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ACoBildo
05/11/09

In reply to It's Looking Pretty Gloomy for Alternative Energy Right Now
What ever happened to hydroelectric, geothermal, and in most respects, nuclear energy.

I think it's hilarious that highly inefficient solar and wind power are considered "green" just because eco-guilt idiots can strap it to their roofs and drown themselves in their own smug.
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Monty
05/11/09

@ACoBildo: To be fair, a solar panel install even in Seattle can pay for itself within fifteen years - but, the problem is the cost of entry. I think plans to lease panels make a lot of sense.

Hydroelectric is a serious percentage of our power grid however is likely to reduce in the future since it is causing problems for fish populations. Geothermal is promising, but is extremely expensive to make truly useful (though, some have speculated that we just a couple giant geothermal plants to power the entire planet - however our infrastructure problem would need to be addressed). Nuclear is getting a lot more serious attention, however we have never adequately addressed the used fuel rod issue. Frankly, even "clean coal" could be promising, despite the fact that it really has not gone anywhere yet.
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ceilingFANBOY
05/11/09

@ACoBildo: Hydroelectric is far from green. It ruins river ecosystems, alters the flow of rivers, chills the naturally warm water, and prevents proper flow of sediments. Geothermal has the same footprint issue that non photovoltaic solar technologies have and steam is actually a pollutant when it's not natural steam. As for nuclear, whether or not the reasons are valid, everyone knows why it hasn't exactly caught on.

As for the smug comment, not everyone who cares about the environment does it so that they can feel better about themselves. Some people genuinely care. Other people do it to save money or boost the value of their house. While solar may be inefficient, it is getting more efficient and is able to utilize unused space.
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Bigbadbikernerd
05/11/09

In reply to It's Looking Pretty Gloomy for Alternative Energy Right Now
I definitely think we should look into developing Dilithium Crystal technology. Then we could get rid of Big Oil forever!
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Rabid Penguin
05/11/09

@Bigbadbikernerd: You naive fool. Get rid of Big Oil and you'll just be creating Big Dilithium.
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dimoko
05/11/09

In reply to It's Looking Pretty Gloomy for Alternative Energy Right Now
Actually this is a good thing. Photovoltaic cells are not an efficient way to harness the sun. Solar Thermal plants that use concentrated sunlight to heat a liquid to make steam are more efficient and never wear out. There is one in Nevada, one in Spain and a brand new one was just announced in Florida.
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ceilingFANBOY
05/11/09

@dimoko: Space is the biggest downfall of that technology. Meanwhile, PV are able to be used in a space that isn't being used otherwise unless you have a green roof.
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jibbly
05/11/09

In reply to It's Looking Pretty Gloomy for Alternative Energy Right Now
I find it funny and depressing that solar is called alternative energy.
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peter_kelowna
05/11/09

@jibbly: Good point. Not alot of sun in northern Canada in the witner months. On a side note. Living in Canada and having a small cabin in the bush. I like the idea of good old fashion steam power as back up to run a generator or other items. Most people live in the cities now, so not enough people would use it to cause harm. There is enough re-occuring of deadfall timber in 10 (or so)square miles to last several years if not a life time.
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ceilingFANBOY
05/11/09

@peter_kelowna: There are some real possibilities of making solar panels that are efficient enough to work at night off of the light reflected off of the moon.
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