Energy development | One Lifetime Blog

It amazes me, with the technological level of present day that we are still using carbon based fuels. You would think by now solar, wind and hydropower technologies would have advanced enough to become our primary sources of energy. Though I believe a lot of the problem is the greed of the corporations that supply the carbon based fuels, they can not monopolize the sun, wind or water and can not make enough profit off of such abundant and renewable energy sources. Unfortunately greed and the lust of power still plagues our world in both the private and governmental sectors. I understand the need for profit, but not at the expense of the earth or the species that live on it.

If our president wants to make a change towards greener energies then let us invest in the current technologies and help advance them to the point of making them more efficient. Solar power is one of the most promising energy technologies we have, if we can improve the percentage of the sun’s power we can harvest with solar panels from approximately 7% to around 25% or 30% it could make solar the best choice for green energy. Combine solar, wind and hydropower and we could cut down or eliminate the need for less eco-friendly energy sources. One of the downsides of going green is it will eliminate the need for coal as a main fuel source in generating energy which in turn will put countless coal miners out of work along with many small businesses that rely on the coal industry and its workers for an income. So if we are going to move towards greener technologies we must remember to put the industries involved in green tech creation in the areas that rely on coal as an economical source in order to supply new jobs for those that will be lost.

In the end we will either have to go green tech or alternative energy tech of some sort because there is only so much coal, oil and natural gas on this planet. I just hope we remember the people who will be negatively affected by the closing of coal mines and other industries during the transitional period. If we cause economical distress during the transition between traditional and green energy tech we will do more harm than good. Until solar, wind and hydropower technologies are advanced enough to replace our present power sources we need to at least invest in clean coal technologies in order to make our energy creation more earth friendly.

Just a few thoughts on the problems at hand..

Ray Barbier

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Green tech cost assessments must be country-specific (scidev.net)
Reported new DARPA chief brings true geek, dash of green tech controversy (engadget.com)
Grey skies for the green energy industry (macleans.ca)
In Response to Frenemies – Why Solar and Natural Gas Will Be Central to US Energy Policy (realgyenergyservices.wordpress.com)
Utilizing Alternative Energy Sources for a Cleaner Environment (camillegabie.typepad.com)
Going Green With Renewable Energy (everydayhealth.com)
Common Misconceptions about Alternative Energy Sources (solarfeeds.com)
RENEWABLE ENERGY – Wind Power AND Solar Power (alternativeenergy.onlineempirebizone.com)
Ireland and green growth (siliconrepublic.com)
Video: Green-tech bust Solyndra busted for abandoning toxic waste – Hot Air (hotair.com)

Where do we go from here? The world is suffering from earthquakes and extreme weather while there is civil unrest happening across the globe. Governments being toppled by both protests and warfare. The people want change from east to west and they starting to act upon their desires. Luckily here in the U.S. we can do it through political channels and also we can create change by utilizing all the media avenues available. The internet gives the people a power to express their concerns and to assemble as a political force like never before. So with all the sever weather, earthquakes and civil unrest in the world, where are we heading?

Seems we are at some kind of crossroads and which way we go depends on the choices the people in power make. With the fact oil is becoming less attractive as a fuel/energy source we desperately need to invest in alternative fuels and energy sources. Solar is the cleanest choice for energy though the current solar cells are still only capture a fraction of the sunlight’s energy. Still a viable energy source but the technology needs to be improved so we can capture higher percentages of the energy coming from the sun. Wind power works well but only when there is sufficient wind speed. Hydropower is the best out of the lot due to rivers are continuously flowing allowing for a constant energy source. This leads to the fact that batteries used to store energy also need to be improved so solar and wind power both can be good alternative energy sources.

The fact all three of the before mentioned power sources are renewable energy sources unlike oil, natural gas or coal they are the best bets for our future energy sources. We still face the problem of transportation and their use of combustible carbon based fuels. Besides the growing cost due to higher demand and that eventually the oil deposits will run dry, the toxic fumes the exhaust of such vehicles is harmful to both earth and the life that lives on it. The only alternatives at this time to petroleum-based fuels are Electric powered vehicles or using natural gas, hydrogen or a synthetic fuel. Though I have heard of a compressed air powered vehicle being built-in the U.K.

If we survive the present problems in this world we just might figure a more efficient and less toxic or wasteful way to power our homes and a better way to propel our vehicles. Maybe the civil unrest will bring more of a positive change than a negative one. Only god knows and only time can tell.

Just a collection of random thoughts.
Raymond Barbier