ChatterBank3 mins ago
Who needs the oil?
A scenario, (bear with me, It came to me whilst walking the dog:)
By the end of the year a group of american scientists release a paper that they say will change the world.
They have discovered/invented a new energy source which is not only cleaner, more efficient and safer but it is also cheaper than oil.
They state that North america will not need a single drop of oil within ten years and the rest of the western world will be unreliant in twenty years; the world in forty.
Is it fantasy or does the technology already exist. If not would governments and big buisness suppress the technology? What effect would it have on the global economy or the politics of the middle east and gulf states? It will run out some day so what are the consequences?
By the end of the year a group of american scientists release a paper that they say will change the world.
They have discovered/invented a new energy source which is not only cleaner, more efficient and safer but it is also cheaper than oil.
They state that North america will not need a single drop of oil within ten years and the rest of the western world will be unreliant in twenty years; the world in forty.
Is it fantasy or does the technology already exist. If not would governments and big buisness suppress the technology? What effect would it have on the global economy or the politics of the middle east and gulf states? It will run out some day so what are the consequences?
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They have the Hayle project down here looking at wave technology, Jake, four projects to generate 20 MWh - at least that's a scale up and should give an interesting look at the learning curve costs.....
NIMBYism agree - but then the local community does need to be bought in and, down here, that is not done - Fintry in Scotland is a superb example of that, the village buying a tower, largely financed by Highlands and Islands, the profits into a village coop being steered into environmental projects such as top notch insulation and boilers throughout the community. Lot of good practice to be built on there...
NIMBYism agree - but then the local community does need to be bought in and, down here, that is not done - Fintry in Scotland is a superb example of that, the village buying a tower, largely financed by Highlands and Islands, the profits into a village coop being steered into environmental projects such as top notch insulation and boilers throughout the community. Lot of good practice to be built on there...
Room temperature superconductor:
http://tinyurl.com/d8qgwrf
http://tinyurl.com/d8qgwrf
looks a bit superheated to me Rojash!
The largest tidal power station in the world produces 250MW about 1/3 of a conventional coal fired one.
It's hard to make them scale as there's a fixed amount of water you can capture and the tide only goes so high making them inefficient from a land use perspective compared to conventional hyro.
They are cheap though so I dare say they'll always be with us but I don't think they'll have a significant impact on the world's energy problems
The largest tidal power station in the world produces 250MW about 1/3 of a conventional coal fired one.
It's hard to make them scale as there's a fixed amount of water you can capture and the tide only goes so high making them inefficient from a land use perspective compared to conventional hyro.
They are cheap though so I dare say they'll always be with us but I don't think they'll have a significant impact on the world's energy problems
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