[at-l] A.N.W.R. VOTE - conservation issue - not trail

[jbkramer@afn.org (Bryan Kramer)]

-----Original Message-----
Heh what a joker! You need to look at the energy losses involved in
using batteries and the actual energy densities that they can store. Why
do you think there are no good electrical cars, its because batteries
are so poor at storing energy and also wear out in short times. To store
energy power companies have been looking at methods like pumping water
back behind dams during the day and letting it run back out at night.
But you lose half of the power you produce that way.

>>	That's what batteries are for.

Right, well you could run a fire station off a manure gas generator too.
When the politicians tell an engineer to make that station run off solar
NO matter what the expense they will do it. But if your electrical bill
jumped by 300% you probably wouldn't be so happy. And I bet that station
runs off the electrical grid at night and during periods of bad weather.


>>	Certainly none of these sources alone will supply all of our
energy needs. But they help. Heck, even in Missoula, a town hardly know
for its sunny days, solar power is often used to supplement energy
needs. One of the town's fire stations is set up as a solar test site -
the panels collect enough energy during peak hours to exceed the needs
of the station. Even when that isn't the case, they reduce the power
needed from the electric company, saving both electricity and money.



The studies that I have seen show no damage to wildlife populations
around the Prudhoe bay site. That site uses much older technology. Leaks
have not caused more than local damage so far as I know.

	>>That's a thousand acres for the actual drilling sites. The
roads and related infrastructure will take more. And it doesn't include
the potential loss in the case of an accident.

I was just responding to the comment about someone's grandchildren not
being able to use the artic. But I don't think that this development
will cause the critters up there any trouble at all.

	>>I am surprised that you define the worth of the ANWR in terms
of what value it might have for you personally. I've found most of the
folks on this list to be more aware of the wider ramifications of
development, whatever form it takes. They may still feel it necessary,
but they don't dismiss them simply because it's going to take place away
from their personal 'hiking heaven'.

Bryan