The King’s Green Pad

When people ask the question “what needs to be done about global warming”, the solution is not to buy offsets, to plant trees or to shut down the tar sands. The solution to global warming is to use less fossil fuels. It is tempting to think that we should also use less electricity. The problem with using less electricity is an elephant in the room known as the Chevy Volt. You can also bet that Ford, Honda, Toyota and all other automakers will come up with their answers to the Chevy Volt. In the not too distant future you can be sure that we will see electric versions of compact cars, mid-sized cars, full-sized cars, sports cars, muscle cars, pickup trucks and (if they do not go out of style) SUV’s.

We also need to consider that many experts say that we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by mid-century. The achievement of such targets does not leave any room for greenhouse gas emissions by industries which could operate without producing any emissions. The electrical industry is such an industry. Just as it is possible to plug any load into the electric grid – cooking, heating, power tools, computers, lights and television – it is possible to plug any power source into the electric grid – coal, nuclear power, wind power, hydro-electric power and natural gas. Unfortunately, both coal and natural gas contribute to global warming by producing greenhouse gases. However, hydro-electric power and nuclear power do not release greenhouse gases while producing electricity.

Even though I am a fan of nuclear power, my favorite way of producing electricity is hydro-electric power, which is renewable and non-polluting. Unlike wind and solar power, hydro-electric power is available at all times, and therefore, it does not require a backup power source. Alberta has not been considered to be a place with significant hydro-electric potential. However, much potential hydroelectric power may be found by looking to the North. In fact, according to http://www.canhydro.com/index.php/EN/Operations/Dunvegan_Project_Updates.html, geotechnical investigations for a run-of-the-river hydro-electric project have begun at the Dunvegan site in Northern Alberta. A larger potential site for hydro-electric power may be found on the Slave River between Ft. Chipewyan and Ft. Smith. Moreover, one of the greatest remaining undeveloped hydro-electric sites in North America may be found in the Northwest Territories.

As wonderful as hydro-electric power is, North America is running out of undeveloped hydro-electric sites. As a result, nuclear power must also be used for power generation. Unfortunately, when we talk about nuclear power, people tend to think about Chernobyl and Three Mile Island. However, it must be noted that Chernobyl was constructed and operated at inferior standards which would not be allowed in any present day industrial country and also that no one diedat Three Mile Island. It should also be noted that nuclear power releases less radioactivity into the atmosphere than coal power. (Coal contains traces of uranium and thorium.

With the issue of global warming and the introduction of such vehicles as the Chevy Volt, there is no question that hydro-electric power and nuclear power are essential to provide a reliable power supply.

This post was written by James P. Yushchyshyn, a part-time science student at The King’s University College in Edmonton, AB.