WHAT IS GREEN?

While well intentioned, too many people simplistically assume that "Green" means either wind or solar, or equivalent, generation of electricity.

However, the real world is not just black or white. More properly, we should create several categories for all types of power generation to see how they relatively compare relative to the problems that we face and what we are willing to do about them.

It is more appropriate to ask what are the basic good, or bad, aspects of all types of power, and to then decide which are to be favored and which are to be either less favored, discouraged or forbidden.

Fundamentally, the three main driving forces are:

Reduction of dependency on foreign sources - and related costs.

Reduction of the production of green house gasses, primarily, but not limited to, CO2.

To a lesser extent, reduction in pollution.

Thus, rather than categorize all electric generation systems as either "Green" or "Not Green", it would seem more appropriate to create a graded scale of colors, such as follows, with suggested listings of where each type of electricity generation system falls within these categories.

Since there are three listed motives, it would be necessary to assign a relative point system to each item, with perhaps 2 points each for reduction of dependency on foreign sources, 2 points for reduction of green house gasses, and 1 point for reduction of pollution.

It is recognized that these point assignments are arbitrary, and different values might be assigned by others. However, it is a starting point to more detailed thinking than many people have done.

A simple listing might look as follows:

Coal w/o stack gas cleanup - Non-foreign - 2 points
Coal w/ stack gas cleanup - Non-foreign, clean - 3 points
Coal with CO2 sequestering - Non Foreign, clean, CO2 reduction - 5 points
Coal conversion to natural gas - Non-foreign, clean - 3 points
Oil w/ stack gas cleanup - Non-foreign, clean - 3 points
Natural gas - Non-foreign, clean - 3 points
Nuclear - Non-foreign, clean - but concern about wastes, CO2 reduction - 4.5 points
Hydro - Non-foreign, clean, CO2 reduction - 5 points (but maxed out for new sources)
Geothermal - Non- foreign, clean, CO2 reduction - 5 points
Bio-fuels - Clean, Non-foreign - 3 points
Wind - Non-foreign, clean, CO2 reduction - 5 points
Solar - Non-foreign, clean, CO2 reduction - 5 points

We might then have a Color Scale instead of a simple Green or Non-Green.

RED - Zero or one point
None fit this category since all types have some advantage.

ORANGE - 2 points
Coal w/o Stack Gas Clean-up

YELLOW - 3 points
Coal with Stack Gas Clean-up
Coal Conversion to Natural Gas
Oil with Stack Gas Clean-up
Natural Gas
Bio-fuels

BLUE - 4 to 5 points
Nuclear

GREEN - 5 points
Hydro
Coal with Stack Gas Clean-up and CO2 Sequestering
Geothermal
Wind
Solar