amtrak-official

Long Live the Revolution (but I am talking about a green transport Revolution where we massively expand public transportation, electrify the main lines of the American Rail industry and power it all with a mix of Wind, Solar and Nuclear power)

madmarchhare

I agree but I would argue against solar as the panels, even when built well, are horribly inefficient and degrade horribly - only lasting 30 years max - and are made of non-recyclable materials. A better alternative would be tidal or hydro power. Along with the use of flywheel batteries and water storage batteries like those used in Wales. But yes, public transport and green energy, just not Solar quite yet.

amtrak-official

Okay, then let's do Tidal instead

eridanidreams

The previous blogger isn't quite correct. Yes, solar currently lasts only 30-35 years *on average*; the degradation rate is quite low and quality residential panels should still be working at 87-90% after 25 years. Also, solar panels are made primarily from glass and aluminum, both of which are non-toxic and highly recyclable. I'd be more concerned about wind power's costs and impacts on bird migratory routes than I am about the environmental effects of solar.

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amtrak-official

Okay then we will include solar