Michael asks…
There are no jobs on a dead planet?
What do you guys who are worried about the economy say about that?
I say the answer is phasing out old technogies (coal etc) – renewable energy and green options create jobs too!
I completely agree that the costs will be so much higher to not act, but i don’t necessarily agree that nuclear is the best option, it depends on the situation.
1st, we only have enough uranium reserves for 40 years (totally not sustainable, considering the energy needed to create the plants)
2nd, we have no complete solution for nuclear waste!!
3rd, in countries like australia (where i’m from) – where conditions are perfect for wind, solar and geotherm (and more) technologies – it seems ridiculous to go with nuclear!
oh and to anyone who’s reading “CLEAN COAL technology” is NOT clean, and we don’t even have the technology yet, why are we wasting valuable time and resources on a technology that is dirty, pollutes, and DOESN’T EVEN EXIST? Go renewable -solar, wind, hydro, geotherm etc etc
😀
i don’t work at all, i’m a high school student in australia!
But that doesn’t mean i’m ignorant/uneducated etc etc etc
i know things are happening, and that people are waking up to climate change, it just needs to happen a whole lot faster, and governments need to help out too (although i know that we need to work together, and that the government can’t do everything)
The Expert answers:
Funny how the VERY people worried about GW right now have been against the option that now in hindsight would have prevented much of the “damage” to begin with. Most of Europe has been run off of nuclear power for decades, but not here in the good ole’ US of A. It’s also funny how many of them are changing their tune now. And these are the very people who claim to have the answer. My question is how many times do you go along with someone as short-sighted as they are? What happens when we implement on a global scale something they propose that they don’t understand fully? Good thing we didn’t spread soot on the arctic ice to prevent global cooling in the 70’s. Maybe we need to put massive mirrors in orbit so that we can stop global warming. We might start a new ice age which would lead massive starvation, but at least we will be nice and cool while we are hungry.
Dad, get off of your communistic soap box. Just who exactly do you think will be contracting these massive global jobs? Those same evil people that own the big oil companies. Oh, and Haliburton.
Daniel asks…
Careers in Renewable Energy?
How does someone get into a career working with renewable energy? A technician or similar job working with wind or solar would be something I’d be very interested in. I’m a year away from completing my Associate’s in electronics and electrical control systems. This is something I feel I could be very passionate about and enjoy doing.
The Expert answers:
Look on major corporations employment pages. GE and Siemens both build and install windmills and have openings in those fields. Or look in the yellow pages for people who install solar panels, small wind turbines or heat pumps. They all need electrical controls of some sort.
Paul asks…
Renewable energy companies?
With an engineering degree, where can I find a job to help develop renewable energies, preferably in the southeast?
The Expert answers:
Look up renewable energy companies directory and you’ll find tons in the southeast,
William asks…
Is solar energy and wind energy creating millions of new jobs across Canada?
I know that Ontario’s manufacturing base has been devastated by this recession and that people need jobs, i was thinking of getting retrained for something new too, then I heard that everyone who got laid off from factories are now working installing solar power farms (Wind turbines and solar panels). Is this true, are the tens of thousands of unemployed people now working in renewable energy projects like solar and wind power ?
Are these new careers (wind turbine installer / solar panel installer ) the answer to North America’s unemployment problem? Will millions and millions of people soon be installing solar panels and wind turbines EVERYWHERE?
When you wake up and walk out of your house and head off to work / school, how many hundreds / thousands of solar panels / wind turbines do YOU see during the day ?
The Expert answers:
No. Canada only has a population of 34 million people, you won’t get 5% of the population employed making wind turbines or solar panels. Ontario Hydro One only has 5,400 employees. Even large construction projects such as stadiums only have a few thousand workers on it at any one time.
Further, solar power is pretty useless in Canada. It’s distance from the equator makes it highly inefficient, few places in Canada get much sunlight other than the summer months, and most places receive extreme weather which ruins solar panels quickly. Likewise, most parts of the country (other than the coasts) do not have steady winds.
Sunlight (at the equator) produces about 120W per square meter. At 50 degrees north it is around 60W. The best solar panels are barely 10% efficient. That is 6W per square meter. A typical house consumes 8,900 kilowatt-hours of power per year or about 25kWh per day. You’d need an area of 35m x 35m to power a single house. (Assuming 8 hours of sunlight per day, no clouds or rain, 100% efficient batteries for night time power, ignoring the energy to make and maintain the solar panels, power loss in transmission, etc.) That is a football field sized area just to get power to one house.
When I walk outside my house I see clouds and grey. In a few weeks, I’ll see snow, frost, and sleet driving down on the ground.
Ken asks…
Facts about renewable energy? (solar, wind, etc) please answer?
I’m doing a poster on Renewable energy, and I would just like someone to verify that all these facts are correct:
Clean energy poster:
What is clean energy?
This is power produced from renewable (naturally replenished) and natural resources without having a negative impact on the environment.
Examples of reliable “clean” energy sources include: sunlight, water, wind, biomass and geothermal heat.
Wind Power – this is the conversion of wind strength into usable energy sources, especially for electricity. This type of power can be obtained by using wind turbines and wind mills.
Solar Energy – this is the power that is obtained from sunlight and can be converted into other types of energy. Inventions such as solar panels can help collect this source of energy for conversion.
Biomass Energy – Biomass is any plant (trees) or animal matter, and can be used to create an energy-rich gas called Biogas. Biomass can also be burned to create fuel for different uses.
SOLAR ENERGY
-This renewable source of energy does not produce waste or pollution.
-This fuel is used for many things: electricity, creation of biomass, heating water, and buildings, and even transport (solar-powered cars)
-This is a free, reliable and clean energy source.
WIND ENERGY
-This is one of the lowest priced renewable energy sources.
-This renewable source is a good alternative to nuclear energy in areas with favourable climate conditions.
-This source can provide cleaner air and a much healthier environment for all.
BIOMASS ENERGY
-Growing biomass for fuel can create jobs in rural areas.
-Biomass is not a fossilised fuel (like oil and coal), but fresh natural material that can grow again, even after harvesting.
-Using this source of power will not have a major affect on the environment.
Is everything correct/accurate? anything that I should edit/change?
The Expert answers:
Biomass does not create bio fuel, yet.
Biomass is usually sent to a biomass plant that converts it to electricity. Yes it is small trees and brush or even walnut shells that are chipped then burned in a massive furnace heating water into steam that turns a turbine generator that produces electricity.
It can be converted into ethanol gas but currently its to expensive to pay off.
I’m a lumberjack
Powered by Yahoo! Answers