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.… Read more »
Monique,
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.