Of course it does, but nobody with an ounce of sense would suggest using
>>> wind only.
>>
>>so what do you back it up with, this is where I see nuclear being the
>>sensible option
>
>Nuclear and wind would seem to me to be poor back-ups for each other,
>my understanding is that nuclear and wind installations, or technical
>as well as economic reasons. are both best run at maximum obtainable
>output.

This isn't particularly relevant. Nuclear, wind and coal all have the
problem that they cannot easily be tuned to demand - nuclear not at all.
This is not true of hydro. When supply exceeds demand we pump water from
a low lying lake into one high in the mountains. The hydroelectric
installation is entirely buried in the mountain, which pleases the
environmentalists, I guess. When everyone gets up to make a cup of tea
go or to the toilet during the advertisements in a football match, and
huge demand is placed on water pumping stations the hydro generators can
be switched on in a fraction of a second. There must be loads more sites
where these schemes can be implemented if we ever need more flexibility
than we currently have.

I believe Scotland is more than self sufficient in hydro electricity,
and is a net exporter of electricity. There is little scope for large
schemes, but I think many small hydro plants may still be possible.
Unfortunately there is a lot of resistance to wind here, though having
come from Aberystwyth where there are loads of wind farms, all I can say
is that the environmental damage is minimal. I think Scotland has scope
to build huge vertical axis wind turbines, which can potentially
produce far more power than the conventional windmill type (after
improvements to the original design which was not sufficiently robust in
storms). I have no sympathy for the opponents of such turbines. Even at
400 foot high, at the distances from which they are seen they would just
be decoration to the landscape.



Regards

--
Charles Francis
Please reply by name
.

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