Deep-water tide power going in off Ireland, and a philosophical explanation

Some tide power generators are going to be tested very soon off the coast of Ireland. I'll be curious to see how the system goes -- being a deep water system, the disruption to the environment is greatly minimized.

A note here about my "green," "sustainable," and especially alternative energy posts on this blog. During a conversation with a detail-oriented friend, the need was impressed upon me to explain my overall stance on alternative power and fuels.

I don't expect any of these solutions to be able to completely compensate for the type of energy consumption that the world, and especially the Industrialized world, currently takes for granted. I'm not posting about "magic bullets" that will allow today's practices to continue ad infinitum. I am posting about technologies that hopefully will allow for diversification of energy and fuel production, and help ease the transition into a post-petroleum world.

Lifestyles and industrial practices have to change and become more streamlined, because the 'good ol days' of burning smokestacks and 110 mph speed limits are going away. Every step in the direction of efficiency of current uses, green production of future sources, and complete change of systems to those that don't use electricity at all are encouraging to me in this light.

And a quick pet peeve: the words "green" and "sustainable" are ones that now have been fully co-opted by the system and the powers that be to make projects sound better than they are. Without totally going off here, I'll just say that they are being used to label projects with the barest hint of engineering and design to make them less impactful, as opposed to being truly sustainable in any long-term sense. That definition is a whole 'nuther conversation entirely, and I have a bus to catch.

Enjoy your magic-bullet-free, closed-loop, lower carbon footprint potential future,

Bp

[tidepower article via my Canukistani Operative "Yuri", graphic credit in said article]