Global warming and use of fossil fuels?

Question

The British government has announced that a wind farm will be erected in Essex giving power to 1/4 million homes.
In terms of reducing fossil fuels, every house in the country could be fitted with solar panels on the roof over the next 5 to 10 year period, creating jobs for installation and lowering our energy bill and decreasing the burning of fossil fuels.

Does anyone agree with this idea or have any ideas on what we can do. I'm getting ideas to write to the government on?

It would be great for developing countries, but as a "world leader" we should be leading the way. A mass change can be achieved, when i was very young i can still remember 4 star leaded petrol being used by all cars, when the change to unleaded was fazed in their was grumbles but now in 2006 every car is unleaded.
I believe a 10 year plan can be drawn up with tax incentives and grants to achieve this. Solar panels are not heavy and can be fitted directly onto most existing structures in the UK, then it is a case of the electrics, rough estimates from electricians i know say it could all be achieved in 1 day, for 1 house.

Thanks for your opinions so far, and i know some people believe climate change is part of the earths cycle, it may be, but not with the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that we dump.

Answer 1

Yes, really agree we should make maximum use of solar panels even if only for heating water in the summer months of the year. This would still save a lot of energy if they were fitted to every house. It may be impractical on some houses due to their limited exposure to the sun but for many houses solar panels would be a good way of heating water. Even during the fall and spring months they are of benefit. Here in the UK the cost is around £3,000 to £5,000 and if combined with an auxilliary wood burning water heating system carbon emissions could be cut dramatically. Unfortunately there is still restriction in planning in some areas and also a lack of experienced installers.

Answer 2

One problem with solar panels is that they only work during the day, so you have to have some method of storing the energy during the night. Also, you cannot simply hook a set of photovoltaic cells into your house's electrical system. These cells produce direct current, but your electrical appliances all use alternating current. To convert DC to AC you need a device called an inverter. Finally, the output from solar panels is reduced significantly when it is cloudy so if you live in a region where it is cloudy much of the time, you may not be able to fully power your house with solar cells.

Finally, as with most things, you need to look beyond the final product and its application to determine the total environmental impact. In this case, you must consider the environmental impact that would result from the production of all the solar panels required to achieve your goals. As a start, do you have any idea how much energy does it take to make a typical panel, and where would that energy come from?

Answer 3

The Global warming scare is based on partial evidence that denies natures contributions. They must do this to make it valid. It reminds me of the Evolution support system that is in effect. There is more factual evidence against it that is for it. But the schools are now and have been insisting it is? I watched a debate between a real Scientist and two Evolution supporting Biologist teachers. The two lost hands down. No one that had an open mind to facts would of agreed with the Biologists.. they wanted it to be real and so that is what they taught. That is not science, that is religion! Global warming says nothing about natures contributions to this problem. Did you ever hear of one Global Warming activist suggest nature gave any greenhouse gas? It does and it is over 90%! I feel it is big push by money to get others to support a one world government! It certainly is in that direction, Earl

Answer 4

Solar panels on houses is a great idea as that appears to have only a positive environmental impact.
Consideration of the NEGATIVE impact of more radical solutions is however vital. There is no doubt that a wind farm of the Essex coast will have some effect on wildfowl and the overall ecology of the Essex Marshes and this needs to be quantified. Other obvious green options for the UK - wave and tidal power will have even more impact upon wildlife in those areas used. All this will have to be balanced against the consequences of continued fossil fuel use.
There are NO easy answers to this one!

Answer 5

I really like the idea of solar panels on all the roofs, but the cost would be astronomical! At least $10,000 per house. And there are not enough solar cell factories in the world to make so many in only 10 years.

Answer 6

Solar panels would be a good idea for developing countries in the tropics. Unfortunately, their cost is still quite prohibitive and unaffordable to all but the richest in society. When will they become universally affordable? Imagine the amout of power that could be released from this source, it could surely make a huge difference to the world at large.

Answer 7

The idea is not very innovative. Since decades, the governments of all the developed and developing countries are trying to achieve the success in this field by releasing more and more notifications, notices and policies...but what about the implementation the said regulations. Will it be feasible to install the solar panels at each and every roof top? I am still in doubt regarding the implementation of the said idea.

Answer 8

Conservation of our natural resources is always important, but I think we are stressing too much on global warming. This is a natural process. The Earth goes into and comes out of ice ages all the time. (All the time relative to a geological standpoint.) We need to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels because one day there won't be any left, plain and simple. (Though not for a while.) We need to begin working on an alternative now because so much depends on it. Ships, planes and trucks are all integral parts of food and supply delivery. Without these our modern world couldn't exist as it does. Trains may be a good alternative for cross country transportation. They have less wind resistance and are far more efficient than transport by trucks. Down sizing our dependence on fossil fuels will definitely help slow down natural processes but it isn't going to stop the world from turning; so we need to learn how to adapt to these climate changes. Also we know that during these periods animal and plant species die out, unfortunately it's a part of life. (We can do our best to save them but when the Earth does what it does someone is going to feel the change.) Hope this helps. Yours truly,

Mervin DePervin

Answer 9

I agree with you 100%, also we should look in to the oceans with the tide changes this would give us so much power. We should also look into thermal energy like in Hawaii, they could power all the islands but Green Peace said no it would disturb some land putting roads in. Fuel cells for cars would be a big help. I live in Vietnam and we can buy a good battery powered bike for about $300.US they keep up with traffic, think they are great. They go about 15 miles before charging.

Answer 10

I don't think u can trust the Muslim people in the world oil market. We all need to locate all the fuel so we could get it if they want to play that game. The more we need to rely on them the worst it will be. Now in the US about 50% of our fuel depends on them.