Dylan #4 The times they are a changing...with the climate...both real and virtual.

[MMacGillivray]

Originally Posted by Bill

But are "they" right about global warming? Or are the dissenting scientists right? I for one am not convinced...

Hi, Bill - I'm not completely convinced either. However, my reasons for thinking about solar/alternative energy supplies are more to do with the ever-spiralling cost of oil because the demand for fuel from the developing world is only going to grow. Being totally reliant on a few oil-producing countries makes us very vulnerable to political whim - and I see solar/alternative energy as a means to insulate ourselves (slightly) from future squabbles between oil producers and those who might consume it.

Like farming, changes in production of solar panels cannot be switched on overnight; there will be a lead time of several years before any meaningful contribution could be made to the nation's energy consumption.

As for global warming, my understanding is that the earth heats and cools on a cycle of thousands of years, completely independently from man's contribution.

Margaret