There are several problems with renewable energy sources, we address only the show-stoppers.
There is no sign that renewables have or will reduce fossil use.
Renewables make heavy use of fossil-fuels to produce, install, and operate.
There is no sign that renewables have or will reduce fossil use.
Renewables make heavy use of fossil-fuels to produce, install, and operate.
What is it made of? Lots of steel, concrete and advanced plastic. Material requirements of a modern wind turbine have been reviewed by the United States Geological Survey. On average 1 MW of wind capacity requires 103 tonnes of stainless steel, 402 tonnes of concrete, 6.8 tonnes of fiberglass, 3 tonnes of copper and 20 tonnes of cast iron. The elegant blades are made of fiberglass, the skyscraper sized tower of steel, and the base of concrete. http://www.theenergycollective.com/robertwilson190/344771/can-you-make-wind-turbine-without-fossil-fuelsRenewables lead people away from degrowth, wasting valuable time.
First, I refer you to the previous post: the continued growth of any energy technology—if consumed on the planet—will bring us to a boil. Beyond that, we hit astrophysically nonsensical limits within centuries. So energy scale must cease growth. Likewise, efficiency limits will prevent us from increasing our effective energy available without bound. http://physics.ucsd.edu/do-the-math/2011/07/can-economic-growth-last/
