Sri Lanka, could it happen here ?

21 comments

• Tetradon

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  2 years ago

  One need only look at Germany and their Energiewende to see what trying to go all wind and solar did. They ended up becoming even more dependent on Russian natural gas, and reactivating plants burning the dirtiest fossil fuel, coal.
• mark94

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  2 years ago

  From 1900 to today, the world population grew from 1.4 Billion to 8 Billion, while reducing the rate of absolute poverty and starvation. This was only possible because of fossil fuels. It was fossil fuels that provided the energy to grow and transport food. You can’t suddenly stop using fossil fuels and still feed 8 Billion people. Wind, solar, hydro, and geo energy will never provide enough energy to power a modern economy for 8 Billion people. Maybe, just maybe, nuclear could largely replace fossil fuels. But, it will take 50 or 100 years. You’ve got to have that in place before you try and shut down fossil fuels. Otherwise, bad things happen.
• Cashman1234

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  2 years ago

  Isn’t nuclear a no no for the green folks? Coal is dirty, and the USA has attempted to remove it as a source of energy. I am still confused by the dislike for natural gas? It can be clean burning, and it would be plentiful, if the current administration allowed fracking to be used more. It would also create more jobs, and provide a backbone of energy, while these greener sources are used. Why buy into the hype about solar and wind as the main sources? There’s a balance required. In the current world of technology and travel, it’s very important to have consistently reliable energy sources.
• shailynn

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  2 years ago

  All these ideas are better for the environment, better for the people and better for sustainability. If you want a better future for your family after you are long gone, then you should take interest in all of these ideas. The problem is it cannot happen overnight. I think politicians and law makers should stop fighting over WHEN it should happen and instead focus on attempting to make a smooth transparent transition people would be more open to change. When states and communities BAN certain things it just makes citizens instead of being more adept to change. "Wind, solar, hydro, and geo energy will never provide enough energy to power a modern economy for 8 Billion people." Today, yeah no way in hell, maybe someday technology will provide enough umph to get there, but probably not in the lifetime of anyone reading this today.
• mark94

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  2 years ago

  Long term, I’m intrigued by Nuclear Fusion. That’s what powers the Sun. Scientists have managed to generate it in the lab but no one has developed a practical, large scale way of using it. If they ever do, that’s a clear solution. And, it’s clean. It would generate far more power than current nuclear fission plants.
• mark94

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  2 years ago

  The reason that greens do what greens do is supposedly to protect the environment. Nuclear energy is clean as hell. It’s never made sense to me that greens oppose it, unless their real goal is something other than a clean environment and an end to carbon-based climate change.
• crosscheck

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  2 years ago

  ^ the greens have never understood the saying "don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good"
• Muddy

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  2 years ago

  Nuclear sounds like it’s the best to me. A lot of proganda around it. [view link]
• mark94

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  2 years ago

  A birds eye view of Sri Lankans storming the Palace [view link]
• Icee Loco (asshole)

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  2 years ago

  Sri Lanka had a leftist uprising because of high food prices and debt slavery to the imf. I wish it happened here
• san_jose_guy

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  2 years ago

  We've also set up a political and economic system which guarantees poverty amidst plenty, writing off a large segment of our population, usually the scapegoats of the middle-class family, and with more people than not just barely making it. SJG Gimme Shelter - School of Rock [view link]
• 8TM

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  2 years ago

  I recently read about this company that wants to drill for geothermal energy under existing power plants: [view link] Of course, it sounds too good to be true and they conveniently promise to have the first plant working “by 2028”, which is just enough time to soak up the investor money and shut down the company due to “unforeseeable technical challenges”
• san_jose_guy

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  2 years ago

  PBS Weekend News [view link] Some places like Iceland make good use of geothermal energy. And there is some of it in CA's Santa Rosa area. BUt yes, in alternative energy there is a lot of fraud, and I agree that the article you link to sounds like fraud. SJG
• NJBalla

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  2 years ago

  Could never happen here. thousands of guys running around a house jumping in pools, taking showers, and cooking together without a few women? I get uncomfortable when I walked into a bar with 20 guys a 2 girls. What were the women doing? Not even one in the kitchen?
• gammanu95

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  2 years ago

  A frw years ago, there was a flurry of research and emgineering papers outlining and describing new designs for nuclear power. These reactors were low-waste, small foot-print, scalable, and some were even modular. Somehow, these all just faded away. I wonder how many of them could have been viable solutions. Geothermal power for the US is an interesting consideration. Iceland sits astride a tectonic rift zone. The US does not have nationwide access to geothermal power. There reasons why it wouldn't be feasible in places like Hawaii, Alaska, Yellowstone, and other places.
• Jimmybigtits

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  2 years ago

  I did a poll in a strip club last week. 100% of the strippers were in favor of going green. Unfortunately all of them thought I was talking about Money so the data set has limited utility in either the mid terms or presidential election. It also explained my failure to get two dancers for a threeway in my hotel by calling it a focus group. I need to get out more... But seriously, I think we have no other practical choice but to revisit nuclear if you are serious about transitioning the energy economy over the coming decades.
• mark94

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  2 years ago

  The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has warned power consumers in Texas to conserve energy on Monday afternoon and evening because there will not be enough wind power to operate the power grid reliably in peak demand.
• mark94

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  2 years ago

  On Sunday, hundreds gathered in front of banks in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou after not being able to access their funds for months. The protesters were met with violent resistance from state security.
• mark94

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  2 years ago

  In inflation-ravaged Argentina, rival left and right-wing protesters take to the streets as the country remains gripped by a political crisis caused by the economy minister Martin Guzman's resignation.
• mark94

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  2 years ago

  Thousands of Albanian opposition supporters have held a peaceful protest in the capital Tirana, urging the center-left government to resign because of the cost-of-living crisis and alleged corruption
• san_jose_guy

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  2 years ago

  It sounds like in Sri Lanka there is come chaos, and maybe in some of these other places too. But these are not caused by progressive attempt to protect the environment and reduce use of carbon fuels. The strife is caused because of reactionary elements in government and industry. SJG The Warning, playlist [view link]