Alternative Energies: Different kinds and a few thoughts

[CorvallisBMW]

Devon, that's a sweet little car there. it's honestly very cool and in no way am I saying it's a bad idea - and I think it's the future.

BUT... $36,000.00? (Actually 46k - it's only 36k after a 10k bailout from the CA state government).

It fits two people at most, and costs 36k. This isn't a solution for most families of 3 or more at that price with the limited functionality.

Also, what happens if I live north of the 45th parallel? The sun doesn't shine much up here, so how am I supposed to make my car go?

I'm not a naysayer of alternatives. However, this kind of thing is cost-prohibitive to most people and in this case utlizes a resource that we don't all get to see all the time. Futuristic ideas are totally necessary at this point in time, but TODAY it will make only a small difference.

Solar and wind are secondary sources of energy, for reasons that should be pretty obvious. I wouldn't want to base my ability to travel on a weather report. Now a battery powered car that is getting juice from a nuclear facility that is backed up by solar, wind, and hydro - that I would bet my commute on.

Just remember, it doesn't have to be sunny to run solar panels. Even on the darkest PNW January day, you can still get about 50% of the energy you would in July.

[2Big4a3Series]

So the question then starts to become - what kind of oils are available? There are several types of unconventional oils (not sweet crude):

Biofuels:
- less pollution created than traditional gasoline.
- very expensive (biodiesel)
- unintended consequences (fuel system damage, corn shortage with ethanol, etc.)
- to run our current US population on ethanol or other biofuel, we would need more land to grow the corn on than is available in the US.

One thing that was mentioned in one of my college classes right before the first Gulf War was oil from hemp seeds as another source of combustable fuel. I don't know if you can get a contact high from inhaling the exhaust but Cannabis grows relatively quickly and it can grow in most climates/conditions. The plant can supposedly yield its "fruit" and can be re planted at least 3 to 4 times in a growing season.

[uofom3]

Just remember, it doesn't have to be sunny to run solar panels. Even on the darkest PNW January day, you can still get about 50% of the energy you would in July.

Interesting, I haven't gone that far into solar panels but if that's true then very good.

But where does the other 50% come from if in January I can't get 100% of the power? That's why it's secondary for us... I still maintain it's a good idea, but it doesn't solve the entire problem. No one single solution does, that's why things have to be done in conjunction with one another.

I heard the other day that congress actually wants to tack on 10cents a gallon to the federal gas tax. Funny thing about that is, it would actually probably further reduce the demand for oil and drive the price down (offsetting the tax). But, with decreased demand the tax revenue would actually go down (you don't gain tax revenue when you raise taxes... generally). So then you'd get hit somewhere else, and people would just be worse off than some of them already are.

I'm trying to figure out through all of this who benefits from us not drilling for our own oil; certainly not the general population of this country and particularly people with lower income levels.

[uofom3]

One thing that was mentioned in one of my college classes right before the first Gulf War was oil from hemp seeds as another source of combustable fuel. I don't know if you can get a contact high from inhaling the exhaust but Cannabis grows relatively quickly and it can grow in most climates/conditions. The plant can supposedly yield its "fruit" and can be re planted at least 3 to 4 times in a growing season.

I've heard of that too. Maybe someone can tell us more about this as well.

[CorvallisBMW]

One thing that was mentioned in one of my college classes right before the first Gulf War was oil from hemp seeds as another source of combustable fuel. I don't know if you can get a contact high from inhaling the exhaust but Cannabis grows relatively quickly and it can grow in most climates/conditions. The plant can supposedly yield its "fruit" and can be re planted at least 3 to 4 times in a growing season.

Cannabis is very good for a lot of things. Rope, fibers, and natural oils. And it grows quick, requires little upkeep and has a high yield rate. But many people still associate it with marijuana and think that you can use it to get high. Ever tried smoking a hemp shirt? yeah, it doesn't work that way.

I doubt the US (or any country for that matter) is ready to make hemp a mainstream crop. There's just too much stigmatism over it.

[Aptyp]

Fine you people, I am going to walk tot he next e30 meet to help out a little.

[uofom3]

Cannabis is very good for a lot of things. Rope, fibers, and natural oils. And it grows quick, requires little upkeep and has a high yield rate. But many people still associate it with marijuana and think that you can use it to get high. Ever tried smoking a hemp shirt? yeah, it doesn't work that way.

I doubt the US (or any country for that matter) is ready to make hemp a mainstream crop. There's just too much stigmatism over it.

Yeah I agree. The stigma isn't really valid, but unfortunately I don't think it's going to change.

Oregon is trying to sell marijuana in liquor stores, however.

[s0urce]

Nuclear cars ftw. Can you imagine how much torque?!

[kronus]

Nuclear cars ftw. Can you imagine how much torque?!

They can measure it in Chernobyl-pounds.

[smonkbmw]

Ever tried smoking a hemp shirt? yeah, it doesn't work that way.

lol, have you?

there should be a larger gas guzzler tax placed on the heavier SUVs, sports cars. maybe 2-3x as much. include "untuned" vehicles i.e. old buick century's, dodge caravans that emit large emissions and use more than its share of fuel. the tax should be added at time of registration or tab renewal so people cant try and skate it.

as far as energy goes im all for nuclear power. im also for opening that bonneville dam another 3-4" so it can crank out a lil more power. i dont think it even operates close to its potential at all. if there are large supplies of crude in canada and alaska i dont understand why there isnt more of a push to get at it. wouldnt the cost of acquiring it make it a reasonable choice in the long run?

[2Big4a3Series]

Cannabis is very good for a lot of things. But many people still associate it with marijuana and think that you can use it to get high.

Thanks for sharing that point. I didn't clarify that it is indeed a different substance. But I think that because industrial hemp and marijana are in the cannabis family I am sure that it can be easily confused.. or even worse.. cause people to play dumb if they decide to grow the "real" stuff. I can imagine an all-day pot smoker telling the cops "This is a marijuana plant? Oh, I thought that that this was industrial hemp. Well let me get rid of it for you.."

[Pinepig]

lol, have you?

there should be a larger gas guzzler tax placed on the heavier SUVs, sports cars. maybe 2-3x as much.

There already is because of the shitty MPG they get.

[Money$hit]

Solar and Nuclear are the two energy sources we overlook the most.

Energy cast onto the earth from the sun in one day is enough to sustain the worlds energy needs for an entire year. Somewhere along the line, market imperfections have driven us away from solar power. In the current state, prospects for solar power generation are improving. The EU, Japan, and United States are slowly realizing that after overcoming scale, solar is actually a viable solution, and a clean energy alternative. (Cheaper than fossil as well on a per kilowatt basis as well) The problem is that the economies of scale already achieved by coal and oil is extremely diffucult to overcome. Subsidies are beginning to create an economic incentive to switch to solar, but it will take much more.

In short, without subsidies, and other economic incentives, solar will fail. With subsidies, it could eventually become connected to our power grids.

Nuclear is another solution that I am not opposed to. Aside from nuclear waste, it is remarkably clean. United States has taken a lesson right from Russia, (chernobyl), and decided to stay away from Nuclear. Costs are "too high" in terms of human life. A nuclear explosion, without any need to explain, can cause mass distruction, and ultimately the cost is human life. What is not realized is that expulsion of fossil fuels into the atmosphere also has societal costs. Humans, animals and plants are pay these costs as well.

From a cost benefit standpoint, and in my opinion, Nuclear is a much more acceptable alternative to fossil fuels. If we develop our own energy, we will reduce our reliance on foreign energy sources. The economy as a whole would improve. While this is very oversimplified and dumbed down, it is what I feel is true.

[Vedubin01]

Solar is not there yet. Wind power is growing like leaps and bounds and is one of the cleanest. Anyone who lives in west Tx though Montana has seen this first hand. California has had wind generation for decades!

Nuclear is where its at. France is 80 percent powered by Nuclear. WE just got to get off this tree hugger left winged BS blocking shit and open it up. There are risks in everything we do. Nuclear is more beneficial than the risks using it. I say we go completely Nuke and fossil fuels for transportation. But that will never happen

[uofom3]

Solar and Nuclear are the two energy sources we overlook the most.

I agree about solar being seriously overlooked, but I think that nuclear gets tossed around a lot; people are just opposed to the idea apparently.

Energy cast onto the earth from the sun in one day is enough to sustain the worlds energy needs for an entire year. Somewhere along the line, market imperfections have driven us away from solar power. In the current state, prospects for solar power generation are improving. The EU, Japan, and United States are slowly realizing that after overcoming scale, solar is actually a viable solution, and a clean energy alternative. (Cheaper than fossil as well on a per kilowatt basis as well) The problem is that the economies of scale already achieved by coal and oil is extremely diffucult to overcome. Subsidies are beginning to create an economic incentive to switch to solar, but it will take much more.

I agree. Solar is the future (possibly 40-50 years?) but for a short-term solution, it really isn't going to amount to a lot. That doesn't mean we shouldn't pursue it, make the techonology better, and harness more of that energy.

In short, without subsidies, and other economic incentives, solar will fail. With subsidies, it could eventually become connected to our power grids.

Maybe. If people can start making solar panels that are seriously good (e.g. they capture a lot of energy and don't have to be football field sized) they will catch on. Markets are very good at reacting to information, and if someone created something that made it very viable and relistic then it would come to market. I think it needs to be private money though; maybe major companies like GE that have experience with different things close to this nature that will create something that will work.

Nuclear is another solution that I am not opposed to. Aside from nuclear waste, it is remarkably clean. United States has taken a lesson right from Russia, (chernobyl), and decided to stay away from Nuclear. Costs are "too high" in terms of human life. A nuclear explosion, without any need to explain, can cause mass distruction, and ultimately the cost is human life. What is not realized is that expulsion of fossil fuels into the atmosphere also has societal costs. Humans, animals and plants are pay these costs as well.

True. Clean coal is comming around and really is eliminating a lot of the bad things that were being done with coal burning for energy. Don't get me wrong through, nuke is the way to go. There is also the potential for finding better ways or even uses for the nuclear waste.

From a cost benefit standpoint, and in my opinion, Nuclear is a much more acceptable alternative to fossil fuels. If we develop our own energy, we will reduce our reliance on foreign energy sources. The economy as a whole would improve. While this is very oversimplified and dumbed down, it is what I feel is true.

Couldn't have said it better my self - simplified is just fine.