I
imamartian
what does it mean?
I would have described it more as a statement of fact.
I would also point out that I have been on this forum for over 4 years now and never felt the need to point out plagiarists before now, I wonder why.
Umm the attacks tend to be initiated by sooey,
Lincsbodger
Joined: 15 Mar 2010
Posts: 854
Location: United Kingdom
Thanked: 110 times
Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 11:29 pm Post Subject:
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harlod wrote:
Does all of this not just beg the question of what is a working definition of "life"?
Not at all. Life is that which possesses some or all of the following characteristics:
Homeostasis: Regulation of the internal environment to maintain a constant state
Organization: Being structurally composed of one or more cells, which are the basic units of life.
Metabolism: Transformation of energy by converting chemicals and energy into cellular components (anabolism) and decomposing organic matter (catabolism).
Growth: Maintenance of a higher rate of anabolism than catabolism. A growing organism increases in size in all of its parts, rather than simply accumulating matter.
Adaptation: The ability to change over a period of time in response to the environment.
Response to stimuli: A response can take many forms, from the contraction of a unicellular organism to external chemicals, to complex reactions involving all the senses of multicellular organisms. A response is often expressed by motion, for example, the leaves of a plant turning toward the sun (phototropism) and by chemotaxis.
Reproduction: The ability to create the next generation.
Electricity.
In a typical British winter, electricity demand peaks at around 59 gigawatts. Last year, 45 per cent of that was met by North Sea gas, 35 per cent from coal, 15 per cent from nuclear.
By 2015, we shall need around 64 gigawatts - but by then four of Britain’s ten elderly nuclear stations will have shut down, and North Sea gas production will have fallen by two-thirds from its 1999 peak.
We shall breach every international agreement if we remain big coal-users without using costly and unproven carbon-capture technology to clean it. At least a quarter of our generating capacity will have gone.
Read the energy report published two months ago by the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE). This presents a terrifying picture of government inertia and folly.
It says: ‘In technological terms there are no choices to be made.’ In order to keep the lights on and meet commitments to a low-carbon economy, ‘the demand is so large that every available technology will be needed as quickly as possible.
‘With over 80 new nuclear or CCS [Carbon Capture] power plants required - around two per year - along with vast increases in all forms of renewables, building the system would require an enormous effort, probably only achievable by monopolising most of the national wealth and resources.
So the Lib Dems had better stop p******g about, otherwise they may well keep there 'principles' on green energy while we shiver in the dark and industry grinds to a standstill. Remember the Winter of Discontent - when the TV went off at 10 PM by order to force everyone to go to bed and stop using electricity, and factories were on 3 days weeks cos they only had power 3 days in 5 ? We need nuclear power, s**t loads of it. and pd **** q.