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Blackout
Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2005 6:18 pm
by Mark Crnolatas
Regarding THIS blackout, This is a joke on us in Lakewood, right?
Wind Power
Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 7:35 am
by Mark Crnolatas
I believe we could use the winds of Lake Erie, to supply us with power.
Here is a link to an article that highlights how 139,000 homes are supplied with electricity. Anyone for a "Lakewood Energy Corporation"?
We as a city of creative minds that have the ways, why not develop the means.
Wind Power -
http://www.time.com/time/global/july/cover.html
Re: Wind Power
Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 8:48 am
by Jim O'Bryan
Mark
I do not think Lakewood is being made a joke of. I agree that Lakewood should look to alternative energy sources and providers. I certainly think a good many homes could use solar panels, if allowed by the city. I think wind off the lake is another good source.
BUT
A little known fact is that there has yet been found an energy source to use that doesn't take more energy to make than it saves. Hydrogen Fuel Cells is a perfect example, as are windmills.
That does not mean they should not be looked. If anything we should speed up the search. As other people start to switch to alternative energy the use of fossil fuels with shrink ever faster.
While working for BP America, Exploration had put forward a number of 25-35 years of fossil fuels left. This was in 1995. To this day there has not been one "large" field found anywhere in the world. The two largest finds would be the "Black Sands of Canada" and "STAT Oil Fields" in Russia. Both of these "finds" revolve around oil sitting on the surface. The Black Sand is natural, the STAT Oil Fields is spilled oil.
Possibly worth almost a million or so gallons after it is collected, boiled, skimmed and sent off to refineries.
Since 1995 we have had the explosion of SUVs and China coming on line with SUVs. This has almost doubled our dependency on oil. And now takes the end of petro-chemical products into our lifetime, while making sure our kids are screwed out of any.
To that end we need alternative energy, but I hope we are ready for the nightmare when the rush brings.
Ironically, one of the things I keep bringing up is this "Visionary Alignment" for the city. Although it does not answer the energy problem, it does prepare the city for life after oil. By making the city more self sufficient unto it's self.
Jim
PS - Another interesting side note would be how did we get in this position while we have two leaders of energy in the White House. And/Or, why is are the only companies making money oil, drugs and companies moving out fo the country?
Energy
Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 1:36 pm
by Mark Crnolatas
Jim,
I was being sarcastic on the above statement. I'm wondering if Amish country really cares about the blackouts.
Regarding your question, I asked that same question during the gas crisis of the '70s , when lines were the norm and the japanese cars made the profit flood into the U.S.
Here is an link to a page that is non-political, which explains what happened back then. It sounds like today's news.
http://cr.middlebury.edu/es/altenergylife/70's.htm
As far as today, I believe that irregardless of what political party was, is or will be in the White House, those that own the oil, will determine the prices, and not care about the politics of our country.
A a good friend of mine who worked and was injured working on the pipeline in Alaska said, there is a vast source of untapped oil there, and asking the same question now as we did back in the 70's, why are not the oil companies drilling as much as they could?
I was on the road at the time, as a musician, and drove by countless idle oil rigs. That again, hasn't changed here, and taking in account Alaska and off-shore oil, my question is why aren't they being more fully used?
The answer I think, is the oil companies are enjoying the increased profits. I havn't seen any of them complain about crude oil prices. Why? Pure profit.
Regarding SUVs, the St.Petersburg Times, today has an interesting article how people today, are still flocking to dealers and buying SUV's in record numbers.
http://www.sptimes.com/2005/08/12/Colum ... s_hi.shtml
We, the consumer make a country-wide statement regarding our opinions on gas-consumption, by what vehicles we buy in record numbers. It appears it's the wrong statement.
Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2005 11:11 am
by observeradmin
Kudos to Lakewood Observer reporter Stan Austin, who wrote a story about CEI repairs to the Athens sub station (of First Energy).
Austin arrived on the scene and took photos to accompany his story, which was posted (by Publisher Jim O'Bryan) on the front page of the Lakewood Observer.
This is a perfect example of how flexible the Observer and its volunteer reporters can be.
Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2005 5:10 pm
by dl meckes
More Kudos to Council President Bob Seelie & Mayor George for this
http://lakewoodobserver.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=893.
Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2005 12:24 am
by dl meckes
I already called to complain to CEI & the Mayor (sorry about that - I just wanted you to be aware of the problem), but I haven't yet added to Mr. Seelie's log. CEI said they had people working on it, but at 4 pm yesterday, everyone had gone home.
It was a small area affected, or CEI isolated it to a small area, but that included BP and several blocks of homes.
Who else in Lakewood lost electricity for over 24 hours?
Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2005 7:29 am
by Grace O'Malley
I was driving down Franklin Thursday (or was it Fri?) morning about 7:45AM and the street lights east of Warren were all out. They were on in front of the high school, though.
Yesterday, the traffic light at Riverside and Hilliard was out as well as the light at Sloan and Detroit.
I'm not sure if the traffic light problems were isolated to the lights or whether the entire area was without power.
I have noticed that the Riverside Hilliard intersection frequently loses its traffic light. That is a dangerous intersection. I witnessed an accident a few weeks ago that was the result of the light not functioning.