Am I forgitven for not being too eco-freindly ?

Question

Hi,
I design and install small power stations in remote parts of Afica & the Mid-East, to power up local water pumps, housing. ait-cons, shops and dear knows what, to improve the lives of a community.
Some have said wind - there isn'r any. some have said solar, but I would need an array the size of Wales, complete with vast banks of truck batteries and a static invertor the cost of which would not be feasible.
So I bung in huge deisel powered jobs.
They work a treat, many a megawatt on-line, job a good'un'
But they can belch forth a bit of smoke.
Am I justified ?

Bob

Answer 1

There's often no ideal solution to many problems. You're addressing a serious issue there and whatever you do there's going to be some negative consequences. Overall the positives outweight the negatives so on balance it's a good thing that you're doing.

I'm familiar with some of the remote parts of Africa and am aware of the need for community power supplies and the drawbacks that can be associated with them. Often there is no viable alternative other than to use a diesel generator. Wind, solar and hydro can play their part but are subject to the right conditions, they're also more expensive and cost is often the over-riding factor in these parts of the world.

If you're concerned you could always offset the carbon emissions. As a rough rule of thumb you could calculate that for every 20 gallons of diesel burned each year you need to plant one tree. When you do the maths it might work out to be a lot of trees but tree planting on a large scale in Africa is easy and cheap. Engage the local communities, get them to do the planting and look after the trees and their reward is the fruit harvest, shelter and timber.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Of course you are! If we in the rich world can continue to use fossil fuel even though we have alternatives we can afford, it would be terribly selfish of us to refuse the third world their basic needs. Of course it would be better if there where cleaner alternatives available, but that is something that we in the rich world will have to put more efforts on helping them with. Also, the people involved should of course learn how to be energy efficient and I think Trevor's suggestion for the communities to plant trees as a compensation is a great one.

EDIT:
jk_thegooner: The Great Global Warming Swindle has no scientific credibility. Look here why:
http://www.climateguardian.com/globalwarmingswindle.html

Answer 4

Here's a post that may help - I've copied from another question:

"Can anyone design an affordable solar trailer (Portable Power)

OUR FUTURE
. . . IS ONLY AS SUSTAINABLE
. . . . . . AS THE TOOLS WE USE TO GET THERE

Our tools . . . run on electricity. Everything in our civilized world . . . run's on electricity. From the time we get up in the morning, till we go to bed at night, we are constantly using electricity...
... and more, of it is running on portable power . . . batteries.
Batteries, that can be charged and discharged from one time, to about 300 times, before they must be thrown away and new one's purchased.

Now along come "Ultra-capacitors," which can be charged and discharged over 1 million times and weigh less than batteries.
. . . Can store renewable energy from the Sun, Wind and Water at the source.
. . . Replace batteries in all our tools.
. . . Doing away with complex mechanical components like:
. . . . . . Combustion Engine
. . . . . . Gas Tank & Oil
. . . . . . Transmissions
. . . . . . Steering
. . . . . . Exhaust Muffler Catalytic converter
with concepts like motors-in-wheels and fly-by-wire.

They may significantly alleviate global energy concerns, improve the environment, and stimulate the economy.

Can anyone design an affordable solar trailer (Portable Power)"
(thread continues at: http://forums.treehugger.com)

My own thoughts are: Africa, loads of sunshine, forget wind power - concentrate on solar - to pump water etc.
BP have a solar power programme in Africa - negotiate via the government/s to buy powerful solar corporation quality solar cells to install in people's homes, in hospitals etc.

Do whatever it takes - there's NO economic sense (or excuse in supplying noisy, smelly POLLUTING deisel generators to poor people.

Answer 5

It's a difficult dilemma. The smoke is no problem. But, the threat of globing warming is particularly acute for many African countries. They could actually have large numbers of people die from starvation, due to damage to agriculture. But, without development and power many will die early, also.

The governments of those countries have to figure out a strategy for development that won't bite them hard in the long run. And the advanced countries have to give the less developed financial and technological support. All of which is clearly not your responsibility.

For right now, you're completely justified. This is not your problem to solve.

Answer 6

Bob,

I officially forgive you for not being 'eco-friendly'

Issue is that all these so call eco-friendly activities cause more damage than they solve (eg recycling paper - need big plants to do the recycling, transport to collect the stuff, power used in the process, transporting the stuff that cannot be recycled as it is contaminated to landfill etc etc)

Don't get hung up on it EVEN when you die you will be an eco hazard CREMATION = Carbon gases BURIAL = Methane gas in decomposition.

There are far worst things going in the world so don't panic.

Answer 7

Its true that in this situation, wind and solar wouldnt provide the best solution but have you considered that a combination of waste disposal and electricity production could be at least part of the solution through biogas production. You could even hybridise biogas into existing diesel powered plants to make a win win.

Answer 8

Of course. Global warming has been going on for centuries - since the last ice age in fact - I'd love to know how scientists can be accurate in their assessment of how we live and how it affects the planet. How does anyone know how much the world would be atmospherically different if there had been no industrial revolution?

Answer 9

They survived for millenea without power, why should they need it now? Only joking.

You should watch a program (available to download from bitcomet) called 'The Great Global Warming Swindle'

Your mind and conscience will be clear.

Answer 10

Hurrah to you. I think your doing a great job. We don't have a right to tell under developed countries that they can't use power stations, unless we stop using ours first.