Preferred Energy Alternatives

[earthinc]

Which energy alternatives do you believe are the most proficient? Why?

 

[Twinkie]

After doing extensive research (last year), wind and solar is all that is viable. Everything else messes up the environment in one way or another. Sure it is expensive, but so were computers at one point.

For cars, we already have the technology for cellulosic ethanol, but car companies still want to use gasoline because it is already in place.

However, we can't use alternative power without stricter regulation of power plants. Sure, I am a democrat, and I in most cases hate regulation. But if you think about it, is there any room for capitalism is the power market? Would you want 5 different power lines managed by 5 different companies on your roads?

The government should manage the power lines, because our power infrastructure is just as important and our transportation infrastructure. They all need to be managed in one place.

Use of alternatives to save this plant cannot happen with power companies running the show, consulting their checkbooks rather than their customers or country.

 

[ShadowmasterX]

I agree with Twinkie. However, the process in which the enviromentally friendly products are produced are extremely non environmentally friendly, i think that the engery that it saves would exceed in the long run. If somehow the manufacturing process were to be cleaned up a bit, then makeing solar panels and wind panels would be the most optimal way to get renewable energy

 

[Twinkie]

I agree with Twinkie. However, the process in which the enviromentally friendly products are produced are extremely non environmentally friendly, i think that the engery that it saves would exceed in the long run. If somehow the manufacturing process were to be cleaned up a bit, then makeing solar panels and wind panels would be the most optimal way to get renewable energy

Yeah, but the energy used for the manufacturing process will still be generated mostly by fossil fuels either way.

 

[wongers]

we should make canada in to one giant solar panel, no-one would miss it (canada i mean )

tbh, i think its a bit late to now try and "prevent" global warming, for those who think its something real, then we are a bit late to really stop it as everything is in motion and the consequences are happening.

and for everyone else, who actually understand we are in an ice age, thats why we have polar caps, then they have to melt anyways, we dont really have a choice as its part of the natural order of time (of sorts)

 

[Twinkie]

Trees remove carbon dioxide from the air. If we stop our excessive emissions, then nature would eventually balance out. True, the earth does go through natural climactic changes, but those changes are gradual, and animals have always been able to adapt. The earth warming at this rate is unprecedented, and things will happen out of the 'natural order of things'. That is our problem.

 

[phazzedout]

People seem to have forgotten Hydrogen and Nuclear power. Some one bring that up!

I bet many of you believe Nuclear power is the ultimate worst because of Chernobyl. Well a simple google search, here is a link http://bit.ly/8nDwEE, will show you how the commies were in a hurry to become a technological super power so they built everything by cutting some corners. You know the simple things, such as removing some nails that seem unnecessary, obsolete equipment (Windows ME works the same as Windows 7, honest.), inexperienced staff (Do you honestly need real scientist, you can just hire these people with high school diplomas for half the wage.), and the most famous, saving the concrete by making a smaller wall. Simple things caused the explosion that would never happen here.

Yes.. Yes... keep your panties on, we did have a core meltdown in the U.S. called 3 Mile Island. Doing a simple google search on that will show you some fun facts on that, http://bit.ly/85B8jP. Seeing as many environmentalist have their panties in a bunch thinking that 3 Mile Island was an environmental disaster they can do some research. 3 Mile Island was a core meltdown, sounds scary to most of us but we contained most of the radioactive waste in the reactor due to something the commies did not have, a thick concrete wall! Well due to this, 3 Mile Island is still in operation to this day and is still inhabited by the people around it.

There is more, just ask I will tell. I so far think that the new generation of Nuclear Power Plants will be the best in green technology. As a matter of fact, they say that the heat it would generate can also create hydrogen powering hydrogen plants. I say we work on that.

 

[Twinkie]

People seem to have forgotten Hydrogen and Nuclear power. Some one bring that up!

I bet many of you believe Nuclear power is the ultimate worst because of Chernobyl. Well a simple google search, here is a link http://bit.ly/8nDwEE, will show you how the commies were in a hurry to become a technological super power so they built everything by cutting some corners. You know the simple things, such as removing some nails that seem unnecessary, obsolete equipment (Windows ME works the same as Windows 7, honest.), inexperienced staff (Do you honestly need real scientist, you can just hire these people with high school diplomas for half the wage.), and the most famous, saving the concrete by making a smaller wall. Simple things caused the explosion that would never happen here.

Yes.. Yes... keep your panties on, we did have a core meltdown in the U.S. called 3 Mile Island. Doing a simple google search on that will show you some fun facts on that, http://bit.ly/85B8jP. Seeing as many environmentalist have their panties in a bunch thinking that 3 Mile Island was an environmental disaster they can do some research. 3 Mile Island was a core meltdown, sounds scary to most of us but we contained most of the radioactive waste in the reactor due to something the commies did not have, a thick concrete wall! Well due to this, 3 Mile Island is still in operation to this day and is still inhabited by the people around it.

There is more, just ask I will tell. I so far think that the new generation of Nuclear Power Plants will be the best in green technology. As a matter of fact, they say that the heat it would generate can also create hydrogen powering hydrogen plants. I say we work on that.

It is not in my opinion a matter of how bad the effects are, it is that there are effects at all. Why should there be? Wind and solar are completely natural, why complicate things with more or less dangerous forces and much greater risk factors?

 

[cybrax]

Now myself I'm Pro Nuclear. It may not be fashionable in this current climate but I feel that fission or preferably fusion power presents the only real viable alternative energy supply. The 'Green' argument is from the heart and I agree with them that we have to make better use of fossil fuels than simply burning them but the scale and infrastructure needed to maintain the number of windmills ( and other green energy sources such as wave, geothermal, solar) would have a bigger carbon footprint than the original problem.

I look forward to the day when a company wants to cut down some ancient trees/ forest to make way for a windfarm, now that will make an interesting news day..

There is an alternative that has been lurking on the sidelines now for some thirty years, the technology is proven, the beancounters (accoutants) say the numbers are cost effective and investors would see a return in thier lifetime but there is a small political problem with the process.

Space based solar power arrays look very attractive but the tiny hitch is that the system could double as an orbital weapons system.

 

[Smith6612]

Wind. You can find it pretty much everywhere, even in places where Solar power would be a bad idea (way up North or way down south). Hydroelectric power is also a difficult thing to decide on since while it can produce mass amounts of power, it of course can only be located in some areas. Up where I am, we have plenty of water to go around so we actually use Hydroelectric power as our power source. The hydroelectric dam has a 1 mile long reservoir which is used for reserved water, and at night when power usage is lower if needed the electric company will use some of their generators as pumps to fill up the reservoir. Other parts of my area are unfortunately fed through two coal plants.

For the ultimate power source however, we need to invent the Zero Point Module from Stargate and mass-produce them :biggrin: A few of those should be able to run entire countries for ages. Of course, we'd also need to be careful with those since they can blow up entire solar systems.

 

[xav0989]

It was pointed out earlier in the thread that the power corp should be government regulated. Where I live, the only electric power corp is a state owned and ran company. This is a simple way to add revenues to the government, as the money generated from the company is directly sent to the government. Also, where I live we have extra amount of "clean power" ( 95% of the power comes from water, but there is 1 nuclear plant and 1 coal plant, also, windmills are being built) so we sell it to the states and to neighbouring provinces (yes I am in canada and if you turn us into a giant solar panel, some of you americans won't have enough power for the A/C :biggrin. Hydro is currently a viable "alternative" for some countries, but wind and solar are also pretty interesting.

 

[phazzedout]

I agree with everyone that we should use wind and solar power. Hell, I already have plans to make my house run on pure solar, I live in southern california where it is sunny 364 days of the year. Yet you should see how many house even have ONE solar panel, it is a pitty I say. By simple adding a couple of solar panels on people's roofs can cut down our usage of fossil fuels.

why complicate things with more or less dangerous forces and much greater risk factors?

Funny someone said this, not to put the person down or belittle him, he brings up a good defense against any other source of energy. Did you know though that burning coal actually burn uranium and thorium that increases the background radiation and if you read this article (it is one of many) http://www.ornl.gov/info/ornlreview/rev26-34/text/colmain.html you will realize that the uranium and thorium we burn actually equals burning money that could be used for anything. Resources is capitol. We should get rid of coal power indefinitely. Too bad nations like China are just building those.

 

[fractalfeline]

Misleading poll.

I had always thought it is best to exploit what is available in abundance locally. If you're in Chicago and there's lots of wind in surrounding areas, build a windmill farm. If you live in a city with large rivers, harvest hydro power. If the weather is usually sunny, why not build more solar panels?

Meanwhile, energy alternatives for things like cars? I'd hate to drive a car reliant on solar energy when it's winter and has been raining constantly for a week or two. Ethanol seems the most viable in this case. It might even make American farm country more valuable if corn suddenly becomes more useful.

I have always liked the idea of self-reliance and independence though. If I get the money for it, I plan on building a house that is fully powered on it's own solar panels and wind power. It may cost more but the freedom and security is worth the money, I think.(Similarly, I think our political situation with the rest of the world will be a lot less antsy if we relied more on our own energy sources and other resources!)

 

[phazzedout]

We could find alternatives but companies seem to be too lazy to switch. Even just doing a little leap to Diesel would be better than just going all unleaded gasoline. We could use ethanol which is much better than unleaded gas. Now we could go solar power, but there is the problem of not having any sun. We could of course do a hybrid of it, solar power while using ethanol or diesel.

Lithium-ion batteries though, tend to lose their "power" once you need to replace them, it is costly and of course harms the environment as well.

Fu... it! Let's throw it down, we should invest our time and money on hydrogen energy. Have you ever seen an H-Bomb. Now, make that smaller to the size of a car engine now make it run! Cheaper, because it is everywhere (H2O, instense heat or electricity -> H H O) I just created two hydrogen molecules.

Anti-matter may be good, the next two hundred years as well.

 

[fractalfeline]

Fu... it! Let's throw it down, we should invest our time and money on hydrogen energy. Have you ever seen an H-Bomb. Now, make that smaller to the size of a car engine now make it run! Cheaper, because it is everywhere (H2O, instense heat or electricity -> H H O) I just created two hydrogen molecules.

Anti-matter may be good, the next two hundred years as well.

I'd hate to be hit by a drunk driver driving a car with a nuclear reactor in it. :dunno:

 

[phazzedout]

I'd hate to be hit by a drunk driver driving a car with a nuclear reactor in it. :dunno:

LOL! That gave me a good laugh. Hence, why I said we should invest money and time. I don't want people driving around bat-mobiles. Have you seen how people drive, it is as if they are in a hurry to go work, or home. Especially a teen, it is as if they want to crash into a tree. Maybe if we could make it work in a small scale, that will not explode catastrophic if you crash.