Costa Rica has gone 76 days using 100% renewable electricity • Hacker News Board

Re: Costa Rica has gone 76 days using 100% renewable electricity

#231

Post by ivan_gammel » Fri, Sep 09, 2016, 6:08 PM UTC

pc2g4d wrote: post #223

ivan_gammel wrote: post #207

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The biggest real problem with hydro is proper assessment of impact of local climate change and damage on ecosystems. You can find some readings about the effects of big hydropower projects in Siberia or Middle Asia. In the latter construction of hydropower plant may even become a casus belli due to deficite of water and impact on agriculture of the countries down the river.

I think that has more to do with the diversion of water for irrigation. For example, the almost-total vanishing of the Aral Sea.

That's also an issue, but I'm talking about projects like Rogun Dam in Tajikistan, which received strong objections from Uzbekistan.

There's also the Shuren Dam project which may damage ecosystem of Baikal.

Re: Costa Rica has gone 76 days using 100% renewable electricity

#232

Post by pc2g4d » Fri, Sep 09, 2016, 6:09 PM UTC

pkulak wrote: post #119

jfaucett wrote: post #19

Notice this is because 80% of the energy obtained was from Hydroelectric power, which is a great energy source because it is reliable - unlike wind and solar which in this case provided 7% and 0.01% respectively and are not reliable. It frustrates me that so many environmentalists are still against hydro because it alters ecosystems when nature itself is inherently violent, dangerous and in a constant state of flux.…

I don't think you even need to invoke such a controversial argument as "all non-human lives don't matter". Drastic climate change is likely to impact every species. Considering the vast amount of cheap, safe, carbon-free power that's available from hydro, it's probably the right call for salmon to take one for the team here. I live in the heart of the PNW and most of my power comes from COAL. The rest; natural gas. I…

At least regarding the Columbia and its tributaries, British Columbia is much further upstream away from the ocean, so the salmon impacts of building dams there are less. At least that's my understanding. Also, I expect their dams were built later and thus with fish ladders. (Grand Coulee has no fish ladders whatsoever, being built mostly in the 1930's.)

It's not just about the salmon, although I believe they're worth considering in and of themselves. It's also about the cultures and practices, the foods, etc., that have diminished since the dams interfered with the salmon run. Fish ladders are vastly better than nothing, but even then the rates of passage are significantly less than on an undammed river.

As far as generating mix, it really depends where you live. East of the Cascades there's plenty of wind, plus the Columbia and Snake rivers for hydroelectric. Not to mention a bit of nuclear. Pretty cool map here: http://www.eia.gov/state/?sid=WA#tabs-1

Re: Costa Rica has gone 76 days using 100% renewable electricity

#233

Post by dkural » Fri, Sep 09, 2016, 6:13 PM UTC

astrodust wrote: post #213

dec0dedab0de wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I sometimes think they reject the idea that the whole point of existence is human flourishing and happiness. Yes, many people reject this idea. As a matter of fact, this is the first time I've ever heard anyone express this idea.

You have spent way too much time on Hacker News. Gross Domestic Happiness was coined in 1972 and the idea exists way beyond that. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_National_Happiness For example, the US Constitution proudly proclaims that "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" are unalienable rights. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life,_Liberty_and_the_pursuit_...

Gross Domestic Happiness is enhanced by caring about things beyond human flourishing for many people. Many people care about the environment. GDH was in fact invented precisely to capture dimensions beyond that of human material improvement (more dams, more houses, etc.)

Re: Costa Rica has gone 76 days using 100% renewable electricity

#234

Post by DavidWanjiru » Fri, Sep 09, 2016, 6:13 PM UTC

forthefuture wrote: post #205

metaphorm wrote: post #203

Earlier quoted context omitted.

are you serious? that reads like satire.

I guess I'm coming from the wrong side. I think happiness for its own sake is really meaningless. I'd much rather struggle and advance than be happy doing nothing until I die, but I guess I'm in the minority. Happiness, to me, is a choice to not let negative things make you unhappy. You can acknowledge negativities and not be consumed by them. Fighting for happiness is like fighting for peace. You win by not fighting…

I would argue advancement ultimately begets happiness, eg, you cure cancer, you save lives, which makes those lives, and the lives that love them, happy.

If the advancement does not serve a purpose that brings happiness, what's the point of advancing?

Re: Costa Rica has gone 76 days using 100% renewable electricity

#235

Post by nixos » Fri, Sep 09, 2016, 6:16 PM UTC

astrodust wrote: post #214

nixos wrote: post #198

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would you kill two black men to save a white man. I wouldn't. Would you kill two otters to save a human? Yes. Absolutely. Would you kill two bacteria to save a human? Yes. Absolutely. I would kill a million bacteria to save a human. In fact, we do it all the time. It's about the lack of consciousness in bacteria, as I would never kill even one mentally deficient adult, even to save the life of a genius.

"Two otters" is a non-issue. What about "all otters" to save a single human being?

If we could do that without hurting a single other human?

Absolutely.

Actually, we did that a few years back with Smallpox.

True, there's a debate if viruses are alive, but I have no doubt we'd do the same if it was a bacteria (and possible to obliterate).

Re: Costa Rica has gone 76 days using 100% renewable electricity

#236

Post by bhandziuk » Fri, Sep 09, 2016, 6:16 PM UTC

metaphorm wrote: post #209

forthefuture wrote: post #205

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I guess I'm coming from the wrong side. I think happiness for its own sake is really meaningless. I'd much rather struggle and advance than be happy doing nothing until I die, but I guess I'm in the minority. Happiness, to me, is a choice to not let negative things make you unhappy. You can acknowledge negativities and not be consumed by them. Fighting for happiness is like fighting for peace. You win by not fighting…

well, that's not what you said. you said "Advancement over Happiness". I think most people would agree with "to be happy, don't struggle for it, just be". Your original post, the one that seemed satirical to me, sounded like it was endorsing some notion of material accumulation at the expense of human fulfillment.

I didn't get the impression that Advancement == material accumulation. Advancement could be making the world better, gaining knowledge, or maybe advancement to a depressed person is finding happiness. Pretty broad meaning. But the same could be said for happiness. Some people find happiness in gaining knowledge.

Re: Costa Rica has gone 76 days using 100% renewable electricity

#237

Post by bagacrap » Fri, Sep 09, 2016, 6:24 PM UTC

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #17

" its per capita electricity consumption is about one-quarter of, say, France or Belgium." Its in the bottom quartile worldwide I believe. Also the recommendations for the USA are way off. The "only way" to reach this goal is apparently to build lots of wind and solar. No mention whatsoever of nuclear, which is by far the more practical solution. And far less ecologically damaging.

How much of that is down to climatological differences?

Re: Costa Rica has gone 76 days using 100% renewable electricity

#238

Post by duaneb » Fri, Sep 09, 2016, 6:29 PM UTC

forthefuture wrote: post #183

hguant wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right, but the core principle underlying all that is that human happiness is a good in and of itself, and a virtuous and stable society is good only in that it allows for the greatest potential growth of human happiness.

Well I'd much rather have Advancement over Happiness. We can be happy our entire lives but if everyones dies before 100 and humanity never goes anywhere I wouldn't consider that a successful society. Happiness is masturbating 24/7 until you die. If you truly believe that is the goal of humanity I can't help but disagree.

How do you define "advancement" without happiness? What are you advancing toward?

Re: Costa Rica has gone 76 days using 100% renewable electricity

#239

Post by CountSessine » Fri, Sep 09, 2016, 6:39 PM UTC

maxerickson wrote: post #195

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #189

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So many, many things can be wrong and make a planet uninhabitable. Earth is probably unique in being - Earthlike. Such a delicate balance.

Okay, but now we've gone from habitable to sufficiently Earth-like to meet an unspoken definition of Earth-like.

No, he really didn't - he said specifically, "So many, many things can be wrong and make a planet uninhabitable".

What if Proxima B has chlorine in its atmosphere? Uninhabitable.

Proxima B is a tidal-locked eyeball planet - what if the equatorial stable zone still shifts enough to not provide a stable environment for life? Uninhabitable.

What if Proxima B encounters too much ionizing radiation? Uninhabitable.

Use your imagination.

Re: Costa Rica has gone 76 days using 100% renewable electricity

#240

Post by Newtopian » Fri, Sep 09, 2016, 6:41 PM UTC

forthefuture wrote: post #211

metaphorm wrote: post #209

Earlier quoted context omitted.

well, that's not what you said. you said "Advancement over Happiness". I think most people would agree with "to be happy, don't struggle for it, just be". Your original post, the one that seemed satirical to me, sounded like it was endorsing some notion of material accumulation at the expense of human fulfillment.

Oh, yeah I didn't mean it to sound that way. In that context I'd say that I believe that moving humanity forward provides more fulfillment than just being happy.

that's just it, ask 100 people what "advancement" and "Moving Humanity forward" and you'd likely get 100 different definitions. Same goes for hapiness.