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May 11, 2007
Feel the power
All the energy we could ever need is all around us, there for the taking.
Solar, wind, water (rivers and tides), geothermal, they've been there since the year one and they'll still be there when we're finally ready to seriously tap them.
No need to measure carbon footprints because there won't be any.
Then there's all the energy each of us generates in our daily activities: if a self-winding watch can take advantage, why can't we store up the energy lost with every motion and footstep for use later?
Regenerative braking is just a preview of coming attractions.
I see methods for converting lost/unused sources of energy into usable power as the fundamental transforming technology of the first half of the 21st century.
Look for fusion sometime between 2050 and 2100, after more than a century of "real soon now."
Zero-point energy will arrive circa 2400, give or take a hundred years.
Better wear your best shades, though — things are gonna be very bright.
May 11, 2007 at 10:01 AM | Permalink
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Comments
ScienceChic, are you talking about fusion power when you refer to 'high level radioactivity'? It's really not much of a problem (and there are ways of eliminating it entirely.) But, given fusion's long history as vaporware and SkipWeasel's observation, conservation if a good idea in the short ~and long run.
Posted by: dccarles | Nov 16, 2007 10:54:35 AM
The biggest problem with free unlimited energy without byproducts (which zero point energy has the potential to be)is the only byproduct - heat. At present, global warming is driven by solar gain - but if we're producing such vast amount of energy within the environment we'll have to find some way to dump the heat, which is what (almost) every joule generated will end up as.
Giant radiators pointing at dark sky? Skyshades, drawing a blind across the noonday sun?
Posted by: Skipweasel | May 11, 2007 1:22:00 PM
Oh good. Carbon footprints vs. high level radioactivity. I don't suppose conservation and an examination of what is really necessary comes into play here? Fool's paradise.
Posted by: ScienceChic | May 11, 2007 10:09:28 AM
