It's Blowin in the Wind

Barry Brook is refocusing Brave New Climate on nuclear energy as the solution to our energy problems. Eli has always thought nuclear will play an important role, but not the only role, something that is not always well received. The Bunny wrote

Eli thinks you are making a major error. There will be no single solution, there will be a mix of partial solutions or there will be no solution. While there is a virtue in the marketplace (and it will be determined by the market, the problem being that it is necessary to get people to recognize the built in future costs of fossil fuels) of having apostles for each partial solution claiming it is a total solution, at the point of implementation reality requires that the buyers discount the sales talk, and at that point the winners will be the realistic sales folk. . .

Further, IEHO, wind and solar have significant advantages for electrifying underdeveloped areas as they do not need a national distribution network or a huge cadre of trained caretakers. Among the lessons from Iraq is that small, independent generating facilities are superior in chaotic situations

Only to come across an interesting example today of one William Kamkwamba who put together three windmills in order to power his family farm. While not very efficient, they are sufficient and improvable, a great example of things not having to be perfect to be enough.

Go read the article