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Green Energy Now, And On The Tide
thpr writes "The Electric Power Research Institute and its partners have completed their Offshore Wave Power Feasibility Demonstration Project, which defined potential wave energy projects off the shores of the United States. This is building off of work already done in Scotland (and elsewhere). San Francisco, New York and other areas are considering trial installations of the technology. It is interesting to note (table 1 in the report) that the energy density (kW/m^2) that can be achieved is much higher than wind or solar. In addition, harnessing 24% of available wave energy near the US at 50% efficiency is equal to all of the hydropower currently generated in the US (~7% of total electricity production). On a separate note, in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's $1.2B 2006 budget the Department of Energy is closing out the Hydropower Technologies Program. Maybe that's why this technology is missing from our National Energy Policy?" Until it reaches maturity, though, U.S. readers can pay for other forms of green energy.
Generating energy by tidal friction slows the planet's rotation, which could eventually send the Earth hurtling out of the solar system. Burning coal you lung disease, and nuclear power gives you cancer. Natural gas smells funny. There's no free lunch.
Oh, please. "We know it's the future?" We don't even know if it's theoretically possible! We don't even have a model of a way of producing electricity from fusion that's anywhere near the efficiency of plain-oil nuclear steam generation.
...and for all we know, it may stay that way forever.
Fusion is ten years away from being practical
I suggest you read this on nuclea power. You might change your tune.
And btw, we have lots of green technologies available now, it's just that it's way too lucrative for the oil/nuclear/etc industry (especially since they are so heavily subsidized) to let go.. And so they spend massive amount of cash to convince the public that they are indispensable.
Treehugger? Treehugger... Treehugger!
Well Slashdot poster # 720774, you are officially fired. You can pick up your last pay.. er, never mind. Keep doing what you were doing.
Saying Java is nice because it works on all OS's is like saying that anal sex is nice because it works on all genders.
How much of your own money do you currently give to fusion research?
Unless you are already voluntarily spending 10% of your gross income on fusion research I don't much respect your willingness to vote to spend 10% of my money, even though I thnk it is a very worthy cause, as such things go.
Exam 4/C again. Maybe I'll do better this time.