Showing posts with label bio mass. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bio mass. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

In my opinion...There is NO Energy Shortage

Let's have a  rambling energy discussion shall we?

All the rage over the past ten years there have been too many pundits crying about some "looming"   ENERGY CRISIS.

But, when I look around me,  or dig through any manner of intelligent magazines or newspapers, there is massive evidence to the contrary. There are so many forms of energy already being utilized and there are therefore unlimited ways in which to tap it .

There's the "E=MCsquared" formula which Einstein coined.
So basically "anything" .....any item and object in and around our earth has potential energy contained within it simply because it exists. The question is simply how to coerce energy out of these objects in the most viable manner. What is possible is not always financially practical....and may be simply too awkward to pursue.

The bottom line seems to be that there are enormous financial obstacles as well as the huge invisible hand of the business and political community. Let's start by admitting that the world isn't running out of energy!!

 There is something also called "The Law of the Conservation of Matter" which according to my limited  scientific understanding would also support the idea that there really is no lack of energy in our world.....things simply change form....they actually NEVER lose their "mass" a.k.a their "weight".

Therefore, if an item has a weight to it....then it exists and can be plugged into the "E=MCsquared"
formula. Every "thing" has potential energy contained within it, just because it exists or has weight.
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Ok, 'nuff about that.... Now let me spout about the related issue of financial support and political will.
With all the current and more "well known" energy technologies such as
geo-thermal energy, solar energy, wind energy, wave energy, hydro electric energy, and
bio-mass energy.....it seems to me that what is lacking is simply the political and "business" will to support and mass market these newer technologies. When governments pull up their sleeves and start REALLY supporting these alternative energy forms......it may actually create a society in which regular consumers can choose which energies to utilize for their regular and business activities instead of being forced to simply plug into their regular province or statewide electrical grid. But that would mean FRAGMENTING the energy marketplace instead of CONSOLIDATING it. Both fragmenting and consolidating the energy marketplace have very different financial consequences. Consolidation brings in space for HUGE monopolized conglomerates.

Fragmenting the energy marketplace would gives us humble consumers MANY choices and options. However, governments and business people may not be too excited to pursue a fragmented energy marketplace because it dilutes the potential clout of A HUGE energy CONGLOMERATE.

Permit me to be a little long winded today...(.If you want short blurbs...visit Twitter ok?)
For a real life example......In my area of Ontario, Canada, where I reside, there are numerous road construction projects underway.
What caught my eye are the orange colored traffic control lights and flashing signs that are solar powered, with easily visible little black solar panels keeping them humming along.

Now, I would like to know....why is it that the construction industry has figured out the cost efficiency of using solar powered gadgets on road projects, but the average regular "consumer" is still stuck plugging everything into the usual grid???

If there really was loud and vocal support for solar power in my neck of the woods, I would assume that at least HALF of the appliances and gadgets in my home could operate independently from the solar/wind energy that I could collect, generate and process on my own home turf.

Why is it that the government has only supported solar projects that feed back into the status quo
regular energy grid??? If I am going to produce/collect my own solar energy, I MIGHT NOT WANT TO SELL IT BACK into the electrical grid. I might just wanna be selfish and use it all up for me and my family and my neighbors. THAT would be REAL energy independence. THAT would also protect me and my family from any province wide blackouts ...that happen when you utilize a public electrical grid.
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I find it really strange that "energy independence" is all the rage to help "develop" rural African communities and regular folks are being empowered "literally" to buy and install solar power cells onto the roofs of their humble tin roofs, thus creating a very low cost, sustainable and INDEPENDENT power source for
isolated rural individuals and families and small businesses in Africa.

What I don't understand is that there seems to be so little political will to doing the same for regular Canadians.  For the record...I am just really tired of paying electricity bills. It seems like
that cow is just being milked so staunchly that no one really wants to undermine that money making machine that is our utility grid. Don't even get me started on that proverbial "sliding scale" that gives lower energy prices for corporations instead of regular consumers.

Ok,  rant complete..... Peace,
Carla

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Thursday, May 2, 2013

Bio Fuels here we come!

Since I was a wee  one, I've had an interest in sources of energy. My highschool had me touring a nuclear plant....yes, a real one. It was most compelling and educational.
Now, I take it upon myself to learn about the new forms of sustainable energy that are being created at a heightened speed.
I just recently learned about Jatropha oil. It is a large plant that will grow easily in even poor soil, and it produces very large seeds that contain up to 40% oil! That large oil percentage is what can be readily turned into bio-diesel and mixed half and half with regular diesel can be utilized  easily in a high perfomance diesel engine.
Then, there is the interesting new technique of taking discarded fallen coconuts from the ground of a tropical zone  and expelling oil from the coconut's to produce environmentally friendly coconut oil. It is a beautiful sight to see. I recommend an introductory entry level documentary entitled
 "Green MATTERS, what in the world is going on? BIO FUELS" created  by www.filmideas.com

Then there are the modern mavericks who rig up an old bus that has a diesel engine and travel across North America using only recycled restaurant grease to power their bus. They mastered the technique of purifying
a variety of  "used" cooking oils such as Soy, fish oil, and palm oil and simply pour the filtered oils into their bus's diesel tank.

How wonderful. Wouldn't it be great if some day we will drive up to our local fueling center, and similar to a drive-thru, be able to choose our "favorite" fuel flavor for the day as easily as choosing our favorite ice cream cone?

Then there is the idea of hydrogen fuel cells that have zero emissions and can create fuel out of simply air and water. Biomass is also a compelling idea, with the availability of using almost any waste product as a fuel source with which to produce electricity for the masses.

It is truly an awesome time and season to be alive. Inventors and scientists, I salute you, and encourage you.... we are soooo close to a radical paradigm shift in the society of modern man.