What an enormous cynicism demonstrated by Martin Ruskin! He shows this poor woman in Africa chopping her own wood for cooking, and then somehow manages to claim that global warming is just a ploy to keep her poor and cooking on wood.

What he does not mention is that carbon offsetting schemes especially target people like her, by giving them much more efficient natural gas cookers so that 1) they can cook in healthier circumstances, producing less C02 then when cooking on wood or charcoal; 2) they don't need to chop down trees anymore.

In case of the solar panels: it only shows that the one tiny little solar panel on the roof was not enough, and that they should have two of them instead of one. Again something that carbon offsetting schemes and charities will be working on, definitely much more than oil companies have ever done for those people!

The program maker is Martin Durkin. Sorry for mistake.

Yes. But the point is that solar panels are an extremely inefficient and expensive way of making electricity. You cannot expect the developing countries to use this technology when we ourselves are hardly using them ourselves.

Phil

They are only inefficient and expensive for us because we have so little sunshine in this part of the world. They are a much more efficient way of providing energy in countries with more sunshine.

Besides, scientists are working on new types of solar energy that uses the mechanisms found in plants, and will greatly increase efficiency.

I agree that the current technology does not allow all developmental countries to get to our levels of development. But neither will subjugation to the oil industry. Shell, BP and Exxon will never just give them the oil, will they?

quote:

Originally posted by Hobbes007:
They are only inefficient and expensive for us because we have so little sunshine in this part of the world. They are a much more efficient way of providing energy in countries with more sunshine.

Besides, scientists are working on new types of solar energy that uses the mechanisms found in plants, and will greatly increase efficiency.

I agree that the current technology does not allow all developmental countries to get to our levels of development. But neither will subjugation to the oil industry. Shell, BP and Exxon will never just give them the oil, will they?

Did you actually watch the programme?

If you did you would have known that they have their own coal and oil but are prevented from using it. Also the solar power of two panels which are expensive provided enough power to either power the light or the refrigerator but not both,

I did watch the program... but I would not take anything the program said at face value, but suggest you'd look into it.

Not many African countries have huge amounts of oil, and the ones that do have (e.g. Nigeria , Libya and one of the Guineas) are certainly not prevented from taking it out and selling it to the global market.

Did you actually watch the programme?

If you did you would have known that they have their own coal and oil but are prevented from using it. Also the solar power of two panels which are expensive provided enough power to either power the light or the refrigerator but not both,[/QUOTE]

And because it said so in the programme, this is true? Wo why can't something else be true just because someone says so? Be fair. And if your gurus in that documentary had mentioned that third world countries are largely excempted from the obligations under the Kyoto protocol regarding cutting emissions, would you believe them? Do you think just because I write it is a lie? Some people's naivety is horrifying.

quote:

Originally posted by pdw709:
Yes. But the point is that solar panels are an extremely inefficient and expensive way of making electricity. You cannot expect the developing countries to use this technology when we ourselves are hardly using them ourselves.

Phil

Solar panels are very expensive, to manufacture, they need maintenance and are inefficient. Mostly they are used as backup power and not as source for low usage systems. We have used them for street lighting in some parts of the world. I would say they perform best in calculators!!!

quote:

Originally posted by so is it true?:
Did you actually watch the programme?

If you did you would have known that they have their own coal and oil but are prevented from using it. Also the solar power of two panels which are expensive provided enough power to either power the light or the refrigerator but not both,

Global Warming had been around for a while; what i have noted is the we in UK have an urgent agenda on this since the time we qualified for the olympics. True?

And because it said so in the programme, this is true? Wo why can't something else be true just because someone says so? Be fair. And if your gurus in that documentary had mentioned that third world countries are largely excempted from the obligations under the Kyoto protocol regarding cutting emissions, would you believe them? Do you think just because I write it is a lie? Some people's naivety is horrifying.[/QUOTE]

quote:

Originally posted by SargeUK:

quote:

Originally posted by pdw709:
Yes. But the point is that solar panels are an extremely inefficient and expensive way of making electricity. You cannot expect the developing countries to use this technology when we ourselves are hardly using them ourselves.

Phil

Solar panels are very expensive, to manufacture, they need maintenance and are inefficient. Mostly they are used as backup power and not as source for low usage systems. We have used them for street lighting in some parts of the world. I would say they perform best in calculators!!!

They currently are - although their efficiency is improving - more investment is required. Besides, a future energy policy for the UK should include a mix of nuclear/renewables/oil/gas etc.

Its not going to be practical to stick a wind farm on your house - some of the solutions will be at a macro level - some at a more local level.

We should save our oil & gas for petrochemicals - instead we're effectively ripping the floorboards up to stick em in the fire - wont be much left of the house if we carry on like this.

Problem of PV panel is, they are not effective to produce electricity despite what ppl have been saying.

if you can use 10% of the energy from the sun, then, you are really efficient. however, PV panels don't even use that amount. It was calculated that it will take an average of 20 years for an average family to even break even using PV panels to produce electricity. Well, I happened to be a Civil engineer and studied a brief modulu about energy in Uni in 2002. And the whole class came up with the calculation in Uni. of Southampton.

Despite of ppl saying you can sell electricity to national grid. But I am aware that there is no national or even regional scheme from any companies that would buy your electricity. There are some pilot schemes, but not in a bigger scale.