I’m guessing ‘expert guest’ has a different meaning at Fox than in the rest of the world.
Near the end of the segment, it occurred to Carlson to ask her expert guest, Fox Business reporter Shibani Joshi, why it might be that Germany’s solar-power sector is doing so much better [than ours]. “What was Germany doing correct? Are they just a smaller country, and that made it more feasible?” Carlson asked.
Joshi’s jaw-dropping response: “They’re a smaller country, and they’ve got lots of sun. Right? They’ve got a lot more sun than we do.” In case that wasn’t clear enough for some viewers, Joshi went on: “The problem is it’s a cloudy day and it’s raining, you’re not gonna have it.” Sure, California might get sun now and then, Joshi conceded, “but here on the East Coast, it’s just not going to work.”
Gosh, why hasn’t anyone thought of that before? Wouldn’t you think that some scientist, somewhere, would have noticed that the East Coast is far less sunny than Central Europe and therefore incapable of producing solar power on the same scale?
You would—if it were true. As Media Matters’ Max Greenberg notes, it isn’t. Not even remotely.
UPDATE: Relevant findings (pdf)
In all fairness to FOX, as far as I can tell, for ALL of the general news media outlets, the ONE journalist in any given news outlet who scraped by high school science classes with a ‘D-‘ rather than an outright ‘F’ that all the rest of them did is assigned to the Science & Technology section.
In short, the science and tech coverage for all of them suck hard core. It’s all prepackaged PR material from the company in question being passed off as science news articles that sees print. If it wasn’t for that prepackaged PR material, there would be no “science and technology” section in any general news media outlet.
So the bringing in of an ‘expert’ who doesn’t know that Germany’s ‘success’ with Solar Power is due to draconian government mandates & dramatic government financial subsidies is no surprise.
Heck, even “Popular Science” has gotten really iffy in their on-line coverage of science and tech if you look at their website.
Now Germany is faced with subsidizing the entire economy of the EU and they are not happy.
Solar Energy will never be ubiquitous without government subsidy and/or support.
Like the railroads of the 19th century, or the superhighways of the 20th century, or the Intertubes of the 21st century, government plays a major role in evolving technologies.
I am incorporating solar energy in my energy-efficient
home where it is economically feasible, but I don’t expect to be off the grid for a decade or more.
“Solar Energy will never be ubiquitous without government subsidy and/or support.” ///// Ma!!!! Orchi done drunk the coolaide and there’s none left! ….. Ooops, never mind, there’s more on Faux Spews.
Considering that we subsidize the nuclear industry to the tune of 30 billion dollars a year it seems that big energy can’t do anything without Uncle Sam being Daddy Warbucks to them.
A better question is
Does President Obama hire tax cheats on purpose?
He didn’t hire Romney
That was solid.
His new Treasury Secretary has those same Cayman Islands accounts that Romney had.
What a stupid analysis! Where did they get that person? Just along the street?d
The USA has geographically the best potential for solar and wind power on the planet, and the only reason its not being utilized is because the mega corporations that hold our energy sector hostage don’t want to re-tool. Plus they’re already working on ways to legally restrict us from harvesting it ourselves. One way or the other we are gonna pay “fair market value” for god’s free sun and wind.
orchidcup says, in part:
“I am incorporating solar energy in my energy-efficient
home where it is economically feasible, but I don’t expect to be off the grid for a decade or more.”
One area where the economics are positive now is solar water heating. Paint some pipes black, connect them to your regular water heater, either as a pre-warming stage or circulating. If you build it right the first time it’s very low maintenance and voila — free energy.
Already done. The loop is in place for adding solar collectors on the roof.
Just finished the plans for building a solar furnace that pumps warm air into the house from a solar collector on the south wall.
Next up is wind turbines and solar panels to power the LED lights inside and outside of the house.
Working on plans to convert a Geo Metro Hatchback into an emergency power generator.
There are no problems, only solutions.
Rachel Maddow has been mentioned has given good facts.
“Up” with Chris Hayes on msnbc Sat Sun Morning on MSNBC is also very good. Set your dvr.
Both obviously read and research their main subjects before inviting actual experts on the same theme. No reverend sharpies.
Krugman is on right now reciting “Economics 101 – Introductory Course” and how the Far Right is expousing the failed ideas of the 1920’s as if they were new ideas. Too much of that around. Its how Glass Steagal got removed….. and still not replaced. How many times will we have to hit ourselves in the head with the Hammer of Fraud and Abuse by the Big Corps? We’ve had 3 big ones in the last 20 years.
Nice chart shown: in early century. Only 1 year was spent dealing with consequences of Big Bank Fraud. In current time period–20 years. The system is broken perhaps unintentionally, but its not being fixed very much on purpose.
Vote all Pukes out of Office. Get the Dumbos next.
CNN Anchor asks if meteor is caused by global warming.
Bill Nye responds meteor and meteorology come from the same root. Can’t tell if it was edited.
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2013/02/11/why-we-dont-take-cnn-or-bill-nye-seriously-anymore-asteroid-meteor-global-warming/
It’s amazing how people will themselves into intentional ignorance. New Jersey is second-only to California in solar energy production.New Jersey!? Not exactly a sunshine state. Solar has the benefit of producing best when the most energy is needed. This happens to be the highest cost time for consumers. When the grid is straining under the load of extreme demand on blistering hot days, solar is full tilt.
A fiscal conservative should understand that money not spent is the best money of all. If solar is made easy, it will become very, very cheap to manufacture. Unfortunately, monopolies are more profitable and powerful than competitive industries.
Rather late for the discussion, but some news anchor ditz at CNN suggested that the near earth meteor fly by was somehow linked to Global Warming.
‘Makes that “expert” from FOX look like a braniac by comparison.
Like I said earlier, ‘F’ in high school science is the norm for journalists.
http://popsci.com/science/article/2013-02/cnn-anchor-wonders-bill-nye-did-global-warming-send-asteroid-near-earth
http://dailycaller.com/2011/04/16/the-un-disappears-50-million-climate-refugees-then-botches-the-cover-up/
Don’t worry. Unlike the UN, the AAAS predicted 50 million climate refugees by 2020. There’s still time! Be afraid, very afraid!
We may have already passed that number…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUzMPlQb2G4
So God Made a Liberal
http://www.wtop.com/209/3222349/Solar-industry-grapples-with-hazardous-wastes
Overall, solar and wind power increase CO2 emissions, because they have to run less efficient natural gas plants when the renewable energy is not available. Having the plants in stop and start mode creates more emissions than a regular gas plant. So you would have less emissions if you just ran a natural gas plant 100% of the time.
Hey Mickey–your review doesn’t match the link at all.
As the lies ramp up, you can tell the alternative is having its impact. Yes–a ONE TIME production of waste in manufacturing the solar panels does exist. A .o1 per centage of the constant waste produced by mining and burning coal.
I would still be interested in any relevant link to the issue you tried to palm off–that backup plants that come on are less efficient than when being run constantly. That also has a fish smell about it.
At lest I hope that is Fish, Mickey. Mickey….. what did you have for lunch?
I’ve posted it before, but you were too busy name calling to read.
http://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmenergy/writev/517/m59.htm
The CCGT produces about 0.4 of a ton of CO2 per MWh. This is 50% more efficient than the OCGT that may produce same amount of power but uses more fuel and this results in about 0.6 ton of CO2 per MWh. ..
Since the wind turbines only operate at about 25% of their rated or name-plate capacity* the ‘back-up’ has to supply the remainder, of 75%. Since, as shown above, a gas turbine operating stop/start produces approx. 0.6T/MWh the average is [75% x .6=] 0.45ton per MWh. This is more CO2 [and SO2, Nox etc] than would have been produced by an efficient CCGT working full time; 0.4ton per MWh.
Well Mickey–that wasn’t the link you first provided. You spin and twist as if you were a shill. Amusing. Are you a shill Mickey?????? It can’t feel good to be made the fool in public as often as you do…… so the pay must be pretty good?
Your second link doesn’t work. Truncating it doesn’t work. So…I can’t find the error you now substitute.
THE BIG LIE technique of display. No, it true====green energy burns more fossil fuel than burning nothing but fossil true. This is proven by one link that says nothing of the sort, and another one that doesn’t work. Take my word for it.
Dolt.
Oh my. The first link had nothing to do with my second point, it was a separate point. As to the second link, add http://www., which breaks the links on this blog.
And I’ve already quoted the relevant portion. It’s basic math.
Well thanks Mickey–adding the www did make the link work. Haven’t run into that kind of glitch before.
So… the memorandum submitted first says that wind energy can only be relied on as 8.7% of its name plate capacity but later the same submission says “Since the wind turbines only operate at about 25% of their rated or name-plate capacity…” /// so, seems like a four fold contradiction right there….. which is it?
The paper also “assumes” that the wind power will always be so variable as to call for the back up to come on line? I thought wind power was usually added to the grid NOT as a substitute for the turbines but as supplemental to them. IOW, the turbines are always on but maybe at 60-70-80 percent===not on or off as the paper suggests.
So, while not an expert—I call BS. Of course, if you assume conditions that never exist, the numbers don’t work.
Head up your ass analysis.
How much does this other shill get paid?
So you don’t understand how wind energy works. Big surprise.
If you assume 8.7%, instead of 25, which is 1/3 not 1/4, the numbers work out even worse.
So you think when the wind is gone, they just stop supplying energy from those plants?
No…. as almost directly stated and overly implied===I assume they go from 60-70-80 percent potential generation to 100%.
You seems to understand this subject well, so I will further assume we simply aren’t connecting, “but” the explanation in the link is clearly a “very special case” as it just Puke Simple: if shutting done the coal plants makes “the system” less green: THEN DON’T DO IT.
Simple, No?
Washington Post reported as news another site’s parody article about Sarah Palin joining Al Jazeera.
Note to WP, The Onion is not the only satire website.