June 25, 2008
A Little Perspective for NASA's James Hansen
Deliberately withholding aid to hundreds of thousands of cyclone victims under your direct control probably constitutes a crime against humanity. What is going on in Darfur definitely constitutes a crime against humanity. A good case could be made that a "justice system" that prescribes the death penalty for sixty eight different crimes constitutes a crime against humanity.
The sale of a perfectly legal fuel product utilized under some of the most environmentally sensitive conditions in the world to markedly improve the quality of life of 301m people is decidedly not a crime against humanity.
Now that that's cleared up, let's turn to your proposal. At the risk of asking an awkward question: how would it work, carried to its natural conclusion? Fossil fuel executives "see the light" and fall on their swords. Oil spiggots are shut off in the United States and coal goes unmined. How do we get to work; create electricity, heat, AC; put food on the table ...?
Here's the deal. When the Magic Alternate Fuel Source is invented (how about by your agency?), we will all rejoice and embrace it. Until then, the empty "Just Say No to Oil" lectures, hyperbolic pronouncements and borderline hysterical predictions are less than helpful.
So when the magic fuel source is invented and it makes absolutley no difference with global warming because increased solar activity is the ultimate cause of that global warming may I be the first to say I told you so?
Such quackery and from a NASA wonk no less!
Ridiculous!
Monique,
Hawaii is the most isolated population center on the face of the earth. Hawaii is 2,390 miles from California; 3,850 miles from Japan; 4,900 miles from China; and 5,280 miles from the Philippines. No other state is as dependent on imported fossil fuels for electrical power as Hawaii, where, as of a couple of years ago, 95 percent was generated from oil or coal. There is no oil drilling in Hawaiian waters.
Hawaii is now the first state in the nation to require all homes built after December 31, 2009 be equip with solar water heater system. Currently 1 out of every 4 homes is equipped with solar water heating system.
SOURCE: S.B. NO. 644; S.D. 3; H.D.3; C.D.1
http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2008/bills/SB644_CD1_.pdf
The folks at the vast Dutch conglomerate, Shell, have joined with HR BioPetroleum to research the making of biofuel from algae, using a 6-acre site operated by the Hawaii Natural Energy Laboratory on the Big Island. Hawaiian Electric has a contract with Imperium Renewables to provide biodiesel to fuel a new 110-megawatt generating plant being built at Campbell Industrial Park on Oahu.
Currently, the state’s largest wind farm is the Kaheawa plant on Maui at 30 megawatts, but Castle & Cooke Resorts on Lanai and UPC Wind on Molokai are each proposing wind farms in the 300-megawatt range, with the power proposed to go by undersea cable to Oahu. Among other planned whirlyfarms are a 30-megawatt wind farm at Kahuku on Oahu, a 12-megawatt wind farm at Moloaa on Kauai, a 21-megawatt expansion of the Kaheawa wind facility and a 20-megawatt cluster of wind generators at Ulupalakua Ranch, also on Maui. The world's largest wind generator is on the island of Oahu. The windmill has two blades 400 feet long on the top of a tower twenty stories high.
Hawaii’s biggest solar commitment to date is coming from the state government, which in January announced plans to put 34 megawatts of solar panels at 12 of its facilities, including airports, harbors, highways buildings and the Hawaii Foreign-Trade Zone in downtown Honolulu. In late January, James Campbell Co. and Hoku Solar Inc. announced plans for their Kapolei Sustainable Energy Park, a solar farm that would generate 1.5 megawatts, possibly as soon as the end of this year. As an indication of its own commitment to photovoltaics, Hawaiian Electric has signed up to put a 167-kilowatt array on its Ward Avenue building.
Geothermal power is producing 30 megawatts of firm power on the Big Island, and the Puna Geothermal Venture has permits to pump that up to 60 megawatts. The only other island with geothermal potential—rocks hot enough and shallow enough to provide the steam a geothermal plant needs—is Maui, but there are no plans currently to tap it
The ocean itself is a vast reservoir of energy. One technology takes advantage of the physical movement of water—the motion of waves can be harnessed to power generators directly. One wave-energy plant is being tested off Kaneohe, and another is planned off Maui by a firm called Oceanlinx.
Currently 173.8 megawatts of electrical energy is generated in Hawaii from renewable energy resources. Planned near term or under construction renewable energy projects will add approximately 405.4 megawatts and long term projects currently in discussion when finalized and on line will add from renewable energy resources additional.694.6 megawatts.
Total Hawaii islands current electric demands according to 2006 State of Hawaii Data Book are 1,856.9 megawatts.
By law the Hawaii electric companies must provide 20% of power from renewable energy resources by year 2020.
The most generous and largest renewable energy resource is staring us right in the face. In the 1970s the largest ocean thermal energy conversion plant at Keahole produced only 217 kilowatts. But now with price of oil at $137 a barrel and new technologies ocean thermal energy conversion is no longer cost prohibitive. A1.2 megawatts self sustaining generator will be operational near term.
SOURCE :(Honolulu Star Bulletin)
Facilities on Big Isle to tap sea for energy... --6/3/06
http://starbulletin.com/2006/06/03/news/story02.html
The City and County of Honolulu police vehicles have been outfitted with hybrid cars and the public bus transit system fleet is being replaced with hybrid-electric buses. With an $800,000 seed grant from Chevron more than 75 State Department of Transportation diesel trucks have been retrofitted with a new environmentally friendly engine designed to reduce diesel emissions by up 85 % and increase fuel efficiency. Construction company, Grace pacific, is also doing the same with its vehicles. In the next six months, it plans to have 100 trucks retrofitted with the new eco-friendly technology.
Honolulu (largest city in world) is ranked number 1 in the nation for having the smallest carbon foot print by Brookings Institution.
Hawaii is not talking about renewable energy or being green but actively pursuing all the alternatives.
Posted by: Ken at June 25, 2008 9:23 PMMonique,
ADDENDUM
“Currently 173.8 megawatts of electrical energy is generated in Hawaii from renewable energy resources. Planned near term or under construction renewable energy projects will add approximately 405.4 megawatts and long term projects currently in discussion when finalized and on line will add from renewable energy resources additional.694.6 megawatts.”
Should read:
Currently 173.8 megawatts of electrical energy is generated in Hawaii from renewable energy resources. Planned near term or under construction renewable energy projects will add approximately 405.4 megawatts and long term projects currently in discussion when finalized and on line will add from renewable energy resources additional 694.6 megawatts.