At 10:32 8/6/99 -0700, Ron Lussier wrote: > 1) It's a lot easier to put 'scrubbers' and other expensive > anti-polution measures on a few hundred well-regulated > power plants than a few million private automobiles. On top of which, stationary power plants are in a position to recover waste heat from the exhaust stream and use/sell it. The most modern technology available (commercially) today allows a large generating plant to achieve almost *60%* generating efficiency, and **90%** overall plant thermal efficiency by recovering waste heat. Those numbers are truly astounding, and they are achieved with much lower-grade fuel than autos need. I don't know what the thermal efficiency of a Vanagon is, but I'd be very surprised indeed if it were more than one third.
> 2) It's a lot easier to keep these power plants up-to-date > with the latest clean energy technology. However, there is at present not nearly enough incentive for utilities to maximize efficiency. An extremely interesting article can be found in the Spring 1988 issue of _Issues in Science and Technology_, sponsored by the National Academy of Science and published by U Texas at Dallas. Incidentally, for those who think that industry is getting a free ride on emissions at the expense of automobiles, I suggest calling up a few factory managers and hearing their reactions to that statement. Also incidentally, here are some remarks from the head of the (LA area) South Coast Air Quality Management District. He seems to think that car emissions matter: http://www.aqmd.gov/monthly/barytalk.html An excerpt: "We have had just one Stage 1 ozone episode this year, down from seven last year, and way down from a peak of 121 in 1977," said Barry Wallerstein, AQMD's acting executive officer. "While these air pollution control efforts are laudable, and have been the model for smog fighting around the world, we can't afford to take a vacation from the task ahead. "Southern California is still the smoggiest region in the nation -- no other state even comes close. This year, the Southland exceeded the federal health standard for ozone on 68 days." Wallerstein made his comments as part of the "Success Is In The Air" campaign unveiled late last month by Californians for Clean Air Progress. The statewide campaign, a partnership between businesses and environmental agencies, commemorates air quality progress since the Los Angeles County Air Pollution Control District was formed in October 1947. During his remarks, Wallerstein noted that: Air quality is at its best in 50 years, in spite of a statewide increase of 20 million cars and 21 million people during that period; An independent audit of California's air quality by Arthur Winer of University of California, Los Angeles has confirmed that during the last 13 years, statewide levels of ozone have dropped by 25%, carbon monoxide by 14%, nitrogen oxides by 30% and benzene by 50%; and Air pollution from new cars has decreased significantly [since? -- dgb] 1972 due to tighter emission standards, and reformulated gasoline has reduced 3.2 million pounds of pollutants daily, the equivalent of taking 3.5 million cars off the road across the state. david David Beierl - dbeierl@ibm.net |
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