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A carbon swipe card within a decreasing cap such as proposed by Contraction and Convergence will do all that. Remember Colin Challen and the TEQs. Energy conservation combined with lifestyle changes is also very promising. The financiers and other 19th and 20th century aberrations are the very people who will mess it up for everyone. What they've done so far is the very tip of the ice-berg (or should I say thin end of the wedge?). Tom At 12:35 11/02/2009, CHRIS KEENE wrote: >I don't think this is as depressing as first seems. > >It highlights the deficiencies in iridium for >the most advanced solar cells, after pointing >out that the old types of solar cells just made >from silicon, which is plentiful, fail to >compete with fossil fuels (this is a problem >with the market - we shouldn't be trying to >compete with fossil fuels, we should just ban >them - let's have a bit of good old-fashioned >regulation; that is coming back into fashion now >that free market economics has wrecked the world economy, so there is hope). > >I agree with the comments on the hydrogen >economy; I don't think it is the way >forward. And the Centre for Alternative >Technology agree with me on that - their Zero >Carbon Britain report ><<http://www.zerocarbonbritain.com>www.zerocarbonbritain.com> >promotes electric cars. The oil industry >doesn't want them of course (see the film "Who >killed the electric car") which is why we need >to challenge their power. There is also the >shortage of range provided by the battery, and >the time it takes for charging, but this could >be overcome if garages were able to swap fully >charged batteries for flat ones. But here is >another problem with the market - garage owners >won't provide battery swapping facilities >because there are hardly any electric cars, and >drivers won't buy electric cars because there >are no garages to swap batteries. So the >government should provide the charging stations, >which is now Tory policy, so there is hope again here. > >I agree with the problems of biofuels taking >land for food. They are a complete red herring, >one promoted by the oil industry who wish to >keep us hooked on liquid fuels instead of making >the transition to electric power. > >But I note the article mentions nothing of wind, >wave or tidal, renewable resources which Britain >possesses in abundance, and could easily fulfill >our energy needs *as long as we can cap >demand*. Which is why we need some sort of >energy rationing system. And I suspect the >government will come up with one soon, based on >upstream trading and auctioning of emission >rights, since this will provide a stream of >government revenue (and they are going to need >one to keep the bankers in the style to which >they are accustomed - which is all the bail-out has done) > >Chris > >George Marshall wrote: >> >> >>from new scientist >> >> >> >> >> >>Why sustainable power is unsustainable >> >> >> >> * 13:02 06 February 2009 by >> <http://www.newscientist.com/search?rbauthors=Colin+Barras>Colin Barras >> * For similar stories, visit the >> <http://www.newscientist.com/topic/energy-fuels>Energy >> and Fuels and >> <http://www.newscientist.com/topic/climate-change>Climate Change Topic Guides >> >>Renewable energy needs to become a lot more >>renewable – a theme that emerged at the >><http://www.ftconferences.com/energytechnologies/>Financial >>Times<http://www.ftconferences.com/energytechnologies/> >>Energy Conference in London this week. >> >>Although scientists are agreed that we must cut >>carbon emissions from transport and electricity >>generation to prevent the globe's climate >>becoming >><http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn11462-climate-change-a-guide-for-the-perplexed.html>hotter, >>and more unpredictable, the most advanced >>"renewable" technologies are too often based >>upon non-renewable resources, attendees heard. >> >><http://www.ftconferences.com/energytechnologies/speakerdetails/434/?PHPSESSID=58464854a34d4f3e008278da468e6c9c>Supratik >>Guha of IBM told the conference that sales of >>silicon solar cells are booming, with 2008 >>being the first year that the silicon wafers >>for solar cells outstripped those used for microelectronic devices. >> >>But although silicon is the most abundant >>element in the Earth's crust after oxygen, it >>makes relatively inefficient cells that >>struggle to compete with electricity generated >>from fossil fuels. And the most advanced >>solar-cell technologies rely on much rarer materials than silicon. >> >> >>Rare metal >> >> >> >>The efficiency of solar cells is measured as a >>percentage of light energy they convert to >>electricity. >><http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16018-solar-cells-need-to-be-more-dull-to-power-up.html>Silicon >>solar cells finally reached 25% in late >>December. But >><http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_cell#Multiple_junction_solar_cells>multi-junction >>solar cells can achieve efficiencies >><http://www.ise.fraunhofer.de/press-and-media/pdfs-zu-presseinfos-englisch/2009/press-release-world-record-41.1-efficiency-reached-for-multi-junction-solar-cells-at-fraunhofer-ise-pdf-file>greater >>than 40%. >> >>Although touted as the future of solar power, >>those and most other multiple-junction cells >>owe their performance to the rare metal >><http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indium>indium, >>which is far from abundant. There are fewer >>than 10 indium-containing minerals, and none >>present in significant deposits – in total the >>metal accounts for a paltry 0.25 parts per million of the Earth's crust. >> >>Most of the rare and expensive element is used >>to manufacture LCD screens, an industry that >>has driven indium prices to $1000 per kilogram >>in recent years. Estimates that did not factor >>in an explosion in indium-containing solar >>panels reckon we have >><http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19426051.200-earths-natural-wealth-an-audit.html>only >>a 10 year supply of it left. >> >>If power from the Sun is to become a major >>source of electricity, solar panels would have >>to cover huge areas, making an >><http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn13103-carbon-electrodes-could-slash-cost-of-solar-panels.html>alternative >>to indium essential. >> >> >>Precious platinum >> >> >> >>The >><http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20026841.900-whatever-happened-to-the-hydrogen-economy.html>dream >>of the hydrogen economy faces similar >>challenges, said >><http://www.intelligent-energy.com/index_article.asp?SecID=2&secondlevel=33&artid=3853>Paul >>Adcock of UK firm Intelligent Energy. >> >>A cheap way to generate hydrogen has so far >>proved elusive. New approaches, such as using >><http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16409-bug-enzyme-generates-fuel-from-water.html>bacterial >>enzymes to "split" water, have a long way to go >>before they are commercially viable. >> >>So far, >><http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16370-worlds-smallest-fuel-cell-promises-greener-gadgets.html>fuel >>cells are still the most effective way to turn >>the gas into electricity. But these mostly rely >>on expensive platinum to catalyse the reaction. >> >>The trouble is, platinum makes indium appear >>super-abundant. It is present in the Earth's >>crust at just 0.003 parts per billion and is >>priced in $ per gram, not per kilogram. >>Estimates say that, if the 500 million vehicles >>in use today were fitted with fuel cells, all >><http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19426051.200-earths-natural-wealth-an-audit.html>the >>world's platinum would be exhausted within 15 years. >> >>Unfortunately platinum-free fuel cells are >>still a long way from the test track. A >><http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16275-platinumfree-fuel-cell-promises-cheap-green-power.html>nickel-catalysed >>fuel cell developed at >><http://www.whu.edu.cn/en/>Wuhan University, >>China, has a maximum output only around 10% of >>that a platinum catalyst can offer. >> >>A new approach announced yesterday demonstrates >>that >><http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16547-carbon-catalyst-could-herald-cutprice-fuel-cells.html>carbon >>nanotubes could be more effective, as well as >>cheaper, than platinum. But again it will be >>many years before platinum-free fuel cells become a commercial prospect. >> >> >>Fuel vs food? >> >> >> >>Biofuels, like ethanol fermented from maize, >>are the most infamous examples of the doubtful >>sustainability of supposedly renewable forms of >>energy. This time the non-renewable resource at >>risk is >><http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19626343.800-is-the-biofuel-dream-over.html>the >>world's arable land, >><http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/people/a.bauen>Ausilio >>Bauen of Imperial College London said at the meeting. >> >>Again, there are potential solutions, but none >>that are ready for market. Biofuels from >><http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19826616.100-new-technologies-promise-biofuel-plan-b.html>cellulose >>or even >><http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn14360-chemical-breakthrough-turns-sawdust-into-biofuel.html>lignin >>can be derived from inedible plant material and >>wood rather than food crops. Algae, grown in >>outdoor tanks, >><http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19726414.400-algae-hold-the-key-to-the-biofuel-conundrum.html>continues >>to attract attention, and >><http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16456-invention-biofuel-from-the-oceans.html>extracting >>biofuel from marine algae or seaweed could sidestep land use issues altogether. >> >>Renewable energy technologies remain the great >>hope for the future, and are guaranteed >>research funds in the short term. But unless a >>second generation of sustainable energy ideas >>based on truly sustainable resources is >>established, the renewable light could be in danger of dimming. >> >>-- >>George Marshall, >>Director of Projects, >>Climate Outreach Information Network, >> >>George Marshall contacts in Wales >>Direct 01686 411 080 >>Mobile 0781 724 1889 >>E-mail <mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask] >>The Friary >>Pen-Y-Green Rd >>Llanidloes >>SY18 6PG >> >>Main COIN Office >>Old Music Hall, 106-108 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1JE. >>Telephone 01865 403 334 >>E-mail <mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask] >>Web: <http://www.COINet.org.uk>www.COINet.org.uk >> >>COIN is a charitable trust, registration number 1102225. It supports >>initiatives and organisations that increase public >>understanding and awareness of climate change. >> >> > > >-- >ÐÏࡱá Tom Barker BSc, PhD SWIMMER (Institute for Sustainable Water, Integrated Management, and Ecosystem Research) Nicholson Building University of Liverpool Liverpool L69 3GP 0151 795 4646 [log in to unmask] Support Contraction and Convergence - the global response to climate change <http://www.gci.org.uk/briefings/ICE.pdf>http://www.gci.org.uk/briefings/ICE.pdf