[mythtv-users] [Slightly OT] solar power for all our gadgets

[Brian Wood]

On Tuesday 10 March 2009 07:39:04 George Mari wrote:
> Jeff Walther wrote:
> >> Date: Sun, 8 Mar 2009 17:48:42 -0700
> >
> > Anyway, this topic kind of chaps me because I frequently hear the media
> > non-critically hyping how wonderful it is to have solar panels, and the
> > fact is that anyone who can do simple math (and doesn't live somewhere
> > with really expensive electricity) can see that they make no economic
> > sense whatsoever.
>
> I think you're not counting the indirect economic benefits with solar
> and other green power compared to fossil-fuel based power:
>
> - Less air pollution should result in reduced costs in health care and
> higher productivity with people missing fewer days of work due to smog
> alerts and respiratory problems.  Not just for the people who put solar
> panels on their roof, but at least some part of the population in general.
>
> - Reduced risk of runaway global warming.
>
> I'd say both of those are obviously hard things to quantify, but they're
> worth something.

Also, as power generation goes "local", we might see fewer unsightly 
transmission lines, along with the roads built to access them. Again, not 
easily quantifiable, but real nonetheless.

The people living near HT lines who are presently assigning everything from 
their kid's poor grades to the family dog losing its hair will have less to 
complain about.


-- 
beww
beww at beww.org