Re: Reply to Christopher Beyer

[William Prestwich <prestwic@mcmail.CIS.McMaster.CA>]

And what happens when your neighbours wants to plant trees which shade
the solar collectors?
Cheers,
	Bill Prestwich 

On Tue, 10 Dec 1996 azapantis@mgdestmx01.erin.gov.au wrote:

> It is a brave man who uses the word "never". I can go out tomorrow and spend
> $31,000 (Australian) on a "solar power kit" which will provide my house with
> "free" power 365 days per year for 20 years, at which time the batteries will
> need replacing. I would not have to decrease my use of power and would actually
> be able to sell power back to the grid for much of the year.
> 
> The only thing which stops solar power generating facilities from being
> incorporated into new houses as a matter of course is cost. As the technology
> improves, costs will come down and the use of solar power will become
> economically viable in most of the world. It's not a matter of "if", but a
> matter of "when".
> 
> I don't foresee vast arrays of solar cells providing power for large populations
> as current utilities do. Rather, I think that solar power may be used on a
> smaller scale to supply power to smaller communities, perhaps even at the
> individual house level.
> 
> Nonetheless, this is a long way off and in the meantime, coal and nuclear power
> will remain the dominant power generating methods. Given the choice, on
> environmental grounds, I would prefer nuclear power to coal fired power.
> 
> These have been my thoughts only and do not necessarily represent the views of
> the Australian Commonwealth Government!!!
> 
> _______________________________________________________________________________
> Subject: Reply to Christopher Beyer
> From:    radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu at mgdestmx01
> Date:    10/12/96  6:02 PM
> 
> Christopher, 
> 
> You seem like an intelligent individual.  That being the case why don't you
> do some personal investigation into the feasibility of using solar and wind
> power versus nuclear energy.  I think (I know) if you did an honest
> evaluation you would find that solar and wind will NEVER replace the
> use of fossil fuels in our society.
> 
> 
> Alex Zapantis                                  
> Environmental Radiation Officer     
> Office of the Supervising Scientist		
> 40 Blackall Street 														
> Barton ACT 2600 AUSTRALIA 
>             
> Email: azapantis@mgdestmx01.erin.gov.au
> Fax : (int+) 61 6 274 1519
> Phone: (int+) 61 6 274 1642
> 
> The Office of the Supervising Scientist is a Branch of the 
>          Federal Environment Protection Group 
> 
>