Listening to a discussion to the Cape Cod offshore wind project:
http://www.kcrw.com/news/programs/tp/tp100428a_boost_for_clean_en
.. it reminded me of a conversation with Kim Sorvig who made the
observation that "Local Green" made much more sense rather than these
huge wind farms and other large green installations.
The idea is that we would be far better off working on small green
energy, and diverse multiple sources (wind *and* solar, say) that
could be less intrusive in the long run. Thus developing small solar
(panels, water heating, windows/blinds controlling solar input ..) and
wind (roof top devices).
Redfish has been working on the UK "Merton Rule" and the later "Code
For Sustainable Homes" on monitoring the use of such devices. It
appears that an interesting percentage (easily 25%) of family energy
could be locally generated.
Do any of us have experiences with Local Green approaches .. where a
family or neighborhood could develop its own energy? Obviously both
conservation and generation applied together would be required to get
to a large percentage.
I'd hate to see the Large Green start to spoil views, disrupt fishing,
and have dangerous side effects. It seems we have a hard time
thinking "outside the hierarchy".
-- Owen
-- Owen
============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
