The facts are that we could be 100% renewable so easily in a cost efficient way that would make most countries so envious.
Yet every time
someone who appears to know what they are talking about suggests we build dams
in areas where the energy can be used at source, they are told to f... off and
leave it to the experts who are environmentally literate. We are told that
anyone with an ounce of nous would understand that dams are a relic of a bygone
era and as such, are being replaced by less efficient monstrosities that look
like the alien towers coming over the hill in the “War of the Worlds”.
When pushed to
explain further this outrageous con the engineers, who have the ear of the
ministers who matter, limply say that we are doing this In order to prevent the
destruction to the environment that would occur if common sense had its way.
Oh really! How
come, when the most valuable by product of building dams is the fresh water
that has multi uses and has relatively little negative impact on the place
where they are built. Or what about building a much larger dam at Waikaremoana
out flow to replace the relatively tiny Tuai where the water, after power
generation is lost to the sea. The cost of piping the water from that new
facility to either HB or Poverty Bay would no doubt be much more acceptable
than leaving it untapped.
And of course,
when you add the recreational facilities, the benefits far out-way any
environmental damage.
The benefits are
these.
They supply:
1) fresh water to
the bulk of the populace
2) irrigation water to the high fertility flats that are the backbone of our livestock fattening and non pollutant fresh food growing industries.
3) and of course the other benefit is, particularly if built in a place adjacent to the industries and large communities with an insatiable demand, a supply of power that costs next to nothing in the delivery process.
It just makes
sense.
But the “powers
that be” appear fixated on pursuing the option that appeals only to those who
don’t live under the big blades - it is madness!
Most people, even
those who are wind power junkies, admit that these wind towers are in direct
conflict with the local bi-laws that control skyline construction.
How is it allowed
? I can’t think of a more damaging effect to to our natural environment.
It is also hard to
understand why dams that have the capacity to do all three things mentioned
above are not coming off the drawing boards like there is no tomorrow.
Why are we even
contemplating spending $15.7 billion on the Onslow pump hydro power scheme that
may as well be on another planet because of its distance from the end users,
when we could build another series of reservoirs in the Hunua ranges that would
provide the same amount of multi use water and power at a fraction of the cost.
Go figure !
10 comments:
Dams are only praticable when the water output is matched by input. Also a liability in quake prone areas.
It's quite simple, Clive.
The Greens and the Labour Party...and Labour Lite (National) have all decided that it's perfectly fine to chop up millions of birds and bats but it's completely unacceptable to drown some trees, bushes and snails.
National's new energy policy - ElectrifyNZ - is a carbon copy of Labour's policy. Build loads of wind farms and solar farms and make it much easier to tell people who object to, in your words Clive, F..K Off.
Never mind that these are the two worst ways to generate power. The most unreliable, the most intermittent, the lowest energy density (meaning you need shitloads all over the countryside to generate the same power as a conventional station), the highest cost and most definitely NOT environmentally friendly, requiring huge amounts of concrete, steel, plastic, heavy metals, and leaving a huge non-recyclable mess at the end of their short life (15-20 yrs).
So, now we've cleared all that up you can see the (non)sense in our insatiable lust for "renewables".
The site looks so appropriate and doable. New Zealand is blessed to possess all the ingredients to build dams. It’s the most renewable of all energy sources outlasting the unreliability of windmills and solar panels dreamed up by a woke and disturbed society. Surely we Kiwi’s deserve more common sense from the appointed squatters in the beehive than what’s on display at the moment.
Add to that, the 20 year life of virtually non recyclable solar panels.
DeeM said,
Of course he/she is correct. All wind and solar facilities cause huge amounts of CO2, tracktors, big machinery and you name.
The greens of course think that all the building is done with Electric vehicles.
I give this government ( including the greens ) 5 brain cells of which 3 don't work and the other two are demented.
When they start reading REAL SCIENCE ( for instance Ian Bradforth's articles )
they might find out, that we are on the wrong trail.
Switserland has plenty of dams of all sizes and can't even supply enough for their EV's. Funny that. They buy power from France, which is NUCLEAR power.
I am NOT pro-nuclear, but sooner or later we have to go that way.
Re your last sentence, DeeM; the first part says that you are 'not pro-nuclear', but the second part says that you are!
Well done Clive.The country is far too full of unsightly wind turbines. In heavy rain and/or wind turbines shed a huge amount of microplastics into the Ocean. I was a float-plane pilot for 11 years and forever filing water-damaged propellers.
Cpt Pete
Hydro or nuclear for power generation anything else, solar or windmills are just a greeny wet dream a bit like electric car's. They are not the answer and create massive hazard and pollution of the environment out of all proportion to their usefulness which when measured against hydro etc is virtually zero. If you don't want to build dams the only way forward nuclear, one in the north island and one in the south island. Massive amounts of electricity are generated cleanly and safely overseas and New Zealand needs to get your head out of the whole David Lange nuclear free lefty B/S and get on with it. While we're at it, bring back the USA ships etc, they are our friends not china
Well done Flip you are 100% correct. We need to get rid of this No Nuclear policy and how about a rented Nuclear Sub ??
EwanM
Read it again, mate.
I didn't say it.
But I did say something earlier. By the way, I am pro-nuclear just for the record.
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