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Let’s start with
energy from the sun. It is the prime
driver of the carbon cycle. We’ve tried to tap it directly for generations.
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Wind turbines
are beautiful expressions of engineering art as are photoelectric cells for small loads.
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Greenhouse gas
emissions, even from the full manufacturing cycle, are quite small.
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Many tout these
forms of renewable energy as the ultimate solution.
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Unfortunately,
the rotation of the earth and the vagaries of weather make both solar and
wind energy intermittent and unreliable.
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Reliance on
these renewables for human needs thus requires expensive excess capacity,
energy storage systems and alternate generation.
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Establishing
those systems will compel us to use even more energy thanks to the
inefficiencies introduced through the multiple energy conversions needed.
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