More green energy news
Approximately 50% of the human population lives within 200km (120 miles) of an ocean and if you double that area it’s 66%. That makes this news all the more interesting and important
set to generate record power
* 19:15 21 August 2007
* NewScientist.com news service
* Kurt KleinerThe project will see two underwater installed off the coast of Northern Ireland
By the end of the year, twin underwater turbines should be generating 1.2 megawatts of electricity off the coast of Northern Ireland in a landmark demonstration of tidal power technology.
When you consider the amount of power available from this, from wind, from solar (some really interesting solar projects going on in Africa and Israel right now), and from , there is plenty of completely green power potentially available to meet the world’s demand. When you consider the cost to the environment to burn fossil fuels in order to generate electricity then these technologies are more than economical. It’s time to start electing politicians who will say no to the big fossil fuel energy companies and start saying yes to alternate sources. Any politician who stands in the way, by commission or omission, is guilty of murdering innocent people, now and in future generations, through the pollution of the environment and the abetting of global warming, and should be treated as such. Harsh talk I know, but the corporations could not get away with what they do if the politicians did not actively abet them in their rush to destroy the planet for profit. There is no time and no room left to sit back and hope things will work out. It is time to take whatever actions are necessary, in order to ensure survival. It’s time to step outside the hologram, as Joe Bageant calls it, and force consciousness of the terrible things coming, the very threat to their lives, livelihood, safety, comfort, children and grandchildren that represents, on everyone. When the populace truly understands the threat then politicians will fear for far more than their re-election hopes if they vote to support something that harms the , and that is the way it should be.
[tags]wind energy, solar energy[/tags]
Comment from Ian Gordon
Time: 8/27/2007, 10:31 am
It’s good to see renewable projects of this nature taking off. Taken as part of efforts to both increase supply as well as reduce demand, it could be one part of the solution. It’s certainly better than coal, oil, gas or nuclear.
On the other hand community power based on renewables is the more just way to go, rather than the capital intensive route that is mostly out of the reach of communities. It is my earnest hope that once the tech is up and running to light and heat homes from within homes by homeowners that power for the people by the people leading to the greater power of the people shall then not perish from this earth.
Putting the power back in the hands of the people keeps governments honest.