First your SUV's now your AC.

reply to post by butcherguy

That includes Switzerland

Having lived in Switzerland I can ensure you that they take being earth friendly very seriously. And I never once saw an air conditioner.

My mom, who still lives there reported temperatures in the high 90s all last week.

So yes, Switzerland does of course contribute, but the Swiss are extremley aware of enviornmental isses and they practice what they preach.

reply to post by Merigold
Maybe you will understand my reasoning for putting Switzerland in there dead last and so blatantly when you read this......

Global pollution heats up the planet, at least I hope you get it Americans. 2nd line

That was from a post by cushycrux earlier on page one of this thread.

Originally posted by nh_ee
As time goes on we WILL require more and more electricity regardless.

A couple quick thoughts, one is with "record" temperatures, they aren't usually breaking records from the previous year, then next year beats this year...I often see records from 20, 40, 60, and even over 80 years ago being broken...does this prove global warming? No, it only shows me that 80 years ago it was just as hot and our Earth goes through cycles. Many of the record cold temperatures are just as old.

As for needing more electricity, I feel like everyone can see that but the power companies and the government. We need large efficient power plants that deliver mass amounts of power for our future. We are a technological culture, we need our computers and TVs and AC. In California there were rolling blackouts 10 years ago and ever since electricity is expensive, and PG&E [the power company in northern Cali] has been force feeding us power saving propaganda for a decade. I remember immediately after they sent out light switch stickers to business and homes saying "flex your power" or "turn out the lights" they also recommend the thermostat be set at 80 in the summer and 60 in the winter...Now PG&E and many other power companies are installing "smart meters" that charge more than DOUBLE the rate for electricity used during peak hours, I was told peak hours are like 10am to 7pm...You are being charged DOUBLE for using electricity during the normal hours of life! What about the elderly, the retired, the home schooled or house wives?
Electricity, to me, is an out right necessity...to deprive the people of electricity or double their rates by a monopoly of utility companies is a huge offense...Electricity should be cheap, almost free to the people

Florida is not only hot but it is humid as well. The state adapted early on by building clean nuclear power plants and a rugged reliable power infrastructure that rarely gets overloaded.

The big blackouts we read about up north have historically been from heat waves that brought air conditioning demands the power infrastructure were not prepared for.

[edit on 13-7-2010 by Bordon81]

I live in Georgia. They can pry my AC out of my cold, dead hands.

Points taken about renewable energy though. The pisser is that it's out there...big oil and coal just buy up the patents and the start up companies to keep it from us.

As I write this, another six PV panels are on their way to our house. Solar power is expensive; we have six 200w panels already, and the entire system will have paid for itself in another 2 1/2 years.

Air conditioning is not a perceived option in many parts of the world. Why "perceived"? Well, my ancestors didn't have it, and they survived; some of them grew up, lived and died right here in the Caribbean where we live. They lived simple lives, and lived outdoors or on porches when the heat was very oppressive.

I think we can all do a lot for ourselves, the planet and our pocketbooks by taking a more resourceful view and control of our existance, especially our creature comforts. Yes, there are parts of the world in which people die when power and a/c are not running. There are parts of the world, also, where extreme heat is a way of life and where no air conditioning exists at all, at least for those that are not rich.

Four years ago, I went through our entire house and put 1" Celotex on the interior ceilings and walls. We installed an attic fan, which is in itself a "poor-man's a/c" in that we can control the airflow, and cool the hot attic space as well. We painted the roof with a white elastomeric paint, and continue to put another coat on it every year. We use fans, and only use an a/c in the bedroom at night to sleep.

Everything in the house, except for one ceiling fan and the ductless split a/c runs off our solar & wind power. We've minimized our electrical needs. Our power here costs an average of (USD) $0.42/Kw/h.

What next? Evaporation coolers, or at least conventional ones, won't do much here in this high humidity. We've built a modest screened in shade house out back under the tree canopy, and spend relaxation times there. We've built a floating shade hut from PVC and nylon netting, and use it sometimes on the weekends.

Our fridge and freezer are 24-volt, and about 10 times more efficient than our old fridge/freezer.

These, I think, are some of the answers -- to recognize that cost will continue to go up, that renewable energies are our future. If it were up to me, twice as much money would be spent toward R&D of such ideals than for national defense.

I work in the sun every day. I'm used to it, as long as I have plenty of water. I don't want to give you the idea that I think I have all the answers, because that isn't even close to the truth. What I do feel though, is that now that people are perceiving a change that threatens their previously perceived "safe" life, that we all, including me, need to adapt, to change our manner of looking at things toward a sustainable future.

When did we all stop growing our own foods? Was it when our parents moved to the big city centers, or was it before? Certainly many people still grow their own or part of their foods, but when was the point where we surrendered our very personal safety and sustainability to the corporations?

They're not going to fix it for us. We have to take control of our individual existance and stop doing things that don't work. yes, I own an automobile. It's very efficient fuel-wise and I use it when I have to, and will continue to until I can't. I also ride a trike quite a bit (there's a haunting visual for you ).

.......somewhat ironic.... d'you know who manufactured the PV panels we have? BP. It was the best bang for my buck at the time; incoming batch are SolarWorld, based in part on This scorecard.

Air conditioning? It's just part of the picture, part of what we have to change about ourselves -- not only for our pocketbooks, but for the globe, and our ever-growing use of energy. Air conditioning matters a great deal to many people, myself included. What about human-conditioning? Can that play a part?

reply to post by prionace glauca


ONE controversial scientist. Mars warming can have plenty to due with its wobbly course through the solar system.

Unless we have had thermometers all through the solar system, what you hear is speculation.

If it was the Sun warming up,then everything would be warming up, not just Mars.

reply to post by butcherguy


Really? Al that nuclear, solar, and combustible power we are using?
Yup, every other house is running on hydroelectric, solar or wind power.

Give me a break will you? If people were actually using these sources, fossil fuels wouldnt be an issue. That is what environmentalists want.

The power companies didn't invest in the infrastructure? These states have power plants they only power up in crisis mode. They are also all connected to each other to buy power off of each other as needed.

When the plants are maxed, that means people in the northeast are going above and beyond normal usage.

Maybe if people would stop insisting on living in inhospitable areas like Phoenix and LA that requires huge amounts of energy, pollution and fossil fuel usage wouldn't be as bad of an issue.

Originally posted by nixie_nox
reply to post by prionace glauca

 

Unless we have had thermometers all through the solar system, what you hear is speculation.

Until we have thermometers on earth recording temperatures for about a million years........

Then any statements about what is happening right now OR what is going to happen next is just pure speculation.

reply to post by nixie_nox
I can drive you to three different co-gen plants within an hour of my location that have opened within the last year that are BURNING renewable fuels to not only generate electricity for the grid, but also use low pressure steam for a paper mill, greenhouses and a container manufacturer.

So I am giving you a break. You don't have to worry so much, the world is not as bad as you would like to think.

Am I to believe that you would deny that there are operating nuclear power generating plants in the USA?

You need to google wind power. Just because the late Teddy Kennedy didn't want them off his Martha's Vineyard shoreline, doesn't mean that they are not around. Private companies have been installing wind turbines(connected to the grid) for the last year and a half in central Pennsylvania(not noted for it's windiness). You know who wanted to shut them down?
Eco-dorks. Yes, they were worried that the blades of the turbines would kill birds.

You apparently aren't aware of what has been going on with solar power, either.
Might want to google that too. Feds give tax credits to induce people to put PV cells and films on their roofs. They also save on their electric bill. When they are not using the power, IT GOES TO THE GRID!

Are you also aware that the federal govt has had regulations in place for years that forced landfills to embed perforated piping in the layers of trash so that methane gas could be recovered and burned?

They used to burn it in large flares that just wasted the energy. Now they are piping the gas to manufacturing facilities the use it to produce energy that was formerly created by burning fossil fuels. Hershey foods corporation uses methane at one of their plants that I am familiar with to cut their use of fossil fuels.

So get you some chocolate syrup, make yourself a warm mug of cocoa, and sit down and relax, knowing that you are supporting a company that is helping the environment.



[edit on 14-7-2010 by butcherguy]

reply to post by nixie_nox
I know enough about power plants that I will ask you to point out the ones that are just 'sitting idle' waiting for the weather to change to require their use.
I know how quickly I need to get my employees to power plants to affect emergency repairs that can't wait because there are not enough of them to begin with! There are very short windows to do repairs that can be made to wait, and those windows are during fair weather in the spring and fall, between the heating and cooling seasons.

You propose that the brownouts are due to running out of fossil fuels?
I can take you right to the coal fired plants, stockpiles of coal outside the plant, always there! Last week, however, power was shut off due to high temperatures in the area. Not for lack of coal, but because there are not enough places to convert the coal to electricity!



[edit on 14-7-2010 by butcherguy]

Truly amazing... People whining they cant live without Aircon.. I live in the tropics avg. temp 30+ year round and do not own or use aircon. Have my house built proper to cool naturaly.
Have no use or need for aircon.

Originally posted by Expat888
Truly amazing... People whining they cant live without Aircon.. I live in the tropics avg. temp 30+ year round and do not own or use aircon. Have my house built proper to cool naturaly.
Have no use or need for aircon.

That absolutely makes no sense. If the average temperature is around 30 year round, first of all you don't live in the tropics, and second the last thing you need to worry about would be Global Warming.

Where do you live? Antartica?

reply to post by Carseller4
I believe that he is speaking of the emperature in degrees Celcius.

30+ C is warm.

Some people in some parts of the country overdo the AC. There is nothing wrong with having the AC set at 70 degrees. I have noticed that in some cities like Houston, people set the AC so low that you need a sweater to stay warm in July! Maybe people in places like Houston can put away their sweaters during the summer.

It blows my mind that anyone is actually defending this article. This is 100% proof that the whole global warming movement is really about destroying western civilization and sending us back to the stone age. I get the impression that some of the people defending this article didn't even read it. I suggest you do, it's unbelievable the things it advocates.

For those rambling on about the Caribean... I've been there in the summer and it's nothing compared to a place like Arizona. You live in the cool island breez then good for you but what's that got to do with the rest of the world?

As for the rest of the solar sytem... Yes all the planets are going through changes. If you want to "debunk" this then be my guest, but just saying it isn't happenning isn't good enough. Provide a link. And no you don't need a thermometer on Mars to take it's temperature.

Originally posted by nixie_nox

Maybe if people would stop insisting on living in inhospitable areas like Phoenix and LA that requires huge amounts of energy, pollution and fossil fuel usage wouldn't be as bad of an issue.

LOL. Are you serious?

Hippies.