Wednesday, October 7, 2015

The effect of blogging on the nearby environment...

Some of you know, some of you don't. Currently google (home of this blog and many others) is building a huge datacenter near my QTH. They don't just build it there but have chosen the location because of the nearby powerplants. You can imagine that a huge datacenter does need a huge amount of power, ensured without power failures. Imagine the heat these servers create!

I remember years ago it was all agricultural land, growing potatoes. In front of the photo you see some trees that cover a reasonable large old farm I think from around 1900. I've been there a couple of times when the farm was still in use. It is small compared to the datacenter being build in the farm backyard. I guess the farm will be demolished in time. That's called progress...





A decade ago there was only one big powerplant on gas in the Eemshaven. We thought it was big till RWE began to build this coal fired powerplant. It is huge, really huge. You have to search for the old powerplant now. And it is smoking.....a lot, I even seen the smoke traveling 40 km away! They ensured us that it would not harm the environment and all nearby living people would be save and without health problems.

 Filtering would be the best there is. Look at the photos, do you trust them? Like we trust VW with their wrong emission? Greenpeace has been demonstrating here, they don't do that for nothing. They tried to stop them with several lawsuits. But money is the only thing that counts here and things went on in the end. No one cares for the environment. The Dutch government has to reduce CO2 emission, but didn't stop this coal fired powerplant being built. Only money and lot's of electricity power counts. You see a lot of windmills as well, oh yes lots of them to compensate. To compensate something that has already happen.



We are living in a beautiful part of the country. In the last century we had the cleanest air of the country here in the north. But now...I'm not shure. What can we do about it. You can't blame the government as we are all guilty, we are power hungry we need electricity. It's a kind of addiction and we always need more till we destroy our lives in the end. Hopefully that will take some time :-). 

So, now I get back to the title. Does this blog has a direct effect on my nearby environment. Not direct, but indirect....if you think about it...yes a very tiny bit. Do I have to stop blogging now to breath cleaner air. Well I don't think so. It is good to think about these things but writing this blogpost and taking photographs was more fun. We have to enjoy life and do our best to take care about the environment, But this environment thing should not overtake our lives. It is wat it is...it goes like it goes, We cannot rule everything... 


7 comments:

Unknown said...

Goed stukje Bas!

Gerrie said...

I just wonder when will they start talking about building a nuclear plant in our back yard...imagine all those cars that still run on fossil fuel that need electricity in the near future. We need more and more to fulfill our electricity addiction.

Dick said...

Good observations. I have a somewhat cynical view of the entire subject.

For example, how many of the ecologists protesting have, at least, a portable phone in their back-pocket ? Most ! Of course, to keep in touch with their fellow demonstrators and to invite them over and participate. Those phones may very well be charged by the energy produced by the site under siege.

What do the ecology political parties really do ? Sound bites on radio and TV ! Ok, raise taxes on diesel fuel. That will do a hell of a lot. The recent floods along the Cote d'Azur. The entire area has been paved over. Uncontrolled construction of high-rise buildings, commercial centers, and parking lots. Urbanization well into the hills. Not a peep from the eco political parties, more intent on keeping their cushy Brussel and home-country jobs. Just a few professional climatologists spoke out on the matter.

I'm an old man and remember coming out of school at the end of the day. Girls chatting and giggling together, boys shoving each other in a non-confrontational manner. then off to the local drug store for a coke and a tune on the juke-box. the only entertainment device. Today, they grab their portable phones immediately upon leaving school and barely look at each other. Time was when a boy and girl had eyes only for each other. Today, it is on their i-phones.

Look, I could go on, but won't. How about all the devices in the home. Mom, dad, brother, and sister each with their own lap-top, tablet, phone, bedroom TV. Then, all horrified that a power station may be built in their back-yard to power all those energy-hungry devices !

Some amateur radio operators not guilt-free. Running maximum legal power in order to contact a bit of rock in the Pacific that even the Gooney Birds avoid.

I rest my case ! Over and out!

73 Dick

Ricardo - CT2GQV said...

I was on that datacenter some years ago for an interview, if you remember, it was already big at that time. Unfortunately "progress" does come with a price. Your QTH area is nice...bit cold for a "southern" tough :)
73 de Ricardo, CT2GQV

PE4BAS, Bas said...

Absolutely Gerrie, it seems a matter of time. Electric cars sound clean but are equally polluting. 73, Bas

PE4BAS, Bas said...

Hello Dick, when I read your comment I have the idea we agree on this subject. You're absolutely right. So much distractions these days, I sometimes feel sorry for the kids. But that doesn't mean it was better in the last century. It's just different...73, Bas

PE4BAS, Bas said...

Hello Ricardo, I still remember. That's why I wrote "Some of you know". You have been interviewed at the "old" datacenter. This one is build about a kilometer from he old one and at least 20 times as big I think. It can be fresh here at times, depends on what time of the year of course ;-) 73, Bas