Germany recently announced that it now generates about 31% of its electricity from renewable sources:
http://blueandgreentomorrow.com/2014/08/...
because renewables output has increased by 400% since 2000.
The new coal power plants seem to be coming online to replace old nukes and were planned before 2008 to guarantee that they would be online before the originally-planned 2022 shutdown of the nukes. Despite rhetorical acrobatics by Greenpeace and the likes, it seems that turning off the nukes will guarantee burning lots more coal.
A report by consultants Poyry says that there are no plans for any other new coal power stations in Germany for the foreseeable future, except for those already under construction.
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/sy...
After increasing until 2015, when the new stations come online, they expect total coal power in Germany to fall, with half of the coal power stations being turned off by 2030.
If they'd left their nukes on, then they wouldn't have needed as many coal stations and they could have shut down coal stations faster. To me, their choice to shut down nukes is unbelievably stupid but it's not an argument against renewables. They already get about 30% of their power from renewables and in another decade or so it'll be more than half. If only they'd kept the nukes on, they could have gone coal-free by the 2030s or 2040s.
Right. We should instead work on making our lives more useful to mankind, to our environment and to everything in our lives. Instead of arguing, we should instead do our share in caring for our environment by doing the little things that we can in our house. Proper waste (including toxic ones - chemicals) disposal and recycling. These are very simple but matters a lot.
I agree partially. You're right when you say we should concentrate more on how we will continue from here but the climate problem and so many others when it comes to ecology ( I think people concentrate too much on this single problem. There is also deforestation, accidification, the mass-extinction and so on.) are part of this. Are we again going to sacrifice everything in service of ourselves or are we finally going to stop being so selfish and realize that we share this planet with so many other life forms and start caring for them as we expect others to care for us?
The problem is if we want to care more about just ourselves than we will have to sacrifice ourselves as well in service off others and then people like Sagebrush start complaining his liberties are taking away to protect others while I'm sure he has no problem what so ever to take away others their liberty to protect his luxury life as a human being, let alone his life completely. People like him always complain about the greenies pushing their opinion on to them but when it comes to the one thing they find so important, humanity, they have no problems doing exactly the same to us. And as long as they are not capable of accepting that not everyone has the same opinions and values in life as them, let alone respect that we are stuck in a discussion that should have ended decennia ago. Problem is that we are way too oversensitive when it comes to our own species and since we are the problem here on Earth, the plague that is destroying everything there is no hope as long as Sagebrushes keep thinking their pathetic life and their so-called liberties are more important than the rest of the world.
If I had to guess, Germany's decision to close nuclear plants was driven by a fear of terrorism.
Unlikely to be sure, but the consequences are pretty drastic.
One does hope that solar panel efficiency improves.
That has been happening.
For once, I have to agree with Dr. Jello, except for the fact that the real fear mongers hate nuclear power.
Because, notwithstanding the Alarmists, this issue is a controversial one....and we need lots of meaningful dialog..including that of dissenters.
Quotes by H.L. Mencken, famous columnist: "The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed ― and hence clamorous to be led to safety ― by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary." And, "The urge to save humanity is almost always only a false face for the urge to rule it."
We are not arguing. They are forcing this upon us, even flying in the face of the facts. In a legitimate argument the terms are established. Climate Change has never been defined to an arguable form.
All the greenies are saying, "Climate Change! We don't know what it is, but we do know it is calamitous! So don't argue with us, just give us money and give up your liberties. It is the only way you can save the world!"
Canis, " If you give yourself rights to live and liberty at least be so fair to give those rights to everyone." What rights have I bestowed upon myself? Come on, give me an answer. I do not have the power to bestow 'rights' on me or on anyone else. According to the authors of the 'Declaration of Independence' and the 'Constitution of the United States' all men have rights BESTOWED BY OUR CREATOR and they are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. No government has the authority to override those GOD GIVEN RIGHTS. Your thought process is perverse. Just because I have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, does not automatically take away any natural right of any other form of life.
You may not be from the US so you may not be cognisant of our two outstanding documents. If you are from the US then shame on you for not knowing that. Or maybe you are one of those opposers of the US Constitution. They are in abundance on this site.
Quote by Gus Hall, former leader of the Communist Party USA: "Human society cannot basically stop the destruction of the environment under capitalism. Socialism is the only structure that makes it possible."
So you run with the Communist crowd.
And Jeff M: I know my place and I do know that God put in force the natural laws of this Earth, including the environment. In Genesis 2:15 it states, "And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it." KJV That is God's purpose for man, not to take away another person's right, or to dominate another man. Who are the ones trying to dominate other men?
Quote from the UN's Own "Agenda 21": "Effective execution of Agenda 21 will require a profound reorientation of all human society, unlike anything the world has ever experienced a major shift in the priorities of both governments and individuals and an unprecedented redeployment of human and financial resources. This shift will demand that a concern for the environmental consequences of every human action be integrated into individual and collective decision-making at every level."
You are supporting the evil people who want to dominate. Tsk! Tsk! Your thinking is perverse.
Canis, " People like him always complain about the greenies pushing their opinion on to them but when it comes to the one thing they find so important, humanity, they have no problems doing exactly the same to us." What are you admitting to? That you are not human? Then just what are you? A plant, animal, alien, or a demon? It would be nice to know what you are. Could you clarify that? And another thing, just what am I forcing upon you, as you so clearly state?
This is a climate section.
When the important decision is where do we go from here,
Energy demand is escalating, and is likely to expand by two thirds by 2035 how are going to respond?
what are the real solutions,
recycle lower carbon footprint hmm dont make me laugh.
Renewables nah they will never supply enough, Germany tried that and failed, they are now building new coal fired power stations, their decision to close all their nuclear was crazy in my opinion.
