Dr. Benny Peiser at The Australian: Europe pulls the plug on its green future
Slowly but gradually, Europe is awakening to a green energy crisis, an economic and political debacle that is entirely self-inflicted.
The mainstream media, which used to encourage the renewables push enthusiastically, is beginning to sober up too. With more and more cracks beginning to appear, many newspapers are returning to their proper role as the fourth estate, exposing the pitfalls of Europe’s green-energy gamble and opening their pages for thorough analysis and debate. Today, European media is full of news and commentary about the problems of an ill-conceived strategy that is becoming increasingly shaky and divisive.
…
As country after country abandons, curtails or reneges on once-generous support for renewable energy, Europe is beginning to realise that its green energy strategy is dying on the vine. Green dreams are giving way to hard economic realities.
From: The Australian http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/health-science/europe-pulls-the-plug-on-its-green-future/story-e6frg8y6-1226694405337
also here: http://www.thegwpf.org/benny-peiser-europe-pulls-plug-green-future/
(Note: for the pirates of pendant – image updated to show EU style plug – Anthony)
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Oops! “But also, even with the 2. definition of “bum’s rush” given above should have included 1. also.
_Jim on August 9, 2013 at 11:22 am
“The verdict: a two-pin, non-USA plug …
If the two (flat) ground pins are ignored, yes …
Are they getting the message? I don’t think so. Carbon taxes – easy way to raise revenue. Only a few days ago, the British PM attended at an off-shore windfarm which will cost us megabucks down the road. Our best coal fired powerstation is being partially converted to run on US wood pellets. The warmistas are still esconced in the Dept. of Energy and Climate Change. This war is not over by a long way. How can we service all the ‘renewable’ contracts govts. have signed on our behalf. Perhaps it’s time to wheel in the criminal law. There is an offence of obtaining pecuniary advantage (money) by deception. Personally, I would settle for a charge of treason but unfortunately, the death penalty for that has been abolished. Yes, I really feel that bitter to see how they have pushed my country down to say nothing of the huge energy bill I now face.
I’m curious: what’s the reason for those holes? Do they maybe pull out or sequester any lint or debris that may accumulate in the socket?
Here’s a good article on why liquid biofuels can never work to replace petroleum products but also relates to wind/solar.
http://www.au.af.mil/au/ssq/digital/pdf/spring_13/kiefer.pdf
I disagree with the authors assumption that implies negative consequences for increased CO2 and greenhouse gases with respect to potential warming, which are not derived from his own work. The author’s area of expertise and knowledge is in the science of fuels not in atmospheric science.
His knowledge and discussion on the science of fuels is solid
I have always called the claim that corn ethanol produces less greenhouse gas emissions “the lie about the lie”.
1. Corn used to make ethanol for fuel produces less so called greenhouse gas emissions=Lie number 1, looking at the entire life cycle and conversion to usable form.
2. The suggestion that these emissions are pollution because they increase the temperature of the planet(as defined by our EPA) is lie number 2
Oh dear. News just in.
rogerknights says:
August 9, 2013 at 12:40 pm
And – our (US) “NEMA 1″ two-blade plugs normally have a hole at the far end of each blade…
I’m curious: what’s the reason for those holes? Do they maybe pull out or sequester any lint or debris that may accumulate in the socket?
_——————————-
They are used as a detent to hold the plug in tighter (fits over bumps in the outlet) and or to place a locking device through to prohibit entry into an outlet if desired. Additionally, it cuts down on raw material cost of production.
Regards Ed
rogerknights says:
August 9, 2013 at 12:40 pm
And – our (US) “NEMA 1″ two-blade plugs normally have a hole at the far end of each blade…
I’m curious: what’s the reason for those holes? Do they maybe pull out or sequester any lint or debris that may accumulate in the socket?
_——————————-
They are used as a detent to hold the plug in tighter (fits over bumps in the outlet) and or to place a locking device through to prohibit entry into an outlet if desired. Additionally, it cuts down on raw material cost of production.
Regards Ed
For true electric plug and socket connoisseur here is world wide selection of the wall ends http://www.adaptelec.com/images/plugs_outlets/wa7-socketfit.jpg
You need to contemplate view of cable end bit.
Recently Danes were declared happiest people in world (no I have not said anything) so their wall socket has to have best (happy face) appearance.
The plug in question is according to wikipedia a plug called CEE 7/4 (German “Schuko” 16 A/250 V earthed) It is also used in Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Republic of Macedonia, Republic of Moldova, the Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Portugal, Romania, Russia,[37] Serbia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, and Uruguay
That is NOT like any US plug I have ever seen. Looks more like an EU plug — which, BTW, is superior in design to the UK plug, and infinitely superior to the US plug.
In fact, the only thing which is arguably inferior to the US plug is stripping half an inch of insulation off each wire with your teeth, w\twisting the ends, and shoving them into the socket.
Green scam energy (wind, solar, and biofuel) does not work from an engineering or an economic, standpoint. The Economist has started to run articles that discuss the engineering and economic reasons why the green schemes do not work.
The following is an overview of the problems with wind farms to illustrate the issues and the extra costs that make the green schemes economically not viable. The German wind farms average power generated is 20% of the nameplate capacity of the wind farm. The problem is the wind farm generates electric power from 0% to 100%, from 30% to 60%, from 20% to 40%, and so on of its nameplate power to average out at 20% of its name plate power. Power generated is at the wind speed to the third power, so wind farm power output is constantly and quickly varying anytime of the day. As electric power in grid must always be balanced, there is a practical absolute maximum wind power that can be handled by a typical large grid which is estimated to be around be around 10%. (Denmark has reached 20% however that is only possible as Denmark is a small country that is adjacent to Sweden that is also a small country that has a massive amount of hydro electric power. Furthermore Denmark has a massive amount of oil revenue to spend on subsidies. The Denmark example does not apply to the US, to the other EU countries, to India, or to China, and so on.)
To adjust to rapidly varying wind farm power output single cycle natural gas power plants are used 40% efficiency as they can be turned on/off/on/off/and so on, rather than combine cycle natural gas power plants that have an efficiency of 60% but cannot be turned on/off/on/off. In many cases there would be less carbon dioxide emissions to install a combined cycle natural gas power plant where power is required (reducing transmission power losses) than to build a wind farm and install a single cycle natural gas power plant to be turned on/off/on/off to adjust for varying wind speed.
The German problems with green energy illustrates some of the basic faults and hidden costs with the green energy scams (Economist, June 15, 2013)
“The trouble is that most wind and solar power is generated a long way from the parts of the country where the nuclear power plants are to be shut-off…. Germany needs more than 4000 km of new transmission lines (William: High voltage AC lines, Very High voltage DC lines, and AC to DC convertors, very, very expensive, high voltage right aways required for the power lines, and losses of roughly 30% for power transmission) by 2022, of which less than 300 km have been built…”
“A second problem is that … renewable energy are intermittent. The wind does not blow (William: German wind power average is 20% of installed capacity, power is a wind speed cubed so wind power constantly varies requiring other power sources to be turned on/off/on/off/on and so on) , sun does not shine (William: night and cloud days). Bulk electricity storage is still in its infancy (William: There is no scale able power storage option even if money grew on trees, the ball park cost for energy storage would triple or quadruple the cost of green energy, which is ridiculous, unthinkable, and not discussed)… so Germany still needs back-up capacity of conventional generation power (William: Power source that can be turned on when power is required). But because so much renewable power has come on stream ….. clean natural gas power plants are not viable (William: Natural gas power is viable if the state includes massive subsides to construct single cycle natural gas power plants, 40% efficiency, available to be turn on/off/on/off/on/off at the whim of the wind, in addition to subsides for wind farm, and subsides to construct high voltage power lines, and so on.) … Only aging dirty brown-coal power plants with low variable costs can complete.
…. The result is a web of grotesque distortions. On sunny days Germany pushes its excess power in to the European grid at a loss. …. On cloudy days Germany relies ever more on brown coal. Last year its CO2 emissions rose. …. The cost of this mess is passed on to electricity users. Household fuel bills have gone up by 25% over the past three years, to 40%-50% above the EU average (William: And twice the US cost of electric power)…
I wish I could agree ,
The netherlands where the economy is on its lowest since decades and the government is cutting where ever they can ( the weak the old and the sick ) still they want to spend 4 billion euros for 4 windmill parks out in the north sea (in a fishing area).
While we have an OVER capacity of electric and 2 high modern gas powerplants are out of order because of that over capacity.
Throwing money away in needy times is IMHO criminal.
In the UK its even worse.
The government want to use wood pellets as biofuel , but the UK doesnt have enough trees , so now they are buying American wood pellets , ship them to the UK and there burn them in power plants.
Where does this insane plan come from ??
My position is not that CO2 plays no role in warming but that the warming is not catastrophic(probably beneficial) and the law of photosynthesis is conclusively proven(vs AGW theory), along with the key role that CO2 plays in photosynthesis. Plants use it to make food in order to grow bigger and faster.
New paper finds CO2 emissions self-regulate as economic prosperity increases, without carbon taxes”
Wow.
Seriously, this has potential future implications regarding how biased scientists/governments use data to support assumptions/propaganda.
Let’s say that global temperatures go from steady the last 15 or so years to dropping. Some scientists insist that CO2 lags temperature.
If CO2 levels stall or even drop down the road, what will be the AGW crowd’s response?
Find evidence that shows the planet was saved because humans reduced CO2 emissions.
With Obama incredibly going into a full court press trying to penalize CO2 emissions ASAP (regulate them thru the EPA) there is no question this possibility has been discussed. How can anybody not really see the global temp stall right now and how has this potential scenario not been brought to the attention and discussed behind closed doors of those that profess catastrophic warming?
The faster they get these insane policies in place, the quicker they can be in a position to acknowledge the temp stall or even drop and claim victory.
Delicious…. Now where is Lief Svalgaard…
Those contributors who are wittering on about THE PLUG are devaluing the site!
Those contributors who are wittering on about THE PLUG are devaluing the site!
How refreshing to read such a well composed article on the climate change debate. Perhaps one day we shall thank Europe for boldly using their citizens wealth and health to prove to the world that renewable energy systems have some limitations that seemed to have been overlooked. Not to worry though as a fix is being planned, although we might have to tax all of you for a little bit, until completion of whatever it is that we decide upon.
Anthony: .com is great for pay walls it gets behind many that google doesn’t. Thanks for all the great reading as an Australian I think we are about to go from a being sucked into the Green con on climate to being world leading sceptics, thanks to giants of the Internet like you. Thanks.
stewgreen says:
“If you need any photos faking up ..then nip over to ask SkS I believe they are expert at photoshopping stuff”
Why does everyone assume that the Cook image is photoshopped, and not just a photo ??
Grumpy Old Man says:
August 9, 2013 at 12:36 pm
————————–
I think GOM is a saint.
How he manages such restrained language – I don’t know.
I, too, live in the increasing taxed UK.
My real comments would – rightly – be censored. So Self-snip!! GOM – thanks!
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REPLY: Do I need to call in an air strike on pirates? -A
Send in the Drones.
51.0567° N, 0.1371° W
Balcombe, Coordinates
Just up the road from Penzance
50.1186° N, 5.5371° W
Penzance, Coordinates
The EU is beyond insolvent and their last problem is maintaining the green scam.
Even the German Greens shortly before the elections have not said one word about Global Warming, except in a by sentence, when Renate Künast promoted her idea of a coerced meat free day a week with the words
“It’s also good for the climate, and leads to higher quality animal keeping. Moreover you’ll appreciate the Sunday roast much more after a ‘Veggie Day’, Künast says.”
http://notrickszone.com/2013/08/08/german-politicians-moving-to-ban-meat-consumptions-request-the-enactment-of-a-weekly-veggie-day/
The political class in Germany stares at a Zombie apocalypse size EU wide debt crisis right after the election. Our social democrats and Greens try everything in their power to not get elected.
The Eurocrat caste prepares to expropriate savers for the next bank rescue. Take article with grain of salt, but it links to a google translated German article that is less peculative. Planned are Diesel-Boom bail-ins and Cyprus style capital controls and haircuts starting with first Euro of deposits.
http://hat4uk.wordpress.com/2013/08/09/global-looting-the-new-eu-bailin-law-was-passed-8-days-ago-did-you-notice/
From panic to pandemonium.