Top 10 energy alternatives

Electric cars are a good place to start.

www.terrestrialenergy.org has me sold on nuclear.

Unfortunately as the piece states there's trade offs for everything. Can't make everyone happy. The one item that gets little or no press is biodiesel. Yeah it was mentioned with the algae but it can come from any source of "veggy" oil, used or clean.

But the problem is there's a downside to everything. Either the tree huggers or animal lovers throw a fit about everything. Solve that problem and we might get somewhere.

Living communally is a "Technology" when done right as it is based on the fundamental principal of Economy of Scale!!! It would beat everyone of these technologies in saving the planet and ourselves money as you wouldn't need a car to travel to work if you can work in subindustrial scale shops right at the home level and can share a small minivan fleet when travel is necessary! Living efficiently and SELF-SUFFICIENTLY on a very local level is not only good for the environment, they are the ABSOLUTE KEYS to surviving nearly any type of disaster, pandemic, economic collaps, energy crisis or asteroid impact you can think of. Being able to work right from home is absolutely the best because NO travel would be needed, at least to go to work. If we can then think about building much more robust homes with things like: 2000 square feet of wood and metal working shops able to cast our own engine block or farm implements if need be 1000 square feet of office space dual 10-person craft rooms for sewing/pottery Our own automotive repair bays Exterior camping/hiking/biking/gardening support facilities Garage bays big enough for LARGE carpenter/plumber/electrician type work trucks Roof top hydroponic gardens for 24/7/365 food production A martial arts school/gymnazium Standardized vehicles with interchangeable parts We can truly endure almost anything! Sure, not much of that is affordable all by ourselves which is why I so strongly recommend living in small groups... communally so as to combine our resources much more effectively. We aren't just talking about communes of old... but super hi-tech facilities with wardrobe rooms for each bedroom, separated half-bath and shower rooms, commercial kitchens, server computer systems, commercial muli-line phone systems, and even a freek'en racquetball court that converts into a 46-seat movie theater/conference room/emergency bed down area for disater victems/a dual pooltable sports bar... Getting the idea??? So much more is possible at much less cost to the environment and yet offers more features and much more stabilitiy when REALLLLY bad things happen.

Have high hopes in due time for self-sufficient fuel cells. Use solar power to power the electrolysis need to get hydrogen, then use hydrogen fuel cells.

You could even collect the "waste" (H20) to recycle into more hydrogen. They have these concept hydrogen stations somewhere in Scandinavia, forgot which country.

Dynamotive has sold me out in biodiesel by converting garbage and waste into energy at a proven LOW cost overall!

Solar and biofuels will eventually lead the way I think. Solar seems to be the holy grail with biofuels up there because you can grow it and possibly recycle it from human waste products.

Anyone see a documentary on Chernobyl? Forget it. Nuclear is too dangerous. Advocates will say that new technology will help but... the problem is one slip up and the consequences are horrifically severe.

Florida has plans for a solar hydro power plant, using curved mirrors that magnify and heat the water to turn it to steam. When I read the dimensions and out put, it seemed to indicate that if it were scaled down to homeowner size, it would be more efficient and take up less space than solar electric panels on a roof top. I would like to see alternatives like this that can tie into the house grid that might also be more economical than solar panels which are not quite cost effective yet. I think more people would go green if it didn't cost more than other fuels.

Well that was depressing. None of the 10 alternatives are without major disadvantages.

I think Tom Ogles fuel vapor system from 30 years ago needs a serious re-evaluation as he managed to get 100 miles to the gallon in a 1970 Galaxy. Couple that with electric hybrid tech and maybe even converting the body into a solar panel to help charge batteries and we might realize 200-300 MPG with proper engineering.

A Hydrogen Hybrid is the interim answer until the industry can replace the combustion engine. Just pour water in a separate tank and gas in yur regular tank--- then go ! The HYBRID Hydrogen has its own self-sufficient fuel cell that converts water on the fly into Brown's gas (Hydrogen and Oxygen) via electrolysis for subsequent mix into the air intake. Result? 30% + Better mileage and overall drivability, performance, cleaner air, and less $$ = Win-Win.

A "Browns" gas is intended to only assist the existing internal combustion engine to beat the $4.00 gallon price back to $2.50. It burns totally clean, and when mixed actually helps reduce the emissions from existing diesel and gasoline engines. Thus, we need to focus in on the simplest ways to develop the most efficient means of electroysis.

There is a little known process being used on now a small commercial basis that could solve all of our energy needs and deal with our over flowing land fills.
Thermo-depolymerization. Here is a related site. By the way, I have no monetary interest or involvement in this business or field, just a great hope for it.
The concept has been around since the 70s but only with recent improvements has it become viable.
I learned about it from an environmental supervisor while working as a sterilization supervisor at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Mayo co-generates power from a waste burning facility and is always looking for better technology.

It will take literally any carbon based refuse including most hazardous waste and convert it to crude oil, gas, carbon and minerals. It will even kill prions, the mutant proteins that cause mad cow, Crutchfield Jacobs (CJD) and chronic wasting diseases, and neutralize all bio-pathogens.
As I understand it will process all but nuclear waste.
There appears to be issues with the smell from the process. I could see this, but I have to believe that this can be mitigated in the future.

I am very concerned about this process seeing the fruition it could because it truly would hit the big oil cos. right in the wallet. Can you imagine our land fills becoming commodities? Literally an unending source of oil.
Let everyone you know know about this process to keep it alive. Don't let it get burried.
I believe it is the nearest thing to an answer we have.

Try the new technology of converting waste to petroleum at $15/barrel. See

See

our greatest source of energy is the sun. we must concentrate on all the present systems and improve them so that solar power is fully utilized. photovoltaic cells are constantly being updated for more efficientcy. steam powered by solar reflectors is gaining more strength. hydrolisis producing hydrogen via solar/ electric panels is very feasible. bio fuels are coming into thier own. we must not use our foods but other vegetation instead. wind power must be also used to the max.
we need a brilliant person or group to take the bull by the horns and swiftly lead us into a new century of alternative energy use. it must be done now!!!!

Living in little communes? Is this guy serious? Yeah what better way for the hard workers of the world to coddle the lazy. Its like an internment camp with a conference center, Wow I'm convinced! $ 4 gas is going nowhere that is the new price deal with it.

As far as the future, I think if you look past the confusion you'll see where this is heading. That's right coming in through the back door, Nuclear. Which is kind of ironic since we are deciding who can have the right to use this technology.

This country (US) was built up by and designed for the car. It made sense because of how big this country is and for the shipment of goods by truck. This is not an easy answer but perhaps a little drilling in our own country could help for supplemental resources.

I love the comment in the article about solar panels. "My neighbors trees are illegally blocking MY solar panels."

Look folks its about living in balance with nature not controlling it. We abandoned that a long time ago. We have to adapt to the changes in the environment. Because the earth has and always will change regardless of what we do. If you think that humans are going to destroy the earth think again we'll be long gone before the earth is dead.

There are emerging technologies from U.S. businesses that could help the U.S. economy create jobs and help save energy for industrial refrigeration. The utilities in California are already offering rebates on this of type product. Please don't forget the emerging new technologies, we want to help U.S. businesses get stronger in the world!!!!!!

certainly Water . The cheapest one. But naturally that will cost us a lot.One day we may die Thirsty.
Beware.....

Certainly Water. The cheapest one. But that will cost us a lot. One day We may have to die Thirsty.
Beware .......

"Can the energy crises be overcome?" – I say yes!

I think that the public, the government and corporate America should treat these energy crises as a danger to our way of life.

During World War II, the America we know unified in a common cause. Everyone rolled their sleeves to chip in and Americans produced an enormous amount of hardware for the war effort. "I see a solution within 36 months".

If we as a nation can really appreciate and understand the severity and enormity of the energy crises, the catastrophic impact on our economic stability and civilization,
we must unite and do whatever is necessary to produce other forms of energy and overcome this energy and economic crises "by putting all politics and egos aside and look for the good of our nation".
We must develop multiple sources of renewable energy.

Jay Draiman, Northridge, CA

PS
ENERGY
Soaring gas prices, record oil company profits, unsustainable trade deficits, soldiers dying in Iraq's deserts and catastrophic climate change— conservative energy policy is running us toward ruin. We urgently need to stop subsidizing dirty fossil fuels and start investing in a clean energy economy. In 1961, President Kennedy challenged us to send a man to the moon within a decade and launched the Apollo plan to make it happen. Now we need a similar vision—an Apollo initiative for energy independence, mobilizing science and technology and investing in energy efficiency and alternative energy.
The benefits are immense. We can create jobs, capture growing global green energy markets, eliminate our dependence on Persian Gulf oil, reduce our trade deficit, improve our children's health and end the catastrophic threat of global warming. It's time to act.
THIS IS MUCH MORE IMPORTANT THAN SENDING A MAN TO THE MOON.
"Determination and perseverance will bring your goal to fruition" – never give-up

"Can the energy crises be overcome?" – I say yes!

I think that the public, the government and corporate America should treat these energy crises as a danger to our way of life.

During World War II, the America we know unified in a common cause. Everyone rolled their sleeves to chip in and Americans produced an enormous amount of hardware for the war effort. "I see a solution within 36 months".

If we as a nation can really appreciate and understand the severity and enormity of the energy crises, the catastrophic impact on our economic stability and civilization,
we must unite and do whatever is necessary to produce other forms of energy and overcome this energy and economic crises "by putting all politics and egos aside and look for the good of our nation".
We must develop multiple sources of renewable energy.

Jay Draiman, Northridge, CA

PS
ENERGY
Soaring gas prices, record oil company profits, unsustainable trade deficits, soldiers dying in Iraq's deserts and catastrophic climate change— conservative energy policy is running us toward ruin. We urgently need to stop subsidizing dirty fossil fuels and start investing in a clean energy economy. In 1961, President Kennedy challenged us to send a man to the moon within a decade and launched the Apollo plan to make it happen. Now we need a similar vision—an Apollo initiative for energy independence, mobilizing science and technology and investing in energy efficiency and alternative energy.
The benefits are immense. We can create jobs, capture growing global green energy markets, eliminate our dependence on Persian Gulf oil, reduce our trade deficit, improve our children's health and end the catastrophic threat of global warming. It's time to act.
THIS IS MUCH MORE IMPORTANT THAN SENDING A MAN TO THE MOON.
"Determination and perseverance will bring your goal to fruition" – never give-up

In 1963 a book written by R. Buckminster Fuller predicted our present situation.

He forecasted the problems and offered realistic solutions.

The name of the book is " Operating manual for Spacship Earth."

He suggested that the moon can act as an alternator as it creates Tidal Power in the oceans.

Non polluting, non fossil fuels.Providing electricity that is being used in Wales, New Zealand, South Korea.

We have thousands of miles of shoreline and can use tidal and solar to power our country.

Natural gas powered cars are a bridge to electric cars.

Fuller recommended that we all drive electric cars that will be plugged into a charging grid as ubiqutous as parking meters at the curb and activated by our credit cards or plugged in at home. 

He stated that there is enough of everything in the world to end world hunger. It is just mismanaged. Fear of lack is the cause of all evil and wars.

Do yourself a favor and read this book. No, I do not own stock in the book. It just says everything better than I can.