“Too much of the debate at the moment is either nuclear or wind, when really we should be looking for a holistic approach.” spokesman for the Royal Academy of Engineers.
Authorities in the UK have approved £400 million for 209 400-ft wind turbines (try to picture that!) Falling in line with the Apollo Alliance, an enviro-labor agglomerate, this project will inject many much-needed jobs into the local area. The heart-warming article tells the whole economic storyline.
Another bout of climate-based currency speculating has hit the street. While nuclear power seems to be like the most ‘bang for your buck’, and conventional wisdom seems to be eating it up like no trans-fats, the New Economics Foundation sees many unaccounted costs tacked on to the bottom line. This dramatically increases the supposed cost per nuclear power kilowatt-hour, so says a new report, “Mirage and Oasis: Energy choices in an age of global warming”, linked to from an informative NEF article.
Once again, economists are (hopefully) reminded of the elusive objectiveness of a cost-benefit analysis, and how an “attractive bottom-line” is relative.
Those who are not so convinced are speaking out without hesitation, as a representative from the Nuclear Industry Association confidently puts it: “This report is grossly out of kilter with almost all other reports that have been done.”
So while wind power has gained the stamp of approval from mostly everyone except aviarian-protectionists, nuclear power has some sorting out to do, and carbon-free energies of a different sort are coming in from the wings. Clean-burning coal, another favorite of the Apollo Alliance for its heavy labor base, is being pushed to the production and construction phase. It’s nice to see how far we’ve come since the Wall Street Journal doubting the existence of clean coal.
And if it can’t be clean-burning, then at least it can cleanly captured before it is released – this is the principle behind Germany’s new CO2-free coal-fired power plant. An explanation of several pre- and post-combustion CO2-saving technologies, brought to you by the BBC. Another GHG-trapping-for-utilization project is unfolding in Scotland.
Let’s not forget our responsibility as activists: e the people’s new petition begs for clean coal development.