{"id":57453,"date":"2021-04-13T09:18:01","date_gmt":"2021-04-13T14:18:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/?p=57453"},"modified":"2021-04-13T09:24:06","modified_gmt":"2021-04-13T14:24:06","slug":"renewable-energy-its-not-what-you-think-it-is","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/?p=57453","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Renewable&#8217; Energy: It&#8217;s Not What You Think It Is."},"content":{"rendered":"<h3>&#8216;Renewable&#8217; Energy: It&#8217;s Not What You Think It Is.<\/h3>\n<p>I&#8217;ve been gathering a number of articles on &#8216;renewable&#8217; energy and why it&#8217;s not really what the dominant narrative is portraying. I have divided them into a couple of what I believe are important aspects.<\/p>\n<p>Energy is fundamental to life. Fossil fuels have provided a huge boost to the energy available to humans to &#8216;power&#8217; our growth and impact on the planet. Alternatives cannot replace these. Our choice is stark: power down significantly or face the consequences of overshooting our natural carrying capacity.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Alternatives do not come anywhere near fossil fuel&#8217;s energy-return-on-energy-invested and cannot &#8216;power&#8217; our current lifestyles:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S2211467X19300926\">https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S2211467X19300926<\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"xmk9jZyMuf\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/ourfiniteworld.com\/2018\/04\/04\/why-the-standard-model-of-future-energy-supply-doesnt-work\/\">Why the Standard Model of Future Energy Supply Doesn&#8217;t Work<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;Why the Standard Model of Future Energy Supply Doesn&#8217;t Work&#8221; &#8212; Our Finite World\" src=\"https:\/\/ourfiniteworld.com\/2018\/04\/04\/why-the-standard-model-of-future-energy-supply-doesnt-work\/embed\/#?secret=3i8ItmRysW#?secret=xmk9jZyMuf\" data-secret=\"xmk9jZyMuf\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/michaelshellenberger\/2019\/05\/06\/the-reason-renewables-cant-power-modern-civilization-is-because-they-were-never-meant-to\/#6e0470d1ea2b\">https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/michaelshellenberger\/2019\/05\/06\/the-reason-renewables-cant-power-modern-civilization-is-because-they-were-never-meant-to\/#6e0470d1ea2b<\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"MSRUHrxycI\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.postcarbon.org\/publications\/searching-for-a-miracle\/\">Searching for a Miracle: \u2018Net Energy\u2019 Limits &#038; the Fate of Industrial Society<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;Searching for a Miracle: \u2018Net Energy\u2019 Limits &#038; the Fate of Industrial Society&#8221; &#8212; Post Carbon Institute\" src=\"https:\/\/www.postcarbon.org\/publications\/searching-for-a-miracle\/embed\/#?secret=NZwAeqcZlo#?secret=MSRUHrxycI\" data-secret=\"MSRUHrxycI\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"LeTWnrSzMn\"><p><a href=\"http:\/\/unevenearth.org\/2020\/10\/renewable-energy\/\">Renewable energy<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;Renewable energy&#8221; &#8212; Uneven Earth\" src=\"http:\/\/unevenearth.org\/2020\/10\/renewable-energy\/embed\/#?secret=P9E6bVmAyH#?secret=LeTWnrSzMn\" data-secret=\"LeTWnrSzMn\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pjmedia.com\/news-and-politics\/bryan-preston\/2020\/12\/01\/musk-electric-cars-will-require-a-lot-more-electric-power-than-we-currently-have-n1183962?fbclid=IwAR3bB8L2FMyeCyyHoas7p70TD5cyjmirAgLZ79f9VxGYTPEGOjNIMHIoT_g\">https:\/\/pjmedia.com\/news-and-politics\/bryan-preston\/2020\/12\/01\/musk-electric-cars-will-require-a-lot-more-electric-power-than-we-currently-have-n1183962?fbclid=IwAR3bB8L2FMyeCyyHoas7p70TD5cyjmirAgLZ79f9VxGYTPEGOjNIMHIoT_g<\/a><\/p>\n<p>2) Alternatives depend upon continued fossil fuel use:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bseec.org\/renewable_energy_depends_on_fossil_fuels\">http:\/\/www.bseec.org\/renewable_energy_depends_on_fossil_fuels<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.friendsofscience.org\/assets\/documents\/Renewable-energy-cannot-replace-FF_Lyman.pdf\">https:\/\/www.friendsofscience.org\/assets\/documents\/Renewable-energy-cannot-replace-FF_Lyman.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/energyskeptic.com\/2020\/renewables-must-help-pay-for-transmission-and-their-energy-storage-backup-of-fossil-power-plants\/\">http:\/\/energyskeptic.com\/2020\/renewables-must-help-pay-for-transmission-and-their-energy-storage-backup-of-fossil-power-plants\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p>3) Alternatives are inadequate for significant industrial processes we rely upon:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/energy-and-environment\/2019\/10\/10\/20904213\/climate-change-steel-cement-industrial-heat-hydrogen-ccs\">https:\/\/www.vox.com\/energy-and-environment\/2019\/10\/10\/20904213\/climate-change-steel-cement-industrial-heat-hydrogen-ccs<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.energypolicy.columbia.edu\/research\/report\/low-carbon-heat-solutions-heavy-industry-sources-options-and-costs-today\">https:\/\/www.energypolicy.columbia.edu\/research\/report\/low-carbon-heat-solutions-heavy-industry-sources-options-and-costs-today<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/energyskeptic.com\/2019\/can-concentrated-solar-power-be-used-to-generate-industrial-process-heat\/\">http:\/\/energyskeptic.com\/2019\/can-concentrated-solar-power-be-used-to-generate-industrial-process-heat\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/energyskeptic.com\/2020\/charcoal-for-the-high-heat-needed-in-manufacturing-after-peak-oil\/\">http:\/\/energyskeptic.com\/2020\/charcoal-for-the-high-heat-needed-in-manufacturing-after-peak-oil\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/business\/news\/shell-fossil-fuels-oil-future-renewable-energy-heavy-industry-power-a8247106.html\">https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/business\/news\/shell-fossil-fuels-oil-future-renewable-energy-heavy-industry-power-a8247106.html<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Here are some that suggest renewable sources&#8217; production and processing also wreak havoc on the environment:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2020-09-renewable-energy-threat-environment.html\">https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2020-09-renewable-energy-threat-environment.html<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2020-03-renewable-energy-threaten-biodiverse-areas.html\">https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2020-03-renewable-energy-threaten-biodiverse-areas.html<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/281550386_Environmental_Impacts_of_Renewable_Energy_Technologies\">https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/281550386_Environmental_Impacts_of_Renewable_Energy_Technologies<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nap.edu\/read\/12987\/chapter\/6\">https:\/\/www.nap.edu\/read\/12987\/chapter\/6<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/news\/2020\/dec\/08\/the-curse-of-white-oil-electric-vehicles-dirty-secret-lithium?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_News_Feed&amp;fbclid=IwAR3tOB4Q4YuUF-tv-6SFyUW_N-mweMHIqGA9_g4tD95ZHxdIoJzxZw1qFdY\">https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/news\/2020\/dec\/08\/the-curse-of-white-oil-electric-vehicles-dirty-secret-lithium?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_News_Feed&amp;fbclid=IwAR3tOB4Q4YuUF-tv-6SFyUW_N-mweMHIqGA9_g4tD95ZHxdIoJzxZw1qFdY<\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"SdC07JWfg7\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/hackaday.com\/2020\/12\/02\/the-dark-side-of-solar-power\/\">The Dark Side of Solar Power<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;The Dark Side of Solar Power&#8221; &#8212; Hackaday\" src=\"https:\/\/hackaday.com\/2020\/12\/02\/the-dark-side-of-solar-power\/embed\/#?secret=rBYv0mLDCm#?secret=SdC07JWfg7\" data-secret=\"SdC07JWfg7\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/brucewilds.blogspot.com\/2021\/01\/are-evs-good-for-environment-mostly-not.html\">https:\/\/brucewilds.blogspot.com\/2021\/01\/are-evs-good-for-environment-mostly-not.html<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/solar-panels-in-sahara-could-boost-renewable-energy-but-damage-the-global-climate-heres-why-153992?fbclid=IwAR2SPr1mbYAbTXy-zO5VgvZhpAphpZunWE6CCiaeNTImGBbTPvkxaPK3LuY\">https:\/\/theconversation.com\/solar-panels-in-sahara-could-boost-renewable-energy-but-damage-the-global-climate-heres-why-153992?fbclid=IwAR2SPr1mbYAbTXy-zO5VgvZhpAphpZunWE6CCiaeNTImGBbTPvkxaPK3LuY<\/a><\/p>\n<p>And here are some bonus reads:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/energyskeptic.com\/2020\/navigant-2013-offshore-wind-manufacturing-and-supply-change-development\/?fbclid=IwAR2hdXoGyYekF2vEWr_synGg7hfHI7MwcsU5HgFpIZ0uvhU9QTcNQX8fdsQ\">http:\/\/energyskeptic.com\/2020\/navigant-2013-offshore-wind-manufacturing-and-supply-change-development\/?fbclid=IwAR2hdXoGyYekF2vEWr_synGg7hfHI7MwcsU5HgFpIZ0uvhU9QTcNQX8fdsQ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/citizenactionmonitor.wordpress.com\/2020\/12\/01\/net-zero-everyone-from-countries-to-companies-is-talking-about-it-but-what-does-it-really-mean\/<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/srsroccoreport.com\/green-energy-double-talk-begins-first-major-oil-producer-announces-deadline-to-end-oil-extraction-but-theres-a-catch\/\">https:\/\/srsroccoreport.com\/green-energy-double-talk-begins-first-major-oil-producer-announces-deadline-to-end-oil-extraction-but-theres-a-catch\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/climate-conscious\/the-sustainable-end-of-history-19e8dde664fe\">https:\/\/medium.com\/climate-conscious\/the-sustainable-end-of-history-19e8dde664fe<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vice.com\/en\/article\/v7m48d\/capitalism-will-ruin-the-earth-by-2050-scientists-say\">https:\/\/www.vice.com\/en\/article\/v7m48d\/capitalism-will-ruin-the-earth-by-2050-scientists-say<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.advisorperspectives.com\/articles\/2020\/11\/30\/what-oils-troubles-mean-to-the-rest-of-us\">https:\/\/www.advisorperspectives.com\/articles\/2020\/11\/30\/what-oils-troubles-mean-to-the-rest-of-us<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/oilprice.com\/The-Environment\/Global-Warming\/Why-The-World-Cant-Quit-Fossil-Fuels.html\">https:\/\/oilprice.com\/The-Environment\/Global-Warming\/Why-The-World-Cant-Quit-Fossil-Fuels.html<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/energyskeptic.com\/2020\/navigant-2013-offshore-wind-manufacturing-and-supply-change-development\/\">http:\/\/energyskeptic.com\/2020\/navigant-2013-offshore-wind-manufacturing-and-supply-change-development\/<\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"TCB7kr7hUA\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/consortiumnews.com\/2020\/12\/16\/our-distance-from-dirt\/\">Our Distance from Dirt<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;Our Distance from Dirt&#8221; &#8212; \" src=\"https:\/\/consortiumnews.com\/2020\/12\/16\/our-distance-from-dirt\/embed\/#?secret=AiuIkHKILd#?secret=TCB7kr7hUA\" data-secret=\"TCB7kr7hUA\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cassandralegacy.blogspot.com\/2020\/12\/the-hydrogen-hoax-confessions-of-former.html\">https:\/\/cassandralegacy.blogspot.com\/2020\/12\/the-hydrogen-hoax-confessions-of-former.html<\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"UuBDke6vZX\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/markbrimblecombeblog.wordpress.com\/2021\/01\/18\/climate-change-and-the-mitigation-myth\/\">Climate Change and the Mitigation&nbsp;Myth<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;Climate Change and the Mitigation&nbsp;Myth&#8221; &#8212; Mark Brimblecombe\" src=\"https:\/\/markbrimblecombeblog.wordpress.com\/2021\/01\/18\/climate-change-and-the-mitigation-myth\/embed\/#?secret=M2L3YQIo56#?secret=UuBDke6vZX\" data-secret=\"UuBDke6vZX\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/energyskeptic.com\/2019\/wind\/\">http:\/\/energyskeptic.com\/2019\/wind\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s41247-020-00080-5?fbclid=IwAR3A-1R0yXn6OAoIa5mfNHWCn8w86muR1AjNem1cYbGw0OAMyYrLDarlk3g\">https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s41247-020-00080-5?fbclid=IwAR3A-1R0yXn6OAoIa5mfNHWCn8w86muR1AjNem1cYbGw0OAMyYrLDarlk3g<\/a><\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/www.powerlineblog.com\/archives\/2021\/02\/wind-and-solar-energy-dont-work.php?fbclid=IwAR0qd_WzMDfqA4TRiGHNVLwVitwlELqSW6FTbPHArTM60Ye1h6TBcp3Cn8M<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8216;Renewable&#8217; Energy: It&#8217;s Not What You Think It Is. I&#8217;ve been gathering a number of articles on &#8216;renewable&#8217; energy and why it&#8217;s not really what the dominant narrative is portraying. I have divided them into a couple of what I believe are important aspects. Energy is fundamental to life. Fossil fuels have provided a huge [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-57453","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-energy-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57453","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=57453"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57453\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":57456,"href":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57453\/revisions\/57456"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=57453"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=57453"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/olduvai.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=57453"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}