ejtenhunen@GN.UUCP (07/03/90)
/* Written 3:16 pm Jul 2, 1990 by istpmurdoch in gn:en.bioconversion */ /* ---------- "Externalities in Power Generation" ---------- */ 2 July, 1990 The Institute of Science & Technology Policy (Perth, Australia) sustainability unit is currently doing a study on the externalities involved in electric power generation by various options. We are currently looking for any studies done on this subject. In particular the generating options we are looking at are: - coal; - gas; - fuel oil; - solar; - wind; - methane; - biogas (including from tips). Some of the externalities we are looking at include: - environmental damage (including global effects); - occupational & public health effects; - social effects (creation of disadvantages for some groups); - economic effects (changes or effects on things like balance of trade); - international effects (political, social or economic). We are looking at externalities both from: - the production of power itself; - the production of fuel for power; - and the manufacture of generating equipment e.g. it would include those from offshore gas wells, coal mines, and silica & germanium mining and germanium arsinide production (for solar cells). It would include health effects from carbon-based power plants and the effects of demand for area, problems of shading or noise from solar and wind. It would also include the effects of building an offshore oil rig, or production of solar photovoltaics. What we are particularly interested is any attempt to quantify externalities for any of these sort of activities. We are also interested (sic) in any study done on the external (non-price) costs of any element in the study, e.g. studies quantifying the cost of silicosis from silica or silicon production. So if you know of any, or have done any, please get in contact with us, or leave a message and Ill get in contact with you. Its for the state government here, and like everything, needs to be in last week. Hopefully we can get enough hard data to convince them that coal-fired power plants, and even gas-fired ones, are more costly once externalities are considered. Incidentally, we have done a greenhouse gas audit for the state and been involved in research into renewable alternatives to fossil-fuel power generation. Any one interested, contact us or leave a message. Raj Bessarab ISTP, Murdoch Uni, Perth, W.A. istpmurdoch Hi, I tried to do this in en.bioanaerobic but have a hard time with the abscence of word-wrap. I'm doing a study on the role of biotechnology in sustainable development, & would appreciate contact with anyone in the biotech area. (thats a different study to the one mentioned here).