Alternative Source of Energy

[Hr2]

Re: Alternative Source of Energy

For immediate use? Nuclear, it is extremely safe, clean, and powerful.

For long term? Nuclear and geothermal, both clean and geothermal is renewable. Areas that are hot enough would use geothermal and areas which were not could use nuclear.

For interesting/fantasy? Orbiting solar panels, put giant panels up above the hole in the O-Zone layer in Antarctica and them beam the energy down in microwaves or other forms of radiation. No one lives there and it will not only be clean but it will actually REPAIR the environment.

Also, with new solar developments, I imagine that many large buildings will have solar panels on the tops of them to power themselves for free.

Coal is a terrible power source. It is cheap, but it is the dirtiest possible option. First of all, you rip apart a mountain with a forest on top of it to get the coal. Then you employ hundreds of machines to dig it out, all of these polluting heavily, often using unsanitary methods creating toxic runoffs. Then you put them into a big factory and burn them, although they say that coal power plants run quite cleanly these days, it doesn't matter how clean it runs when you have to destroy the rest of the environment to get it.

[KernelColonel]

Re: Alternative Source of Energy

I think a good idea is to harvest the power of perpetual-motion machines. But because I am technologically impaired (having just recently mastered email), I usually am not taken seriously about this.

But I like the solar cells. If someone posted a formula on how to build your own solar cells, we'd be set for life.

...

Meh. I don't think we'll run out of fossil fuels in my lifetime.

[Xaphania]

Re: Alternative Source of Energy

i haven't yet read all the responses but.. you guys all talk of wind and solar power as if it's not efficient, and you all seem to praise nuclear energy.
nuclear energy has it's drawbacks.. sure, solar power is expensive, but if you installed solar panels in your home (given that you live in an appropriate place, and not like, new york or anything) you'll be paid off in a few years.
now... nuclear energy... you know, that stuff that we need to mine for... the alternative that never really took off, despite the millions of dollars the government invested in it..
so where do you guys propose we place the byproducts of nuclear energy production? you know, the extremely dangerous stuff that needs to be contained for 10,000 years before the radiation reaches 'safe' levels?
where do we get the energy and the materials to create a container, AND to safely ship these? they already had some sort of trucking system in the united states to transport all this stuff. the manpower needed to safely guard this from terrorism makes it economically retarded.

anyway, that whole bit about finding a perpetual energy source
um
the two i can come up with off the top of my head.. that are "perpetual" in that if they cease, our existence as we know it will cease
geothermal energy (which i believe is not yet economically feasible, but our technology is getting there)
and solar energy.. if you guys are worried about that running out.. well, worry about how we'll manage to planet-hop before the sun dies

Alaska:
IS REALLY NOT WORTH DESTROYING
im too lazy to type out all the info; here's something i said on another forum somewhere

the estimated reserves under alaska�s north slope (the largest ever found in north America) would meet CURRENT world demand for only 6 months. US demand for only 3 years.
CURRENT demand. btw, crude oil usage increases exponentially about 2% a year. (1% least, 5% most)
the estimated reserves in alaska�s arctic national wildlife refuge would meet current oil demands for 1-5 months. the dept of interior estimates that theres only a 19% chance of finding as much feasibly usable oil in anwr as the us consumes every 7 -24 months.

estimated oil reserves on other federal lands in alaska�s north slope would meet current world demand for 10 days - 2 months. US demand for 2-11 months.
we produce our oil like 6 times more expensively than production in Persian gulf countries. Opening us costal forests and wild places for drilling wouldn�t do anything, except disqualify the refuge from being added as a fifth of all the land in the us national wildlife refuge system.

oil company officials claim that coastal drilling would only take up 2000 acres. Oh sure we believe that. 2000 acres, spread out over 35 construction sites, with roads and breakable pipes in between? sounds like a fun time for the animals to me. And if you don�t happen to break any pipes in the costal (most biologically productive part) of alaska, you can consider adding oil to the already 400 oil spills in alaska�s prudhoe bay, not including the exxon valdez incident

It�d take 10 years for any oil or natural gas from the alaska refuge to be available, and another 15 years for the field to reach peak production level. 15 years? for stuff that�ll meet our current demand for 3 years? current? what?

It�s taken about 50 years and huge investments to phase in new nrg alternatives to the pointw here they provide 10-20% of total nrg use.
How long will all world reserves of oil last? Most people say 40 years, minimum. But at what price?
http://www.popsci.com/popsci/science...004eecbccdrcrd.

i guess we can use hte next 3 years to get everyone a hydrogen car with decent miles
and replace every single gas station with hydrogen stations
aND find something to power production
and someone to pay for transport
and maybe we can settle on one efficient and feasibly of all the costly methods of storage.. in 3 years

[Reach]

Re: Alternative Source of Energy

Solar power can be useful. However, wind power really isn't very good. The turbines are so noisy they make me cry that and they produce so little power xD

Nuclear waste you say? There are two types! High level is like, pellets that have had their energy used up. Big deal. They don't explode and can't catch on fire, so why they hell would a terrorist be after it? Can't do anything with it...and it can be recycled and used again in the reactor. Some of it will need to be disposed of eventually because it becomes useless. That doesn't mean it can't be done safely. Low level waste can definitely be stored safely, and would decay to become non radioactive in as little as 100 years.

[esupin]

Re: Alternative Source of Energy

Many homes in California are built with solar panels because there's so much light there. However, panels are not feasible at the moment in most places that have erratic weather. I doubt the panels right now can withstand freezing and thawing.

Edit- I shouldn't say many, but there's this one developer that uses them on the homes he builds.

[Hr2]

Re: Alternative Source of Energy

Build a rocket, aim it at the sun, and pooof. Nuclear waste problem is gone. It doesn't even the fuel to get it all the way to the sun, it just needs to get far enough away from Earth that it won't fall back and then let the Sun's gravity do the rest.

Radiation will be used for many things in the future, it is an extremely powerful force when harnessed correctly can perform all sorts of great tasks! For example, sterilizing medical supplies, and killing germs in food. Nuclear is the way of the future.

[GuidoHunter]

Re: Alternative Source of Energy

I think a good idea is to harvest the power of perpetual-motion machines.

You're kidding, right?

--Guido

http://andy.mikee385.com

[skyrunner06]

Re: Alternative Source of Energy

there are thousands of miles of uncharted ocean that could hold trillions of barrels of oilwere not running out

[Hachi86]

Re: Alternative Source of Energy

i agree. i dont believe were running out of oil at all. if we were the prices would go up a little more than just a few dollars a barrel. people would be freaking out and gas would be like 30 bucks a gallon. i say we use the tide idea but with a windmill approach. rig 'em up so that they generate electricity when the water flows back AND forth.

[mattyohh]

Re: Alternative Source of Energy

there are thousands of miles of uncharted ocean that could hold trillions of barrels of oilwere not running out

Yes but oil is destroying the environment, and one day we will run out of oil. It may not be for a long time, but it will eventually happen. It would be alot better to use renewable sources of energy rather than oil.

I also saw this report on this new power plant they're developing here in Australia, which harnesses that power of waves to generate power. I thought it seemed like a good idea, because of the amount of beaches and coast lines we have here.

[GuidoHunter]

Re: Alternative Source of Energy

Hachi, the tides come in and out once a day, very slowly at that. I can't imagine that it would be a worthwhile venture.

Now waves, that may be possible. I'm curious to see if matty can go get a source for that.

--Guido

http://andy.mikee385.com

[mattyohh]

Re: Alternative Source of Energy

Here are some Links for various sources on the Wave Power Plant:

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/science/earth/stories/s472910.htm

http://www.energetech.com.au/index.htm?http://www.energetech.com.au/content/company.html

Energetech are the company who are planning to build these plants.

[GuidoHunter]

Re: Alternative Source of Energy

HAH! Not only is it a decent energy source, it also includes a small desalination plant in it, producing 2000 liters of fresh water per day for free!

I'm impressed. It's just too bad that you need decent wave conditions and a coastline to have access to them.

--Guido

http://andy.mikee385.com

[mattyohh]

Re: Alternative Source of Energy

Here in Australia at the present moment we are facing extreme water restrictions due to a 10 year drought. So the desalination plant is also a great idea to help raise our Dam water levels.

[skyrunner06]

Re: Alternative Source of Energy

we could burn people for energy