February 18, 2008

- HOPEFUL CANADIAN SOLUTIONS -

1. hopeful alternatives (Leigh Thomson)


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Leigh Thomson" <thomson@eagle.ca>
To: <peacetalk-l@list.web.net>, <Stop-SPP-Action@lists.cupe.ca>
Date: Sun, 17 Feb 2008 14:38:56 -0500
Subject: [Stop-spp-action] hopeful alternatives

"Harnessing the Wind

A worldwide survey of wind energy by the Stanford team of

Cristina Archer and Mark Jacobson concluded that harnessing

one fifth of the earth's available wind energy would provide

seven times as much electricity as the world currently uses."

http://www.earth-policy.org/Books/PB3/pb3ch12.pdf (2nd pg.of this chapter)

[citing Cristina L. Archer and Mark Z. Jacobson, "Evaluation of Global

Windpower,"

Journal of Geophysical Research
, vol. 110 (30 June

2005)]

"Energy from the Earth

It is widely known within the energy community that there is

enough solar energy reaching the earth each hour to power the

world economy for one year, but few people know that the heat

in the upper six miles of the earth's crust contains 50,000 times

as much energy as found in all the world's oil and gas reserves

combined."

http://www.earth-policy.org/Books/PB3/pb3ch12.pdf (9th pg of this chapter)

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Lester Brown's whole book, recently released, is free online here: http://www.earth-policy.org/Books/PB3/Contents.htm .

We may not agree with his market-based 'solutions', preferring democratic, participatory public power, but the info about potential of natural sources is encouraging.

We can counter the ridiculous commitment of our governments to devastating nuclear and fossil fuels, massive hydro-electric dams and diversions, subsidizing corporate destruction of the planet and wars of control, while refusing to engage the public sector in wind, sun, and geothermal production, amply available to meet our needs.

It is suggested in Brown's book, that empty factories can be converted, (and we could add 'unionized workers hired'), to produce the volume of necessary wind turbines, solar PV and tube panels, geothermal units, and complementary products. Examples are provided of many countries moving forward with renewable production. Of course energy conservation wouldn't hurt either.

Members of Canadian and US Energy Worker's unions have stated they want to be part of a transition to renewable energy. One such declaration was made by a Union representative during an Ottawa forum on the SPP August 19, 2007, followed by thunderous applause from the audience.

We have excellent alternatives.

in hope,

Leigh


My reply:

t has been suggested that by having a program to insulate homes and office buildings could reduce the use of oil/gas by 25% in just one year ..
If the will to do so was there.

If anyone has any clout (and I have tried with some LIberal Party members to no avail) to make a sound proposal to some platform in a pollitical party, this would be a great thing to do. I think don't taxing those who pollute or take things out of the earth is a sound proposition; that just keeps everyone from taking RESPONSIBILITY which is the core problem. Any native elder can tell you that.

I don't hve a specific url to refer anyone to, but it seems to me that it would not take long to put a proposal like this together for Canada, suggesting that there woudl be tax breaks for everyone who insulates and a fund set up for people to draw from to accomplish it.

This was brought up as a BIG criticism of Al Gore, as when he was Vice President or since has such program was advocated and advanced in the US, which is how I found out about it - the criticism appeared in the European press after he got the Nobel Prize. They were aghast that at no time has he advocated such a simple, and effective move to cut down emissions and reduce oil dependence.

The day is rapidly approaching when the infrastructure of the emergency power plants being used to supply electicity will simply break down. To pursue getting a program like this seems to me a very very good idea - one that would be sensible for businesses to support. The less oil dependent the insulation material is to manufacture, the better.

With McGiunty solidly lined up behind nuclear reactors and making SURE that those who protest are jailed for protesting nukes and uranium mining, I am loathe to take this cause up in Ontario. It would be pointless, but I am hoping someone on this list has a good idea of how this simple plan could be pursued or refer me to someone is who proposing the same idea. What I like about the idea is that is good for ALL provinces and could be accomplished in a short time frame.

Thanks,
Virginia



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