In Europe average daily commute distance is less than 15 km. Even if we add another 20 for after work shopping, recreation and similar activities, we can still calculate that few cars have to go further than 50km on a typical day.
Internal combustion engines our cars have are known to perform the worst in these conditions. The engine is cold and there's a lot of acceleration and braking in the rush-hour congestion. Not to mention that the engine itself is never operating at it's optimal RPM.
This causes excessive oil consumption and pollution. Wouldn't it be a lot simpler if our cars had electric engines with just enough batteries to last some 50 km, coupled with a nice turbine to generate power when the batteries got depleted?
This way one could go to work, come back home and recharge the batteries in a standard power outlet. Longer trips would be sufficiently covered by the turbine and to top things off, the batteries could just as easily be partly charged by photovoltaic cells popped on the roof and hood of the car.
Instant halving of oil consumption, not to mention pollution...
Now wouldn't that be something?
Thursday, 26 June 2008
Sunday, 15 June 2008
On energy
A couple of weeks ago a most common event occurred. Something most people experienced at their homes at least once in their lives.
A valve started leaking. If I understood correctly, it was even supposed to do that, just not as fast. A kind of pressure valve I suppose. Of course, the culprit needed replacing. But since this particular valve was in a reactor of a nuclear plant, the event had to be reported to the respective authorities. The ordinary event turned into a ruckus because someone forgot to strike out a single word on the event report form. The word said: exercise.
Now, let's suppose for a moment that the event was an exercise. Somebody would have decided to train the personnell of the plant on valve malfunction. An odd exercise to be sure since the procedures dictate to stop the plant in such a case and that is certainly not a cheap thing to do with nuclear plants.
As it turns out, the leak was not an exercise and the plant had to shut down the reactor in order to replace the valve. One week, very expensive. But that's not the point.
Either way, exercise or not, the reactor was shut down. So in this particular case the final outcome was the same, regardless of the famous word being striken out. But the outcry of institutions, politicians and envirogroups alike was like we just experienced a meltdown ten times bigger than that of Chernobyl. Go figure.
There are a total of 197 nuclear plants in Europe with an additional 13 under construction. The Slovenian one is neither the biggers nor the smallest. I am pretty certain events like this happen on a weekly basis. Possibly not even being reported due to their insignificance. I may be wrong, but it doesn't matter, does it? The mistake was made while filing a report, not with the procedure that had to be performed in case of such an event. I'm sure every of these 197 plants has well trained personnell and plenty of redundancy so that such minor faults could never grow to real disasters. Chernobyl most certainly left an impression in form of fail-safes, redundant sensors, strict and clear procedures not to mention all the things I have no idea about.
This just shows how punily we react to a simple mistake. We are talking, after all, about the cleanest energy source known to mankind although, granted, it is also potentially the most dangerous. All while Europe's dependence on energy import is becoming alarmingly high. We already have two hundred plants, all operating safely and with less environment impact than any other energy source we have. Yet constructing a new plant seems similar to deploying a nuclear bomb judging by the reactions of various environmentalists. Nobody seems to be screaming when a new river dam is being built despite the fact that such a dam destroys an entire valley, brings tons of fog to nearby settlements, not to mention the possibility that any dam too may fail, causing quite a disaster doing so.
On the other hand I hear that Chinese have started building their plants en masse. They are even exporting the technology to neighbouring nations. They recognise the danger of being too energy dependent and are doing their best to avoid such dependence. Their plan is to bring as many as 30 new plants online in the next 15 years. While that surely isn't enough for such a power-hungry economy, they certainly are doing something about it.
So with cold fusion still at least 20 years away and with Europe's dependence growing to no end, I really think Europe's leaders should rethink their strategy. I'm not saying nuclear is the only way to go, but is sure seems like a good enough interim measure.
Meanwhile, radioactives and respective technology are my bet for mid-term financial investments.
A valve started leaking. If I understood correctly, it was even supposed to do that, just not as fast. A kind of pressure valve I suppose. Of course, the culprit needed replacing. But since this particular valve was in a reactor of a nuclear plant, the event had to be reported to the respective authorities. The ordinary event turned into a ruckus because someone forgot to strike out a single word on the event report form. The word said: exercise.
Now, let's suppose for a moment that the event was an exercise. Somebody would have decided to train the personnell of the plant on valve malfunction. An odd exercise to be sure since the procedures dictate to stop the plant in such a case and that is certainly not a cheap thing to do with nuclear plants.
As it turns out, the leak was not an exercise and the plant had to shut down the reactor in order to replace the valve. One week, very expensive. But that's not the point.
Either way, exercise or not, the reactor was shut down. So in this particular case the final outcome was the same, regardless of the famous word being striken out. But the outcry of institutions, politicians and envirogroups alike was like we just experienced a meltdown ten times bigger than that of Chernobyl. Go figure.
There are a total of 197 nuclear plants in Europe with an additional 13 under construction. The Slovenian one is neither the biggers nor the smallest. I am pretty certain events like this happen on a weekly basis. Possibly not even being reported due to their insignificance. I may be wrong, but it doesn't matter, does it? The mistake was made while filing a report, not with the procedure that had to be performed in case of such an event. I'm sure every of these 197 plants has well trained personnell and plenty of redundancy so that such minor faults could never grow to real disasters. Chernobyl most certainly left an impression in form of fail-safes, redundant sensors, strict and clear procedures not to mention all the things I have no idea about.
This just shows how punily we react to a simple mistake. We are talking, after all, about the cleanest energy source known to mankind although, granted, it is also potentially the most dangerous. All while Europe's dependence on energy import is becoming alarmingly high. We already have two hundred plants, all operating safely and with less environment impact than any other energy source we have. Yet constructing a new plant seems similar to deploying a nuclear bomb judging by the reactions of various environmentalists. Nobody seems to be screaming when a new river dam is being built despite the fact that such a dam destroys an entire valley, brings tons of fog to nearby settlements, not to mention the possibility that any dam too may fail, causing quite a disaster doing so.
On the other hand I hear that Chinese have started building their plants en masse. They are even exporting the technology to neighbouring nations. They recognise the danger of being too energy dependent and are doing their best to avoid such dependence. Their plan is to bring as many as 30 new plants online in the next 15 years. While that surely isn't enough for such a power-hungry economy, they certainly are doing something about it.
So with cold fusion still at least 20 years away and with Europe's dependence growing to no end, I really think Europe's leaders should rethink their strategy. I'm not saying nuclear is the only way to go, but is sure seems like a good enough interim measure.
Meanwhile, radioactives and respective technology are my bet for mid-term financial investments.
Monday, 3 March 2008
Zakaj pri nas sploh ni zabavno hoditi na volišče
Osebno menim, da je smiselno, da grem volit, pa če je to za lokalne, državne, predsedniške volitve ali pa za še naslednji nepotreben referendum.
Ne vem, morda bi imel slabo vest, ko država zapravi 2,5 mio € za volitve, potem pa nikogar ni na volišče... Morda pa vseeno upam, da bo moj glas povzročil nekaj dobrega, ali pa vsaj manj slabega...
Kakršen koli že razlog, jaz na volišče grem praktično vedno. Če se prav spomnim, sem enkrat izpustil en referendum, ker se mi je zdel pa res že tako neumen, da iz čiste zlobe nisem šel.
Letošnje leto bo leto parlamentarnih volitev. Kakšno veselje!!! Nekateri si iz čiste prevzetnosti napovedujejo največjo zmago v zgodovini naše ljube državice, drugi tiho upajo, da si bodo povrnili vsaj nekaj nekdanje slave. Spet tretji iščejo najprimernejšo žrtev, ki jim bo omogočila politično preživetje ter po možnosti spet pomembne položaje, na katerih bodo uživali v dobrinah, ki jih prinese davkoplačevalski denar.
Ampak to ni razlog, da sem se lotil tegale pisanja. Če sem morda prvi dve rundi volitev še verjel, da volim neko resnično opcijo, sem danes prepričan brez najmanjše sence dvoma, da je popolnoma vseeno, za koga bom volil. Čeprav so se nekateri trudili malo bolj, drugi malo manj, imamo danes v naši državici še vedno stanje, ko je bolj pomembno, da gre stvar v "moj žep", kot pa da bi se trezno odločil za dejansko najboljšega ponudnika. V medijih zelo popularne tujke na to temo namenoma izpuščam. Govorim seveda o žepih naših vrlih funkcionarjev in njihovih "priležnic" (v tisočerih oblikah, ki jih ta beseda premore). Da se ne bomo napačno razumeli: niso vsi pokvarjeni do kosti pa še nazaj. Samo velika večina. Če bi se vsi ti veseljaki odločili, da bodo za pet let prenehali skrbeti samo za svoje žepe ter resnično začeli delati za dobro države, podjetja, svoje ustanove, ipd., sem prepričan, da bi bil slovenski BDP v teh istih petih letih zagotovo vsaj dvakratnik današnjega, spotoma pa bi se še znebili precejšnjega dela socialnih težav, ki nas danes težijo, v prihodnosti pa nas bodo še bolj. Pet let gospodje in gospe. Morda bi bilo vredno razmisliti, saj ste si že dovolj nagrabili. Aja, pozabljam: nikoli ni dovolj...
Uf, spet sem povsem zašel s poti. Zakaj torej mislim, da je popolnoma vseeno, za koga volim?
Prišel sem do spoznanja, da so se naši vrli politiki sicer razbili na različne stranke, stopili na nasprotne bregove, ampak svojega načina mišljenja pa niso zamenjali. Le prišli smo do stanja, ko je zmagoviti "opciji" postalo težko sestaviti dobro delujoč aparat, ker ima pač na voljo precej manjše število dobrih kadrov, kot pa včasih, ko nam je vladala ena stranka. Vsi drugi, ki na volitvah ne dobijo največjega dela kolača so potisnjeni v kot, iz katerega samo še prestrašeno bevskajo v "grdega volka", ki grozi, da jih bo pojedel, na tak ali drugačen način. Ja, tudi tisti, ki se pretvarjajo, da so šli v "koalicijo". Ne me basat!
Eh, včasih je nasprotna opcija šla na Goli otok, danes pa bevska v parlamentu. Kaj natančno se je torej spremenilo? Naj me kdo spomni, lepo prosim.
Naši vrli velmožje se boste počasi morali naučiti, da ni vse, kar naredi vlada, zanič, kot tudi ni vse, kar predlaga opozicija, zanič. Predvsem pa bi bil morda počasi čas, da se začnete zares truditi za državo, kateri vladate. Ne pa, da gledam dva, morda tri ministre, ki se res trudijo, pa jih najprej zatolčejo že lastni kolegi v vladi, nato parlament, malo še sindikati, če pa vse to ne zaleže, se pa razpiše še en idiotski referendum. Prosim, da prenehate žaliti mojo inteligenco. Lepo. Z malo smetane na vrhu? Sladkane smetane?
In če morda nadaljujem v istem duhu, zakaj hudiča se vedno vsi sklicujete na konstruktivnost (no, pa sem bil prisiljen uporabiti tujko)? Če pa je potem ne premorete niti za eno trohico? Bevsk, bevsk. Vključno z "zmagovalcem", samo da ta dela "groar, groar". No, pred volitvami se običajno violine zamenjajo, pa glavni joka, kako so ga vsi ovirali, ostali pa mu medtem mečejo opeke v glavo. Kako bi se smejal, če ne bi bilo vse skupaj žalostno. Ne, saj "žalostno" ni prava beseda, ampak se trenutno boljše, bolj ostre ne spomnim. In tega je bilo sedaj že koliko, 5 ponovitev?
Dejansko bi nekoč rad na našem političnem prizorišču videl igralce, ki bodo dejansko pomagali ustvarjati boljše življenje za vse nas. Saj ni treba, da so na volitvah absolutni zmagovalci, samo malo pomagajo naj, namesto ustaljenega bevskanja. No, če dobro pomislim, ena taka skupina morda celo obstaja, tako, površno pogledano. Ampak pri njih mi pa program ni všeč.
In kje je zdaj tu demokracija, če tako ali tako volim enake med enakimi? Sploh mislim, da je ta izraz povsem neustrezen za našo politično ureditev. Mi nimamo demokracije. Imamo strankokracijo, kar pa je precej drugače. Kdaj smo že nazadnje šli pod vaško lipo roke dvigovat?
Kje sem že ostal? Ah, saj res: letos mi res ne bo zabavno iti na volišče...
Ne vem, morda bi imel slabo vest, ko država zapravi 2,5 mio € za volitve, potem pa nikogar ni na volišče... Morda pa vseeno upam, da bo moj glas povzročil nekaj dobrega, ali pa vsaj manj slabega...
Kakršen koli že razlog, jaz na volišče grem praktično vedno. Če se prav spomnim, sem enkrat izpustil en referendum, ker se mi je zdel pa res že tako neumen, da iz čiste zlobe nisem šel.
Letošnje leto bo leto parlamentarnih volitev. Kakšno veselje!!! Nekateri si iz čiste prevzetnosti napovedujejo največjo zmago v zgodovini naše ljube državice, drugi tiho upajo, da si bodo povrnili vsaj nekaj nekdanje slave. Spet tretji iščejo najprimernejšo žrtev, ki jim bo omogočila politično preživetje ter po možnosti spet pomembne položaje, na katerih bodo uživali v dobrinah, ki jih prinese davkoplačevalski denar.
Ampak to ni razlog, da sem se lotil tegale pisanja. Če sem morda prvi dve rundi volitev še verjel, da volim neko resnično opcijo, sem danes prepričan brez najmanjše sence dvoma, da je popolnoma vseeno, za koga bom volil. Čeprav so se nekateri trudili malo bolj, drugi malo manj, imamo danes v naši državici še vedno stanje, ko je bolj pomembno, da gre stvar v "moj žep", kot pa da bi se trezno odločil za dejansko najboljšega ponudnika. V medijih zelo popularne tujke na to temo namenoma izpuščam. Govorim seveda o žepih naših vrlih funkcionarjev in njihovih "priležnic" (v tisočerih oblikah, ki jih ta beseda premore). Da se ne bomo napačno razumeli: niso vsi pokvarjeni do kosti pa še nazaj. Samo velika večina. Če bi se vsi ti veseljaki odločili, da bodo za pet let prenehali skrbeti samo za svoje žepe ter resnično začeli delati za dobro države, podjetja, svoje ustanove, ipd., sem prepričan, da bi bil slovenski BDP v teh istih petih letih zagotovo vsaj dvakratnik današnjega, spotoma pa bi se še znebili precejšnjega dela socialnih težav, ki nas danes težijo, v prihodnosti pa nas bodo še bolj. Pet let gospodje in gospe. Morda bi bilo vredno razmisliti, saj ste si že dovolj nagrabili. Aja, pozabljam: nikoli ni dovolj...
Uf, spet sem povsem zašel s poti. Zakaj torej mislim, da je popolnoma vseeno, za koga volim?
Prišel sem do spoznanja, da so se naši vrli politiki sicer razbili na različne stranke, stopili na nasprotne bregove, ampak svojega načina mišljenja pa niso zamenjali. Le prišli smo do stanja, ko je zmagoviti "opciji" postalo težko sestaviti dobro delujoč aparat, ker ima pač na voljo precej manjše število dobrih kadrov, kot pa včasih, ko nam je vladala ena stranka. Vsi drugi, ki na volitvah ne dobijo največjega dela kolača so potisnjeni v kot, iz katerega samo še prestrašeno bevskajo v "grdega volka", ki grozi, da jih bo pojedel, na tak ali drugačen način. Ja, tudi tisti, ki se pretvarjajo, da so šli v "koalicijo". Ne me basat!
Eh, včasih je nasprotna opcija šla na Goli otok, danes pa bevska v parlamentu. Kaj natančno se je torej spremenilo? Naj me kdo spomni, lepo prosim.
Naši vrli velmožje se boste počasi morali naučiti, da ni vse, kar naredi vlada, zanič, kot tudi ni vse, kar predlaga opozicija, zanič. Predvsem pa bi bil morda počasi čas, da se začnete zares truditi za državo, kateri vladate. Ne pa, da gledam dva, morda tri ministre, ki se res trudijo, pa jih najprej zatolčejo že lastni kolegi v vladi, nato parlament, malo še sindikati, če pa vse to ne zaleže, se pa razpiše še en idiotski referendum. Prosim, da prenehate žaliti mojo inteligenco. Lepo. Z malo smetane na vrhu? Sladkane smetane?
In če morda nadaljujem v istem duhu, zakaj hudiča se vedno vsi sklicujete na konstruktivnost (no, pa sem bil prisiljen uporabiti tujko)? Če pa je potem ne premorete niti za eno trohico? Bevsk, bevsk. Vključno z "zmagovalcem", samo da ta dela "groar, groar". No, pred volitvami se običajno violine zamenjajo, pa glavni joka, kako so ga vsi ovirali, ostali pa mu medtem mečejo opeke v glavo. Kako bi se smejal, če ne bi bilo vse skupaj žalostno. Ne, saj "žalostno" ni prava beseda, ampak se trenutno boljše, bolj ostre ne spomnim. In tega je bilo sedaj že koliko, 5 ponovitev?
Dejansko bi nekoč rad na našem političnem prizorišču videl igralce, ki bodo dejansko pomagali ustvarjati boljše življenje za vse nas. Saj ni treba, da so na volitvah absolutni zmagovalci, samo malo pomagajo naj, namesto ustaljenega bevskanja. No, če dobro pomislim, ena taka skupina morda celo obstaja, tako, površno pogledano. Ampak pri njih mi pa program ni všeč.
In kje je zdaj tu demokracija, če tako ali tako volim enake med enakimi? Sploh mislim, da je ta izraz povsem neustrezen za našo politično ureditev. Mi nimamo demokracije. Imamo strankokracijo, kar pa je precej drugače. Kdaj smo že nazadnje šli pod vaško lipo roke dvigovat?
Kje sem že ostal? Ah, saj res: letos mi res ne bo zabavno iti na volišče...
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