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The Forum > General Discussion > By By Paris.

By By Paris.

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Foxy, China is the largest outputter of CO2.
They achieved that honour fairly recently.
The changes in the US electricity generating industry in changing from
coal to gas for a large part of their power stations handed that to them.

Anyway it does not matter. What does matter is the particulate
pollution from China, it has raised the pollution level in Western US states.
Posted by Bazz, Sunday, 4 June 2017 1:02:31 PM
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Dear Bazz,

China has achieved that honour recently.

I was speaking about the US historically.

The use of a resource such as coal cannot
be considered in isolation from its complex
environmental impacts. As we know, the
burning of coal produces sulfur and carbon
dioxide and the more coal that is burned the
more pollution of the atmosphere. The sulfur
helps form acid rain, which has a drastic
effect on forests. The carbon dioxdie from
increased coal burning contributes to the
"greenhouse effect".

I won't go into detail here on the "greenhouse
effect" suffice to say that I don't
think any thinking person denies that the
planet has a finite amount of resources, or that
it can tolerate only a limited amount of
pollution. As world population continues to
grow, as industrialisation spreads around the
world, and if pollution and resource depletion
continues at an increasing rate, where is human
society headed?

The most optimistic answer is that, one way or
another sweeping social changes await us.
Posted by Foxy, Sunday, 4 June 2017 2:02:26 PM
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Foxy;
One thing I have said over years is that all who wish to make
definitive remarks on electricity generation should make a point of
getting at least one visit to a power station.
People need to have a concept of the magnitude of the system.

There is going to be a transition to a new energy regime.
The problem is not global warming, the problem is how we get from
here to there.
The fundamental hurdle is to provide a continuous supply 24/7/52.
We need to build a system that can operate 24 hours no matter what
the wx and no matter how many sequential overcast windless days there
are over very large areas of the country.
The cost implications of this are massive.

The only way around this is the current system of coal or gas fired
power stations. In the longer term they have to be replaced.
So what is there available ?
err nuclear, ummm nuclear, oh dear nuclear.
Actually there is nothing else that meets the specs.
There other schemes but so far not available.
We cannot afford to build a fleet of nuclear power stations.
Fortunately Australia is blessed with a good supply of high quality
coal, so we can do it all gradually. Immediately start building one
nuclear station, then close a coal fired plant and then build another
nuclear plant, and so on.
If one of the other schemes comes good we can try one of those.

It should be possible to pay for all this by producing fuel rods
leasing them to other countries, reprocessing them, and after they
are completely depleted storing them.

A real bootstrapping job !
Posted by Bazz, Sunday, 4 June 2017 3:48:37 PM
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Dear Bazz,

I'm about to go out so I can't respond fully
to you at the moment. I shall respond later
tonight when I get home.

You have raised some very valid points.
Posted by Foxy, Sunday, 4 June 2017 3:53:57 PM
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We can solve our power cost problem by building more and more coal fired power stations and we can cut the amount of harmful emissions by stopping all coal exports.

Simple, keep the coal for our own use and do the world a favour.
Posted by Is Mise, Sunday, 4 June 2017 3:56:56 PM
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exactly Is Mise. We will eventually use up all our coal but I think
we can manage the balance of new building and closing coal fired.

it will take a long time. I cannot guess how long, but we will earn our title of the lucky country again.
Posted by Bazz, Sunday, 4 June 2017 4:06:28 PM
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