Energy Diversity is the Solution
Posted on September 29, 2008 by Jonathan Carr |
“I believe that if you show people the problems and you show them the solutions they will be moved to act.” - Bill Gates
There is no “one solution” to this energy crisis we find ourselves in. There are, however, “many different possible solutions” with realistic accomplishments to prove that the whole is indeed greater than the sum of it’s parts. Some people have a nuclear agenda claiming it alone can solve the problem. Some advocates claim solar is the answer while others swear by the wind. I ask you all, why not give them all a shot and see what the summation produces?
To help you better understand this, I am going to use a baseball analogy. The reason why a pitcher in Major League Baseball can throw a ball over 90 Mph is not from “one muscle” in his body, but from many. A pitcher starts by taking a step back and starting a beautiful transformation of energy. He lifts his leg and steps as far as he possibly can. His core muscles follow by twisting around his spine generating torque. His chest muscle then stretches as far as it can to maximize the energy transfer from his legs and core. Lastly, his arm and fingertips make up the final release of energy as his hand snaps towards the target. Lets say the goal is to increase the speed of the ball. Well you wouldn’t concentrate on just one portion of the wind-up, you would analyze all of them. A guru pitching coach might be able to get a 1 Mph increase from the legs, a 2 Mph increase from the core, a 1 Mph increase from the chest, and a 1 Mph increase from the arm, wrist, and fingers after the pitching coach’s fundamental improvements are applied. The end result is a 5 Mph increase which, in Major Leage Baseball, can make a huge difference.
I believe that the same successful approach can happen with regard to our energy crisis…a solution of diversity between the following energy technologies:
Nuclear
Nuclear energy is extremely clean and extremely cheap once you do the math. There is a great discussion on blog site Babeled which proves this. The biggest concern with this type of power is safety. When things go wrong in a nuclear power plant, they can get pretty ugly as they did with the Chernobyl disaster. People are also concerned about nuclear waste, yet do not realize that it can be recycled. There are many myths about nuclear power. I would be completely comfortable in today’s day and age of modern safety precautions and technology with having more nuclear power. While I realize it will never be the only source, it should be one of the primary sources or power.
Solar
Solar energy is my favorite type of energy. Why? Because the sun already does for us what nuclear power plants do. All we have to do is capture the energy produced from the process. Right now, it is still hard to convince people of the return on investment (ROI) with solar energy. Again, I will divert you to Babeled for a great cost analysis of solar power. Once solar panels become more efficient in harnessing the sun’s energy, they will be another great and clean source of power. There are even solar powered shingles for houses now.
Wind
Wind is another great source of power, however, it does not seem as promising as other types of energy. Some people feel that it is a waste of time while others think windmills obstruct their ocean-front views (even though they appear as a dot on the horizon 20 miles away). I happen to think it is a great idea. I say build lots of windmills offshore and on mountain-tops. The Pickens Plan incorporates wind energy. Remember, it is all about the combination of all clean energy sources, not just one!
Natural Gas
Natural gasis another component of the Pickens Plan. It is a great form of energy to harness because it is easily renewable as it can be generated by waste. It is also cheaper to produce and refine for automotive fuel than traditional methods. It burns almost completely clean and could help bridge the transition to oil independence.
Oil
Let’s face it! Our energy dependence isn’t going to come in the next 5-10 years. It will probably be more like 20 according to engineers and scientists in the energy profession. Until then, oil is going to deliver most of our automotive energy around the world. Therefore, we need to drill in areas where it is abundant. This includes the areas off California, the Gulf of Mexico, and around the eastern seaboard and not just 100 miles offshore. According to oil-deposit finding technology, the good stuff is 5-80 miles off-shore. By drilling more we will lessen the price per gallon of gas and place more money in the hands of the people. This leads to more consumer spending which equates to a better economy and more jobs as we all know.
Bio Fuel
Bio Fuelis an alternative method to gasoline. It is generated by decaying matter and in some cases vegitables. Bio Deisel and Ethanol are becoming very popular at the pumps. Such fuel can be generated from corn and vegetable oil. Here is a better explanation of Bio Fuel. It is cleaner for the environment and slightly cheaper than regular gasoline derived from oil. A current problem with using vegetable oil for gas is when you run out of oil. Not too many gas stations offer bio fuel at this point.
Coal
Coal is by far the worst source of energy for the environment. It gives off carbon dioxide when burned for energy, however, it is responsible for almost half of the electricity used in the United States of America. This is an energy source that needs to be regulated and upgraded with technology so that greenhouse gas emissions are brought to a minimum. The process of mining for coal rips through and destroys land. Many coal miners have died by collapsing mines as well. By pushing energy sources such as nuclear, solar, and wind, coal energy creation will fade out which should be one of the many diverse goals of solving the energy crisis.
Geothermal
Another way to generate some clean energy is with geothermal techniques. A lot of houses already feature this. In a nutshell, slightly below ground level is always around 68F-70F degrees. Geothermal rods use that temperature by bringing it up to ground level. This can keep your house at room temperature just by using a fan without needing an air conditioner or heater. On an industrial level, the rods can go further into the earth and reach very hot temperatures capable of producing enormous amounts of heat energy.
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is energy created using gravity by the damming of large rivers. Since water naturally wants to fall to the ground, a large impeller is put in place to spin a turbine and generate electricity. Such energy generation does not require fuel, only water, and it also does not produce carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels. There are some disadvantages, however, such as the disruption of aquatic ecosystems and a small amount of greenhouse gases created from power plant reservoirs. For the most part, this is a very clean and cheap way of producing electricity.
Tidal
Using the Moon to generate power would seem a little odd right? Not really! The moon is responsible for most of our tidal shifts of the oceans. Just like hydroelectricity, tidal power is a free source of fuel for a generator. Such a concept is fascinating and could contribute greatly towards solving the energy crisis.
The Total Package (A solution of energy diversity)
Let’s do it all. Build nuclear power plants. Install solar panels. Build windmills. Use natural gas instead of refined oil. Drill for more temporary oil. Use bio fuel instead of regular fuel. Decrease the use of coal for electricity. Utilize geothermal energy for temperature regulation. Build more hydroelectric plants on major rivers naturally created by the continental divide. Take advantage of the tidal power in the oceans. DO IT ALL! By thinking only one of these solutions is the only answer is quite ignorant, unrealistic, and close-minded. A diverse mix not only creates more jobs, it creates more specializations. Also, if one of our energy sources is unavailable, we will then have many as a temperary backup plan. By taking each source as far as they will go will not only solve the energy crisis, it will create an energy surplus. Energy diversity is the solution.
Earth Image from Batin
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6 Responses to “Energy Diversity is the Solution”
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Great baseball analogy.
The members of foreign oil organizations (ie: OPEC) realize that America is now on board with alternative energy. That’s why crude prices are falling. We must do what we can to keep the price of oil down while exploring your above mentioned alternatives.
Oil prices are going to drop substantially with today’s drop in the stock market due to the non-passing of the $700 billion governmment bail-out. I just hope that OPEC doesn’t cut production, which they probably will, to counteract things.
You know OPEC is going to cut production. The price ber barrel of crude has been dropping $10 per day. OPEC, much like us in the past few days, is taking catastrophic losses.
Love the pitching analogy! Wind and solar technology have a long way to go before they “solve” anything. Right now it’s oil and coal running our cars and houses and it will be that way for a long time. The government incentives still do not compensate the insane amount of money homeowners need to spend on installing solar panels. The funny thing is, when gas station prices drop real low (less than $1.50 per gallon), attention will turn a blind-eye to the problem just like after the Gulf War.
Tim,
Oil prices have fell almost 20% in the last few weeks ($10 during the plunge that happened the other day). Today it actually came up $4 because of the rebound. There are people who made a lot of money today. The great rebound was generated from the rumors that the government is going to reorganize another bailout effort.
Shawn,
You are so right about the blind eye. During the gulf war, I remember prices hitting $1.60 per gallon and everyone panicking. I was in 5th grade at the time. Then when the war was over and prices went back down, everyone ignored how easy oil prices could be affected by conflict in the middle east. If prices go back down to less than a dollar like they did a few years ago, we still cannot ignore the problem. There is no way we can now.