Mike Conley and Tim Maloney: This is an excellent detailed, easy to follow analysis of Stanford University Professor of Civil Engineering, Mark Jacobson's claim that the world can acquire all the electrical energy it needs from wind turbines and solar panels. In short, Jacobson's claim is not achievable and a waste of money and time. What are the most important roles of the sun? 1) Heat the planet to livable conditions, 2) Evaporate ocean water, 3) Cause plants to grow and be the basis of the food chain, 4) Cause wind to bring the evaporated ocean water over the land and drop it as rain and snow. Electricity from wind and solar besides being unreliable and unpredictable is extremely dilute. As the authors clearly point out, replacing worn out solar panels on Jacobson's grand scheme would require tremendous amounts of replacement parts every day and the Earth doesn't have easy access to all these materials. The authors point the way with nuclear. Good reading for everyone.
