Re: Worrying about the long term (was Global Warming (NUCLEAR))

["Shapiro, Mark" <mshapiro@EXCHANGE.FULLERTON.EDU>]

Ray is correct.  Much (but not all) of the California energy problem was the
result of a badly flawed deregulation scheme foisted on a naive legislature
(oh the joys of term limits) by lobbyists for the out-of-state energy
suppliers (Enron sent in an army of lawyers to help write the bill).  You
can read about it in my article "Power to the People!":

        http://members.home.net/mshapiro2/comments-1-19-01.htm

The only good outcome from this is that folks will have to pay more
attention to energy conservation and alternative sources such as solar and
wind.

Mark Shapiro
http://www.IrascibleProfessor.com


-----Original Message-----
From: Raymond Rogoway [mailto:rogoway@SJM.INFI.NET]
Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2001 8:33 AM
To: PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu
Subject: Re: Worrying about the long term (was Global Warming (NUCLEAR))


Perhaps now is the time to re-read "Small is Beautiful" and to reconsider
the
concept of using different energy technologies for each appropriate use. The
idea of smaller "Peaker Plants" is again being thought about in this state.
I
don't think the argument is Nuclear vs Fossil. That implies that there is
one
"best" solution.

However it doesn't take a subscriber to this list to understand that the
problem
in California is not energy availability, nor which technology should be us,
nor
conservation. The problem is 100% economic manipulation. The good side is
that
it is forcing us to once again (the pendulum swings again) to think about
conservation.

Ray Rogoway