Confessions of a Greenpeace Dropout: The Making of a Sensible Environmentalist

by Patrick Moore

  Many Choices in the Energy Palette

  Some forms of energy are “on demand” while other forms are intermittent. If you have a large enough woodpile, you can make a fire to heat your home whenever you want. If you store water behind a dam, you can make electricity whenever you wish, so long as you do so sustainably. These are examples of energy on demand.

  Solar panels are an intermittent form of energy because you can’t make them work at night or when it is cloudy. The same is true of wind energy; it is only available when the wind blows. If tidal or wave energy were ever harnessed successfully, they would also be intermittent sources of power. Some proponents of wind and solar energy believe we will eventually develop storage systems that convert these technologies into on-demand energy. This may be so but we are not there yet as there is no proven, cost-effective way to do it.

  Before we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the various energy choices we have for the future, I will give a brief description of each of the energies we can choose from.

  Biomass energy refers to all energy derived from plants, wood used for cooking and heating, for example. Biofuel energy refers to biomass that has been converted into liquid fuel for vehicles. Plants use about seven times as much energy each year from the sun as is consumed by all human civilization. Trees are by far the largest consumers of solar energy. The majority of biomass energy used by people is derived from trees and other woody plants. Biomass accounts for about 75 percent of all our renewable energy consumption. The majority of this is fuelwood for cooking and heating in the tropical developing countries, but large amounts are also used in the pulp and paper industry for process heat and drying the pulp. In addition there is a growing biofuels industry that produces transportation fuels.

  Hydroelectric energy starts as the sun’s heat evaporates water from oceans, lakes, and landscapes, transports it into the atmosphere, where it eventually falls as rain at higher altitudes, flows down rivers into man-made dams, and is directed through turbines to make electricity before returning to the sea. Hydroelectric energy provides about 20 percent of electricity worldwide, so between them wood and hydroelectric energy account for about 95 percent of all renewable energy. One of the greatest ironies and logical disconnects of our time is the fact that many “environmentalists” generally oppose felling trees and strongly oppose large hydro dams.

  Fossil fuel energy is by far the largest portion of total energy consumed; about 86 percent of our energy comes from petroleum, coal, and natural gas. These fuels have proven to be the most convenient and versatile for so many applications. Most of the world’s electricity is produced by burning coal and natural gas. Nearly all our forms of transportation are fueled by petroleum products. Most buildings are heated with natural gas and other fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are the primary energy source in manufacturing and other industrial production.

  Even though the fossil fuels were originally derived from ancient forests and plankton, grown on solar energy, they are classified as nonrenewable because they do not replenish themselves. At the present rate we will end up consuming more than 300 million years of fossil fuel creation in a few centuries. This is hardly a model of conservation.

  Nuclear energy is unique in that it is a major energy source that is not based on solar energy. Uranium is a naturally occurring element that is slightly radioactive. Natural uranium is composed of two main isotopes: 99.3 percent is uranium-238, which has a half-life[11] of 4.5 billion years, O.7 percent is uranium-235, which has a half-life of 704 million years. It is the uranium-235 that produces the nuclear reaction in a conventional nuclear reactor. Uranium is one of the rarest elements in the earth’s crust, but because it contains so much energy it has the potential to provide fuel for thousands of years. One kilogram of natural uranium has the same amount of energy as 10,000 kilograms of coal. One kilogram of uranium-235 has the same energy as 1,500,000 kilograms of coal.

  I apologize for the many numbers in the last paragraph. But they are nothing compared to the complexity of nuclear physics and nuclear engineering. We will leave it at that for now, but we will encounter a few more numbers when we discuss nuclear energy in more depth. A nuclear power plant is our most brilliant engineering achievement. Yet a single leaf on a tree is more complex in nature.

  Among them, fossil fuels, hydroelectric, nuclear, and biomass energy account for about 98 percent of all our energy use. There are a few other energy technologies that deserve mentioning:

  Geothermal energy refers to two different technologies, both based on the heat in the earth (geo means earth, thermal means heat). One form of geothermal energy, often called “hot rocks,” relies on local areas where heat from the earth’s core comes close to the surface. The Old Faithful geyser in Yellowstone National Park is an example. California, Iceland, Italy, and New Zealand obtain considerable energy from geothermal by using the earth’s heat to make steam to run turbines that turn generators to make electricity. Hot rocks geothermal energy is generated by the radioactive decay of uranium and thorium in the earth’s interior and is therefore a form of nuclear energy.

  The other type of geothermal energy is known as a ground source heat pump or a geothermal heat pump. Nearly half the sun’s energy striking the earth is absorbed at the surface by the land, lakes, and sea. The heat pump, which uses the same technology as a refrigerator, is able to tap into this stored solar energy and use it to heat buildings, to make hot water, and, by reversing the heat pump, to provide air conditioning. This form of geothermal energy can be applied to any building in the world, unlike the hot rocks form of geothermal, which is only practically available in a few locations.

  Wind energy is based on the movement of air in the atmosphere. There are two factors that cause the wind to blow. When the sun heats the earth’s surface this in turn heats the air and causes it to rise. When the air rises, it creates a kind of vacuum that pulls surrounding air in, thus creating wind. The variable heating of the land and sea results in areas of higher and lower pressure in the atmosphere. Air moves from high pressure areas to low pressure areas. The other factor is the earth’s rotation. Because the atmosphere is a gas rather than a solid, it doesn’t really want to follow the surface of the earth as it rotates. This is why there are “prevailing westerly” winds in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The combination of the earth’s rotation and the sun’s heat create the wind and weather patterns that change with infinite complexity.

  Wind energy has been used for centuries to power ships for exploration, trade, sport, and pleasure. Windmills were invented to use the natural energy in the air to grind grain into flour and to pump water from wells. More recently wind has been harnessed to produce electricity both on and off the electrical grid. When used off the grid, the energy is often stored in batteries, making it possible to have electricity on demand when the wind is not blowing. When wind energy is fed into an electrical grid, it allows the operators to shut down other electric plants while the wind is blowing. The negative aspect of this is that whenever a wind energy facility is established it is necessary to build a suitable backup plant to produce energy for when the wind is not blowing. The best geographical locations for wind energy will produce about 20 to 30 percent of the energy that would be produced if the wind were blowing at an optimum speed all the time. In other words, when a wind company claims it has installed 1000 megawatts of wind energy, it has really installed about 200 to 300 megawatts. The promotional material invariably talks about the installed capacity of 1000 megawatts when, to be more honest, it should reveal that the capacity factor is 20 to 30 percent thus actually producing 200 to 300 megawatts.

  Solar energy is derived directly from the sun. There are a number of ways to convert sunlight directly into energy. The most widely recognized is the solar photovoltaic panel, usually just called a solar panel or PV. It produces electricity by converting the photons in sunlight into a flow of electrons from the panel, either directly into the grid or in off-grid applications to a batte
ry that stores the energy for use when the sun is not shining. Even in the best locations solar panels will produce electricity only 15 to 20 percent of the time. This is the most expensive way to produce electricity and also one of the most unreliable.

  Sunlight can also be used to heat water in solar water heaters. This is much more cost-effective than photovoltaic panels. In sunny climates it is a very efficient way to produce hot water for washing. China leads the world in adopting solar hot water heating.

  Passive solar energy refers to building designs that absorb, reflect, or store solar heat in a way that reduces the need for heating and cooling with other fuels. Much more use could be made of passive solar energy if our homes and other buildings were better designed with the sun’s daily movement in mind.

  To Grid or Not to Grid

  The distribution of electricity through the electrical grid represents one of the greatest advances in the history of energy technology. When you think about it, it is almost a miracle that huge amounts of energy can be transmitted through relatively tiny wires over great distances with no moving parts. But, in fact, there are moving parts—quadrillions of invisible electrons traveling through the wires to run motors, charge batteries, power computers, TVs and other electronic equipment, heat our homes, and cook our food.

  The grid allows everyone on it to be connected to a number of different electrical plants, often ones based on different technologies. All grids must have sufficient capacity to satisfy peak demand plus a surplus to allow for individual plants to be shut down for repairs or refueling. This provides continuous power to all consumers unless there is not sufficient surplus to deal with demand or in the case of an unexpected failure. Ice storms, tornados, and earthquakes can disrupt the grid for days or weeks while repair crews struggle around the clock to restore power. It is during these events that we come to recognize just how important the grid is to our daily lives. Civilization as we have come to know it would be impossible without the grid.

  Many people have a romantic notion that it would be desirable to “get off the grid.” This is no doubt linked to their wish to be independent and self-sufficient. While this is a noble aim in some circumstances, electricity is not one of them. Winter Harbour, the small community I was born and raised in, was off the grid during my childhood. Photovoltaic panels did not yet exist, and wouldn’t have worked very well in a rain forest anyway, so the only choice for electricity was a gasoline or diesel generator. They are noisy, dirty, expensive, and they break down regularly. And the owner of the infernal machine is usually the one who ends up having to fix it.

  The hamlet of Winter Harbour is, to this day, divided into two tiny towns, the fishing village and the logging camp. In the fishing village each home and business is separate. The residents, mostly independently minded folks, never did agree on a central “light-plant,” so during my childhood it was everyone for themselves. The personal generator ran only in the evening for lights. Many were the nights when the man of the house had to go out and monkey- wrench the generator in the dark. Refrigeration was only possible with kerosene fridges that needed filling every few days. Freezers were nonexistent and we made toast on top of the oil or wood stove.

  The logging camp where I grew up was a company town of about 60 people and 20 buildings. Because there was an organization it was possible to install a central generator and to build a small grid to service all the buildings. The camp mechanic was in charge of running and repairing the system, which allowed the rest of us to go about our business. In the early years the generator was used mainly for light to read and work by and to provide power for the machine shop. At 10 to 10 each evening, the lights blinked twice, warning us that the plant would be turned off in 10 minutes. This allowed the nighthawks time to light their gas lanterns. Eventually larger generators were purchased, with a back-up plant in case of breakdown, and then the power was on 24 hours. This allowed the use of electric fridges and freezers, electric light whenever you wanted it, and electric appliances like toasters and washing machines. The good life had arrived, but not for the fishing village, where it was still everyone for themselves.

  While those of us in the logging camp enjoyed 24-hour power for 20 years the folks in the fishing village carried on with their independent ways. Then in 1991 I joined a small delegation from Winter Harbour before the British Columbia Utilities Commission. We explained that the hard-working people of our village had provided millions of dollars worth of fish and timber into the economy and had paid their taxes faithfully. For this reason, we argued, Winter Harbour should finally be connected to the provincial electric grid. The Commission found in our favor, so long as we paid a higher rate to cover part of the cost of the transmission line. Not one resident, especially in the fishing village, minded paying the premium for the seven years it took to retire the debt. Even at three times the regular rate it was a lot less expensive than a gasoline or diesel generator. And there was the blessed convenience of power on demand at the flick of a switch. But the really pleasant surprise was the sound of silence now that 20 or more generators no longer howled day and night, drowning out birdsong and frogs croaking in the roadside ditches.

  More recently, Eileen and I bought a village lot and built a cottage in the town of Cabo Pulmo on the Baja Peninsula of Mexico. The village of about 100 homes and cottages is off the grid with no electricity or phone lines. Trust Eileen and me to pick a place that reminds us of our Winter Harbour home, complete with a rough gravel road to get there. There are a few native Mexicans in Cabo Pulmo, mostly ranchers and their families, some of whom run restaurants, diving shops, and other businesses that cater to tourists. Most of the homes are owned by Americans and a few Canadians who visit Cabo Pulmo for a few weeks or months each year. Some have retired there.

  Very few, if any, of the Mexican homes are equipped with solar panels for electricity. They can’t afford the $10,000 cost of a typical system that includes the solar panels, inverters, and storage batteries. They can buy a two-kilowatt gasoline generator for under $500. That’s all they need for power tools, lights at night, and a TV set, but it does not allow refrigeration and it makes for a noisy lifestyle. Ice is imported by truck to keep meat and produce fresh in big coolers.

  Nearly all the homes owned by visitors and expatriates have solar systems that provide 24-hour power to run lights, highly efficient refrigerators with freezers, satellite Internet, sewage treatment systems, mini-stereos, espresso machines, and blenders. They can afford solar panels because they are relatively wealthy people from very wealthy countries. But it has become clear to me that it is a very romantic notion that solar power is the answer for people in developing countries. It is so much more expensive than every other option that there is no way it can provide widespread electrification. It is so important to remember that sustainability includes economics as well as the environmental and social priorities. A more cost-effective approach than solar panels is required if the 1.6 billion people without electricity are to enjoy a better life.

  Strengths and Weaknesses of Electricity-Producing Technologies

  The previous section began to bring into focus the fact that every energy technology has strengths and weaknesses. While solar electricity is quiet and clean, it costs 5 to 10 times more than most other electricity-generating technologies. Seeing that energy is required for nearly all our goods and services, it is obvious that if energy costs more, then goods and services will cost more. This does not seem to matter to activists who think solar and other “renewable” technologies are somehow morally superior to other forms of energy, and therefore a bargain at any price. And their attitude indicates they don’t really care how much energy costs, even to people who are already struggling.

  Solar Electric Energy

  It is easy to find glowing reports from promoters who claim that both solar and wind energy are not prohibitively expensive and prices will come down dramatically in the future. Anton Milner, the spokesperson for the European Photovoltaic Industry As
sociation, claims, “Europe will save 300 billion Euros by switching to 12 percent of solar power by 2020.” This is due, he says, “to the fact that solar installations are cheaper than any nuclear or coal facility, and that sunshine is free”.[12] Perhaps he means a small solar installation costs less than a nuclear plant that produces more than 100 times as much energy. Regardless, it is a reckless statement and holds no truth.

  I don’t mean to beat up on Bobby Kennedy Jr. all the time, but at least it’s a change from picking on Greenpeace. The blurb announcing his keynote presentation to the 2009 Solar Power International conference in Anaheim, California, states, “Mr. Kennedy argues a sophisticated, well-crafted energy policy will help sharpen American competitiveness while reducing energy costs and our national debt and offers a bold vision to restore U.S. economic might, safeguard our environment, and reestablish America’s role as an exemplary nation.” He has a lot of nerve implying solar energy will “reduce energy costs” and help “sharpen American competitiveness.” It is so preposterous it leaves one short of breath. Does he realize the Chinese are producing most of the world’s solar panels but can hardly afford to use them themselves? And that when they do use them they can just tack the price onto the ones they sell to wealthy countries where they are subsidized to the hilt?

  In 2008, China exported 98 percent of the solar panels it manufactured. Most of these panels were sent to Germany, Spain, the U.S., and Japan, rich counties that can “afford” to squander taxpayers’ money to subsidize ridiculously expensive, politically correct solar technology. This has led to the adoption, in 2009, of a 70 percent subsidy for large solar installations in China in order to get some domestic uptake of the technology.[13] I’m not holding my breath; it might take a 90 percent subsidy to get anything moving.