Dear Stephen, Welcome to the group.
Your thoughts on energy efficiency and reuse (cascading , or using output heat from high temperature uses to low grade heat uses) make sense. The problem is essentially economic, many of these ideas have been worked out and proved on pilot studies. "Energy: Management, Supply and Conservation" by Dr Clive Beggs, gives a good analysis, for example. Basically, burning coal and emitting the CO2 directly to the atmosphere is the CHEAPEST energy source, and will be the preferred option for mainstream industry. Imagine a company with $10 million end of year profit after paying shareholder dividends. If they invest in a new advertising campaign and rebranding, they could increase sales, and make a profit of $20 million dollars in the next three years. Investing the same amount in new production facilities in South East Asia would give $25 million profit, and investing in energy efficiency would save $15 million over the same period. So the company chooses the most profitable option.....locating new facilities in a region with lower labour and environmental protesction costs. Now, if a emissions tax, or efficient emissions trading scheme, effectively doubles the cost of energy to the company, this alters the economics of investing in energy efficiency, doubling the savings that the company would make to $ 30 million over three years. Suddenly, energy efficiency becomes the most profitable investment option for the company, so that is where they invest their money, stimulating growth in the manufacturing and installation of energy efficient products. The same argument applies to other forms of energy production; renewables, nuclear, fossil with carbon capture and storage, and sink enhancement projects. They won't become dominant in the global economy while they are dearer than burning fossil fuels without capture. There are loads of great ideas for efficient energy use. Unfortunately, the difficult task of persuading politicians that we need a globallly harmonised carbon price, which would raise the price of energy to end users substantially, would be the best way to get these ideas implemented(IMHO) . Best Wishes, Colin sector.----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "geoengineering" <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2008 7:26 PM Subject: [geo] AN IDEA > > Hi all. > > This forum was recommended to me by Dr. Caspar Amman in order to get > some ideas on the table. > > Firstly let me introduce myself. I am a high school teacher in Cape > Town, South Africa and have previously taught at a technical college > for four years. Prior to that I have spent about a dozen years > suppling industrial equipment to industry after spending a decade as a > telcommunications electrician. This, added to being a social > investigative and healer idealist, results in ideas coming easily to > me and sometimes fast and furious. > > The ideas that were broadcast on television seem to all have some > potentially unwanted side effects. Perhaps this is only so when seen > in isolation. If one had to implement some of them at the source of > the carbon emissions. They could even be driven by the excess energy > generated by industry. Some industries I am sure generate enough > excess heat energy to drive much of their peripheral needs including > air conditioning or refrigeration or even lighting. > > If some of this energy is used to convert some or all of the carbon > dioxide emissons into carbon, perhaps this carbon could also be used > as a source of energy to drive hybrids if needs be. > > Perhaps all these ideas have been addressd by this forum and if so, I > would appreciate it if someone could let me know what the name of the > discussions are called. > > If there is any value to these ideas and anyone would like to know > more, please don't hesitate to let me know. I may not be as qualified > as many of you and I don't want any recognition for anything, it would > just be a shame if all these ideas go to waste. > > Sincerely > > Steven Parkes > > +27848193040 > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "geoengineering" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/geoengineering?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
