Hi Roy
On (26 Sep 97) Roy J. Tellason wrote to Alec Cameron...
 AC> Thru the 1940s to 1970s AUS and USA no doubt, doubled the grid 
 AC> sizes and generating station capacities, at intervals of 7 to 
 AC> 10 years. The last few years of recession and enforced 
 AC> economies have greatly subdued that rush of development.
 RJ> I suspect the serious objections to nuclear plants,  the rising costs of
 RJ> labor,  the concerns about emissions,  and a number of other factors 
ave
 RJ> been involved in that as well.
Here we have no nuclear plants but the down turn and the preceding years of
fast development of grid systems and generation, seem to have been similar to
US. Here, the reduction in Aluminium smelting was a mighty influence. 
mission
was not a big deal because most of our generation was coal fuelled; our coal
is mighty clean [we have huge export trade even to UK!] and our large 
tations
had precipitator collection efficiencies way over 99%. NSW coal fired
stations, have no visible smoke discharge.
                                          
 AC> Why support current levels of auto useage? 
 RJ> Now *that* is a question!
 RJ> First,  I have a bit of a problem with legislating anything,  it oughta 
be
 RJ> market-driven,  and not much beyond that.
The market will become [later] smarter than Alec and Roy and our
contemporaries because our later descendants will have illnesses allergies 
nd
attitudes, that lead to more frugal lifestyle, population control etc.
 RJ> so, and I strongly disklike it.  I've had standard-shift where the 
edals
 RJ> were too close together for me to be able to operate it reliably 
thanks,
 RJ> Mitsubishi!), and others where my legs were jammed up against the 
steering
 RJ> wheel no matter what I did with the seat adjustment (thanks, Isuzu!), 
 RJ> thankfully these were not my own personal vehicles at any point in time.
 RJ> I don't *want* a smaller vehicle,
You and I are entitled to get what WE want and I agree, no legislator should
jam you into an uncomfortable driving seat. Hell, you and I paid big in taxes
and why should some smart young bureaucrat or politician dictate our
lifestyles. We are a temporary part of the problem.
That said you won't surely expect that in the year 3000 when 30 or so
generations have sprung from you and me, there will be full sized trucks like
you want, dashing about your west with 1.2 passengers at high speeds 'cos 
hey
choose to live 100 miles from the store!
 RJ> Furthermore if you get out to any of the bigger western states it makes
 RJ> little or no sense to have "moderate speeds",  not when you need to go 
out
 RJ> and drive over 100 miles to get to tne nearest store.
 RJ> We've had emissions limits and "fleet economy" limits in the law which 
get
 RJ> tighter every year.
Those rules have been applied here [thanks, California] and I hate to think
what the city air would smell like now if the Rules hadn't been enforced.
 AC> What does it mean to HOMEPOWER? It means that the recharging 
 AC> cycle can be managed so as to minimise energy losses. 
 RJ> I imagine that charging cars up will have a serious tendency to redefine
 RJ> "peak" from what it is now.
Yessir.   Cheers....ALEC
... ....Dead men tell no solicitors!
--- PPoint 1.92
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