Alternative Energy—The Possible Paths

[Patrick Henry]

Alternative energy will be a key factor in America's success as an technological leader, a world power, and a role model for every other nation in this world.

Right now, we burn billions of tons of carbon dioxide into the air on a regular basis and it's having a pretty bad effect. Global temperatures have exponentially risen over the past few decades. Glaciers are melting in Antarctica and Greenland. Hurricanes and storms are getting worse. Sea levels are beginning to rise. Animals are dissappearing. Mother nature is crying out to us, but we seem so oblivious.

Solar energy is a great way to solve this problem. Sure it doesn't generate too much power, but the source is unlimited (at least for your lifetime) and free. Solar energy can be harnessed to heat water or can be used to generate electricity which can be sold back to the electric companies. In this way, it would be a win-win situation for the people and mother nature.

Water energy could also be a future to solve our energy needs. Dams can be build that channel the water through turbines that can produce enough electricity to power a small town. One downside to this is the large funds required to build the dams, but if the need is great enough, it can be done. Also wave turbines are great ways of producing electricity too. Underwater currents can be harnessed and transformed into electricity. Water is a practical solution, possibly even more practical than solar energy.

Nuclear energy is also a possible source to fuel our growing energy needs. Nuclear is clean and efficient. The one problem is that it could harm mother nature if the wastes are not disposed of properly. Personally, I would prefer solar or water over nuclear because a) water and solar are naturally occurring and doesn't have waste that has to be dealt with the utmost care and b) you don't really have to do anything except sit around (and maintenance).

I can see all of these as possible solutions to our energy crisis, but I don't think that one will be our sole source. I think that we will require a combination because we will need all the energy we can get. One thing is for sure though: America's dream of energy independence will only become a reality if we start now.

 

[BigRob]

Alternative energy will be a key factor in America's success as an technological leader, a world power, and a role model for every other nation in this world.

Right now, we burn billions of tons of carbon dioxide into the air on a regular basis and it's having a pretty bad effect. Global temperatures have exponentially risen over the past few decades. Glaciers are melting in Antarctica and Greenland. Hurricanes and storms are getting worse. Sea levels are beginning to rise. Animals are dissappearing. Mother nature is crying out to us, but we seem so oblivious.

Solar energy is a great way to solve this problem. Sure it doesn't generate too much power, but the source is unlimited (at least for your lifetime) and free. Solar energy can be harnessed to heat water or can be used to generate electricity which can be sold back to the electric companies. In this way, it would be a win-win situation for the people and mother nature.

Water energy could also be a future to solve our energy needs. Dams can be build that channel the water through turbines that can produce enough electricity to power a small town. One downside to this is the large funds required to build the dams, but if the need is great enough, it can be done. Also wave turbines are great ways of producing electricity too. Underwater currents can be harnessed and transformed into electricity. Water is a practical solution, possibly even more practical than solar energy.

Nuclear energy is also a possible source to fuel our growing energy needs. Nuclear is clean and efficient. The one problem is that it could harm mother nature if the wastes are not disposed of properly. Personally, I would prefer solar or water over nuclear because a) water and solar are naturally occurring and doesn't have waste that has to be dealt with the utmost care and b) you don't really have to do anything except sit around (and maintenance).

I can see all of these as possible solutions to our energy crisis, but I don't think that one will be our sole source. I think that we will require a combination because we will need all the energy we can get. One thing is for sure though: America's dream of energy independence will only become a reality if we start now.

Good post. I would say this:

Whatever energy we eventually do come up with to use, the whole grid all around the United States is going to need to be redone. The cost of this gets ignored many times when factoring cost into alternative fuels, but it will run in the hundreds of billions if not trillions to update the power grid in the US to handle the huge increases in alternative fuels.

I think this issue has to be addressed in any discussion of the practically of alternative fuels right now.

 

[Libsmasher]

Alternative energy will be a key factor in America's success as an technological leader, a world power, and a role model for every other nation in this world.

Right now, we burn billions of tons of carbon dioxide into the air on a regular basis and it's having a pretty bad effect. Global temperatures have exponentially risen over the past few decades. Glaciers are melting in Antarctica and Greenland. Hurricanes and storms are getting worse. Sea levels are beginning to rise. Animals are dissappearing. Mother nature is crying out to us, but we seem so oblivious.

Solar energy is a great way to solve this problem. Sure it doesn't generate too much power, but the source is unlimited (at least for your lifetime) and free. Solar energy can be harnessed to heat water or can be used to generate electricity which can be sold back to the electric companies. In this way, it would be a win-win situation for the people and mother nature.

Water energy could also be a future to solve our energy needs. Dams can be build that channel the water through turbines that can produce enough electricity to power a small town. One downside to this is the large funds required to build the dams, but if the need is great enough, it can be done. Also wave turbines are great ways of producing electricity too. Underwater currents can be harnessed and transformed into electricity. Water is a practical solution, possibly even more practical than solar energy.

Nuclear energy is also a possible source to fuel our growing energy needs. Nuclear is clean and efficient. The one problem is that it could harm mother nature if the wastes are not disposed of properly. Personally, I would prefer solar or water over nuclear because a) water and solar are naturally occurring and doesn't have waste that has to be dealt with the utmost care and b) you don't really have to do anything except sit around (and maintenance).

I can see all of these as possible solutions to our energy crisis, but I don't think that one will be our sole source. I think that we will require a combination because we will need all the energy we can get. One thing is for sure though: America's dream of energy independence will only become a reality if we start now.

Nukes is the only way to go - the rest is an ecofascist's pipe dream. And screw the "role model for every other nation in this world" crapola.

 

[Gabriel_Bell]

I think Thorium reactors are the best way to produce pollution free energy,

Thorium’s Long-Term Potential in Nuclear Energy: New IAEA Analysis

www.iaea.org