Another reason to go solar

solarix
solarix Solar Expert Posts: 713 ✭✭
in General Solar Power Topics #1
Well, Ive learned another reason to give people a reason to make the solar investment. SOLAR IS SAFER! I don't think I've ever heard of anyone dying due solar power. We just lost 29 good men as a result of a dangerous coal mine. How do you like putting people in harms way because you want cheap power? Its cheap alright, and you get what you pay for. Americans generally believe in quality but there seems to be a disconnect when it comes utility generated power. Anything goes as long as it is cheap. The media cry will be about the bad company that operates poor coal mines, some underpaid worker's mistake or inadequate safety legislation. How about the proximate cause of this problem being the public or political cheap attitude concerning power choices? Rant over.
· Share on Twitter

Comments

  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #2
    Re: Another reason to go solar

    i think that might be going a bit too far in blaming the consumer for the deaths of those coal miners for if the price of electric was higher and people more conservative on its use they still would've been mining that coal and still would've died in that explosion. it isn't just the choices of consumers either and you know sometimes it isn't because of anyone's choice. there are many other industries that have high death rates like steel (they use coal as well), oil workers, shipping and fishing industries, etc. shall we blame everybody that eats, drives a car, or orders their new solar system too?:roll:
    · Share on Twitter
  • halfcrazy
    halfcrazy Solar Expert Posts: 720 ✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: Another reason to go solar

    I understand the point but I think solar and wind is as dangerous in the long run climbing towers working on high roofs and playing with 5-600 volts dc. I wish everyone would generate there own power personally but I won't hold the ones that don't responsible for anyone's demise in the coal or oil industry. A lot of people just can not afford it.
    · Share on Twitter
  • russ
    russ Solar Expert Posts: 593 ✭✭
    #4
    Re: Another reason to go solar

    İf you want to look at that way:

    - Where does the power to make the silicon wafers come from - coal power part of the mix?

    - Mining and handling of the silicon raw materials

    - Aluminum for frames - power supply to smelt the aluminum - mining, transport etc

    - Electronics - all sorts of materials, chemicals etc

    Today we can not really separate out any particular product and say it hasn't been a contributor to pollution, deaths etc.

    Better way to look at it (to me) is things are better and safer than they ever have been in the past.
    · Share on Twitter
  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #5
    Re: Another reason to go solar

    That was the worst mining disaster in the US in the past 40 years. You can't tar the whole industry on that one (quite probably preventable) incident.

    Had it been in China, it would have been the worst mining disaster in the past 40 days. Their industry safety record is far, far worse.

    Nothing is without risk.

    I'm sure we're all feeling for those poor people who have lost their family members/friends/co-workers to this tragedy. And we hope somehow something good will come out of it. Like companies complying with the law.
    · Share on Twitter
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,613 admin
    #6
    Re: Another reason to go solar

    I don't know about the coal company--but just in everyday life people make decisions about the cost of compliance vs the cost of "the penalty"...

    A friend just told me about a guy avoiding some compliance issues in a warehouse... $10's of thousands to do the engineering and work (and a credit market that will not lend a dime to businesses at the moment), vs $400 per year +/- fines from the city.

    Roughly 100,000 deaths per year due to abuse of alcohol in the US. And if alcohol were banned--we would probably see (very roughly) more than 100,000 additional deaths per year from the positive effects of moderate drinking--and possibly more do the increase in criminal activity if alcohol were banned (Prohibition)...

    Banning coal, which provides ~50% of the electricity in the US today would require either a reset of our current lives and jobs, or a dramatic increase in energy production from alternative sources (my bet--nuclear--which is probably not a bad thing overall).

    Right now, we have outsourced many of our "more dangerous/dirty" jobs/industries overseas--may to countries with much less regulation that we have here in the states today... Lots of issues to look at. No simple answers.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
    · Share on Twitter
  • icarus
    icarus Solar Expert Posts: 5,436 ✭✭✭✭
    #7
    Re: Another reason to go solar

    No matter how we like to think about it, we have very cheap energy prices in North America, largely due to coal. My argument all along, is that we seldom pay the true and entire cost of our energy choices, (or other economic choices for that matter) Cheap coal comes at significant environmental cost on may ends, from the mining to the tailings to the CO2 to mine accidents.

    I don't not believe we will ever live in a world where everything is transparent but I think it is important to have a rational discussion as a society about our choice and what their true costs are.

    (At the risk of this digressing into areas the site sponsor wishes us not to go,,, I will stop there. There are many other forums for us to speak on those subjects.)

    Tony
    · Share on Twitter
  • Photowhit
    Photowhit Solar Expert Posts: 6,006 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #8
    Re: Another reason to go solar

    Ever Hear of Silicosis?

    Ever hear of Hawks Nest Tunnel?

    One of the worst disasters in West virginia had nothing to do with coal and everything to do with silica!

    As many as 500-1000 people died.

    More Here!
    Home system 4000 watt (Evergreen) array standing, with 2 Midnite Classic Lites,  Midnite E-panel, Magnum MS4024, Prosine 1800(now backup) and Exeltech 1100(former backup...lol), 660 ah 24v Forklift battery(now 10 years old). Off grid for 20 years (if I include 8 months on a bicycle).
    - Assorted other systems, pieces and to many panels in the closet to not do more projects.
    · Share on Twitter
  • solarvic
    solarvic Solar Expert Posts: 1,071 ✭✭✭✭
    #9
    Re: Another reason to go solar
    Photowhit wrote: »
    Ever Hear of Silicosis?

    Ever hear of Hawks Nest Tunnel?

    One of the worst disasters in West virginia had nothing to do with coal and everything to do with silica!

    As many as 500-1000 people died.

    More Here!
    Silicosis is the same disease as black lung and the coal miners can get black lung disability payments. Foundry workers get the disease also but can,t collect black lung payments. A large percentage of foundry workers end up using oxygen. I am a soon to be retired foundry worker hoping I avoid the oxygen. S:Dlarvic
    · Share on Twitter
  • russ
    russ Solar Expert Posts: 593 ✭✭
    #10
    Re: Another reason to go solar

    Same with about any industry that produces a superfine powder - cotton mills for example with brown lung.

    İn the foundries or steel mills the intense heat creates superfine, micron size, particles that they say are not good for you. İ suppose aluminum smelters are the same.

    However, people are living longer and better all the time.

    At 65 having grown up on a farm and worked in the steel industry for most of my years İ am happy with how it all came down. Still work out and run most every day.
    · Share on Twitter

Categories