tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post5214737696807625457..comments2024-03-19T03:14:04.172-04:00Comments on Rabett Run: Ending ethanol subsidies, still working on the technologyEliRabetthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07957002964638398767noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post-52726627637670401492012-01-02T17:33:35.439-05:002012-01-02T17:33:35.439-05:00Ending the ethanol subsidy was definitely one of t...Ending the ethanol subsidy was definitely one of the most awesome events of 2011, don't underestimate it. Remember, its not only a question about the environment, but also one about food security for poorer populations as well. Every bushel of corn that is used for ethanol is one less bushel that is available for real food. This is a big win!green investmentshttp://www.greenworldbvi.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post-39676978489638694312012-01-01T20:47:56.587-05:002012-01-01T20:47:56.587-05:00carrot eater --- The overbudget Avera EPR in Finla...carrot eater --- The overbudget Avera EPR in Finland is still well worth it according to commenters elsewhere who will be purchasing that electricity. The four Westinghouse AP1000 projects currently in so-called pre-construction in the USA are on time and within budget. Since Westinghouse is currently actually constructing several of those in China I'd say they known what they are about.<br /><br />One way to keep current is by following World Nuclear News.David B. Bensonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02917182411282836875noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post-12465216432684039852012-01-01T20:18:57.983-05:002012-01-01T20:18:57.983-05:00Looks like he finally talked someone into giving h...Looks like he finally talked someone into giving him a tenured position. OTOH, Richard has never missed an opportunity to shit in the bed he was sleeping in previously.EliRabetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07957002964638398767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post-80183436250999225862012-01-01T12:00:14.696-05:002012-01-01T12:00:14.696-05:00For all bunnies, I see that Richard Tol is decampi...For all bunnies, I see that Richard Tol is decamping from the ESRI in Ireland to go to University of Sussex:<br /><br />https://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23cuimhn%C3%ADcinnEWInoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post-41222211576539964972012-01-01T11:47:27.960-05:002012-01-01T11:47:27.960-05:00"Ah, that explains Scottish on-shore wind pow..."Ah, that explains Scottish on-shore wind power generation now being cheaper than nuclear"<br /><br />Even neglecting the tariffs that fund this 'cheaper' power, you have to account for the need to store wind generated electricity when wind produces a large percentage of a nation's power.<br /><br />Yea-mon, who is having problems with OpenID at the moment.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post-70371607086443012882011-12-31T18:13:30.710-05:002011-12-31T18:13:30.710-05:00"Ah, that explains Scottish on-shore wind pow..."Ah, that explains Scottish on-shore wind power generation now being cheaper than nuclear "<br /><br />Externalities work both ways: as the blades drive the grouse uncanny well, ye nae have to pay the beaters.THE CLIMATE WARShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02578106673226403151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post-62164357456616671122011-12-31T03:16:24.045-05:002011-12-31T03:16:24.045-05:00"At least nuclear reactors make power. Solar ...<i>"At least nuclear reactors make power. Solar and wind have been a complete failure"</i><br /><br />Ah, that explains Scottish on-shore wind power generation now being cheaper than nuclear with the potential to export 50% of their renewable energy - an increase on their current net export of 21%. Utter disaster, that.J Bowersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post-14193839456140743572011-12-30T21:58:12.416-05:002011-12-30T21:58:12.416-05:00What should replace fossil fuels?
Here's my ...What should replace fossil fuels? <br /><br />Here's my guess:<br /><br />Solar, wind, nuclear. <br /><br />The cost of nuclear is roughly the same as fossil fuels,<br />wind somewhat higher, and solar higher still (photovoltaic about 4 x fossil fuels, solar thermal about 2 x fossi fuels).<br /><br />Cost comparisons are not simple because you're comparing apples and oranges. Fossil fuel plants have lower up-front construction costs, but much of their cost is in the fuels. Solar, wind, nuclear have high construction costs, low or zero cost of fuels. That's why there's not a simple comparison.<br /><br />Want an analogy? What does it cost to buy a house? It depends: in addition to the price, what is the interest rate? the duration of the mortgage? etc etc. <br /><br />There's an old real estate joke: I'll let you name the price if you let me name the terms. I'll buy your modest house and pay you $1 million, if I can pay $1 a year for a million years.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09575837647825433144noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post-80633649249782041102011-12-30T21:45:49.970-05:002011-12-30T21:45:49.970-05:00solar and wind don't generate electricity? w...solar and wind don't generate electricity? what sort of nonsense is that?<br /><br />Wind really is approaching competitiveness. Well, it was, until gas just got so darn cheap of late.carrot eaternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post-47475028151341375472011-12-30T19:29:56.207-05:002011-12-30T19:29:56.207-05:00I learned on a tech transfer trip to Tatarstan th...I learned on a tech transfer trip to Tatarstan that it takes a lot of energy to grind fibrous corn fine enough for efficient ethanol production- several thousand horsepower for an economically large distillery .<br /><br />So if cutting subsidies renders some wind projects unattractive, perhaps the turbines can redeem themselves as electric or direct mechanical drives for grain , grass, and silage reduction to feed the distilleries.THE CLIMATE WARShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02578106673226403151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post-7285080271048587992011-12-30T13:19:25.816-05:002011-12-30T13:19:25.816-05:00Dr. Jay Cadbury, phd.
@Carrot Eater
At least nuc...Dr. Jay Cadbury, phd.<br /><br />@Carrot Eater<br /><br />At least nuclear reactors make power. Solar and wind have been a complete failure and many here have been dishonest with themselves by continually falsely hyping these pathetic inventions.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post-49506241828701812982011-12-30T10:46:00.086-05:002011-12-30T10:46:00.086-05:00Whale oil is the only way to massively expand low ...Whale oil is the only way to massively expand low carbon baseload electricity at reasonable cost. This has been thoroughly established, repeatedlyjpdnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post-86294784265557097822011-12-30T03:21:50.315-05:002011-12-30T03:21:50.315-05:00Huh? Nothing of the sort has been thoroughly esta...Huh? Nothing of the sort has been thoroughly established, repeatedly. Nobody actually knows how much it costs to build (to completion and operation) a nuclear power plant in today's commercial conditions, in the West. The two that Areva has underway are well over schedule and over budget. Somebody actually needs to complete a few, before we know what the economics really are, and make such confident statements. In the meanwhile, pretty much anything nuclear in the US is going to require a loan guarantee from the government to get off the ground.carrot eaternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post-80817814962239689122011-12-29T23:04:24.437-05:002011-12-29T23:04:24.437-05:00Ethanol subsidies bad.
Nuclear power plants only ...Ethanol subsidies bad.<br /><br />Nuclear power plants only way to massively expand low carbon baseload electricity at reasonable cost. This has been thoroughly established, repeatedly.David B. Bensonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02917182411282836875noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post-65822406953284220782011-12-29T16:13:33.184-05:002011-12-29T16:13:33.184-05:00Dr. Jay Cadbury, phd.
Startling news. I think Eli...Dr. Jay Cadbury, phd.<br /><br />Startling news. I think Eli and I agree on something. So we're in agreement that ethanol subsidies are stupid and shouldn't be used?<br /><br />Your writing is usually very nuanced so much of the sarcasm flies over my head.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post-65038291279467547242011-12-29T13:56:30.560-05:002011-12-29T13:56:30.560-05:00Most likely, at least from here. . ??Most likely, at least from here. . ??EliRabetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07957002964638398767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post-85580377448693049472011-12-29T13:03:42.870-05:002011-12-29T13:03:42.870-05:00I guess you'd question the "must", h...I guess you'd question the "must", having been subjected to Fukushima, coupled with years of renewable cool-aid waterboarding from most progressive and climate blogs.<br /><br />I think you're totally wrong about questioning its necessity. A dispassionate look at the evidence would note that nuclear is the only greatly expandable technology currently employed which makes possible substantial cuts (~80%) in GHG within an electric grid. France did it. (And Denmark for example, did not.)crfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10726414637021391906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post-64489329940614526822011-12-29T11:58:51.251-05:002011-12-29T11:58:51.251-05:00From the article:
"Now, I’m happy to report, ...From the article:<br />"Now, I’m happy to report, Nordhaus and Shellenberger are back with an e-book, Love Your Monsters: Postenvironmentalism and the Anthropocene (Breakthrough Institute, 2011), in which they and other thinkers–including the French philosopher Bruno LaTour, whose riff on Frankenstein gives the book its name–re-envision environmentalism in upbeat terms."<br /><br />Bruno Latour? Oh, good, see <a href="http://chronicle.com/blogs/innovations/guest-post-bottling-nonsense-mis-using-a-civil-platform" rel="nofollow">Bottling nonsense</a>, where we describe Peter Wood's attempt top conflate Barnum and Latour with climate science and others.<br /><br />How much commercial R&D management have the Breakthrough folks done?John Masheynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post-56095457059099881612011-12-29T06:40:37.415-05:002011-12-29T06:40:37.415-05:00wow - I always thought this policy was the unfortu...wow - I always thought this policy was the unfortunate price of Iowa having an early caucus. No longer.carrot eaternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16612221.post-66972195872313896492011-12-29T06:11:11.548-05:002011-12-29T06:11:11.548-05:00so can we freely import sugar and/or sugar-based e...so can we freely import sugar and/or sugar-based ethanol from abroad yet, or are those sops still in place?carrot eaternoreply@blogger.com