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RE: A Solar Powered Electrical Plant - that could be built right now from parts on Alibaba
When discussing about pollution, one may also envisage the pollution created by building the pieces of the plant (and this is true for all sources of energy; in principle, if one wants to evaluated the imprint, you may want to evaluate it form the building of the plant to its dismantling including its running and maintenance).
I believe that when you account for this, even wind and solar energy are a bit less green (and I am not saying that one should not focus on them, as still greener than many other sources of energy).
If you are going to try to think at this level, you need to go much further. All things are intricately tied together. (including thinking of what bad things may be caused by us not producing electricity)
But, lets compare what I have envisioned here with a coal fired power plant. A coal fired power plant requires the same basic power plant building.
Plus a mine, with huge area that gets covered in coal powder, and will never grow anything for years. (check out the pictures on google) The coal fired power plant also needs a huge plastic lined dump to put all the ash into. And it needs miles of train tracks, and lots and lots of train cars filled with coal (that do spill every now and then)
And finally we get to comparing something that is burning coal, producing all kinds of contaminants and pollutants, vs a system that boils water with the sun. A say the system I have outlined beats the alternative hands down, in pollutants and in overall structures required.
Also, building could be designed to blend into their environments. I know that we haven't been very good at that lately, but there are some really beautiful buildings being built now.
I didn't want to go that far, but just to mention that a pollution-free plant does not exist. However, I agree with you: the coal fired plant does not hold the comparison.
But what we really need is a decent funding to develop alternatives! That is in my opinion the only way to move forward in the solution of this problem (without going all back to the trees).
I will actually show, in future posts, that we do not really need development funds. The problem is govern-cement and the electric companies. They like the current arrangement, and will do everything they can to keep it.
All we have to do is build this. (or one of the other ideas that have been proven) And, every time it is tried, it is stopped by govern-cement regulations or stupid contract law.
Want to build a revolutionary, clean burning, trash powered electric plant? Well, the garbage dump is one corporation, and the power company is another, and you aren't allowed to have one that does both. (True story)