What is the best 'alternative' energy?

[GunnerGraye]

weed

Agreed.

 

[Lord_Ascendant]

Element Zero

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Element_zero

it exists!

 

[RRilef]

Illegal immigrants.

But in all seriousness, nuclear energy. If you ever read about Chernobyl, they were pretty much asking for it. To sum it up, they preformed a test which they knew would trigger the failsafes, so they disabled them

 

[Lonan]

Actually, I forgot the best one out there. Self-powered electricity. There's something out there that's currently intended to keep kids active, but you hook a pedal powered generator up to a television or a computer, and the kid has to pedal in order to watch TV or play games. And the kid is able to power it without any help from a main power source. If world governments grew some testicles we could make that the most common source of power. Sure, some poeple wouldn't be able to do it, and it would cut down on TV and game time, but tough. If it's done to children to keep them active, why shouldn't it be done to adults? Well, because adults can vote. But if we all decide to be tough TOGETHER we can make some real progress. Obviously you couldn't use it for idling appliances or you would never stop pedaling, but if a kid can power a TV so can we. That's the catch phrase of the don't kill animals with your laziness movement. Which I just made up. In this sense, the cleanest energy is food.

 

[peachy_keen]

Cow poop :|

 

[Raptoricus]

I notice no one's mentioned Geo Thermal energy yet, in my opinion this is the most reliable, renewable and easily obtained (well if enough companies put money together to do it anyway) form of energy which is available to us, and seems as it isn't subject to any variables (like solar has clouds, wind has low wind problems, tidal, well that's a different story) I think that it's the most viable way forward.

But.... what about the lava kittens?

Awww I want a lava kitten now!

 

[dangerousdave_42]

nuclear for me we just need to find a place to put the leftovers

we here in the US actually do
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yucca_Mountain
in fact the reason we are not using it is the panicky public mentioned before

 

[gmer412]

If we're being realistic: Geothermal. It's always available, efficient, and cheap.
Otherwise, antimatter or cold fusion.

 

[new_age_reject]

How about a mixture of all the ideas, with Nuclear being the focus but supported by wind, solar, hydroelectricity, and in the future fusion energy? We could still use oil and natural gas, but cleaner burning and used mainly for jet transportation. As far as I know there is no way to power a large, passenger, airliner without using gasoline.

I'm with you, there is no single solution to the problems we face at the moment. We need to all pull together and use a multitude of tactics to over come this.

 

[Lonan]

I support nuclear power. It's obviously not the solution to every type of energy, but it works really well and I'm sure better ways of handling nuclear waste aren't too far in the future.

Fusion, it's a better form of nuclear power. Sure, it's somewhere near 30 years off, but just think: we could have it in our life times.

Actually, I forgot the best one out there. Self-powered electricity. There's something out there that's currently intended to keep kids active, but you hook a pedal powered generator up to a television or a computer, and the kid has to pedal in order to watch TV or play games. And the kid is able to power it without any help from a main power source. If world governments grew some testicles we could make that the most common source of power. Sure, some poeple wouldn't be able to do it, and it would cut down on TV and game time, but tough. If it's done to children to keep them active, why shouldn't it be done to adults? Well, because adults can vote. But if we all decide to be tough TOGETHER we can make some real progress. Obviously you couldn't use it for idling appliances or you would never stop pedaling, but if a kid can power a TV so can we. That's the catch phrase of the don't kill animals with your laziness movement. Which I just made up. In this sense, the cleanest energy is food.

You, uh... you do know we have to power houses too, right?

But what do you use in your house? If you aren't using a computer, a TV, heating water, using appliances or anything like that, you aren't really using much power, and your coal based pollution would be quite insignificant. If everything in your house is turned off, your house doesn't need any power at all. If you pedaled whenever you watched TV or played a game, it would substantially bring down your electricity usage. Then there's the little things, like not reheating left-overs from the refrigerator, and otehr things which only make you more comfortable, but won't kill you or hurt you in the short or long term so you don't really need anyway. Dumping a pail of heated water over yourself to shower instead of running hot water is another good thing. It takes a HUGE amount of energy to heat water. Honestly, that would probably reduce your power usage the most.

 

[kiwisushi]

Alternate energies need to be different for different places, not everything works everywhere. Try using solar panels in Scotland, its just not practical.

Some of the ideas that are bounced about a lot - wind energy (highly unpredictable, energy output and efficiency problems), tidal energy (VERY predictable, amazingly difficult to construct in most places, also very expensive), geothermal energy (Iceland has a lot of this, works well in areas known for volcanic activity), Biomass energy (Incinerators still need lots of gas scrubbers doesn't solve problem of CO2 emission), nuclear (NOT sustainable at all ... it is a quick fix, unless people start to mine H3 from the moon)

In all honesty there isn't any easy answer. A good place to start is to get all our services and appliances to A ratings in efficiency of power as a lot is lost through the appliance just not being efficient. Hydrogen cell fueled cars are a good idea in my mind as its fuel (though as expensive as petrol) is not cracked from crude, rather from seawater. The technology is there though expensive at the moment. Industrial practice is the killer though, concrete production especially - research into more sustainable and energy efficient ways in which to produce it are being looked into.

Basically my view is just make things better, energy output wise and use more sustainable sources. A little bit of info, it takes 100000 plastic carrier bags recycled to offset the carbon dioxide of sending 1 person from london to sydney by plane!

 

[Lonan]

I support nuclear power. It's obviously not the solution to every type of energy, but it works really well and I'm sure better ways of handling nuclear waste aren't too far in the future.

Fusion, it's a better form of nuclear power. Sure, it's somewhere near 30 years off, but just think: we could have it in our life times.

Actually, I forgot the best one out there. Self-powered electricity. There's something out there that's currently intended to keep kids active, but you hook a pedal powered generator up to a television or a computer, and the kid has to pedal in order to watch TV or play games. And the kid is able to power it without any help from a main power source. If world governments grew some testicles we could make that the most common source of power. Sure, some poeple wouldn't be able to do it, and it would cut down on TV and game time, but tough. If it's done to children to keep them active, why shouldn't it be done to adults? Well, because adults can vote. But if we all decide to be tough TOGETHER we can make some real progress. Obviously you couldn't use it for idling appliances or you would never stop pedaling, but if a kid can power a TV so can we. That's the catch phrase of the don't kill animals with your laziness movement. Which I just made up. In this sense, the cleanest energy is food.

You, uh... you do know we have to power houses too, right?

But what do you use in your house? If you aren't using a computer, a TV, heating water or anything like that, you aren't using much power. If everything in your house is turned off, your house doesn't need any power at all. If you pedaled whenever you watched TV or played a game, it would substantially bring down your electricity usage. Then there's the little things, like not reheating left-overs from the refrigerator, and otehr things which only make you more comfortable, but won't kill you or hurt you in the short or long term so you don't really need anyway. Dumping a pail of heated water over yourself to shower instead of running hot water is another good thing. It takes a HUGE amount of energy to heat water. Honestly, that would probably reduce your power usage the most.

So all we have to do is forsake modern conveniences like showers and microwaves, leave our lights off most/all all of the time and not heat our houses and the energy crisis is solved.

First of all I sense great sarcasm in your typing. I am not amused. Since you can't rely on people as a whole to do these simple things that make you slightly less comfortable, but could reduce your emissions by A LOT percent, there must be scientists looking for cleaner energy sources. Millions of Americans think the green movement is a fad that has gone too far, and don't give a damn about the environment because God gave it to "us" to what we please with it. We will have to make up for their gluttony by being mroe disciplined than is our fair share, and striking our little unnecessary comforts down with greater vigilance. It isn't fair, but it's reality. Sorry, a little off topic there, but the point is that we must not close a single door to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, mostly because not everyone can be trusted with the self-discipline that is necessary. And I didn't say forsake showers, I said pour some water over yourself instead of standing in a stream of heated water singing. As for microwaves, you can't make popcorn without one, and I'm sure there's other things I use it for as well, but there's easy ways to cut down on usage of microwaves, and absolutely everything. It takes an open mind and the will to lose a little luxury. The return is remaining in the era we're been in since the extinction of the dinosaurs.

 

[kiwisushi]

With regard to nuclear waste you are right, but its already happening. There is studies and modelling of storing vitrified wastes several kilometers underground in essentially massive concrete boxes. Can't remember all the details, but from what I remember they are looking at containment of the radioactive wastes of over 10000 years - enough to make the waste a lot less radioactive.

 

[The Blue Mongoose]

i'm a fan of fuel cells, methanol/air are much easier to use than hydrogen/oxygen... geothermal power is interesting and could work nicely... solar needs to be made more efficient, and wind made more reliable.
nuclear would be great if people would calm down about it and actually pay attention to the REAL risks and benefits rather than constantly imagining a Chernobyl type disaster the day we turn on the reactor. (i'm in Australia...)
Fusion would be the best thing ever to happen to us... too bad it's incredibly impractical and costs shit loads and uses more electricity to run than it produces.

 

[GodsOneMistake]

The annoying ten year olds on Xbox live make em run on a hamster wheel or have them pull my car

 

[y8c616]

Nuclear, because it has the highest yield of useful power by far, has no environmental impact (if the waste is stored correctly) and is totally safe, as long as the power stations are built in compliance with the recommended standards, and if the staff are competent. (not the case in disasters such as Chernobyl.)

 

[Lonan]

I support nuclear power. It's obviously not the solution to every type of energy, but it works really well and I'm sure better ways of handling nuclear waste aren't too far in the future.

Fusion, it's a better form of nuclear power. Sure, it's somewhere near 30 years off, but just think: we could have it in our life times.

Actually, I forgot the best one out there. Self-powered electricity. There's something out there that's currently intended to keep kids active, but you hook a pedal powered generator up to a television or a computer, and the kid has to pedal in order to watch TV or play games. And the kid is able to power it without any help from a main power source. If world governments grew some testicles we could make that the most common source of power. Sure, some poeple wouldn't be able to do it, and it would cut down on TV and game time, but tough. If it's done to children to keep them active, why shouldn't it be done to adults? Well, because adults can vote. But if we all decide to be tough TOGETHER we can make some real progress. Obviously you couldn't use it for idling appliances or you would never stop pedaling, but if a kid can power a TV so can we. That's the catch phrase of the don't kill animals with your laziness movement. Which I just made up. In this sense, the cleanest energy is food.

You, uh... you do know we have to power houses too, right?

But what do you use in your house? If you aren't using a computer, a TV, heating water or anything like that, you aren't using much power. If everything in your house is turned off, your house doesn't need any power at all. If you pedaled whenever you watched TV or played a game, it would substantially bring down your electricity usage. Then there's the little things, like not reheating left-overs from the refrigerator, and otehr things which only make you more comfortable, but won't kill you or hurt you in the short or long term so you don't really need anyway. Dumping a pail of heated water over yourself to shower instead of running hot water is another good thing. It takes a HUGE amount of energy to heat water. Honestly, that would probably reduce your power usage the most.

So all we have to do is forsake modern conveniences like showers and microwaves, leave our lights off most/all all of the time and not heat our houses and the energy crisis is solved.

First of all I sense great sarcasm in your typing. I am not amused. Since you can't rely on people as a whole to do these simple things that make you slightly less comfortable, but could reduce your emissions by A LOT percent, there must be scientists looking for cleaner energy sources. Millions of Americans think the green movement is a fad that has gone too far, and don't give a damn about the environment because God gave it to "us" to what we please with it. We will have to make up for their gluttony by being mroe disciplined than is our fair share, and striking our little unnecessary comforts down with greater vigilance. It isn't fair, but it's reality. Sorry, a little off topic there, but the point is that we must not close a single door to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, mostly because not everyone can be trusted with the self-discipline that is necessary. And I didn't say forsake showers, I said pour some water over yourself instead of standing in a stream of heated water singing. As for microwaves, you can't make popcorn without one, and I'm sure there's other things I use it for as well, but there's easy ways to cut down on usage of microwaves, and absolutely everything. It takes an open mind and the will to lose a little luxury. The return is remaining in the era we're been in since the extinction of the dinosaurs.

I wasn't arguing that green alternatives are a bad idea, it's the point of this thread. I was arguing that pedal power for your house is absurd.

Of course it's absurd. You would have to pedal all the time. But the fact of the matter is that young children are able to power a television, a TV with a console game, a computer by pedaling. It is therefore not absurd to power your television and computer with pedal power. I looked up pedal generators on Google, a lot of people have a generator hooked up to a their pedal bike, and they watch TV with solely with their own power during their morning workout.