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Nuclear Bids for Wind Power
Posted: 22 Jan 2007, 21:54
by monster
Posted: 23 Jan 2007, 11:25
by Adam1
Seen positively, it's like the tale of the two mangle manufacturers. One said they're in the business of making mangles; the other said they're in the businss of drying clothes. The latter survived the change in technology, the former didn't.
Seen negatively, it's the nuclear lobby trying to kill of a competitor.
I don't know which it is in this case.
Posted: 23 Jan 2007, 11:43
by Erik
I doubt its a case of killing off a competitor. Most energy utilities have a fairly diversified portfolio of generating plant. Traditional oil and gas companies are involved in everything from solar and wind to biofuels nowadays. I suppose the big question is really whether this diversification of nuclear/oil/gas companies into renewables is:
a) for green publicity
b) because they too recognise that fossil fuels will decline
c) because it's profitable (especially with oil at $50 or $60, penalties for CO2 emissions etc)
d) because they really do care about the environment, honest, and want to save the planet, whatever it costs...
Posted: 23 Jan 2007, 13:54
by Adam1
It must be (c) first and foremost, mustn't it? The others are all 'nice-to-haves'.
Posted: 23 Jan 2007, 13:58
by XENG
Also could be because they realise what a dead-end nuclear is, afterall they really should know the facts.
Posted: 24 Jan 2007, 00:19
by kenneal - lagger
Also could be because they realise what a dead-end nuclear is, afterall they really should know the facts.
Especially after the BBC News item earlier saying that all the present nuclear sites are on the coast and in danger from rising sea levels. The government was hoping to get over some of the planning hurdles by reusing existing sites. Some hope now!!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6292973.stm
Posted: 24 Jan 2007, 11:03
by Adam1
There's a
news item and opinion piece on this in the Tageszeitung (Die Taz), which is a green/left newspaper based in Berlin.
http://www.taz.de/pt/2007/01/23/a0272.1/text.ges,1 wrote:Kommentar
von Sven-Michael Veit
Der Einstieg von Areva bei der Windfirma Repower l?sst sich mit einigem Optimismus als Eingest?ndnis deuten. Als Einsicht, dass die Produktion von Atomstrom weltweit sinkt und dass den regenerativen Energien die Zukunft geh?rt.
So gesehen w?rden Gewinne aus einer unverantwortlichen Hochrisikotechnologie in die Rettung des Weltklimas investiert. Sp?t sicherlich, aber vielleicht noch nicht zu sp?t. Und wenn die Areva-Millionen Repower in die Lage versetzen, mehr und rascher zu produzieren, ist das zun?chst nichts Schlechtes.
Nat?rlich werden Konzerne wie Areva nicht vom Atomglauben abfallen. Weiterhin bauen sie AKWs, wo immer das noch erlaubt wird. Unverdrossen r?sten sie Atommeiler auf, wo immer das gew?nscht wird. In einem Industriestaat, der am Ausstieg aus dem atomaren Irrweg festh?lt, hat das keine Zukunft. Geld aber geht bekanntlich dahin, wo es sich vermehren kann.
Und wenn es in die Windkraft geht, mag Grund zur Skepsis ?ber die Ehrenhaftigkeit der Motive bestehen. Aber nicht wirklich Anlass zur Klage.
taz Nord vom 23.1.2007, S. 21, 50 Z. (Kommentar), Sven-Michael Veit
This Die Taz piece seems (from my rusty German) to be saying that we shouldn't think that this move represents a fundamental 'conversion' in thinking by Repower away from nuclear to renewables. It is a pragmatic/profit-driven that we should welcome because of what it signifies (trend towards renewables etc) whilst remaining skeptical about their motives.
Posted: 24 Jan 2007, 11:20
by Erik
Of course it there were no profits to be made then renewable energy technologies would still be the realm of a few Caracatus Potts type eccentric inventors and a handful of techno-minded environmentalists. Like you say from the German article, whatever the incentives, it's a good thing that more companies are moving towards renewable energy.
p.s. - I can't understand any German at all but I could spend all day reading words like "Ehrenhaftigkeit" and "Unverdrossen". Dunno what they mean but they look great!!
Posted: 24 Jan 2007, 11:33
by Adam1
Erik wrote:I can't understand any German at all but I could spend all day reading words like "Ehrenhaftigkeit" and "Unverdrossen". Dunno what they mean but they look great!!
There's a great, free, online dictionary at
http://dict.tu-chemnitz.de/ that can help sometimes.
Posted: 24 Jan 2007, 11:53
by Vortex
I could read the news item you linked to ... but that piece you pasted was "difficult" German! I needed to use that dictionary link!
Posted: 25 Jan 2007, 19:34
by Bandidoz
Posted: 25 Jan 2007, 22:34
by Adam1
Nice one - I'll add that to my bookmarks.