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Re: [Phys-l] global temperatures -- a modest proposal



President Obama's Secretary of the Interior announced today that the use
of wind energy on the east coast could replace all the coal powered
electrical power plants in the US. When asked how many windmills would
be required he said "I haven't done the calculation yet". Good grief!

We can't get the Cape Wind project going here in New England because of
people like Ted Kennedy opposed to seeing windmills in the distance of
the coast of Cape Cod. The promoter of the Cape Wind project estimates
that it will take several hundred thousand windmills to match the output
of coal fired plants, but that they will accomplish that only 1/3 of the
time because of the periods when the wind is not strong enough. The coal
plants will still have to be kept on line as a backup.

I hope Mr. Obama's economic advisors are more competent than his energy
advisors.

Bob at PC

-----Original Message-----
From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
[mailto:phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu] On Behalf Of Bill
Nettles
Sent: Tuesday, April 07, 2009 12:09 PM
To: Forum for Physics Educators
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] global temperatures -- a modest proposal

And we'd have plenty of energy if we develop a controlled fusion power
system.

LOTS of "ifs."

"Woolf, Lawrence" <Lawrence.Woolf@ga.com> 4/6/2009 4:42 pm >>>
There is enough solar energy in the southwest to more than meet US needs
if the cost is competitive, appropriate electrical energy storage is
developed, and the transmission network is adequate.

<http://www.nrel.gov/csp/troughnet/pdfs/2007/kutscher_tackling.pdf>
Especially slide 46.

Larry Woolf

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Forum for Physics Educators
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_______________________________________________
Forum for Physics Educators
Phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
https://carnot.physics.buffalo.edu/mailman/listinfo/phys-l