Where has all the energy gone?
posted on: 2004-06-28 22:44
I was recently looking at the collective debates about energy problems that face our world, and came to a startling conclusion:
There are NO good Energy sources. That's right, NONE.
Nuclear power
The Simpsons and Greenpeace together have made this option debunk. It is now commonly the opinion of politicians that putting money into nuclear power research is instant career suicide. No money, and the industry will never improve. If nuclear power never improves, eventually groups like Greenpeace will get their way, and our power plants will be shut down for good.
There have been no new nuclear power plants built in the US in the last 20+ years, and about half of the existing plants are either in the process or have already been de-commissioned.
Fossil Fuels
Obviously, there are not too many environmental fans of fossil fuels. The short-term solution is to somehow cut back on our nation's consumption of these fuels to reduce pollution and extend our fuel supply, but even if you cut our use by 100, there would still be a projected day when our fixed resources would be exhausted.
Most of our nation's power still comes from coal.
Most American's will refuse to buy smaller, more efficient cars to reduce fuel consumption unless driven by brute force through law or heavy taxation.
The current projection for the world's oil supply at the world's current consumption rate is that we will completely run out of oil in about 20-40 years.
This won't be the burden of our children's children, this will affect US in THIS GENERATION!
Hydro-electric Power
Greenpeace strikes again!
I had always assumed that hydro-electric power was an environmentalist's friend. Think again! Hydro-electric power is under scrutiny for disturbing our natural river eco-systems. Fish, land topology, etc are affected by the un-natural damming of our river's water, and the turbines which are driven to produce useful energy.
Alternative Power
A recent study I heard suggested that if we replaced our world's electricity needs with solar and wind power sources, and replaced our gasoline requirements with bio-fuel (wheat, soybeans) that around 50% of our planet's surface would be required for the wind, sun and crop fields to produce a comparable yield. HALF OF OUR WORLD'S SURFACE.
Because of the practical limitations on solar and wind power technologies, there are yet no realistic solutions to use these "clean" power sources with any sucess to replace our current energy needs.
Conclusion
There are currently no practical and clean sources for fuel to currently replace our quickly dwindling energy supplies.
Even if we had some way of extending our current sources of fossil fuels, the polution problem facing our country and the world will only get worse as more nations gain industrial technologies, and at the same time refuse to accept the same environmental restrictions imposed upon the US.
Organizations such as Greenpeace challenge us to remove all "dirty" power sources to save our environment, but no one has yet come up with an acceptable way to maintain an average American lifestyle and the energy consumption it requires.
The sad fact is, in as few as 20 years we may find ourselves living in environmentally friendly, self-sustaining homes and riding a bicycle or driving wussy hybrid electric cars to and from work each morning.
- Airplanes will have to go. Trains and buses would have to go entirely electric, if the energy is available to power even that.
- Competitive motor sports, luxury an entertainment vehicles would either have to be redisigned or eliminated completely.
- Even your television set and computer electricity needs may have too high of a price tag to be worth the expense.
- Heat in the winter, air conditioning in the summer.
The fixed resources that exist are nearly used up, and what little is left some say may kill us anyway from the polution.
Where has all of the Energy gone?
We've used them all, every one.
-- Jake Bishop
