Give up flying?

[Ben@Forest]

Where it does work well is pasture; grass, sheep, cows and solar panels work well together. Nice and cool, doesn't take up any space and keeps the cattle cool in the hot sun.
Win win.

Not quite, NFU/BRE best practice recommends NOT putting cattle or horses in with solar panels, because they rub up against the structures and could cause damage.

Sheep are OK, but I wonder if you've been seeing foreign examples (especially USA) because grazing and solar panels is best in semi-arid conditions where the shade can improve the quality of the sward. Shade here generally doesn't. Poultry and solar panels is commoner in the UK.

[kwackers]

Not quite, NFU/BRE best practice recommends NOT putting cattle or horses in with solar panels, because they rub up against the structures and could cause damage.

Sheep are OK, but I wonder if you've been seeing foreign examples (especially USA) because grazing and solar panels is best in semi-arid conditions where the shade can improve the quality of the sward. Shade here generally doesn't. Poultry and solar panels is commoner in the UK.

It was a study I was reading in NS, tbh I might have added cattle myself simply lumping them in with the sheep.

Most of my knowledge of cattle and sheep is to do with flying light aircraft.
Given a choice never do an emergency landing in a field with cattle. Sheep will run away as you come in, cattle just stand there and if you're going to crash a plane into something then sheep are where it's at.
Even if you get down OK, cattle like to "eat" the plane whereas sheep prefer grass...

[pete75]

What a pity, eh? If only we could agree to reckon our emissions by province or by smaller units of government then we would not have to cut them!

Looks like you've cracked it. Well done!!!

Not at all, it was you who had the idea.

No I was just referring it to the UK. It inspired you to come up with a way of applying to the whole world. Now you need to put it to Trump so he can start dividing the USA into small pollution areas.

[Mike Sales]

Looks like you've cracked it. Well done!!!

Not at all, it was you who had the idea.

No I was just referring it to the UK. It inspired you to come up with a way of applying to the whole world. Now you need to put it to Trump so he can start dividing the USA into small pollution areas.

It seemed the obvious extension of the idea.
I don't think Trump would listen to me.
If Fox News got hold of the idea we might all be in trouble.
He would direct the EPA to publish CO2 emissions by state.

[pete75]

Cover the Gobi desert in solar panels!

Al

It's a little known fact that solar panels aren't that great in the desert. They don't like hot, makes them inefficient

.
Then there's the length of the wires. Most energy is needed some distance from deserts.
The sodium furnace type thingies work well in the desert though - although it doesn't help the wires.

Deserts are underutilised places usually with plenty of sunlight so its sensible to utilise them where practicable Transmission losses can be minimised by maximising voltages and minimising current. We will at some point be forced to and as a result develop the technology to maximise desert solar efficiency. Plenty of cities located close to or in deserts in the world.

Al

Would be a good idea for the Saudis if demand for oil drops off. Also for Spain because the south is predicted to become desert as is Sicily and southern Greece.

[softlips]

.
Then there's the length of the wires. Most energy is needed some distance from deserts.
The sodium furnace type thingies work well in the desert though - although it doesn't help the wires.

Deserts are underutilised places usually with plenty of sunlight so its sensible to utilise them where practicable Transmission losses can be minimised by maximising voltages and minimising current. We will at some point be forced to and as a result develop the technology to maximise desert solar efficiency. Plenty of cities located close to or in deserts in the world.

Al

Would be a good idea for the Saudis if demand for oil drops off. Also for Spain because the south is predicted to become desert as is Sicily and southern Greece.

Loads of solar energy farms in Saudi - I’ve seen some when flying in and others on the (long boring) roads there.

[kwackers]

Loads of solar energy farms in Saudi - I’ve seen some when flying in and others on the (long boring) roads there.

Of course, they can hardly put their panels in blighty.
Doesn't mean its the best place for them.

Floating panels are apparently pretty good, mainly because the sea keeps them cool.
Perhaps they could float some on the red sea or Persian gulf.

[661-Pete]

We saw acres and acres of solar panel 'farms' on a trip to southern Spain a few years ago. Trouble is, the region is gradually turning to desert anyway, farmers have difficulty growing viable crops, and presumably see this as a better source of income.

So is this a Bad Thing turning into a Good Thing? More carbon-neutral energy, certainly. Personally, I'd like to see more crops being grown - crops for human consumption, not livestock consumption, if possible! But water doesn't always come easily....

[Cyril Haearn]

The Grauniad has an enthusiastic article about direct non-stop flights from Englandshire to Sydneyshire, 19 hours
A jumbo did a test flight to downunder, to save fuel it had to be as light as possible, only 23 people were on board
I have seen the future, and..

[kwackers]

The Grauniad has an enthusiastic article about direct non-stop flights from Englandshire to Sydneyshire, 19 hours
A jumbo did a test flight to downunder, to save fuel it had to be as light as possible, only 23 people were on board
I have seen the future, and..

Might do that myself, like the sound of an emptyish plane.

Hopefully they were all cabin crewe and stewardesses, don't like mixing with the raff.

[Cyril Haearn]

Could be good employment for light people, retired jockeys could upgrade to be stewards (m)

[al_yrpal]

There have been direct flights to Perth in Oz for some time. Quantas...

Al

[pete75]

We saw acres and acres of solar panel 'farms' on a trip to southern Spain a few years ago. Trouble is, the region is gradually turning to desert anyway, farmers have difficulty growing viable crops, and presumably see this as a better source of income.

So is this a Bad Thing turning into a Good Thing? More carbon-neutral energy, certainly. Personally, I'd like to see more crops being grown - crops for human consumption, not livestock consumption, if possible! But water doesn't always come easily....

Livestock needs to be fed as well as people.

[661-Pete]

Livestock needs to be fed as well as people.

Yes - but I'd wish there to be less livestock worldwide and hence less feed needing to be grown.

In some ways it's a no-win situation, because the raising of livestock - especially sheep and cattle - has done much to shape the British landscape, and other temperate landscapes which we're all familiar with, and which we all enjoy.

Furthermore, in some parts of the world livestock are indeed for their human keepers a life-or-death matter.

But not in the Amazon.

[pete75]

Livestock needs to be fed as well as people.

Yes - but I'd wish there to be less livestock worldwide and hence less feed needing to be grown.

In some ways it's a no-win situation, because the raising of livestock - especially sheep and cattle - has done much to shape the British landscape, and other temperate landscapes which we're all familiar with, and which we all enjoy.

Furthermore, in some parts of the world livestock are indeed for their human keepers a life-or-death matter.

But not in the Amazon.

Why less livestock? Do you not benefit from their products?

As far as I'm aware no livestock is kept in the Amazon, it's a river, what would you suggest - water buffalo and hippopotami?