Comments on: California phasing out dirty coal http://polizeros.com/2007/05/31/california-phasing-out-dirty-coal/ Musings on politics: anti-war, global warming, peak oil and otherwise Sat, 06 Sep 2008 22:39:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: Bob Morris http://polizeros.com/2007/05/31/california-phasing-out-dirty-coal/#comment-138822 Bob Morris Fri, 01 Jun 2007 04:47:45 +0000 http://polizeros.com/2007/05/31/california-phasing-out-dirty-coal/#comment-138822 All of that, the power, the water, the polluted groundwater, are among the background reasons that we moved from L.A. (the traffic is another). I just don't see how L.A. can continue as is for the next 10-20 years without something breaking. All of that, the power, the water, the polluted groundwater, are among the background reasons that we moved from L.A. (the traffic is another). I just don’t see how L.A. can continue as is for the next 10-20 years without something breaking.

]]> By: DJ http://polizeros.com/2007/05/31/california-phasing-out-dirty-coal/#comment-138818 DJ Thu, 31 May 2007 22:58:54 +0000 http://polizeros.com/2007/05/31/california-phasing-out-dirty-coal/#comment-138818 True. And consumption of water can be reduced, but not eliminated... unless we disband the city and sending all the Angelenos to Connecticut or something... San Joaquin valley agriculture actually uses far more water than the city itself (and from much the same sources). It would be easy to say lets not grow stuff there, but where would we grow it? That produce and livestock feeds a lot of people. Much of the West is even less hospitable. BTW, there IS groundwater under Los Angeles. It's just unusable because it's polluted with PCBs and other toxic stuff. Polluting the only local source of a scarce resource was a pretty forward-thinking plan. True. And consumption of water can be reduced, but not eliminated… unless we disband the city and sending all the Angelenos to Connecticut or something…

San Joaquin valley agriculture actually uses far more water than the city itself (and from much the same sources). It would be easy to say lets not grow stuff there, but where would we grow it? That produce and livestock feeds a lot of people. Much of the West is even less hospitable.

BTW, there IS groundwater under Los Angeles. It’s just unusable because it’s polluted with PCBs and other toxic stuff. Polluting the only local source of a scarce resource was a pretty forward-thinking plan.

]]> By: Bob Morris http://polizeros.com/2007/05/31/california-phasing-out-dirty-coal/#comment-138816 Bob Morris Thu, 31 May 2007 22:49:24 +0000 http://polizeros.com/2007/05/31/california-phasing-out-dirty-coal/#comment-138816 The water situation in L.A. is much the same, water comes from hundreds of miles away in an increasingly unworkable and unsustainable system. The water situation in L.A. is much the same, water comes from hundreds of miles away in an increasingly unworkable and unsustainable system.

]]> By: DJ http://polizeros.com/2007/05/31/california-phasing-out-dirty-coal/#comment-138811 DJ Thu, 31 May 2007 13:48:45 +0000 http://polizeros.com/2007/05/31/california-phasing-out-dirty-coal/#comment-138811 Given that rolling blackouts are still part of California's grid reality, if there's not enough total power, how can they choose only cleaner power? There's a market reality to deal with here, regardless of what the legislators say: if there's a supply shortage, you don't get to pick and choose what you buy. OTOH, they could pull a Gore: WE only buy cleaner power, leaving nothing but dirty power for everyone else and jacking the price up in the process. You're right: it's an ethical minefield. The real solution is local generation of clean power to supply vastly reduced needs... but I don't see either aspect of that solution happening anytime soon in LA. Given that rolling blackouts are still part of California’s grid reality, if there’s not enough total power, how can they choose only cleaner power? There’s a market reality to deal with here, regardless of what the legislators say: if there’s a supply shortage, you don’t get to pick and choose what you buy.

OTOH, they could pull a Gore: WE only buy cleaner power, leaving nothing but dirty power for everyone else and jacking the price up in the process.

You’re right: it’s an ethical minefield. The real solution is local generation of clean power to supply vastly reduced needs… but I don’t see either aspect of that solution happening anytime soon in LA.

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