@Marie Mallery My point is that, given the degree of technical ability of the proposers, designers, and financial backers of the preposterously overburdening Ivanpah project, ALL knew full-well in advance it's serious drawbacks environmentally, as did SURELY the United States Environmental Protection people. They either looked the other way, received compensation in some way, or enjoyed a combination of both. Ivanpah and ALL heliostat type generation installations (there are now many) may be effectively questioned regarding efficacy when alternate means were available: Photograph of Nevada Solar One, with the Las Vegas Valley beyond the mountains behind it. "Nevada Solar One is a concentrated solar power plant, with a nominal capacity of 64 MW and maximum steam turbine power output up to 72 MW net (75 MW gross), spread over an area of 400 acres (160 ha). The projected CO2 emissions avoided is equivalent to taking approximately 20,000 cars off the road. The project required an investment of $266 million USD,[1] and the project officially went into operation in June 2007.[2] Electricity production is estimated to be 134 GWh (gigawatt hours) per year. Nevada Solar One uses proprietary technology to track the sun’s location and concentrate its rays during peak demand hours. The plant uses 760 parabolic trough concentrators with more than 182,000 mirrors that concentrate the sun’s rays onto more than 18,240 receiver tubes placed at the focal axis of the troughs and containing a heat transfer fluid (solar receivers). Fluid that heats up to 735 °F (391 °C) flows through these tubes and is used to produce steam that drives a Siemens SST-700[10]steam turbine, adapted to the specific requirements of the CSP technology,[11] which is connected to a generator to produce electricity." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevada_Solar_One We have driven past Nevada Solar One numerous times when travelling from Laughlin, NV, to McCarron Airport in Las Vegas. It's "footprint" in the desert is huge, but largely flat and nondescript. It's scope is of course below that of Ivanpah, but then so is potential environmental damage, which is far lower. Frank
You may have heard of the 5.8 earthquake we had in central Virginia in August 2011. There is a nuclear power plant that straddles my county and the next county over. It was built in the early 1970s. While it was being constructed, they discovered a fault line running right underneath it. -The Fed knew -The state knew -The counties knew -Dominion Electric knew Nuthin' to see here, folks. They went right ahead and built a nuclear power plant on top of a fault line!!! When the quake hit (not a frequent occurrence but not the first one in this region) the cooling tanks "walked" several inches. They shut down one reactor, more as a sop to the concerned public than any serious action. Don't you love it when we pay all these tax dollars for "oversight" and hire all these "cannot be fired" dweebs and give government all that power, and consumers pay for all the costs that so many businesses incur "complying," and this is what you get??? You get a friggin' nuclear power plant built on top of a fault line????? In the meantime, the EPA wants to regulate the runoff on small farms, just so the Fed can squash the non-compliant. Makes you sick, don't it?
@John Brunner Yes, it certainly does! I ask again, if you have not done so, obtain a copy of the book "Unintended Consequences", by John Ross. It is a work of fiction based on many real-life factual occurrences, examined as closely and in as fine detail as may be found. Learn what really happened at Waco, Ruby Ridge, the 1986 Miami FBI massacre......... "It seems like the ATF likes to stage things in the most obtrusive manner possible," says Steve Sessinghaus, a lawyer in Tulsa, Okla. Mr. Sessinghaus represents John Lawmaster, whose home was raided in 1991 by the ATF. Mr. Lawmaster, away at the time, returned to find his doors kicked in and a note: "Nothing Found - ATF." Kenyon Ballew, military veteran, shot in the head during a botched raid on his home by FBI and ATF Agents, shot by a moonlighting detective, Lou Ciamillo, tagging along for the overtime pay. Lon Horiuchi, FBI sharpshooter at Ruby Ridge who shot and killed Randy Weaver's wife as she held her infant child, killed his son, about 13, was charged with murder by the State of Idaho.......exonerated. Supervisor in charge of the FBI raid was Larry Potts, who was subsequently PROMOTED to Assistant Director, FBI, by Director Louis Freeh! Immediate public outcry brought about retirement for Potts. No charges filed. Justice Department settled with Randy Weaver giving him $3.1 Million. I strongly urge anyone disturbed by government excesses to READ "Unintended Consequences". Frank
Educate me on that book. If it is a work of fiction, won't I get highly misinformed by it? How will I tell what is factual and what is not? ps: G. Gordon was right in his descriptions of those people.
@John Brunner The book might correctly be called a "historical novel". The story is woven about a young kid, son of a U.S. Veteran who taught aviation in Pensacola. The kid is raised straight as an arrow, and becomes a Geologist. In college, he teaches an extra credit course in Personal Self Defense, to a class of primarily young women. The facts he reveals to them are hair-raising; that's why I recall that part specifically. You will easily ascertain which events in the book are not derived from real-life. Frank
I am agreeing more and more with Einstein when it comes to this modern world regressing instead of progressing. " I don't know how most wars will be but I do know the last war will be fought with sticks and stones" I may not have this exact but he said something like this ,I think
Perhaps the government can pass a bill to prevent hurricanes and tornados or at least, defund them so solar farms can thrive in peace.
If they do use HARP it probably won't be for the good..I think they have been controlling the weather for a long time.
We bought a systen about 10 yr ago, about 700 W. between the two solar panels ,converter,charger fuses 2 g.wire] exspensive stuff that gauge wire] ,etc,but never put it up.Its all still like we bought it,not sure if its still good.Also 'Solar for Dummies' paperback.I'm sure we forgot most of what we learned.
Dunno. Hurricanes are considered to be the enemy so if recent events are any indication of what the government gives the enemy……?
@Bobby Cole Hurricanes, as well as tornadoes, do not occur in the desert areas. Therefore, it makes little sense to install solar "farms" where they do occur. Frank
I agree with this. Yet whoever said libs make sense ,like Savage penned" Liberslism is a mental disorder" ? There was trillions of dollars given out to certain groups who had to make it look like they were doing something good for envirionmet. So they may have spent some on the plants and pocketed the rest or gave 'con'tracts to their allies who came ourt like the bandets they were.Only my opinion of course.