>It's easy to talk high-mindedly about cars, but more CO2 is produced
>in electricity (1868.4 tg equivalent 2002 coal, 299.1 gas, 44.4
>petroleum) generation than from cars - in 2002 (1,729.2 petroleum,
>35.2 gas). That's why I emphasised electrical goods, like PCs and
>air conditioning.
I agree completely, generating electricity is the key issue. Although electricity for industry is probably more problematic than domestic energy.
Not that I've studied the problem at all, but...
Electricity for domestic use is a relatively simple problem. For one thing, most of it is wasted and simply redesigning homes would probably eliminate 50% of consumption. Homes designed to capture and store the sun's energy (passive solar) can make an enormous difference to heating costs. Buildings can also generate solar electric energy with Ph/V cells and send it back into the grid. We could all have a little wind turbine built onto our homes as well. It all adds up and if the amount of wasted energy was reduced and the electrical energy generated by potentially millions of homes was networked through the grid, then the need for electricity to be generated by burning fossil fuel in power stations would be considerably reduced.
(Here in Tasmania of course, virtually all electricity is already generated through hydro and wind power, except for a back-up power station that runs on gas. But most energy is used by industry, one single consumer alone, the Bell Bay aluminium smelter, consumes a third of the state's capacity.)
> These are essential goods for our society. I'm not putting words
>into anyone's mouth by saying that you need to explain either how we
>will continue to power these goods in an environmentally acceptable
>way,
Done.
> or you will have to explain how we can get by without them.
Well, I get by without air-conditioning quite OK, but then I live in a temperate climate in a house that has some insulation and is not too poorly designed. Double glazing would make things better, but basically it rarely gets uncomfortably hot in the house. However I have lived in houses, in the same climate, that were like ovens in summer and simply impossible to heat in winter and I know many people who have air-conditioning installed, simply because their homes are so poorly designed and lack even the most elementary insulation.
Clearly, the first step is to take steps to reduce waste of energy. By not only designing individual homes, but whole communities, to be more comfortable and efficient. Then we can get by with a whole lot less energy, yes. And be more comfortable into the bargain, I can't stand the racket of electric fans blowing all the time. (I miss my old IMac that didn't have any cooling fan at all.)
Bill Bartlett Bracknell Tas