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I suppose that the "So What?" in the case of the EU is to examine alternatives. Arguably, much of what has throttled the development of wind farms in recent years has been the, relatively, low price of gas, and the perception that fracking would arrive in Europe in the forseeable future. Both seem set to change. And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg
the last section here is of less use on this site than Daily Kos
Nope. It's of great interest, like the whole diary.
There's also no need for as much nitrogenous fertiliser. Maize monoculture + irrigation leads to overuse of N, hence nitrate pollution of aquifers.
I think that SacredCowTipper is Stranded Wind, aka Neal. (Google the latter username and the real first name.)
There are serious issues with the source here. Serious, serious issues. Just an FYI so that you don't step into the hot mess unbeknownest to yourself.
That said, I do think that in the long term synthesis of hydrogen from electrolysis of water is going to be an fruitful venture. I just don't think that the science is there yet. AFAIK, the only place where the process is used is in Zimbabwe, where it's a holdover from the days of Rhodesia sustained by current sanctions. They use hydro as the electric source.
As for overuse of nitrogen fertilizers. There's an argument for that. Before electrolysis enters into the mix, I think there's a ready source of methane to be had in the massive manure lagoons that are associated with Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) in North America. Interestingly, European transplants (primarily Dutch) are a driving force in scaling CAFOs up in the Great Lakes region.
They sell expensive land in the Netherlands, and come to the US with buckets of cash. Because they are making a $500,000+ investment, they get waived through immigration under the EB-5 visa program. Land is much cheaper here, and they are able to put up massive buildings that house thousands of animals. Producing millions of gallons of manure, which is over applied to the relatively small patches of land the CAFO owns.
In most states, they have no obligation to treat the manure, meaning that there is no incentive to dispose of it responsibly. A small tipping fee could change the economics enough to justify investment in bio-diesel and related industries. And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg
The link wasn't meant as an endorsement (I was never convinced by the specific projects proposed). Simply an example of why we don't need to import ammonia.
Whether the nitrogen is of synthetic or organic origin, abuse creates pollution of the water supply. Spreading slurry from intensive animal operations is a typical form of abuse.
Oddly, it works from Recent Comments, not from here in the diary..?
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