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).