Green Party candidate makes howler on Pat Kenny this morning

[QuizMaster]

You notice Eamon was not jumping into the same hole, spade in hand.

[Captain Willard]

Not more than twenty minutes ago on RTE radio Minister Dermot Ahern disclosed that, in effect, popularity is not a feature of the government's PLAN. The entire premise of democracy, as I recall from some classwork, is the concept of gaining sufficient popularity to govern credibly.

Often, we hear the Green ministers' mantra about needing to stay the course to get the green agenda into law. That seems to re-invent the ethos of democracy as well.

Show the electorate a dozen wind farms on paper and then dole out billion euro deals to re-leverage the shambolical financial system. Very handsome work.

They refuse to act as "custodians" of Fianna Fail and end up condoning a load of financial measures that appear to be covered with the fingerprints of coked-up orangutans? How many people can afford this management of a green agenda?

If they are not properly squeezed by voters in the current electoral cycle the country will end up with special needs teachers forced to pay down massive mortgages by flogging Happy meals. Oh, sorry, they could opt for a career in bagel toasting, if that suits.

[goosebump]

The entire premise of democracy, as I recall from some classwork, is the concept of gaining sufficient popularity to govern credibly.

Not sure where you went to school, but there is no link between opinion polls and democracy, other than they're being prohibited in the day before a General Election.

[Captain Willard]

Opinion polls share a trait with democratic elections. They each measure popularity.

The popularity measured by an election creates governments, whereas the popularity measured by an opinion poll creates gossip.

The prohibition cited by goosebump has merit ,however, the message I posted reflected a concern with respect to a Minister stating that his government was indifferent to popularity.

When a government is connected to and understands the electorate it is more likely to abide by the interests of the majority, while also recognising the interests of the minority.

I would like to know if anyone else heard the statement by Minister Ahern. It uncannily echos the sense conveyed today by Minister Gormley when he dismissed the rational notion that fear deserves a measure of priority.

PS

I'm still schooling.

[joemomma]

Not sure where you went to school, but there is no link between opinion polls and democracy, other than they're being prohibited in the day before a General Election.

I don't think that's true - there was an attempt some years ago to ban polls in the week before an election but it was dropped after it became clear it would be unworkable.

[Earnest]

Poulaphouca is an example of power harnessing and managed release that does not require a natural water source. Its Irish name, its location and its conservation status are irrelevant, although thanks for cutting and pasting all the same.

The reservoir is man made. At night, when there is low demand for power, water is pumped up into the reservoir. During the day, when demand increases, the water is let flow from the reservoir through the hydro plant.

The same principle can be applied to wind power. When the wind is blowing, the power can be used to pump water up into reservoirs. When the wind stops, you allow the water to flow through hydro plant. In that way, none of the wind power is wasted.

I think you have got your Co. Wicklow locations mixed up. Poulaphouca is a reservoir formed by building a dam across the mouth of a valley. The water to turn the turbine comes from the natural flow of the River Liffey and its tributary, the King's River. The one where water is pumped up is Lough Nahanagan.

[Earnest]

Heres an interesting chesnut for you to nibble on.
lets say airtricity can only produce 100MW of power, but have contracts to sell 300MW or power on any given day. Where do you think they fulfill their contract from. It wouldn't be those nasty fossil fuel burning power plants would it? Oh wait, maybe this is what the carbin credit trading system is for, just to balance it all out, or something like that. I am not sure, Im just guessing, maybe you could check it out for me and give me the answer.

Of course it is those nasty fossil fuel burning power plants. That's exactly what I said. No-one imagines that we can do without fossil fuels immediately. It's a question of what sort of power plants should be built in the future. By subscribing to Airtricity I am encouraging the building of wind turbines.