by orz » Mon 14 Nov 2005, 00:20:14
I think Dukat's beliefs are naive. We WILL need to back down consumption loads for transition to suceed. However, your statement:
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 't')he energy to put panels into space will burn more oil than running those panels for 20 years will produce.
If you are a company doing that, remind me not to invest in it, thanks.
If it was profitable it would already ahve been done.
there is no other energy than oil for mass consumer use.
Drive up to my house with another form of car and show me,
hydrogen dont count, it is produced from methane comercially.
if there are tons of alternate energies, name just one.
thanks, maybe I can switch my car over to it.
P.S. Do you know how many barrels of oil we are going to burn just MAKING this alternate energy lifestyle? It is extimated if we use up all our resources to amke a mass produced energy that is unrelated to oil, it will be less efficient, and we used up all our oil making it.
No win scenario.
Is patently false. Even on LATOC, Matt says that the old fashioned solar panels had a 4:1 EROEI over their lives. The new tech coming out is a great deal more efficient. Consider
www.nanosolar.com
Keep in mind that this company has the tech and and is planning to mass produce within 5 years at maximum for under $1 each. Also, we now use fossil fuels to run the production plants because its available, but with a positive EROEI, the plant could be self sustaining, if necessary. That is, the first crop of panels are produced with oil. Then this crop is used to produce the energy for further expansion.
In addition to solar, wind has great potential and basic generators can be built by hand with simple tools, and will stand a long time. Finland, for example gets 20% of its power from wind.
Some areas will be able to get energy from hydro. New Zealand gets 75% of its electricity from hydro, one of the main reasons it will probably remain stable post peak.
And of course, nuclear. Bush said we will resume nuclear construction by 2010, and this was approved on the energy bill. It's a step in the right direction.