Future sources of energy

[TremblingBluStar]

I recently read the Kevin Phillips book American Theocracy, and the first 1/3 of the book (the only part worth reading, IMO) lays out a sobering argument that America's dependence on oil, which has allowed America to build itself into the most powerful nation in the world, will soon bring the nation, and possibly the world economy to its knees as dependence on oil as a source of energy faces dwindling reserves and rising prices.

The author also points out the fact that no American president since Jimmy Carter has made any effort whatsoever to move America away from oil to alternative sources of fuel. Other Presidents, especially the Bushes and Clinton, focused on increasing energy reserves through acquisitions and wars, which is treating the symptom while ignoring the underlying problem.

I'll be honest - this book is disturbing. While it's not new to me that oil is being used up, and that we need new sources of fuel, I have never thought about just how much the world economy, and America's in particular, depends on oil.

I thought I'd ask here what everybody thinks about this topic. What energy sources will drive the world economies in the future, and where will America's place in the world be? Worst case, I am afraid that our ignorance in not developing alternatives while allowing our manufacturing base to move overseas will thrust this nation into another great depression.

Nuclear energy seems at this point to be the cheapest and most reliable way to go. Unfortunately, no new nuclear reactor has been built in the U.S. in 30+ years.

 

[GodThingFormerly]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power_satellite

TGT

 

[Ariadne]

Nuclear energy seems at this point to be the cheapest and most reliable way to go. Unfortunately, no new nuclear reactor has been built in the U.S. in 30+ years.

The Global Nuclear Energy Partnership calls for (among other things) building Generation IV reactors in developed countries.

(That'll only deal with the electricity part, though. And you'll still need some hydrocarbon generators to deal with peaking when the sun/wind stop).

 

[TremblingBluStar]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power_satellite

TGT

That's a fascinating idea, but I don't see it happening in our lifetime.

 

[SamuraiBlue]

The dependence of oil is not just out of convenience but is deeply rooted in as the driving force of the US economy in more than just an energy source.
Since transaction currency of oil was set exclusively in US dollar and the market price was rigged to match Mexican gulf oil prices that consists only 0.2% of the total global transaction amount, the federal banks and US oil companies were able to ensure that all transaction will be carried out where the US wills act as the middleman to gain commission.
This is why after the adoption of the floating exchange rate system by Nixon, most administrations did not dare touch the energy policy since it would also spell the demise of the US economy.
This convenient leeching relationship had been challenged by Iraq in the end of the 90's and recently by Iran. This is one of the prominent reason why they are/were targeted by the US. This also one of the reasons why the French did not side with the US in the second Gulf war since they were negotiating with Iraq to include the Euro as an alternative transaction currency. This is one of the untold intentions of "food for oil" incident scandalized by the media.
Now that the US had lost it's grip on oil with Russia ranked as the second largest oil reserves announcing their plans to develop an oil future index of their own inviting the Euro as transaction currency, US needed to find an alternative resource that can be controlled by the US to maintain it's present economic prosperity, that is the agenda of Bush's Corn as Bio-fuel proclamation aiming at since the US controls the grain future index being the largest grain export nation.

At the end it all boils down to money, nothing more nothing less.

 

[philbob]

Geo thermal boring, underwater wave current power stations, more Dams, orbital power solar power stations, off coast wind generation, new generation nuclear power stations....there are lost of options jsut no political will...but the best option is power conservation....Im going to go turn off the lights i have on in rooms im not in right now

 

[All Seeing Eye]

Well I like the way the UK is going, we're focusing on building a hell of a lot more offshore wind farms, we're building new Nuclear power stations and other forms of clean energy power-plants, there's even a review taking place regarding the construction of a hydroelectric dam across the Bristol Channel. I'm not a fan of nuclear but I think for the short term it will have to be the route to take, the sooner we reduce our dependancy on oil the better.

I think thats one of the main positives of the UK being within the EU, the EU sets emission targets and the member countries have to meet the target.

 

[SamuraiBlue]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power_satellite

TGT

That's a fascinating idea, but I don't see it happening in our lifetime.

Oh don't be so pessimistic, here are some information concerning the research done in Japan concerning Space Solar Power System or SSPS for short.

http://www.iat.jaxa.jp/res/amrc/ssps/image/ssps_pamphlet.pdf

It says here they have already developed a 10Kw class experimental Laser SSPS and are ready to test it.

Here is information concerning the lasar;
http://www.iat.jaxa.jp/info/prm/2007/021/05.html

And are targeting 10Mw laser system in 2020 and a 40Mw system in 2025.
As for Micro wave system they are targeting a 250Mw system in 2025 and a 1Gw system around 2030 at 8yen/Kwh.

 

[Meredith]

Oh don't be so pessimistic, here are some information concerning the research done in Japan concerning Space Solar Power System or SSPS for short.

http://www.iat.jaxa.jp/res/amrc/ssps/image/ssps_pamphlet.pdf

It says here they have already developed a 10Kw class experimental Laser SSPS and are ready to test it.

Here is information concerning the lasar;
http://www.iat.jaxa.jp/info/prm/2007/021/05.html

And are targeting 10Mw laser system in 2020 and a 40Mw system in 2025.
As for Micro wave system they are targeting a 250Mw system in 2025 and a 1Gw system around 2030 at 8yen/Kwh.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gundam_00

Yeah this series's solar power system is impressive, kinda like a giant ass ring around the planet.

 

[Deleted 2]

Oil is not just a source of energy, it's also a very convenient store of energy. It's like a portable, infinitely divisible battery pack that can power anything from oil lamps to hospital emergency generators, and can be stored in a jerrycan in a shed for decades without losing its potency.

I can't think of a man-made alternative that beats oil in terms of all-round convenience.

 

[Stormrage]

Me personally I think it will be Nuclear Fisson and then later in the future Fusion. The only problem are the idiots running wanting to reduce CO2 but still thinking of Chernybol.

 

[Trekker4747]

Me personally I think it will be Nuclear Fisson and then later in the future Fusion. The only problem are the idiots running wanting to reduce CO2 but still thinking of Chernybol.

Pretty much it. Fission Reactors, and their waste, can be built and transported remarkably safely and have very, very, minimal side-effects and produce large numbers of energy wih no discernable pollution other than some nuclear material than we can just chuck into Yuck! A mountain! Er... Yucca Mountain and forget about.

But the nutties who get all their information on nuclear energy from 1950s short films won't let it happen.

 

[James Bond]

I'm particularly fond of (as of now) theoretical energy sources such as Cold Fusion, Anti-Matter, and Zero Point Energy.

 

[philbob]

Dont forget artifical singualties

 

[Bill Morris]

Nuclear: Under GNEP, the weapon states and Japan would do the enrichment and reprocessing to provide fuel for light-water reactors in other countries. Japan is working on dealing with nuclear waste by separating out the americium and curium then purifying them before "burning" them in a reactor. All this would take decades to get into full swing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Nuclear_Energy_Partnership

Fusion: Dr. Robert Bussard (after whom Bussard collectors on Federations starships were named) died recently, but work continues on his next polywell fusion device, which has a reasonable chance of leading to viable fusion power generation. His last one showed real promise.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polywell

CSP: This I explained in the thread Solar power in the Sahara. It's not based on solar panels but parabolic trough mirrors that focus sunlight on an oil pipe, and the hot oil in turn imparts heat to molten salt, which retains heat overnight so that conventional turbines can generate electricity round the clock. This is being done in Algeria, Australia, and the U.S., mainly. A $2 billion CSP array is being built in the Mojave Desert.
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/csp.html
http://jcwinnie.biz/wordpress/?p=1979

 

[SamuraiBlue]

If nations finished research and develpment of Algaculture then our problem concerning oil-dependent society and carbon emission problems would be solved in not time since algae creates the most amount of bio-diesel per unit area of land, various types of nutrients including household sewage can be used to cultivate, it is fast growing, it does not choose the type of water whether it be fresh, brackish, or sea water and the the squeezed left over can be used further to create ethanol or as animal feed.

 

[Brandonv]

Ray Kurzweil believes that we will be able to meet our energy needs with solar.

Solar Power to Rule in 20 Years, Futurists Say

BOSTON — He predicted the fall of the Soviet Union. He predicted the explosive spread of the Internet and wireless access.

Now futurist and inventor Ray Kurzweil is part of distinguished panel of engineers that says solar power will scale up to produce all the energy needs of Earth's people in 20 years.

There is 10,000 times more sunlight than we need to meet 100 percent of our energy needs, he says, and the technology needed for collecting and storing it is about to emerge as the field of solar energy is going to advance exponentially in accordance with Kurzweil's Law of Accelerating Returns. That law yields a doubling of price performance in information technologies every year.

 

[anti-matter]

It's a mystery to me why coal has been neglected during this debate. Here in America we have massive coal reserves...just laying dormant. In WWII the land locked Germans processed its coal to liquid form that fueled its war effort.

Sure coal has a 'dirty' reputation but with our modern tech R&D funds should be invested to research coal till a clean burning alternative is discovered.

Oil is almost perfect as a fossil fuel ...nothing will ever replace it. But through a combination of solar, wind, coal and everything else we should eventually become self sufficient from buying oil from those that hate us.

 

[TerriO]

For that matter, anti-matter, the Irish figured out a way to power their cars using peat during WWII as well. There's another potential source.

 

[Brent]

Fusion is the future, I just wish it would happen sooner rather than later.