Many Many Little Tiny People (and Cows) are Causing Global Warming.
The earth is so huge. And people are so small. Are we really contributing to the build-up of C02 in the upper atmosphere(s) by:
1. Burning fossil fuels,
2. Cutting down forests
3. Farming livestock.
https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2021/ … l-warming/
"Fossil fuels produce large quantities of carbon dioxide w h e n b u r n e d.
Carbon emissions trap heat in the atmosphere and lead to climate change. In the United States, the burning of fossil fuels, particularly for the power and transportation sectors, accounts for about three-quarters of our carbon emissions."
FROM:
https://www.nrdc.org/stories/fossil-fue … sec-whatisWhat I think. I don't think we can do any serious, permanent damage. We were created as we are, immature, destructive, irresponsible. We are child-like. That leads to the assumption that children grow up eventually. I think we are prevented from doing serious damage (like full out nuclear war etc.) A parent might let their child have a messy room, but will draw the line at more destructive behaviour such as hard drugs.
Things aren't accidental. They are created. They follow the rules of the universe and nature.
We are here to learn lessons, like how not to shit in our own back yards,
This also means there will probably be repercussions fo your behaviour.Okay, in that case does not our observations taught us any lesson to move to maturity? Some persons are still opening defecating on the earth or back yard! This question the mental balance of sure persons. Actually, it's free will being played.
Then, then we human being are to be blamed in contribving to the negative Carbon Dioxide Effects. @Kathryn L Hill: I would execused every beast, bird, insect, reptile, dead or alive for negatively polluting mother earth. So are rotten and rotting vegetations. These later group can't help matter, as they don't have free will.
I haven't studied it, but I suppose it is possible. We are destructive. But climate change is also a normal regular cycle in our world.
The earth is so huge. And people are so small. But the ecosystem is fragile and we are with many.
Facts:
1. We live in a climate crisis.
2. Humans are the cause.
---
Problem: How to solve it. -
1. Work and think on an international scale.
2. See it as a crisis bigger than COVID. And take actions on a drastic scale.
Problems:
Worldwide there are lots of different political point of views. These have to come to a consensus. There are also lot's of big money cooperations that have a lot to lose.
These and a lot of practicalities make us as a rabbit frozen by the headlights of a coming car, unable to move. The car passes, leaving a dead rabbit.peterstreep, welcome to the discussion. You and me have a common view point, as if you're speaking my mind.
Thanks Miebakagh57,
it's a hell of of problem, and I hope we can solve the problem together, but there isn't much time left to do something before we've crossed the red line of no return.Thank you. But we can lay the foundation for the future generations to carry through.
It is not the fault of humans, we are a small part of the ecosystem. These things go in cycles. It's natural for the climate to change.
Not in this case.
We are to blame and we have to face it, not looking for excuses.
We live with almost 8 billion people on this earth. And we have to eat, drink, and get rid of our waste
On the weather charts, you can see the smog warnings, the CO in the air, the industrial ozone pollution. PM2.5 particles. etc.
The meat industry is enormous. And every minute the size of a football pitch of the Amazon rainforest is destroyed.
Microplastics made by tires running every day over the streets are an enormous problem. Where do you think those particles of worn-out tires go? Plastic bottles and bags. Electronic waste, oil spills, water pollution, I can go on...
It's hard to face reality, but that's what it is.
We, humans, are responsible for this mess, and we are the only ones to solve it.We destroy and make messes, we need to grow up. But it has very little or nothing to do with climate change. They are separate issues.
lovetherain, you misunderstand, or you should do a rethinking. These human messes(especially purposeful and industrial destruction of the ecosystem rend the earth's atmosphere. So I agree if I correctly understand you that we can't do anything about the extra hot gases coming out of the Big Hole, and hitting our earth hard, even at night. But as Nathanville said, some good things can be done to stop extra hydro carbon emissions to destroy the ozone layer.
You are the one who needs to do the rethinking. Or you can keep being a sheep and listening to everything you are told in the media. Do your own research.
lovetherain, thank you. Yes, I like doing a rethinking and researching. We humans have massed up our ecosystem, right? And this has contribute to climate changes, right? For example, the felling of forests without adequate replacement, right? Smog or burning of fosil fuel? So, where do we go from here? Thanks again.
What would convince you that the climate crisis of today is caused by human behaviour?
I would love to give an answer in a word or two, had the question not been specific directed to lovetherain. Thanks.
Apparently, this question was too confrontational. As for accepting that the climate crisis is caused by humans you have to accept the responsibility. And we don't want that, do we?
Better hide our heads in the sand. Funny thing is that the same people who try to belittle the climate crisis also belittled the effects of smoking on your health.Peterstrep, you speak the truth. Thank you.
peterstreep, I agree with you. I'm afraid we've meat a conspiracy theorist.
Kathryn, it IS every bit as crazy, as your title suggests it is, but not funny in the least...as your title is, to me.
I think the weather reflects the people.
We are burning up inside with all of our hot, angry emotions. We are burning up the planet and the atmosphere. We need to cool down.
As within, without.
We need to thank the Great Spirit for Nature and Respect what has been miraculously created and exists every day before our very eyes.
And whoever is greedy and working a g a i n s t Mother Nature,
well, she will "box their ears."
... and we will all suffer for it.Yes, we need a collective inhale & exhale; so that we might breathe in and take in, the wonder of this miraculous, marvelous place, planet Earth.
What is increasing the concentrations of gases in the atmosphere?
1. Carbon dioxide (CO2):
A. burning of fossil fuels
B. coal
C. natural gas
D. oil/ gasoline.
2. Methane:
A. rotting plants
B. burping/farting cows,
C. natural seeps from fossil fuels
D. leaks from natural gas
E. coal mining operations
3. Nitrous oxide:
A. coal-fired power plants.
4. Fluorinated gases:
A. hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs),
B. perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and
C. sulphur hexafluoride (SF6))
D. Gas leakage throughout the manufacturing and life of:
1. refrigerators
2. air-conditioners
3. foams
4. aerosol cans
E. Gas leakage during the manufacturing of:
1. metals and
2. semiconductors.
https://ec.europa.eu/clima/change/causes_enList of common semiconductor devices
DIAC
Diode (rectifier diode)
Gunn diode
IMPATT diode
Laser diode
Light-emitting diode (LED)
Photocell
Phototransistor
PIN diode
Schottky diode
Solar cell
Transient-voltage-suppression diode
Tunnel diode
VCSEL
Zener diode
Zen diode
Three-terminal devices:
Bipolar transistor
Darlington transistor
Field-effect transistor
Insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT)
Silicon-controlled rectifier
Thyristor
TRIAC
Unijunction transistor
Four-terminal devices:
Hall effect sensor (magnetic field sensor)
Photocoupler (Optocoupler)Don't worry.
The wealthy, media and Government will be creating another lockdown for the environment soon to come, much like the covid crisis.
Love the way billionaires and trillionaires come to be our saviours.
The rest of us are not worthy of abilities, thought nor Creation.lol.Castlepaloma? Castlepaloma again! Well meet.
So true Castle, we need to be focused on the patterns of the rich, the powerful, the Government...those seeking ways in which to continually manipulate and control the populace, rather than the weather patterns which have existed since the dawn of time.
I wonder what the earth will be like when our youngest children are in their 80's?
- as it is, or ... ?Kathryn, I'm not a earth or atmospheric scientist or professing an expertise of these sciences. My basic understanding is undoubtly foundational. Seriously, what I call the Carbon Emitting Effect has done much unwelcome demage to both the earth and the atmospher. The firrt sign the scientists began to notice was a Big Hole in the atmospher. So those harmful gas man and beasts released, and unnatural burning of forests are sent back to the earth, and effect global warning. Scientist says these effects contribute to the polar ice melting. That said, I think a shift in the position of the earth is hardly noticeable. But is seriously affecting agricutural life. More so, much changes in the growth of marine life, and earthly animals and birds like pigmy growth are are seen. I don't have to worry about how the earth will be in 80...
...years time. I'll not be around for them to tell me. That means I would at present take a time travel to the Andromeda Galaxy. Imagine how many light years it would take me to shot of to reach or pass the Milky Way? How long then to the Androdeda?
I agree, we need to learn respect.
We need to respect science.
But, we need to have priorities, such as, when to use our scientific discoveries/inventions and when not to.
If something we have invented is found to be bad for the earth, then we should stop using it. For instance, if it is gasoline, then we need to stop using gasoline and go back to horse and buggy. If it is electronic manufacture, we should stop manufacturing all electrical things and go back to candles and word of mouth. If it is the use of coal, well, we should certainly stop looking for coal and using coal. Again, candles are pretty cool and burning them does not create gas emissions. If people, cows and rotting plants are producing yucky gasses (methane) that rise and create the green house effect in the upper atmosphere, by all means, stop eating red meat and throwing salads into the trash. For instance, in certain areas in Europe, where they eat fewer steak dinners and hamburgers these days, there are less cattle farms. In these areas, the air is less full of methane. As far as rotting plants, we should stop allowing plants to rot. How come plants are rotting when pigs and goats would love to eat them?
I mean, really! Is it so hard to do without modern conveniences such as refrigerators? Just don't buy so much food at one time! Use ice-chests! or ice-boxes like in our (great) grandmothers day! Do we really need to use so much foam? We can certainly go back to wooden furniture. We can figure out how to make foamless beds, chairs and car seats. And air conditioning? How spoiled are we? Humans have gotten along without refrigeration for eons of time.
Good grief.We're time traveling back to the pre-Industrial Revolution era! Then another time travel back to back to 50 years ago. That's it!
"Humans have gotten along without refrigeration for eons of time."
While that is a very true statement, Katheryn, these people you mentioned and even my peers and I in our earlier years, didn't have to live in a world that was so polluted and with a big hole in the atmosphere that is letting in a hotter version of sunlight. As kids we didn't have to use spf 30 to 100 sunscreen on our bodies to go swimming. Our world is air frying us alive.
Please don't get me wrong, I do believe that there are cycles in this world and we are in one of the hostile ones right now. But I also believe that humankind is contributing to this natural cycle and exacerbating it. what percentage humans are adding, I don't know, and even scientists can't agree on it to enlighten us.
It would be very interesting to see the effects of living off the grid, (for about a half a decade,) in a very strict fashion. Like, Amish style. Would there still be global warming? Perhaps.
But, on a gut level, I think it, (the amount of warming,) would be (much?) less.Star fort technology would probably be the best option.
I guess I'll find out, or at least I hope I live long enough to find out. My son is building an underground house on 30 acres with a nice creek in the middle of his acres near Tyler, TX. He and his wife are living off the grid in a tiny house right now while their house is being built. They plan to continue to live off the grid in the new home when it is completed. It should have been finished by now. I'm not sure what the holdup is, but I think it has to do with obtaining some of the materials. Covid has slowed down their progress also. Fortunately, they've escaped having covid themselves.
They've never been keen on a lot of AC or even heat for that matter, so I very seldom visit them. I've already told them that I'll continue to visit only in moderate weather.
A big topic, and whether we are doing enough to divert major climate disaster remains to be seen, but in seeing our own ‘Conservative’ (Capitalist) Government, who’s are not naturally green by nature, since 2012 (The ‘UK Climate Change Risk Assessment’: 2012 Report) being committed to tackling ‘Climate Change’, and to take big steps in doing so has given me optimism.
In December last year the UK Government announced their ‘Ten Point Plan’ for the next decade, which sets out the government’s approach to ‘Build Back Better’, support green jobs, and accelerate the UK’s path to net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The UK Government’s ambitious 10 point plan includes:-
• Advancing offshore wind farms further so that by 2030 there will be enough energy generated from offshore wind power to supply every domestic home in the UK.
• Driving the growth of low carbon hydrogen (Green Hydrogen), with the ambitious plan to switch from ‘natural gas’ for heating British homes in the winter to green hydrogen by 2030.
• Accelerating the shift to zero emission vehicles (electric cars) e.g. the banning of fossil fuel cars by 2030.
• Green public transport, cycling and walking e.g. the switch from diesel buses to buses using green gases; which has already been done in many cities across Britain, including Bristol where our busses already run on green gas made from Bristol sewage and domestic food waste, and Aberdeen where their busses already run on green gas (green hydrogen) made from sea water. And the UK is one of just three countries in the world (UK, Germany and China) who are commercially developing hydrogen trains that run on green hydrogen.
• ‘Jet zero’ and green ships; R&D for electric passenger planes is in its early stages of development; but Scotland is at an advanced stage of developing ships that use green hydrogen, rather than fossil fuels for their power.
• Greener buildings. Challenging as old housing stock in the UK do not meet current standards for energy efficiency; great strides have been made e.g. I had our cavity walls insulated for free (on Government Grant), but the Government has a long way to go yet.
• Investing in carbon capture, usage and storage; all part of ongoing R&D (Research & Development).
• Protecting our natural environment: Something which governments in the UK, and across Europe, have been doing for decades; so it’s just a continuation of what’s already being done.
• Green finance and innovation: The Government is ending the £10 billion ($14 billion) it paid to the fossil fuel and instead will pay £12 billion ($17 billion) subsidies (government investment) in the Renewable Energy Sector to create and support up to 250,000 green jobs in the UK.
Also, in November the UK Government will be hosting COP26 (2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference); perhaps better known by many as the COP21 (Paris Agreement) in 2015.
With Joe Biden having re-signed the Paris Agreement for the USA, this November’s meeting of COP should prove interesting: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_Unit … ConferenceNathanville, thank you again for reminding me of these discourse. You, me, and CHRISS57 has discuss the safe or green energy matter in How do you think your goveroent is... But it relates well here. Thank you.
It's tough Nathan,
We slowly start to recognize the problem in the west. But still, money is more important than a sustainable economy. As most governments around the world use a growth economy instead of a sustainable one (like the doughnut model for instance)
Brazil has a terrible government that has no problem with destroying the Amazon. As people still love to go to McDonald's and buy hamburgers for ridiculously low prices.
The tons of water and soy needed for a hamburger is straining the reserves of the earth. The number of water bottles used and other plastics that dissolve into microplastics, ending up in our bodies.
We are still a long way of. Locally perhaps there are some success stories, but this is a world problem like COVID (even worse!) and needs drastic world measures. (like COVID) And a lot of people won't like these rules and laws that have to be made to save a livable environment.
Keep wearing your mask as for air pollution is not a bad idea, as Ken was talking about in another post topic... (but that's not a sollution but a plaster on the wound)Yep, it’s like any struggle, it’s a fight all the way, but you’ve got to remain positive if you want any chance of winning; just like the Trade Union movement in Britain in its early days when it was illegal and membership often meant the death penalty; and just like the suffragettes and the persecution they faced. But in the end, in both cases, their numbers and support grew; so today we have ‘Labour Protection’ Laws in the UK protecting workers rights, and women have equal rights.
COP21 (Paris Agreement) did make a difference around the world; so five years on, can COP26 (in the UK in November) build on that; especially now that the USA is back on board?True, you have to stay positive. But the more you look at the reality it harder it becomes.
One hand is signing the Paris agreement, the other giving away contracts to the fosil industry for billions of euro's.
In a way I have more confidence in entrepeneurs like Elon Musk with his philosophy of making products that are energy friendly and that are wanted by every one, like a sexy electric car. Than somebody acting like a doctor saying that you have to take a coughing syrope with a horrible taste, saying.."But it is good for you." If you understand what I mean.
It is sad though to have more trust in capitalism to solve the problem than governments.. As I don't trust capitalism at all as it brought us in the mess we are today in the first place. And the biggest thing to reduce the climate crisis is probably to stop this economic growth idea. And instead build a society on an economy that is self sustaining like the donought model.
And you can have electric cars, but if the energy generated for the electric cars isn't clean, those cars don't mean a thing.
Here in Spain there are plans for thousands of solar farms. Not to make it a better world, but with profit as a motive. A sad thing, but perhaps that's the way it will go. People won't go eco because it's better for the planet but because it's the way to make money and get huge subsidies from the EU and governments.
But if that's the way to go, so it is. Governments giving subsidies to green energy instead of fosil fuels. There will always be greed, but perhaps it's the trick to direct the greed into the green direction...Sad but true. But government all over the world at most times lack the will to implement its green initiatives. Greed and bribery is factoring in this.
What you say is fitting if one views the ‘glass as being half empty’; which can be defeatist e.g. China burns more coal than the rest of the world put together.
Whereas, I prefer to view the ‘glass as being half full’; encouragement e.g. China installed more wind-turbines last year than the whole of the rest of the world put together.
Actually, on this issue, I do have more trust in Governments than in Capitalism in solving this problem in that, as we’ve seen in the USA during the Trump years, without push by Governments, Industrialists are slow in making the necessary changes.
Another example is the UK Government has announced that it will ban all fossil fuel cars by 2030: So all the UK car manufacturers are now rapidly switching to making electric cars rather than fossil fuel cars; something they wouldn’t have done on their own if the Government hadn’t made the announcement.
Reducing the climate crisis and maintaining economic growth are mutually feasible, as we are beginning to see in the UK e.g. making homes more energy efficient, so that we use less energy while maintaining the same living standards; converting all transport (public and private) to electricity or green (Renewable) gas; and phasing out the use of fossil fuel and replacing it with Renewable Energy; plus carbon capture technologies e.g. planting more trees etc. All of these require Government Strategy and Policy, and in countries across the world you do see this happening. The big plus factor for economic growth, is that the Renewable Energy Sector is generating a lot of Investment, wealth, employment and economic growth.
As regards subsidies, that is mainly for R&D (Research and Development), which is always the most expensive and riskiest part of the process; but equally, such R&D (at least in the UK) is also attracting a lot of investment from the Private Sector because to be one of the first during the Development stage for successful projects pays dividends. That’s why Scotland’s Government’s R&D into Green Hydrogen is attracting a lot of investment from Private Industry, because once it’s developed it’s an industry that’s going to be worth $trillions.
Yep, it’s a valid point that having electric cars is pointless unless the electricity that charges them is from Renewable Sources and not fossil fuels. And that’s the whole point that China, Europe, UK and many other countries are working towards e.g. in the UK, every month that passes more and more of our electricity is from Renewable Sources. Currently 50% of the electricity I use in Bristol, which I buy from Bristol Energy, is from Renewable Sources; and that is set to increase over time.
Aside from my last comment, I am currently in the process of getting solar panels and battery installed; so within the next few months I will be virtually self-sufficient during the summer months, and will only need to buy some electricity from the National Grid during the winter months; albeit, any surplus energy that I don’t use will be sold to the National Grid at wholesale prices (as clean, green, renewable energy, for someone else to benefit from).
Yep, the offshore windfarms in the UK are privately owned, as a business adventure to make profit for the Company; it’s only in Communist Countries like China where such projects will be wholly government financed and owned. However, for the past few years solar and wind have become cheaper forms of energy than fossil fuels (even without government subsidies) so yes it has become a profitable adventure; a win win for all.Thank you for such straight forward information. These countries the United Kingdom, Europe, and China are highly commendable for others to copy. Significantly, other countries of the world should also set their target dates to eliminate hydrocarbon or fossil fuel by a certain date around 2030. Otherwise, air pollution eg smog from can affect neighboring countries.
As an African, I marvel that such technology has been going on in Europe.
It must be frustrating to live in a country where such modern technology seems so far away.
My MY ... That is an interesting comment!
That's very frustating indeed. For four days and nights this week, I don't have electricity in my town. Very frustratiog indeed.
Wow, that's awful; that means that even basic things like fridges and freezers can't be much use if you keep losing power.
Arthur, you said fridges and freezer? What about fans, air-conditioners, ironing, TV and phones? For the past four days of none availability of power, I've to power my phone at a younder barbering saloon where I was a regular client. Otherwise, I can't communicate online. Thanks.
Yep, you're right; no regular power would have a massive negative impact in this day and age.
Thank you. The challenge with my country is that the politicians has no better mindset in advocating a sufficient and regular electricity supply. And about green energy or electricity, I don't think my country Nigeria has any blue print in the foundation. Wastes from households and markets are either burnt or dumb into the seas and rivers, that's destroying marine life at the precinct of the water Fronts. That said, Nigeria, has no plan to convert these wastes and others e.g. faece into green energy.
That is awful, and so frustrating; it's sad to see such governments so irresponsible. I just hope that one day things will change for the better in Nigeria.
Miebakagh, we have a tiny solar array (3 panels and a storage battery for each) that we use to charge our phones and tablets and run one 60W light bulb when we have a power outage. The panels cost less than $200 when we bought them, and we acquired the batteries one at a time. My husband is a digital engineer and then learned broadcast engineering and there isn't much he doesn't know about energy. If anything happened to him, I probably wouldn't learn how to keep the rig running, but right now we are fortunate that he can. At one time I had the interest, but not now.
What we really need is a generator.HI Mizbejabbers; I assume from your comments that power outages are common where you live?
I don't know about Mizbejabbers, but here in the San Diego County of Southern California where summer temperatures can easily hoover at 90ºF+ (32ºC) during summer we have several rolling brown outs, yet they are regional not affecting the greater San Diego County.
I have not experienced one as yet, though they occur in some areas of the county.. A brown out is different than a black out. (See link below). However, the electrical utility will also shut off electricity to areas due to threat of the wildfires during extreme heat and the environmental dryness of plant life with the threat of utility power line's sparking them, which is costly since they will be sued.
Brown out vs. Black out
https://www.directenergy.com/learning-c … t-brownoutThank you, tsmog. Now I know what a brownout is. It rarely occur these days in my part of the country. But blackouts are common. The later can even take two months.
Thanks tsmog, very informative.
We don’t experience brownouts in the UK, and since the 1970’s blackouts have become very rare. During winter storms a few isolated villages in some remote part of Britain e.g. such as the Highlands of Scotland may get cut off and perhaps lose power; but these days the national grid is durable enough so that across most of Britain if one power route to a city or town gets interrupted (such as power lines hit in a thunder storm) then the power will just automatically re-route to an alternative route to the city/town; so apart from a brief flicker, that last less than a second, you don’t notice any difference.
This short video below explains how the National Grid in the UK handles sudden surges in demand; which is a common occurrence at 7:30pm weekday night when popular soap TV shows end and millions of electric kettles are all put on at the same time to make a hot cup of tea or coffee during the adverts:-
Britain’s peak power demand: https://youtu.be/slDAvewWfrATsmog; further to my comments above about remote villages in the UK, the short video below shows what happened when a remote village in Northern England of just a dozen houses (25 people), with no easy access to the village, lost their power supply in 2013, and how their power was then restored to the National Grid; and even though a very expensive and time consuming process all the work was done as a free service to the local residence.
Restoring mains electricity supply to remote Cumbrian village: - https://youtu.be/idd2PDzppp0Thanks for both videos. Both were excellent. I was amazed of the technology used by the center while trying to fathom the thinking that went into it becoming a reality. And, the investment. Amazing! What a complicated feat they do. The video was enlightening and raised my respect to utility companies as well as workers seen with both videos.
Reaching out to solve that village's challenge was monumental with an altruistic sense to it. Yet, fair with equality in mind.
I presume the electric grid is a government entity in the UK. As you probably know they are private entities here, yet are a public utility regulated by both state and federal government. Each does buy electricity from another as seen where the U.K. grid purchased from France.
On a personal level I live in a mobile home park of 100+ residents/units. Our electricity/gas infrastructure in the park was owned by the park. Electricity and gas came from the utility supplier to a central point then distributed to each unit using the lines first laid when the park was built. Our billing was through the park, though rates were typical of the main supplier San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E).
The state of California put into motion upgrading mobile home parks. The park where I live is undergoing that now, yet it meant new infrastructure - lines laid in the street, meters at our units conveniently located at the street, and running them to our homes, which meant they had to crawl under them in a confined space.
A bonus for me is when I bought/moved here back in '07 I had a hidden fear that the park would be purchased by an investor for development and disappear since it is only a short walk away from where commerce begins. Now, with the 1+ million (719,695+ pounds) investment I feel more assured that not occurring :-)
Anyway, the project began Jan 20 and will continue through Sept. A little over a month ago I have been treated to watching them on my street dig the main ditches in the street, short ones to our homes, laying the conduit for both electricity and gas, and installing the electrical meter. Interesting was they shoot with compressed air a strap from the main street to our meter through the conduit to pull the cable through. They haven't installed the gas meter, yet the lines are laid coming up with a solid pipe.
They don't seem to mind me watching or asking questions, though I try not to get in the way :-) A friend I made of the workers said they may go through Oct. It does come down for me trying to solve the puzzle of what the heck they are doing and why ha-ha :-)Thanks, tsmog for your information; a most interesting read.
I’m just about to leave in about half an hour, on holiday (vacation) for the week in Essex; so I don’t have time now to give a detailed reply. I’ll do so on my return.
However, in answer to one of your questions, currently the National Grid in the UK is a private company; it used to be a government entity but it was privatised by the Conservative Government in 1990.Arthur, thank you again. I though the National Grid in Great Britain is a government investment? It's picture is so good in private hands. Bon voyage! Enjoy every moment of the holiday. Hope you go on a cruise ship or train? Either good. Arthur, friend, by the way, have you notice that, that man whose user name began with 'Ca' and ends with a 'a', has enter the discussion? Enjoy the holiday!
Thanks Miebakagh; yes for something in ‘private hands’ rather than run by the Government, the National Grid does do a remarkably good job; albeit it’s heavily restrained by ‘Government Regulations’. If it hadn’t been so successful then I’m sure that like the ‘Railways’ it would be in the process of being ‘Renationalised’.
Back in 1990 the Conservative Government also ‘Privatised’ British Rail, splitting it into two enterprises e.g. Railtrack & Train Operators. The Private Company that was responsible for the rail network investment and maintenance (including track and stations) failed and so that side of the operation had to be taken back into public ownership (nationalised again). Now, after 30 years, the Conservative Government have finally conceded that privatising the rail service hasn’t worked because it’s made rail travel too expensive e.g. huge profits being skimmed off for the shareholders; so the Conservative Government is now in the process of renationalising the railway, to bring prices back down, and to integrate the service back into one National Service, rather than lots of private companies e.g. to simplify the pricing structure and service . Putting the trains back under Government control may even lead to the disappearance of ‘Ghost Trains’?
UK Ghost Trains Explained: https://youtu.be/5KiZGRA_yCEArthor, welcome back from vacation to Essex. I got it all. It seems my country Nigeria, had same background as Great Britain, due to constitutional background. However, the similarities has nothing to write home about. But the major difference can be glean from massive corruptaion of the politicians. The Nigerian National Grid, formerly the Electric Corporation of Nigeria(ECN), was laid by the British Government. The National Electric Power Authority(NEPA), that sesults from the ECN was a public corporation to ensure that the mass paid fair price, and not for profit. But the politicians hijack the system to privated the NEPA for profit. All subsequent government has ignore calls to revert to the status que.
Thanks tsmog; I too find it amazing, and fascinating, at what’s involved in keeping the power on; and I certainly wouldn’t like their job in the control centre in trying to keep the power frequency in balance, that job would be too stressful for me.
Thanks for the info on the upgrades to utilities to your Park; hopefully it will all help to give an improved service once all done.
As I mentioned before I went on holiday electricity which was ‘Nationalised’ by Labour (Socialist Government) in 1947, was ‘Privatised’ by the Conservatives (Capitalist Government) in 1990, on the grounds that it would make the industry more competitive and bring down prices, although in practice the 12 new Private Utility Companies pushed up prices significantly to make big profits for their shareholders.
30 years on and the 12 big utility companies have merged into the ‘Big Six’, and in recent years, to bring down prices lots of new smaller utility companies have entered the market including in Bristol (where I live) Bristol Energy, set up by our local Labour Government as a ‘non-profit-making’ co-operative (no shareholders); and Octopus Energy, founded in 2015 (with very attractive tariffs) already has 2.3 million customers, and already has 7.5% of the market share, and growing.
I get the impression from reading the comments by you and MizBejabbers that where ever you live in the USA that you tend to have just one major supplier to choose from?
In Britain, when electricity was privatised the Conservative set up the electricity market as follows:-
• Producers = Power stations, windfarm, solar farms, hydro plants (like Electricity Mountain in Wales) and domestic solar panels on private homes etc., who produce the electricity.
• The Infrastructure (physical wires and cables from suppliers to domestic homes) = The National Grid.
• Suppliers = The Utility Companies who sell the electricity to the consumer (home owner).
• The Consumers = Home Owners, who can subscribe to any Supplier they wish e.g. it pays to shop around to find the ‘Suppler’ offering the best deal for you, and switching to them.
The ‘Suppliers’ buy electricity from the ‘Producers’ via the National Grid; some suppliers, like Bristol Energy and Octopus Energy will only buy ‘Renewable Energy’; the National Grid (on behalf of the ‘Suppliers’) to meet ‘Demand’ have call-off contracts with the Big ‘Producers’ on a cost basis e.g. National Grid will pay for the cheapest electricity first (such as wind and solar), and the most expensive last (which these days is coal); hence why our only remaining coal power station is shut down most of the time these days.
When I get my solar panels installed in a few weeks’ time I shall become a ‘Producer’ as well as a ‘Consumer’, but as a ‘small Producer’ I have to sell my surplus electricity to a ‘Suppler’. Bristol Energy (the utility company I’m currently with) don’t currently buy domestic solar energy; the Big six do, but they only pay about $0.014 per KWh; while Octopus Energy pays up to about $0.14 per KWh during peak time (between 4pm & 7pm) for domestic solar energy, which is a lot more attractive – so looking at their other tariffs, I will almost certainly switch to Octopus Energy once I’ve got the solar panels and battery installed; particularly as I will be able to buy cheap electricity from them at 4am, at just $0.07 per KWh to top up my battery.
Following public outcry that the Big six were ripping people off, a few years ago the Conservative Government changed the law to make switching Utility Company extremely easy; all you have to do is just sign up to the energy company (suppler) of your choice and that Company does all the ‘Admin Work’ for you (free of charge), including telling your old ‘Energy Supplier’ that you’ve left them; and the UK website called USwitch tells you which Energy Suppler Company is the cheapest for you e.g. just put in a few basic info into the website and it does the calculations for you, an provides you with a link to your desired Utility Company so that you can switch there and then (for no cost) by just a press of a button.
Which Energy Provider Should I Use? https://youtu.be/TjikD8bQaE8
The Conservative Government, just a few years back, also put a cap on the Utility Companies (Energy Suppliers) preventing them from raising their prices further, at a time when the big six were price hiking.
The biggest asset to the National Grid in Britain is ‘Electric Mountain’ in Wales; as it can go from zero power to full power in just 12 seconds to provide full power for up to 5 hours in any 24 hour period; and be shut down in as little as 20 seconds e.g. hydro plant acting as a massive battery for storing power for when needed. Without Electric Mountain I think the UK would suffer from brown outs and blackouts.
Electric Mountain in Wales: - https://youtu.be/d-Gbs_kXK8QI am betting you enjoyed your time away! Thanks for the info and videos. Educational. You know this subject extensively. That is good. I think for a realistic comparison is to compare the U.K. to California rather than U.S., though U.K. population (66.6 Million) is about twice that of Calif (39.5 Million). Yet, land mass wise Calif is much larger (Calif 163.7 sq.mi. vs UK at 93.6 sq. mil) . Calif traverses 900 miles (1448 kilometers) from Oregon state border to Mexico while UK is about 600 miles (965 kilometers) border to border.
The reason I say that in the U.S. it is estimated there are over 3,300 electric utility companies with 200 providing to the majority of users in the U.S. as well as personal solar. There are three power grids in the U.S. If curious see US Electric Grid & Markets
Here in Calif we have:
6 investor owned utilities
46 publicly owned utilities
4 cooperatives
3 community choice aggregators
22 electric service providers
I live in San Diego County population 3.3 million. There is one main supplier San Diego Gas & Electric with I think one or two offshoots just beginning. Couldn't find any info, yet read it in the past. However, in the county being sunshine 266 days/yr solar is so big it is ranked #2 in the nation. Unfortunately living in a mobile home my roof won't support panels nor anywhere to place a battery.
SDG&E as well as other utility companies are well into wind, yet SDG&E has that infrastructure in a neighboring county that is flat desert land. For a peek of Calif Wind Power.
As the video you shared earlier we, SDG&E, buy from a foreign country too on occasion, Mexico, like your grid did with France. As, well as other companies in the western US grid. And, I agree there is vast complexity with the grids as well as the jobs within them from linemen to CEO. I can appreciate it, though really not able to grasp since viewing the videos shared while using my imagination. Again, thanks for the videos.
After your sharing info and videos I am left wondering how the heck do they determine supplied energy by a different supplier. I say that because here there really is one infrastructure owned by SDG&E. That seems complicated to me with rates since that offshoot would be using their infrastructure.
As an aside, with that project here in my mobile home park where I live they will be installing smart meters. Do they use those there? Bottom line is they will penalize for peak hour (4pm - 9pm) usage with a higher rate. Or, as they see it reward you for good behavior. Yet, they have different plans to take advantage of considering elements such as charging electric cars and renewable energy buy back from solar. For a peek at how my rates will be determined take a peek at SDG&E Energy Plans.Yep, we did have a lovely time on holiday in Essex; one of the highlights of the week being our visit to the boat graveyard at Pin Mill, plus being able to eat in cafes on the seafront for the first time since the pandemic made a refreshing change.
Wow, thanks for the details and links tsmog, very informative and educational; it’s good to see that California wind and solar farms are making a major contribution, and excellent news that ‘smart meters’ are being rolled out.
In answer to your question,
“….how the heck do they determine supplied energy by a different supplier.”
The answer is the ‘Smart Meters’.
In the UK, in 2016, the UK Government instructed (by law) that all energy suppliers had to install ‘Smart Meters’ in every one of their customers’ home within five years e.g. by 2021.
The Smart Meter monitors your energy usage ‘real time’ e.g. the power you use whether it’s from your solar panels, battery or from the national grid, and if you have solar panels then the power you send to the national grid. Therefore, it doesn’t matter which energy supplier you sign up to, all the energy you send or receive via the National Grid is monitored by the smart meter, so it’s just a paper exercise to work out who owes who what. As all transactions have to take place via the National Grid, then the National Grid earns money from the energy suppliers for the use of the grid; last year the National Grid’s net profit was £1.265 billion $1.74 billion.
The SDG&E Energy Plans look a little similar to what used to be known in the UK as ‘Economy 7’ e.g. a Tariff that was introduced in the UK in 1978 when people started to move away from coal to gas for heating their homes (central heating), and optionally some chose to heat their homes with electric storage heaters rather than gas. The Economy suited people who opted to use electric storage heaters because they could be programmed to heat up from the National Grid in the early hours of morning, and then release their stored heat throughout the day as required. If you opted for Economy 7 then you would pay less for your electricity in the early hours of the morning, but pay a little more for it during the day time.
These days, at the moment, most Energy Suppliers don’t bother with ‘timed’ tariffs; they just charge a single flat rate 24/7, which is from about £0.15 ($0.21) to £0.20 ($0.28) per KWh (depending on which Company you sign up to); although I’m sure that will change in the coming years.
However, Octopus Energy; the Company that I will most likely switch to once I’ve had the solar panels and battery installed, is one of the Utility Companies who do variable rate tariffs, and one of their tariffs (called Agile) is a tariff that changes every 30 minutes, based on market forces (trading prices) e.g. price fluctuations (supply & demand): It’s a ‘Futures Market’, where different energy supplier companies are bidding against each other 24 hours in advance, trying to outdo each other to get the best prices from the energy producers (all done by forecasts e.g. weather forecast and demand forecasts etc.); and if you are signed up to the Octopus Energy Agile Tariff then once a day Octopus send you the pricing for the following day’s electricity prices so that you can make your owned informed decision of how and when to use your electricity. Typically, with this tariff you might pay as much as £0.30 ($0.41) per KWh between 4pm and 7pm, but by 4am that drops to about £0.05 ($0.07) per KWh or less (sometimes free) e.g. negative pricing.
Octopus Agile Tariff: https://youtu.be/y2KYoM6JG60Sounds like a great trip. Nice! I am glad restrictions where you were were eased. I would be curious of the graveyard.
Curious my peek on the web shows smart meters rolled out here in the US at 2006, so it appears the UK had a big jump. In Calif the use of smart meters is an option to the customer.
Our SDG&E rates in my county, which BTW supplies southern Orange County too, are:varied by county region, which there are four; coast, inland, mountain, and desert, and determined by a baseline. I'm inland. Rates are broken into two categories; generation and delivery. Yes, SDG&E generates electricity using gas and now 40% is clean energy one of the highest in the nation. The nation for 2020 clean energy generation was 20% for 2020 while consumption was 12%.
I don't know what happens with rates with the smart meter. My current rates are:
Generation and Delivery combined
0 - 130% of baseline at $0.32 (£0.23)
131 - 400% of baseline at $0.41 (£0.30) (Generation remains the same as above and delivery rates rise)
above 400 - not on my billing, so don't know. Maybe a good thing :-)
Here in mobile home park I asked the electrician a few questions as he set up the lines running underneath my home to the meter stand without the meter as yet. He offered to me that they would be smart meters. So, since I am in essence beholden to the park I may not have a choice. I don't know, though welcome them based on different rates.
With the recent years climate change impact has steadily gotten hotter and the season has expanded over the year. For instance this morning at 6:30am it was nearing 75º (23.8ºC) even after an early morning rain and is overcast.
Being a single old guy I possibly can make more adjustments than a family and every $ counts. So, the main culprit for me is the A/C. I set my thermostat at 82ºF (27.8ºC) while have a ceiling fan and open the windows in the morning. Inside my mobile home it takes awhile to get hot compared to outside. I manually switch the thermostat off at 5pm now, which will be important with the tier system for rates aimed at peak hours. The only other culprit is the washer dryer used at 8am every other week. My heat is gas, yet there is the fan.
Yes it was a great trip; yep restrictions were eased in England on the 21st June when the latest lockdown (which was imposed on the 4th January) was finally lifted. The only restrictions remaining were a requirement to wear masks in enclosed public spaces and to social distance 2 metres (6ft 6 inches). As of today (19th July) all restrictions are now lifted e.g. masks & social distancing now abolished; which means that nightclubs and theatres can finally open for the first time in 16 months - So there will be a lot of partying going on across England tonight.
Yeah, the boat graveyard is quite a sight; well worth the visit. I took lots of photos and video footage, which I shall publish on YouTube in due course; but for now is a photo below, and a link to a video someone else took of the boat graveyard at Pin Mill, Essex.
Pin Mill boat graveyard: https://youtu.be/LKL0vo-DkVA
Thanks for all the info tsmog; very enlightening. Likewise, in the UK smart meters are optional to the customer, but the benefits of smart meters are so compelling that few would refuse to have one installed.
Likewise, with climate change the British weather has dramatically changed over the past 20 years e.g. heatwaves have become almost a yearly event, and where I live we’ve gone from getting six inches of snow every winter 30 years ago, to it almost never snowing, with our winters generally being much milder. I grow all our veg (except potatoes) in our back garden (12 months’ supply), and in the last 20 years the summer growing season has shifted from ‘April to September’ to ‘March to October’.
Last night the minimum temperature dropped to only 19ºC (66ºF), yesterday during the day it reached 30ºC (86ºF), and is expected to reach 30ºC (86ºF) again today in Bristol, England.
Up until 20 years ago hot British summers were not that common, so British homes are built to keep warm in winter rather than keep cool in the summer; and far too small to fit full air-conditioning units. The British way to keep homes cooler in the summer is to open all the windows and doors and rely on floor standing or desktop fans. Although, in recent years I have fitted ceiling fans in our bedrooms so that we can all keep cool at night.
Our main power consumption is the electric cooker and electric shower; although we do have 3 freezers which are permanently on (one for all the veg I grow in the garden). For heating (in the winter) we have a full central heating system (gas combi-boiler and radiators), with the boiler being a modern combi-boiler (condensing boiler) e.g. it supplies hot water (for the taps) on demand, and heats the radiators around the home.
Above, Boat Graveyard at Pin Mill, Essex, England.Arthur, I'm finding the discourse very informing. Like as I said beforehand Great Britain and Nigeria had a common electricity background, because GB laid the Electric Corporation of Nigeria( ECN) birthing or rather metamophosing into the National Electric Power Authority(NEPA), after independence from GB and few years after the Nigerian Civil War. Back then Electric Meters were installed on every street home and factories or companies. These meters smartly read the energy each house or factory consume. Quarterly and once a month, the electric meter reader comes and take the volume of energy each household consumed. So in a weeks time, you get your bill and go to the nearest NEPA office and make payment. If you default, you get disconnected. Re-connection carry some fee. When NEPA was privatized, pre-paid bills were introduced.
Consumers were angry because prepaid bills instead of meter reading was a cheat rather than a reality. For example, in December 2020, I received a pre- paid bill of N900,000.00(about £350). I refused payment expecting to be disconnect, and the authhority enforcing the payments in a High Court of law. But the authority, now Power Holding Company of Nigeria, had a change of mind. Instead, they submitted a bill of N2000 or about £20. Smart meters were installed on every household in the cities and its adjacent area nowadays, I live at the prescinct of a water front bound by the Atlantic Ocean. My area has got access to the National Grid, held by the Nigerian government. Very soon smart meters will be instal in my homestead. FYI, I'm a Wakirike(Okrika) man. And fishing is the traditional occupation of my fore-bearers. I fish, swim, and live on the sea.
Miebakagh, thanks for the update on Nigeria. Yes, I remember the days (not that long ago) when a meterman would come to physically read our meters every few months. But of course now, with the new ‘Smart Meters’, they automatically send your meter reading to your energy supplier once every 30 minutes via Wi-Fi (just like how a mobile phone works).
Interesting to hear that you have close ties to fishing; British fishermen are currently having a hard time because of Brexit e.g. EU countries in mainland Europe, which was the main market for many British Fishermen, refuse to buy British fish now that Britain has left the EU; and now that we’ve left the EU there has already been scuffles between French and British fishermen, the beginnings of the old fish wars again!
2018: Scallop wars (British Fishermen recall 'terrifying' clash with French boats): https://youtu.be/ys7VYAy6nXw
2021: Jersey Dispute (Royal Navy ships arrive to counter French fishing blockade): https://youtu.be/GpGL5oXj6-wArthur, sorry for the later part of your post. Have you ever heard of the 'Kalabari's' in historical setting? Bristol and Kalabari of the Niger Delta have common bond in human traffikering before 1750. Before that they were fierce intertribal wars, resulting in the founding of other city states including, Wakirike, meaning 'we are the same' or 'we are not different.' It's the British missionaries, traders, explorers, and teachers that corrupted the word Wakirike into Okrika for lack of better pronounciation. After the war at Old Shipping or Abonnema, and the formation of various city states, the Okrikans cannot fish on the Kalabari waters again. The British intervened and open the sea free for every body. Yes, I recalled now that no meterman will call to read the set but energy consume will be sent as a text msg to one's phone. Have a nice time.
Miebakagh, thanks for the information. I am fully aware of Bristol’s role in the slave trade (something Bristolians are NOT proud of these days); but I didn’t know the precise connection with the Kalabari’s until you informed me; so I’ve learnt something new, thanks.
Britain’s fishing wars with other nations isn’t new; ever since the development of the railway in the 19th century making it possible to transport fish across the country, and the creation of the National Electricity Grid in 1935 making cold storage on a large scale possible, Britain has been competing with other nations for fish at ever increasing volumes, until such point that we over fished the waters resulting in declining fish stock in the seas.
All this led to a series of ‘Cod Wars’ between Britain and Iceland in Icelandic waters, with Britain losing each war:-
• 1st Cod War: 1958-1961
• 2nd Cod War: 1972-1973
• 3rd Cod War: 1975-1976
In the last Cod War the USA sided with Iceland, forcing Britain to back down, with the result that in Britain 1,500 fishermen jobs were lost, along with the thousands of lost jobs in the supply chains. This had a significant negative impact on the fishing communities in Britain, but not much impact on the British economy as fishing only accounts for just 0.1% of UK trade.
And of course, it’s a similar story in the British Channel between Britain and France (which is only 21 miles wide at its narrowest point) where the French fish in British waters, and the British fish in French waters, which invariably (without being in the EU, where rules for both nations can be regulated centrally) means that fishing disputes will become more common place; and sometimes will involve British and French battleships - No surprises here as Britain and France have had a ‘love/hate’ relationship resulting in many wars between the two nations over the centuries; ever since the French (Normandy) invaded England in 1066 (The Norman Invasion).
When Iceland Defeated Britain: The Cod Wars: https://youtu.be/hfD3gevx48YArthur, I've never heard of the Cod war. It may be these wars were somehow like local events. Signficantly, the first and second Cod Wars seems to relate to political events in Nigeria. These were the years Nigeria began to agitate for self-government and independence(1st. CW). Significant also is the fact that they's an ethnic group, the Ibo, that occupy at most half of the easthern part of the country. The Ibo people always saw a pot of soap unpalatable without chunk of the Cod fish in it. Seriously, the deep sea fishing for Cod was done foremost for export? Because I heard that Europeans don't like eating cods.
You are right Miebakagh in that Cod is not so popular in mainland European countries. But Cod is the main fish in the UK; when you buy ‘fish & chips’ from a chip shop in Britain, unless you specify otherwise you will be given battered cod with chips.
Most of the cod for the British market is found in cold waters around Iceland and Greenland. Fish found in the warmer waters around the British coast is not to the British taste, but it is to mainland European taste, so traditionally most fish caught around the British cost has been for Exports to mainland Europe. Thus over 70% of the fish caught by British fishermen is exported to mainland Europe because most of the fish found in our waters is not to the British taste, but loved by Europeans; while 90% of the cod consumed in the UK is imported from Iceland.
To sum up: - The British Public will only eat cod and haddock, both of which are predominantly found in the waters of Iceland and Greenland, and plaice which is found in European and British waters; although cod is the prime favourite of the British public.
Whereas the fish caught around the cost of Britain (mostly Cornwall and Scotland) includes bream and brill from Cornwall, and about 150 other varieties of fish and shellfish, including grouper, tilapia, parrot fish, red snapper and squid etc. none of which the British Public will eat; turbot, monkfish, megrim and brill traditionally have always been sold to France and Spain instead (Export). The only fish found around the British cost that the British people will eat is plaice.
You might say the British Public are fussy eaters; and you would be right!
And as a vegetarian I don’t eat any fish; so I’m a very fussy eater!
American tries British Fish n' Chips in London for the FIRST TIME: https://youtu.be/kTV0C_6MftIArthur, yesterday at 6.00 AM(Nigerian time), I went for a mile jogging. At 2.00 PM, I had my dinner and relax. Then I login to make posts and comments. Surprisedly, when I post the last two parts of the comment, it seems that. I had been banned from the forum with no apparent reasons. So I email team@hubpages, but no response. Let me continue the last paragraphe. The 2nd cod war just after the Nigerian civil war ends. The Ibo's become big time cod or stockfish importers. They called cod OKPOROKPO. In 1977, become an issue in the presidential election. Chief Obafemi Awolowo, or Awo contended with Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe(Zik), that he would ban the importation of Okporokpo into Nigeria because it was half man and half fish. The head part Chief Awo said was human. So Zik ask his kinsmen to import cod head into Nigeria. The head made a good stock overnight, hence stockfish. I like the head. It give the soup a nice and tasty flavour
Wow Miebakagh, that’s quite a history: Have those tensions eased since 1977 or is there still contention. The timing of the cod wars between Britain and Iceland with events in Nigeria is quite coincidental; for over 2,000 years there’s hardly been a decade where Britain wasn’t at war with someone, usually the French, such as the hundred years war from 1337–1453 (116 years) between Britain and France (which France won) being one of just many. And more recently the Falklands War in 1982 when Britain was at war with Argentina for two months, where Britain won. In total, in the past 955 years since 1066, Britain has been at war with France for a total of 748 of those years.
As regards cod heads, I’m sure it does make a good fish-stock, and great for flavouring soup. Although, the head is one part of the fish the British discard; these days, the British tend to be quite squeamish about things like that!Arthur, the contention or rather the tension ceased on 1:10:80. Both contesters Awo, a barrister and former Premier; and Dr. Zik, an American educated educationist, and a former President of Nigeria, lost out to Mallam Shehu Shangari, a former Parliamentary(but a presidential stooge) as civilian President of Ngeria, Octomber 1980 to January 1984. Mallam Shangari won a second bid as president, but was forced out of power by a military coup d'etat 4:1:84. Cod head trading is now a lucrative business in Nigeria. More succefull than the main cod. Next weekend as my custom is, I'm gona cook a port of dry cod head soup, that will comprised red and lean meat, dried mullet and sardines. Seasoned with various herbs and vegetables.
Thanks for the background historic info on Nigerian politics Miebakagh. The dish you describe sounds tasty for people who like fish. In contrast (as a vegetarian) and Brit, my favourite dish is somewhat mundane by international standards e.g. egg, chips and baked beans, seasoned with salt, pepper and vinegar.
Hi Tsmog, I assume you live in a much more densely populated area than I do. So far we haven't been experiencing brown outs here. I live in the Little Rock/North Little Rock area, outside in the county. The whole Pulaski County area with both cities and their little suburbs has a population of approximately 400,000 (last count dated 2019). The predominate energy supplier, Entergy, has given us a few rules that it would like for us to follow, and also a warning that if we don't we could face some brown outs. Rules like running our energy guzzlers like washers, dryers and dishwashers at off peak times of the day. I think most people do try to use their energy wisely. So far, no brown outs.
My friends in the cities tell me that they don't experience the frequent blackouts like we do here on our hill. I have no idea why we have these. Entergy says that most of them are from accidents, storms, or "human" damage like theft of copper. I think it is because we are in a neglected area. My son, who lived in the area behind the state capitol, said any time the city had a rare power outage, that area was the first to get repaired because the Capitol building was "vital". At one time in another location, we were on North Little Rock Municipal Electric. It wasn't as reliable as Entergy, but that was 30 years ago. Times may have changed by now.Hello! A bummer about your most recent outage. It was interesting reading about your area electrical grid and how it affects you.
I live in San Diego (SD) county with a population of 3.3 million. Metro San Diego of several cities has a population of 1.4+ million. The county is 4,526 sq. miles. We have several regions, which are coastal cities, East county, the border (Mexico) cities, and North county where the city, Escondido, is where I live with a population of 151.3 thousand.
The county is mainly powered by San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), which is a Sempra Energy Utility. There are a few small companies using their infrastructure. And, of course solar, which SD County is #2 in the nation. That is one good feature in sunny land.
In my adult life I have not experienced brown outs at home or at work. Those mainly occur in the SD metro area due to peak hours, which is 4-9pm except when it is very hot and A/C’s are running constantly. I have experienced black outs, yet they were due to infrastructure in the mobile home park I am in since ’07. SDG&E is upgrading the park today due to California. Bear in mind that means their meters will be installed. And, as you have said the mishaps causing outages taking no longer than 5 or so hours to repair or quicker. They are good at jumping on them too.
Our rates are different now in the park who are billing is through being a constant Kilowatt charge for usage. When we switch to SDG&E we will choose between different SDG&E pricing plans. In essence they kinda’ penalize for usage during peak hours. Or, in their view reward you for off peak usage.
SD county does have planned black outs for fire season affecting the outliers where it is brush. The people usually have solar or generators, so no problem generally. Except those who don’t who get angry. They are notified by text, email, TV, and newspaper in advance when they will occur.
They are strategic too. SDG&E has a very sophisticated system for monitoring using weather analysis, cameras, helicopters, ground personnel always checking the infrastructure for weakness and repair, and interestingly goats for maintaining the landscape. Here is a video about Sempra (SDG&E) fire prevention mitigation efforts. It is about a half hour.
Yes, Nathanville, very frequent. We live in the county just outside of town, so I think it is just the electrical system in our area. My friends in town don't seen to experience as many of these outages. The longest one we've experienced this year was about 20 hours long. They are always from unpreventable occurrences such as storms, "human damage" (like theft of copper), or simple accidents like autos running into a substation. We've also had one or two from lack of maintenance, such as the recent longer one. I don't believe we've ever had a brownout. We had a blackout last night. I was doing some research on my computer when, right at midnight, we lost power. I went to bed. My husband who was already asleep awakened about 3:45 and discovered no power. He woke me up while reporting this outage, but I don't think he was the first. Fifteen minutes later at 4:00 am on the nose, the power came back on. This outage affected 194 people. It was caused by wind damage when a small lightening storm came through, they said.
Miz, blackouts are frequent daily occurance in the part of my country. I live at the prescinct of a water front, bound southwardly, by the Atlantic Occean. The nearby township or town center is the Port Harcourt City, PHC. It takes a lady 30 minutes of brisk walk and a man 20 minutes to reach the old brick house, which is site of the former British Government administration. So, any blackout up there at PHC-it houses the second biggest seaport in Nigeria, hosts the headquarters of the NNPRC, the Easthern Railway Terminus of Nigeria and others, will blackout the water fronts. Those blackouts were done purposely to rationize power to other parts of the states. The production of electricity at the national level is always below capacity. It has to be fairly distributed. The State now in winter months. Any signs of rainfall, thunder and lighting invite a blk-out
Wow, that must be frustrating; and I can understand why you’d want a generator or solar panels and batteries as back-up. Seems quite in contrast to the National Grid in Britain, who has to maintain power to over 65 million people; with the only ones who ever experience blackouts these days being some of the small isolated villages in remote parts of Britain who are at risk of being cut off by snow during severe winter storms.
Back in the 1970’s blackouts as you describe were common and very frequent (weekly) in Britain; partly due to frequent Industrial Action (Strike action) and partly due to the oil crisis at the time. So in those days we always had a supply of candles for lighting, gas for cooking and coal for heating. But since the 1980’s blackouts in the UK have become a thing of the past.
Miz, those solar panels and batteries are beginning to appear in the Nigerian markets. And they look quite expensive. I notice that it's the banks that began to applied them as part of the global technology in a competetive banking sector. I'm yet to notice a private residence that has install the solar technology. Most of the very rich guys will prefer a big industry-like generator at their big house. I've a Elemax Honda 2800 capacity generator. I seldon use it now, as I lost my laptop and digital camera to theft.
We’ve finally taken the plunge, and reducing our carbon footprint by having solar panels 3.5KW and a battery 5.2KW system installed within the next few weeks. And FYI the average British home uses just third of energy than the average American home, so for the UK the system we’re getting is more than sufficient to make us almost self-sufficient during the summer months (when we get up to 18 hours of daylight a day).
Once the system is installed, as well as selling any surplus electricity we produce to the National Grid, we’ll also be able to use the battery to buy electricity from the grid during the early hours of the morning, when electricity is cheap, to top up our battery for later use.Authur, 18 hours of sunlight a day? That's amazing! It seems you've re-adjust the globe on it's axis to my country's disfavour. Lol!
Yep, where we live in Britian:-
On the 21st June (longest day of the year) sunset is at 10pm and sunrise is at 4am. In Scotland (which is further north) they get about 19 hours of sunlight on that day.
However, come mid winter, on the 21st December (the shortest day of the year) sun rise isn't until 8am and dusk is at 4pm (only 8 hours of daylight); and in Scotland they only get 7 hours of daylight at that time of year.I understand the Soltice effects on June 21 and December 21 each year. But this varied from country to country. I learn that in my geography classs. Nevertheless, sunset and sunrise in Britain on these days at 10.00 PM and 4.00 AM are still amazing. Thank you.
Yep it is; and its great at that time of year, when the sun is already high in the sky when you get up first thing in the morning, and you can have a BBQ (socialising with your friends in your back garden) in the evening, and it's still daylight at 10pm, when people are thinking about going home.
Britain will be
1. installing solar panels 3.5KW
2. installing a battery 5.2KW system
3. enabling people to be close to self-sufficient during the summer months.
(when Britain gets up to 18 hours of daylight a day.
!)
4. enabling citizens earn extra money by selling surplus electricity to the "National Grid."
5. enabling citizens to buy electricity at a reduced price from "the grid" during the early hours of the morning ...
"when electricity is cheap, to "top up" battery (?) for later use." Huh?
Q. Can you explain any of this further or in greater detail, Nathanville?For instance:
How is the The National Grid being installed?
Where is the The National Grid being installed?
Why is energy produced in the morning cheaper?
How does one buy and sell energy from the soon-to-be-installed National Grid?
How long has Britain been working on the installation process? years? months? weeks?
wonderingAll good questions:-
#1: The National Grid was built in the UK in 1935 (it was the first integrated national grid in the world). Of course, in those days it was relatively simple e.g. a network of high voltage power cables connecting big power stations to the homes.
Below is an old video of how the British National Grid used to work just 10 years ago; although it’s got a lot smarter since then:- https://youtu.be/vX0G9F42puY
#2: Over the past 10 years the National Grid has been transformed into a ‘Smart Grid’ to enable clever movement of power around the grid to meet supply and demand; as explained in the above video.
#3: As part of Government Policy, since 2016 every energy supply has installed a ‘smart meter’ in to virtually every home in Britain; which helps homeowners see how they are using their energy so as to make informed choices on how to reduce energy use, and save money on their energy bills:-
Smart Meter (Smart In-home Display Unit): https://youtu.be/VinOp8dYbhA
#4: Each European country has its own National Grid, and over the past 5 years (since the video shown below) each European Nation’s national grid has been connected to all their neighbours’ national grids; to create a ‘super grid’ covering the whole of Europe e.g. so that Britain can sell surplus wind energy to France or Germany; buy hydropower energy from Norway, and solar power from Spain etc.
EU Common Grid Model: https://youtu.be/0bm4hqINTyI
#5: The reason why energy is cheaper in the early hours of the morning is because demand for it is at its lowest at that time (supply & demand) e.g. the wind turbines out at sea will continue to produce energy day and night regardless; although Scotland is developing technology (R&D) for using sea water to convert surplus Renewable Electricity in to Green Hydrogen (for storage), and conversion back to green electricity when required (a form a battery), with the only bi-product being water.
What is Green Hydrogen? https://youtu.be/gEByrL5a27c
This new technology of using Green Hydrogen for storage of surplus electricity is being incorporated in to the artificial island currently being built by 10 European countries, including the UK, in the North Sea, halfway between England and Norway. The New Island, when operational in a few years’ time, will act as a hub for generating enough Renewable Energy for 80 million homes across northern Europe, and will meet 10% of the UK’s energy needs.
North Sea Wind Power Hub (artificial island): https://youtu.be/lBnWEK9IUn4
#6: As stated above, the UK’s national grid has existed since 1935, but has only evolved into a ‘Smart Grid’ within the last 10 years; predominantly through new technology rather than a complete rebuild.
What makes buying and selling energy on the national grid possible has been the rollout of the ‘Smart Meter’, which started in 2016 e.g. the smart meter handles and records all the completed processes, so that it can for example record how much surplus electricity you export, and when; thus making the National Grid Smart.
Octopus Energy: Agile Tariff - Get Paid To Use Electricity! How It Works https://youtu.be/bjcqGu0ib5w
#7: So in answer to your last point; the Grid started to became really smart with the rollout of smart meters in the homes; which was a five year Government programme that started in 2016 (five years ago).
Tesla Powerwall: https://youtu.be/jB6jyy0Joq8Thank You! Now I will research the American Grid and get back.
Thanks, I shall look forward to whatever you find.
Yesterday, live on the 'Daily Climate Show' on the British Sky News Channel on TV, at 1pm; live 'as-at' data supplied by the National Grid showed the UK's energy mix as at that time:-
Fossil Fuels = 19%
Renewable Energy = 66%
Nuclear = 15%That's great, Nathanville! Really great.
Canada is about the same in renewable energy.
We are the worst for recycling waste. Too much space, i guess.
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