Call them unreliable

14 Comments

1. Artists are one community who is not engaged in the pro nuclear debate. (some individuals are of course but I do not think there is an organized ‘cell’)

   It is worth remembering that a long time ago, the french painter Rousseau (with Theophile Gautier) led a fight to save the European forests from 5 centuries of abuse. Why ? He was painting trees and they were disappearing.

   Now, wind mills are become an itch for sore eyes and artists are nowhere to be found.

   Artists were pioneers of nature protection at the time. Where are they now ?

2. To my ear, he goes flat on too many notes for me to share this with anyone musical.

   Maybe if he ran his mic track through autotune?  Just a thought.

3. It’s not known enough but indeed the overuse of biomass was destroying the forest of Europe back at the time.
   What saved them was the switch to coal instead (ironically, yes).

   This fact is really important to remember when you get sold the idea that switching back to wood would be a sustainable energy solution. What wasn’t providing enough energy 300 years ago is obviously not going to provide enough today.

4. #jmdesp

   Quite right. Think about the massive increase in population over the past 300 years and then remember that even with the lower population numbers, biomass was failing to provide power for a large portion of the less well off.

   I keep coming back to my theory that the serious thinkers in energy discussions KNOW about the limitations of all non-nuclear alternatives to fossil fuels and they know that those sources can never compete. That is why the fossil fuel suppliers keep publicizing those sources while being virtually silent (in public) about nuclear energy.

   My guess is that they talk about nuclear in the board rooms and investment houses a lot more than they do in public and that those discussions often revolve around tactics for attempting to defend their current market share against competition from a superior product.

5. Detailed assessment of just how disastrous Biofuels are:

   The Trouble with Biofuels: Costs and Consequences of Expanding Biofuel Use in the United Kingdom

   http://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/default/files/public/Research/Energy,%20Environment%20and%20Development/0413pp_biofuels.pdf

6. The concept “Everything part of the mix” is the handiest obfuscation. It allows the marginalization of natural principles that can provide power sources that exceed combustion’s power density, leaving combustion as the premier power source.

   It’s a false dichotomy when one group supports combustion with “Drill baby drill”, and “Clean Coal” and the seemingly alternate group is telling us that “Everything must be “part of the mix”, then remaining quiet about those items that exceed Combustion’s power densities.

7. By the early 1900s, Vermont was deforested (for firewood, mostly, I believe) and sheep were grazing all over. Looking at the beautiful forests that cover our state now, I sometimes say: “thank you, coal.”

   I am careful not to say it too loud.

8. And, a bit later, fertilizer. It meant marginally arable lands could be given up and reforested.

   Did you know most of the lakes and polders (reclaimed areas) in Holland were the result of cutting peat for fuel in the 17th century? Our Golden Age was based partly on that, but at the cost of about a quarter of the arable land.

   Coal and fertilizer, two four letter words that saved the forests!

9. Here in Connecticut the woods are crisscrossed by old stone fences, still providing evidence of the borders.

10. I know this a little off-topic being more related to global warming issues that nuclear energy, but Meredith gave me the opening, so I’ll take it.

    She said:
    “By the early 1900s, Vermont was deforested (for firewood, mostly, I believe) and sheep were grazing all over. Looking at the beautiful forests that cover our state now, I sometimes say: “thank you, coal.”
    I am careful not to say it too loud.”

    According to the Savory Institute, http://www.savoryinsitute.com, grasslands with the appropriate complement of herbivores, e.g. cattle, sheep goats etc., are much better sequesterers of carbon that forests. But both over-grazing and over-resting can cause desertification of grasslands with a large release of carbon. So proper husbandry of the land and animals is required for this to happen.

    So what should we do with all that “buffer” zone that surrounds many nuclear plants? Hire some sheep farmers!

    Sorry, but I just had to mention this since I’m about to become one myself (sheep farmer, that is).

11. Great lyrics, couldn’t carry a tune in an oil barrel.

    If someone who can sing would like to take another stab at it (with all proper assignments…) I’d love to see it.

12. Let’s not say this too loud either.

    Coal replaced solar and wind because they were inefficient. Guess who’s back with tax money ?

13. I did a remix still the same links for free version https://soundcloud.com/rick-maltese/call-them-unreliable and paid version to support my efforts http://rickmaltese.bandcamp.com/track/call-them-unreliable. I did a couple of pitch corrections. One day I’ll find a better singer. I’ll post the new video when it’s ready

14. I created a Youtube Channel to add more Nuclear Song Parodies or whatever else people come up with. It’s called NuclearSongChallenge

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