(Alternative energy) The Likely Development Of Hydrogen Supplies For The UK
No commentsBy James Nash
There are several ways of making hydrogen in the UK. The cheapest way is to convert natural gas into hydrogen by a process called reformation. Reforming natural gas into hydrogen produces CO2 but no more than burning it. However, using the hydrogen in a hydrogen fuelcell or using the natural gas itself in a natural gas fuelcell produces at least twice as much useful energy for a given amount of natural gas than burning it (in a natural gas fuelcell the natural gas is ‘reformed’ inside the fuelcell).
Therefore to get the best use from natural gas we should endeavour to use it in fuelcells, either directly or after reforming it into hydrogen. Natural gas fuelcells will be a good bridge technology to a hydrogen-powered world.
Natural gas, i.e. methane, is a powerful greenhouse gas, 10 times more effective than CO2, so we should use up all the natural gas on Earth by burning it or using it in fuelcells before it escapes and adds to global warming. Commercial pressures are achieving this anyway and in due course natural gas will become scarce so we need to develop alternative ways to make hydrogen.
We should not rely on converting coal into hydrogen because obviously coal is not a greenhouse gas so to create CO2 as a by-product of converting coal into hydrogen is not justifiable on greenhouse gas priorities. However to convert coal into a gas suitable for use in fuelcells is better from a minimising the production of atmospheric CO2 point of view than simply burning coal as we used to. This technology may be a good way ahead for India and China to use some of their vast coal deposits.
But the UK and Europe cannot go back to increasing our reliance on coal because most of the CO2 emissions savings to date have been achieved by switching from coal to natural gas! If we did go back to coal we would be back to where we started in 1990. Nuclear power is not acceptable. So we do need to get on with developing alternative ways of making hydrogen. In the UK and Europe we are becoming dependent on natural gas which because of increasing use is going to become progressively more expensive and will eventually run out.
There are four main alternative methods available at present for producing hydrogen without producing CO2 or adding more CO2 to the atmosphere:
1) The electrolysis of water using electricity from renewable resources such as wind power, hydro-power and solar photo-voltaic cells. This method produces no carbon dioxide.
2) The chemical or thermal reformation of biomass feedstocks such as SRC (short rotation coppice) wood chips or methanol manufactured from biomass. This method releases carbon dioxide but it is all recycled by the growth of more biomass.
3) The biological reformation of biomass using micro-organisms. This method releases carbon dioxide but it is all recycled by the growth of more biomass.
4) The direct splitting of water using light with special catalysts or extreme heat, this method produces no carbon dioxide.
Of these four processes only the production of hydrogen by the electrolysis of water using electricity generated by offshore wind power is viable on a large multigigawatt scale in the UK.
Offshore wind power is the only large (ie multigigawatts) UK resource of clean renewable electricity that is likely to be available in the near future. Sufficient onshore wind power capacity is unlikely to get planning permission and the other renewables do not have sufficient capacity. The hydrogen will be manufactured in factories at the coast.
The hydrogen produced will be used for road transport applications, initially urban buses and, later on, cars.
In due course if solar-photo-voltaic (PV) electricity generation in North Africa becomes established, hydrogen, manufactured by the electrolysis of water, using the solar-PV electricity in North Africa, could be transmitted by gas pipelines across the Mediterranean Sea and throughout Europe and north into the UK. The hydrogen could then be used as a transport fuel or it could be converted into electricity and heat in fuelcell based cogeneration systems. Production could start in S. E. Spain and then expand into North Africa.
Assuming these developments take place then as a first step, the hydrogen from North Africa could be injected into the existing natural gas pipelines supplying the existing UK natural gas grid to enhance the energy value of the natural gas. This already occurs in the USA. Before we changed over to North Sea natural gas, we used town gas made from coal which was over 50% hydrogen.
The enriched natural gas will continue to be burned in existing central heating systems and cookers but new domestic systems will be based on fuelcells for the cogeneration of electricity and heat.
If hydrogen injection into existing natural gas pipelines is adopted, then only a small proportion of hydrogen can be injected because all of the gas appliances running on natural gas are sensitive to the proportions of different gasses in the gas mixture supplied. However, the volume of hydrogen to be delivered using this technique will be quite small relative to the volume of natural gas being delivered and so the gas mixture would be acceptable. It would not be possible however to keep increasing the proportion of hydrogen injected as hydrogen production increases.
What gas injection offers is an early route to market for the initial small scale production of hydrogen before separate hydrogen pipelines are built. When hydrogen becomes the main energy carrier, then sections of the natural gas grid will be changed to 100% hydrogen and the existing gas appliances in the area served will have to be adjusted to burn hydrogen. This is what happened when we changed from town gas - which was over 50% hydrogen - to North Sea gas.
Hydrogen injection is a way of integrating hydrogen into the existing natural gas system. It enables existing appliances to be used to burn the hydrogen and so provide a market for early production. The enriched natural gas can also be used to run natural gas fuelcells or can be reformed at the point of use to give hydrogen for use in hydrogen fuelcells. This enables fuelcells to be introduced alongside existing appliances all using the same fuel supply system.
Eventually the whole country will go over to 100% hydrogen, the gas grid will be increased in capacity and it is possible that the national electricity grid will no longer be required as the generation of electricity becomes locally based, using hydrogen fuelcell cogeneration systems.
The hydrogen-powered cogeneration systems will range in size from less than 1 kW up to 100s of MW. These systems will be located in single homes, large buildings or serve whole communities from a cogeneration centre.
Another likely route of hydrogen supply to the UK will be as liquid hydrogen delivered by ocean tanker from Canada, where hydroelectricity will be used to electrolyse water, or from Iceland where electricity from geothermal power may be used to electrolyse water.
In the early 1990s the EEC developed at the Joint Research Centre at Ispra in Italy the concept of the Euro-Quebec Hydro-Hydrogen Project for transporting liquid hydrogen across the Atlantic in special ship mounted barges. And in Iceland there is now an Icelandic government project to change the whole country over to a hydrogen-based energy system.
In due course there will be a world-wide trade in liquid hydrogen that will underpin each individual country’s pipeline based systems. Liquid hydrogen supplies will provide security of supply and boost availability in winter by moving surplus summer production of hydrogen around the world. If there is an accident with a hydrogen tanker the hydrogen will boil away with no pollution. The process of liquefaction dissipates about 30% of the energy in the hydrogen, so pipeline distribution of hydrogen as a gas will always be the preferred option for bulk distribution.
James Nash is a climate scientist with Greatest Planet (www.greatestplanet.org). Greatest Planet is a non-profit environmental organization specialising in carbon offset investments.
James Nash is solely responsible for the contents of this article.
Alternative Energy from the Ocean
By Miarti Tal
Although it sounds like a very modern scientific term - OTEC or Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion was first used by the Jacques D’Arsonval a French engineer back in 1881. Despite how old it is, the only operational plant on the planet (at the time of writing) is in Hawaii. The demand to finance this potential alternative energy source for further study is way beyond what most governments are prepared to go. This is despite the current escalating environment issues and the need to save the living environment and preserve as much as possible of the remaining natural environment.
Ocean thermal energy cannot add pollutants into the air because it burns in a very clean manner but it is a complicated process. Unintentionally, due to the disruptive effects that most of our current technologies give out to our environment and society, setting up OTEC plants can not avoid inflicting damages to any locality.
There are three kinds of OTEC:
- Closed Cycle OTEC uses a low-boiling point liquid such as, for example, propane to act as an intermediate fluid. The Ocean Thermal Energy Plant use water from the sea which is pumped into a chamber converting the gas to liquid. rotates large turbines. Once this process has been completed, the resultant liquid is converted back to it’s gas state by using cold sea water to cool it.
The primary difference between the Closed Cycle and the Open Cycle Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion methods is that the Open Cycle doe not require the use of the intermediate liquid. All that is used with this system is the sea water itself. Warm surface water is converted into a low pressure vapor by in a vacuum.
When low-pressure vapor is released in a focused area, it will then have the control to drive the turbine. To cool down the vapor and create desalinated water for human consumption, the deeper ocean’s cold waters are added to the vapor after it has generated sufficient electricity.
Since the Hybrid Cycle Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion is yet to be explored, it will remain to be just a theory and nothing more unless acted upon. Bringing about the notion that we could make maximum usage of the ocean waters’ thermal energy is just the main purpose of the theory. Two sub-theories are actually contained in the theory of Hybrid Cycling. Of the theories involved, the first one discusses the use of a closed cycling which will then be the way to create the vacuum environment needed for open cycling to generate electricity. Following on from this is the second part which incorporates two open cycle plants that will produce twice the drinking water than one open cycle plant.
Apart from generating electricity on demand, a closed cycle production plant can also be employed in the treatment of chemicals. Moreover, refrigeration and air conditioning are other areas to which the used of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion plants with both open cycling and close cycling kinds can be very beneficial by pumping up cold deep sea water. The water around the plants during the process can also be used to help promote fish farming projects as well. Utilizing this alternative energy source can surely lead us to derive a selection of products and services.
Find out about alternative sources of energy, , green natural environment and more at Earth-Sustainable-Development Site or visit http://earth-sustainable-development.com/
The Potential Of Hydrogen Based Energy
By James Nash
This article illustrates the potential of hydrogen based energy systems. We want to show you that if the world chooses to follow the hydrogen road then all the basic technology is available now, we are not waiting for research breakthroughs.
The cost of changing to a hydrogen-powered world will not be excessive, especially if the external costs of pollution and ill health associated with fossil fuels are taken into account as credits towards the cost of using hydrogen as a clean fuel with no external costs. Only when hydrogen enters a market at small volumes is there going to be a cost problem and we will just have to find ways around these temporary obstacles.
The following sections will show you how to calculate the cost of changing to hydrogen. See for yourself, if you think our input figures are wrong then you can substitute your own and see if a hydrogen powered world is feasible. We would be very pleased to have some feedback on this because it is difficult to get well documented information on costs.
If global warming is partly or wholly due to atmospheric CO2 produced by the use of fossil fuels, then the hydrogen energy system described here is one way of producing more energy for the world without adding more CO2 to the atmosphere that would make global warming worse.
Global warming will have adverse effects on climate and will lead to rising sea levels flooding towns, cities and farmland.
We cannot realistically expect to reduce the total world use of energy because only a quarter of the world’s population are using approximately three quarters of the world’s current energy production. This a quarter of the world’s population are unlikely to make the reductions in use required to accommodate increases in energy use by the three quarters of the world’s population currently needing more energy supplies.
Some people advocate cutting back the consumption of resources and energy generally as the way to a sustainable future. But the dynamics (i.e. increasingly capitalist ) and realities of the world’s population and economies are such that a peaceful global reduction in consumption is not possible. What is needed is environmentally sustainable growth of world production to meet human needs. This will require an increasing supply of clean pollution-free energy and the recycling of the Earth’s material resources which will also involve using more energy.
A hydrogen based system offers totally clean energy supplies with no pollution. The system is based on renewable sources of electricity and uses hydrogen as an energy carrier/fuel that is able to replace all existing uses of fossil fuels. The hydrogen energy system could meet all the world’s energy needs forever.
It is more likely that the argument over what to do about global warming is going to be won by people who say what can be done and not by people who say what cannot be done. The hydrogen energy system offers a way out of our energy supply impasse.
The hydrogen energy system is a simple concept, it is based on current technology and would not be particularly expensive. Water, which comes from the atmosphere as rain, is converted into hydrogen and oxygen by electrolysis using clean renewable electricity. The hydrogen, which is an energy carrier and fuel, is then transported to where energy is needed and at the point of use the hydrogen combines with atmospheric oxygen to form water which returns to the atmosphere as water vapour. The exchange of water and oxygen via the atmosphere is always in balance and there is no pollution.
James Nash is a climate scientist with Greatest Planet (www.greatestplanet.org). Greatest Planet is a non-profit environmental organization specialising in carbon offset investments.
James Nash is solely responsible for the contents of this article.
(Energy conservation) Attention All Greenies; Do It Yourself Alternative Energy Ideas!
No commentsBy Kristi Ambrose
Alright, so you don’t have to be an official greenie to read this or to follow anything on this page, you can also be a greenie in training! It’s been said since the 1980s and even earlier on that there was a huge hole forming in the ozone from things like methane gases from garbage dumps, animals becoming extinct because of littering, and polar ice caps melting and collapsing piece by piece because of the rising temperatures. Isn’t it about time we start saving the place we live in, rather than hurting it even more?
You can easily find ways online, to start participating in this process, as well as find tons of information on energy saving tips by using solar and wind generated energy. A few years ago these processes were absolutely unheard of. But through meticulous research and testing, people have finally figured out how we can use solar and wind energy to our advantages. One of the main things you might want to look for online are e-books! These types of informational guides include all sorts of interesting information on how to reduce energy costs, and help reduce the amount of energy that is used as well.
Let’s take a look at some stats. There are over 7 billion people on earth, granted a lot of these people don’t have electricity or tons of technology so lets just look at Americans for now. In 2007 the World Library Fact book stated that there were an estimated 301,139,947 people living in the United States. Now most of us know how we live. I’m not even super-techy and I have a ton of gadgets, electronics, and other things that use energy. I know I use up my fair of energy, and I can be as green as I wanna seem, but wasting energy is one of the biggest threats to our society. I’m sure we have all heard of the Energy Crisis by now? Its one of the reasons gas is so darn expensive nowadays!
For those you who don’t know exactly what this is; An energy crisis is any great price rise in the supply of energy resources to an economy (such as gas). It usually refers to the shortage of oil and additionally to electricity or other natural resources. An energy crisis may be referred to as an oil crisis, petroleum crisis, energy shortage, electricity shortage or electricity crisis. A major crack in the infrastructure is brought on by over consumption.
So how can we, as Americans, reduce the amount of energy we are wasting? Well, as stated in the beginning of this article, one way is to use solar power and wind power. I know this is going to sound stupid but just to make a very bold point; Sun doesn’t cost money and it doesn’t eat up energy, Wind doesn’t cost money and it doesn’t eat up energy. Makes sense right? That’s about as far in as I’ll go to try to explain things because from there it can get a little confusing which is one of the main reasons you should take a look at some of the e-books listed below:
Earth 4 Energy - A complete step-by-step guide. This guide will give you steps on how to build your own DIY solar and wind powered generators and it’s as easy as 1-2-3! This book contains some really terrific additions to make it easy to understand and comprehend, such as step-by-step instructions and illustrations!
Make Natural Power - A great All-In-One guide. This book has been chosen among many “green” friendly websites as the number 2 choice of all the books available out there (earth 4 energy being number 1). This is another easy to follow guide on how to build your own renewable energy resources.
Home Made Energy - Easy step-by-step methods. Bill Ford is the author of this book and he will teach you a plan that he came up with on how to beat the energy companies at their own dirty games. These energy systems can be implemented into anyone’s home for just a few dollars.
You can also find many other books available online, some of these e-books are free, some are not. In my experience even if you spend a few bucks on the e-books it usually means they are of higher quality than the ones you might find everyone rummaging around in for free. The books above are well worth the few bucks you might spend on them!
This author is a HUGE fan of Save on Energy Costs
The Process of Making Biodiesel
By Mike Hirn
Procedure for making Biodiesel.
Transforming vegetable oil and making it into a homemade fuel is one of the best option for optimizing cost against the use of petroleum diesel. Not only that but it is also very easy to do.
Nearly all the major European vehicle makers now provide their cars with warranties on the use of a pure form of biodiesel. Some individuals are manufacturing their own fuel. No negative effects from this harmless process have yet been heard of.
Home biodiesel production requires the following items:
* 1 liter pure, unused vegetable oil (cooking)
* 250 ml pure methanol
* either sodium hydroxied (lye) or potassium hydroxide
* An electric blender that has a pitcher made of glass
* A set of scales that can measure with precision, down to 0.01 grams
* 1 liter high Density polyethylene container
* 2 bottles for settling
* Duct tape
* Thermometer
All the equipment must be clean and dry. The process of making biodiesel is as follows:
Be sure to wear the necessary shielding equipment such as gloves, protective eye glasses, respirator, long-sleeved shirt and long pants. Be very cautious as you perform each step. Extreme care should be taken in handling the harsh chemicals used in the process. Do a quick inventory of all parts to reassure good quality. It is necessary to make sure the blender is securely sealed and all parts clean and dry.
Before pouring oil into blender, heat it to 550 C. Carefully add into your blender, the sodium methoxide (or potassium methoxide) which was made from the HDPE container. Next, seal the lid and, for 30 minutes, carefully blend the mixture at a constant speed and temperature.
The moment the process is complete, you must pour the mixture carefully into a mini-processor. After completing the process, let the mixture sit for 12 hours or up to one day. The vial for liquid gathering is devided into two sections. One Of The Fluid Is Yellow Colored While As The Other Is Dark Colored Which Are The Byproducts Of Glycerin Biodiesel is in the top layer. The color of the fuel created depends upon the oil used but is generally a pale shade of yellow. It may be cloudy or clear, which is not much of a problem. It will become clear after awhile.
You must then take a wash test. If it makes it through the washing test, proceed with washing the remainderof the biodiesel.
For more information about how to make your own biodiesel and vegetable oil diesel fuels visit http://www.biodieselgeneration.com
Reducing UK CO2 Emissions By 60%
By James Nash
This article shows how the UK can achieve a 60% reduction on the total year 2000 CO2 emissions, i.e. to reduce the emission of CO2 in the UK to 40% of the 2000 emissions. It describes the development of an integrated energy system for the UK which will enable renewable energy systems in conjunction with hydrogen technology to supply an increasing share of the whole energy market.emission. It describes the development of an integrated energy system for the UK which will enable renewable energy systems in conjunction with hydrogen technology to supply an increasing share of the whole energy market.
In this article the reader can see the assumptions and outputs and can modify them if the reader does not agree and so explore the proposed policies.
There is some Government consultation at present but it does not deal with market share for the different renewable energy technologies.
At present there is no structured public debate on the detail of how to reduce CO2. The media is pushed around by various special interest groups promoting their different technologies but no one in the public domain, including the Government, is trying to put all the elements together into a workable quantified policy that projects how future energy supplies will be provided.
No one is actually putting figures to what is required. No doubt this detailed policy vacuum is the result of having a so called market economy but the market cannot look into the future, we have to have a plan to make sure the decisions of vested interests fit together. If we do not tackle the problem of allocating market share to different technologies and continue to rely on market forces then we could end up with unsustainable energy supplies and a ruined planet.
One indication of whether a report is dealing with energy policy or is promoting a vested interest is to remember that policy is about Gigawatts, if the piece you are reading is dealing with Megawatts then it is not dealing with policy.
The recent announcement by the Government of plans to develop more than 1 GW of UK offshore wind power is good news for renewables. Hopefully this is the beginning of a much greater expansion of renewable energy supplies, which if linked with the development of fuelcells and hydrogen could in due course solve the World’s CO2 problems.
The envisaged timescale for establishing the transition to renewables and hydrogen is from now until 2025 and for a substantial switch to hydrogen by 2050. Although this is a 25 to 50 year period it is what we do now that is crucial. Only if we identify what we need to achieve in the years to come will we be able to pursue the appropriate policies now.
What is required is an integrated energy policy for the supply of electricity, transport and heat. Our view of what can be achieved in each of these sectors to achieve the required CO2 emissions reduction is based on the following approaches.
Since 2000 the mix of generating plant has diversified and the amount of electricity generated has increased and the demand for electricity will continue to increase. To embrace these changing parameters it is necessary to think in terms of CO2 production rather than electricity production.
By allocating a CO2 production rate to each component of the generation mix it is possible to compare directly today’s and future predicted generation with the generation in 2000 . In this way we can derive for a given mix of generation now or in the future what percentage of the 2000 CO2 is being produced.
We can then take a pragmatic view of what the future generation mix is likely to be at say 2010, 2020 and 2030, based on today’s trends and so predict future CO2 as a percentage of 2000 CO2. We avoid having to predict or provide for increased future generation by assuming that increased demand for electricity will be offset by increased efficiency of electricity use.
The conclusion for the electricity sector is that central generation can produce a reduction of 10% of 1990 total CO2 emissions and that by adopting decentralised generation based on domestic Combined Heat and Power a further 7 % reduction can be achieved.
If we change all transport to run on non-carbon or carbon-neutral fuels then we will eliminate all transport related CO2. The current amount of CO2 emitted by transport using existing fuels is a greater proportion of total CO2 than it was in 2000. Therefore if we eliminate transport CO2 we will have reduced CO2 emissions by more than 25% of the 2000 total CO2 because that was the proportion of CO2 produced by transport at that time.
Provided that transport changes to carbon-free or carbon-neutral fuels the growth in transport around the World can be accommodated. In fact changing to a non-carbon fuel such as hydrogen will be the only way of dealing with the otherwise overwhelming threat of increased CO2 emissions from transport, especially cars, from around the World.
The conclusion for the transport sector is that a reduction of at least 25% can be achieved.
The heat sector is the biggest energy sector and it is the easiest to improve because all we have to do is insulate our homes and offices more effectively and make sure that the money saved is not spent on other energy intensive activities like flying off on long haul holidays.
There is tremendous scope for improved insulation of buildings. All heat provided in buildings is “wasted” in a few hours because it simply leaks away through the walls, roof and floor. So the key to reducing CO2 is to reduce heat loss to reduce energy input. Improving the insulation of existing and also new buildings offers the best and quickest return on investment for saving energy and reducing CO2 emissions.
After improving the insulation of buildings the next best investment is to introduce Combined Heat and Power distributed generation of electricity which can save about 7% of 2000 total CO2 by using the waste heat from electricity generation.
Because the Heat Sector is the biggest energy sector it is reasonable to allocate a reduction target of 25% of total 2000 CO2, this could be achieved by domestic insulation alone without CHP or looking at hydrogen . However because heat is such a big energy sector it holds the key to going beyond the 60% reduction of 2000 total CO2 as recommended by the Royal Commission on Climate Change. To achieve this we would need all buildings to be super-insulated and CHP distributed generation running on hydrogen distributed by an extended national gas grid. We would then have a hydrogen-powered world and the CO2 problem would be history.
James Nash is a climate scientist with Greatest Planet (www.greatestplanet.org). Greatest Planet is a non-profit environmental organization specialising in carbon offset investments.
James Nash is solely responsible for the contents of this article.
Alternative Energy (solar energy) from the Ocean
No commentsBy Miarti Tal
Although it sounds like a very modern scientific term - OTEC or Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion was first used by the Jacques D’Arsonval a French engineer back in 1881. Despite how old it is, the only operational plant on the planet (at the time of writing) is in Hawaii. The demand to finance this potential alternative energy source for further study is way beyond what most governments are prepared to go. This is despite the current escalating environment issues and the need to save the living environment and preserve as much as possible of the remaining natural environment.
Ocean thermal energy cannot add pollutants into the air because it burns in a very clean manner but it is a complicated process. Unintentionally, due to the disruptive effects that most of our current technologies give out to our environment and society, setting up OTEC plants can not avoid inflicting damages to any locality.
There are three kinds of OTEC:
- Closed Cycle OTEC uses a low-boiling point liquid such as, for example, propane to act as an intermediate fluid. The Ocean Thermal Energy Plant use water from the sea which is pumped into a chamber converting the gas to liquid. rotates large turbines. Once this process has been completed, the resultant liquid is converted back to it’s gas state by using cold sea water to cool it.
The primary difference between the Closed Cycle and the Open Cycle Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion methods is that the Open Cycle doe not require the use of the intermediate liquid. All that is used with this system is the sea water itself. Warm surface water is converted into a low pressure vapor by in a vacuum.
When low-pressure vapor is released in a focused area, it will then have the control to drive the turbine. To cool down the vapor and create desalinated water for human consumption, the deeper ocean’s cold waters are added to the vapor after it has generated sufficient electricity.
Since the Hybrid Cycle Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion is yet to be explored, it will remain to be just a theory and nothing more unless acted upon. Bringing about the notion that we could make maximum usage of the ocean waters’ thermal energy is just the main purpose of the theory. Two sub-theories are actually contained in the theory of Hybrid Cycling. Of the theories involved, the first one discusses the use of a closed cycling which will then be the way to create the vacuum environment needed for open cycling to generate electricity. Following on from this is the second part which incorporates two open cycle plants that will produce twice the drinking water than one open cycle plant.
Apart from generating electricity on demand, a closed cycle production plant can also be employed in the treatment of chemicals. Moreover, refrigeration and air conditioning are other areas to which the used of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion plants with both open cycling and close cycling kinds can be very beneficial by pumping up cold deep sea water. The water around the plants during the process can also be used to help promote fish farming projects as well. Utilizing this alternative energy source can surely lead us to derive a selection of products and services.
Find out about alternative sources of energy, , green natural environment and more at Earth-Sustainable-Development Site or visit http://earth-sustainable-development.com/
You Can Help Aid Yourself In The Energy Crisis!
By Kristi Ambrose
A lot has been going on in the last 30 years or so to bring us to the actual break down of both the energy crisis and the economy. Thankfully you can finally make a difference while not only trying to make earth a better place to live but also fatten your wallet a little bit as well with the help of some very interesting people. These people have written e-books that are available online through websites. Of course you have to pay for these e-books but the amount of information as well as the quality of information, is well worth the small investment made by you. You got to give a little to get a little! These e-books include everything from how to be a “greener”, make your own wind mills and solar generators, as well as information on how to efficiently save more money when it comes to your electrical bill.
The following books can be found online, just give them a chance and you will see how much they can impact your life and the life of those around you as well. I believe that once we learn something, it doesn’t matter what it is, those teachings can be passed on to other people as well. So, this would be a great way to introduce this new way of living to your friends, family, even your children. There are no specific tests that say if we start changing how we live now that it will ever undo what’s already done, however, many researchers and scientists believe that if we start now, then we can put a stop to the inclination. And that right there, is a start.
Make Natural Power - A great All-In-One guide. This book has been chosen among many “green” friendly websites as the number 2 choice of all the books available out there (earth 4 energy being number 1). This is another easy to follow guide on how to build your own renewable energy resources. You will actually receive exact plans on how to build your own solar powered and wind powered generators. I’m looking at the books right now and I gotta say, this is pretty amazing!
Earth 4 Energy - A complete step-by-step guide. This guide will give you steps on how to build your own DIY solar and wind powered generators and it’s as easy as 1-2-3! This book contains some really terrific additions to make it easy to understand and comprehend, such as step-by-step instructions and illustrations! You can also learn how to reduce your power bill by 80% or even eliminate it completely. This is a book among kings! Definitely check it out if you are looking to save some money on energy costs, as well as reduce energy resources we use.
Home Made Energy - Easy step-by-step methods. Bill Ford is the author of this book and he will teach you a plan that he came up with on how to beat the energy companies at their own dirty games. These energy systems can be implemented into any one’s home for just a few dollars. If you are looking to stop wasting money on your electrical bill that seems to get higher and higher every single month, help the global economy and save the earth, this is the book for you!
You can also find many other books available online, some of these e-books are free, some are not. In my experience even if you spend a few bucks on the e-books it usually means they are of higher quality than the ones you might find everyone rummaging around in for free. The books above are well worth the few bucks you might spend on them!
This author is a HUGE fan of Save on Energy Costs
Advantages And Disadvantages of Geothermal Energy
By James Nash
Geothermal energy is derived from beneath the earth’s surface. There are a variety of different thermal resources, each of which creates its own engineering challenge as to the way that the energy can be tapped. In some cases current technologies are not practical or economic for successfully extracting the thermal energy. To all intents and purposes geothermal energies are renewable because the latent quantities of energy are so large we cannot imagine them running out.
The environmentally-friendly potential is enormous because, in principle, well designed plants could be cost effective and reliable as well as being clean in terms of emissions. Also they need not produce local environmental visual scarring. Unfortunately the emphasis is on the word ‘potential’ because much more research and development and capital investment is required to make a wide-scale success of some of these various sources.
Everywhere under the earth’s surface there is hot material but it occurs in different forms and at very different depths. Four types of resource are recognised which could be used for substantial amounts of energy transfer and used, for example, to drive electric power stations, in theory at least. A fifth method can be used for smaller applications but, despite the modest energy transfers per installation, this method can be easily engineered and therefore is quite valuable in practice. These five resources are briefly discussed.
The main one, applicable to power generation, is referred to as the hydrothermal reservoir and this has some track record of success. The reservoir is water or steam at a high temperature and the way that the heat exchange is engineered depends on the temperature. It is the fact that the heat carrier (water) is already present (and water is very convenient to handle) which makes this source reasonably accessible. The steam, or hot water flashed to steam, is used to drive turbines to generate electricity.
The other three powerful resources are hot dry rock, geopressure brines and magma (molten rock) and although they have the potential to provide energy the current technologies are not sufficiently developed to make them commercially viable. It does not require much imagination to recognise some of the problems. For example the dry rock must be fractured and liquid forced through the cracks; the geopressurised liquids are rich in methane and exist at great depths; the magma is too hot for conventional processes to be used. It should be possible, eventually, to provide large proportions of our energy requirements using these sources but that state of affairs is a long way off.
The fifth and more modest resource is to extract heat from the ground just under the surface and this is a technique that has been used for ages. It relies on the sun’s radiation warming the ground which then behaves as a giant storage medium. Where such heat at low temperatures is available at a shallow depth, a water-circulating scheme with heat pumps can be used to transfer the heat to where it is required. Applications include heating of houses, greenhouses etc but you’ve got to be lucky to have suitable back garden.
As an added feature where heat pumps are used the heat transfer can be used in reverse so providing cooling in summer. This method of heat transfer is not suitable for large scale power generation and since it is dependent on the sun, its applicability is limited in cooler districts. Some installations are available in the UK, although we doubt it would be economical for an individual domestic plot, but may be cost-effective for small community schemes.
The environmental pollution caused by geothermal installations is small because there are few emissions. Visually a geothermal site need not be offensive because of its construction which only requires a small profile and can easily be screened, by trees for example. Nevertheless, there can be a few problems caused by solids produced where salts carried up in the water must be disposed of and there have been cases of subsidence due to the drillings. Perhaps the worst scenario is when magma has unexpectedly found its way to the surface through the drillings. None of these drawbacks are insuperable.
Successful schemes are in operation around the world and some have been continuously productive for about 100 years, although they tend to be located in specific areas. Fairly obviously, location is dependent on the amount of geothermal activity and its depth, something which is related to the earth’s plate tectonics. Countries which have taken advantage of geothermal energy include the US, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Portugal, Iceland, Mexico, Canada and New Zealand.
There are many more, the International Geothermal Association has more than 60 members. Even the UK has three experimental sites in Southampton, Cleethorpes and Penryn although we cannot see geothermal energy becoming a large scale contributor of renewable energy here (wind, water and possibly solar being more likely contenders q.v.). Of the developing countries, maybe half of them have the potential to develop geothermal sites.
In summary, internationally the quantity of geothermal energy is virtually infinite and the environmental benefits are beyond reproach. Set against this are the disadvantages that considerable more Research and Development is needed to take advantage of the buried wealth and even when a commercially viable site is identified the initial investment cost can be a serious deterrent. Maybe if some of the multinationals who have the resources to invest in oil exploration could channel them into geothermal exploration, research and development we might see geothermal energy being tapped on a significant scale. But then we’re prejudiced aren’t we?
James Nash is a climate scientist with Greatest Planet (www.greatestplanet.org). Greatest Planet is a non-profit environmental organization specialising in carbon offset investments.
James Nash is solely responsible for the contents of this article.
Renewable Energy (energy conservation tips) From The Earth’s Core
No commentsBy James Nash
Geothermal energy is heat from within the earth. We can use the steam and hot water produced inside the earth to heat buildings or generate electricity. Geothermal energy is a renewable energy source because the water is replenished by rainfall and the heat is continuously produced inside the earth.
Geothermal energy is generated in the earth’s core, about 4,000 miles below the surface. Temperatures hotter than the sun’s surface are continuously produced inside the earth by the slow decay of radioactive particles, a process that happens in all rocks.
The earth has a number of different layers:
1) The core itself has two layers: a solid iron core and an outer core made of very hot melted rock, called magma.
2) The mantle which surrounds the core and is about 1,800 miles thick. It is made up of magma and rock.
3) The crust is the outermost layer of the earth, the land that forms the continents and ocean floors. It can be three to five miles thick under the oceans and 15 to 35 miles thick on the continents.
The earth’s crust is broken into pieces called plates. Magma comes close to the earth’s surface near the edges of these plates. This is where volcanoes occur. The lava that erupts from volcanoes is partly magma. Deep underground, the rocks and water absorb the heat from this magma. The temperature of the rocks and water get hotter and hotter as you go deeper underground.
People around the world use geothermal energy to heat their homes and to produce electricity by digging deep wells and pumping the heated underground water or steam to the surface. Or, we can make use of the stable temperatures near the surface of the earth to heat and cool buildings.
Most geothermal reservoirs are deep underground with no visible clues showing above ground. Geothermal energy can sometimes find its way to the surface in the form of: volcanoes and fumaroles (holes where volcanic gases are released), as well as hot springs and geysers.
The most active geothermal resources are usually found along major plate boundaries where earthquakes and volcanoes are concentrated. Most of the geothermal activity in the world occurs in an area called the Ring of Fire. This area rims the Pacific Ocean.
When magma comes close to the surface it heats ground water found trapped in porous rock or water running along fractured rock surfaces and faults. Such hydrothermal resources have two common ingredients: water (hydro) and heat (thermal). Naturally occurring large areas of hydrothermal resources are called geothermal reservoirs. Geologists use different methods to look for geothermal reservoirs. Drilling a well and testing the temperature deep underground is the only way to be sure a geothermal reservoir really exists.
Most of the geothermal reservoirs in the United States are located in the western states, Alaska, and Hawaii. California is the state that generates the most electricity from geothermal energy. The Geysers dry steam reservoir in northern California is the largest known dry steam field in the world. The field has been producing electricity since 1960.
Some applications of geothermal energy use the earth’s temperatures near the surface, while others require drilling miles into the earth. The three main uses of geothermal energy are:
1) Direct Use and District Heating Systems which use hot water from springs or reservoirs near the surface.
2) Electricity generation in a power plant requires water or steam at very high temperature (300 to 700 degrees Fahrenheit). Geothermal power plants are generally built where geothermal reservoirs are located within a mile or two of the surface.
3) Geothermal heat pumps use stable ground or water temperatures near the earth’s surface to control building temperatures above ground.
The direct use of hot water as an energy source has been happening since ancient times. The Romans, Chinese, and Native Americans used hot mineral springs for bathing, cooking and heating. Today, many hot springs are still used for bathing, and many people believe the hot, mineral-rich waters have natural healing powers.
After bathing, the most common direct use of geothermal energy is for heating buildings through district heating systems. Hot water near the earth’s surface can be piped directly into buildings and industries for heat. A district heating system provides heat for 95 percent of the buildings in Reykjavik, Iceland. Examples of other direct uses include: growing crops, and drying lumber, fruits, and vegetables.
Geothermal power plants use hydrothermal resources which have two common ingredients: water (hydro) and heat (thermal). Geothermal plants require high temperature (300 to 700 degrees Fahrenheit) hydrothermal resources that may come from either dry steam wells or hot water wells. We can use these resources by drilling wells into the earth and piping the steam or hot water to the surface. Geothermal wells are one to two miles deep.
The United States generates more geothermal electricity than any other country but the amount of electricity it produces is less than one-half of a percent of electricity produced in United States. Only four states have geothermal power plants:
1) California - has 33 geothermal power plants that produce almost 90 percent of the nation’s geothermal electricity.
2) Nevada - has 14 geothermal power plants.
3) Hawaii and Utah - each have one geothermal plant
There are three basic types of geothermal power plants:
1) Dry steam plants - use steam piped directly from a geothermal reservoir to turn the generator turbines. The first geothermal power plant was built in 1904 in Tuscany, Italy at a place where natural steam was erupting from the earth.
2) Flash steam plants - take high-pressure hot water from deep inside the earth and convert it to steam to drive the generator turbines. When the steam cools, it condenses to water and is injected back into the ground to be used over and over again. Most geothermal power plants are flash plants.
3) Binary power plants - transfer the heat from geothermal hot water to another liquid. The heat causes the second liquid to turn to steam which is used to drive a generator turbine.
While temperatures above ground change a lot from day to day and season to season, temperatures in the upper 10 feet of the Earth’s surface hold nearly constant between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit. For most areas, this means that soil temperatures are usually warmer than the air in winter and cooler than the air in summer. Geothermal heat pumps use the Earth’s constant temperatures to heat and cool buildings. They transfer heat from the ground (or water) into buildings in winter and reverse the process in the summer.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), geothermal heat pumps are the most energy-efficient, environmentally clean, and cost-effective systems for temperature control. Although, most homes still use traditional furnaces and air conditioners, geothermal heat pumps are becoming more popular. In recent years, the U.S. Department of Energy along with the EPA have partnered with industry to promote the use of geothermal heat pumps.
The environmental impact of geothermal energy depends on how it is being used:
1) Direct use and heating applications have almost no negative impact on the environment.
2) Geothermal power plants do not burn fuel to generate electricity, so their emission levels are very low. They release less than 1 percent of the carbon dioxide emissions of a fossil fuel plant. Geothermal plants use scrubber systems to clean the air of hydrogen sulfide that is naturally found in the steam and hot water. Geothermal plants emit 97 percent less acid rain - causing sulfur compounds than are emitted by fossil fuel plants. After the steam and water from a geothermal reservoir have been used, they are injected back into the earth.
3) Geothermal features in national parks, such as geysers and fumaroles in Yellowstone National Park, are protected by law, to prevent the land from being disturbed.
James Nash is a climate scientist with Greatest Planet (www.greatestplanet.org). Greatest Planet is a non-profit environmental organization specialising in carbon offset investments.
James Nash is solely responsible for the contents of this article.
What Are Renewable Resources And (residential solar energy) How Can They Benefit Us?
No commentsBy Kristi Ambrose
Apparently, people don’t understand the different types of renewable energies, nor do they understand exactly what they are used for. I find this to be pretty surprising considering were in 2008, in the middle of a recession, and an energy crisis and to top it all off, the gaping black hole in the earth’s crust is getting bigger by the hour. Well, for the people that know nothing about this subject, this should be a nice little quick read for you, and hopefully I can explain it enough so that you can start doing something about this problem we are having. What can you do? Believe it or not, you can start taking action this very second, and you will begin to put a stop or at least a reduction to all the problems going on around us at this point in time, that’s later on in the article though. For now, what are renewable resources and how can we use them?
There are two major types of renewable resources. The good kind and the not so good kind. The not so good; geothermal power, fresh water, timber, and biomass. The reason these aren’t good is because eventually if you use them too much you can run out. So in turn the use of these products must be carefully managed in order to avoid exceeding a certain amount. The good; solar radiation, tides, winds and hydroelectricity are perpetual resources, meaning they aren’t in danger of “running out.” A natural resource qualifies as a renewable resource if it is replenished by natural processes at a rate comparable or faster than its rate of consumption by humans or other users. And just for those wondering about it gasoline, coal, natural gas, diesel, and other commodities derived from fossil fuels are non-renewable.
Did you know that you can actually make your own solar powered or wind powered generators? Well, depending on where you live, this is completely legal, not only is it legal but it’s actually a very efficient way to live. As stated above, solar and wind are both renewable energy resources. There are actually e-books you can find online that have step by step instructions on how to build something like this. And what’s even better is the construction of these generators is very cost effective. Not only are they cheap to build, but they will also use energy efficiently.
Intrigued yet? I bet you are! The following e-books are three of my very favorite books that are available online. All three of these books have information in them that are reputable and true. All the things that you will find in these books, are both extraordinarily helpful and scientifically proven to help us live our lives with a “greener” mentality. I like books like these because this isn’t just knowledge you can use, but that your friends, family and even your children could use as well. Make good use of these books, the power alone that you could take away from these books are absolutely immense!
Make Natural Power - A great All-In-One guide. This book has been chosen among many “green” friendly websites as the number 2 choice of all the books available out there (earth 4 energy being number 1). This is another easy to follow guide on how to build your own renewable energy resources. You will actually receive exact plans on how to build your own solar powered and wind powered generators. I’m looking at the books right now and I gotta say, this is pretty amazing!
Earth 4 Energy - A complete step-by-step guide. This guide will give you steps on how to build your own DIY solar and wind powered generators and it’s as easy as 1-2-3! This book contains some really terrific additions to make it easy to understand and comprehend, such as step-by-step instructions and illustrations! You can also learn how to reduce your power bill by 80% or even eliminate it completely. This is a book among kings! Definitely check it out if you are looking to save some money on energy costs, as well as reduce energy resources we use.
Home Made Energy - Easy step-by-step methods. Bill Ford is the author of this book and he will teach you a plan that he came up with on how to beat the energy companies at their own dirty games. These energy systems can be implemented into any one’s home for just a few dollars. If you are looking to stop wasting money on your electrical bill that seems to get higher and higher every single month, help the global economy and save the earth, this is the book for you!
You can also find many other books available online, some of these e-books are free, some are not. In my experience even if you spend a few bucks on the e-books it usually means they are of higher quality than the ones you might find everyone rummaging around in for free. The books above are well worth the few bucks you might spend on them!
This author is a HUGE fan of Save on Energy Costs
Types Of Solar Power And How They Work
By James Nash
Some people enjoy baking cookies in the oven, some people enjoy baking themselves in the backyard. Even if oil-soaked sun-worshipping Saturday afternoons are the most direct experience most of us every get with the energy of the sun, we know picture of the sun instinctively that the sun is essential for life. It turns out it’s also essential for just about any type of energy you can think of.
Solar energy is free and inexhaustible, and has been for the 5 billion years or so that the planet has been in existence. In the broadest sense, solar energy supports all life on earth and is the basis for almost every form of energy we use.
1) The sun makes plants grow, which are burned as fuel or rot in swamps and are compressed underground for millions of years to become coal and oil.
2) Heat from the sun causes temperature differences between areas, causing the wind to blow.
3) Water evaporates because of the sun, falls on high elevations, and rushes down to the sea, spinning turbines as it passes.
But the term “solar energy” usually refers to ways the sun’s energy can be used as heat, lighting, and electricity.
One simple, obvious use of sunlight is to light our buildings. The sun can also affect a building’s heating and cooling costs: If properly designed, a building can capture the sun’s heat in the winter and reject it in the summer, while using daylight year round for lighting. With the exception of that guy down in the bowels of the Grinning Planet accounting department who seems to thrive on flickering fluorescent lighting, most of us prefer natural light.
Besides using design features to maximize use of the sun, some buildings have active systems to gather and store solar energy. Solar collectors sit on the rooftops of buildings to collect solar energy for space heating, water heating, and space cooling. Most solar collectors are large flat boxes, painted black on the inside, with glass covers. In the most common design, pipes in the box carry liquids that take the heat from the box and bring it into the building. This heated liquid, usually a water-alcohol mixture to prevent winter freezing, is used to heat water in a tank or is put through radiators to heat the air.
Oddly enough, because of the cooling effect moist air has when it evaporates, solar heat can also drive a cooling system. Such systems are currently at work in humid southeastern climates, like that of Florida.
By using mirrors and lenses to concentrate the rays of the sun, solar thermal systems produce high temperatures that can be used to heat water for producing picture a trough style solar energy system steam to drive an electric turbine or for industrial applications, like boiling water to sterilize soup cans.
Solar concentrators come in three main designs: parabolic troughs, parabolic dishes and central receivers. The most common is parabolic - long, curved mirrors that concentrate sunlight on a liquid inside a tube that runs parallel to the mirror. Parabolic dish concentrators and central receivers can produce much higher temperatures and produce electricity more efficiently but are more complicated and are not in common use.
In 1839, French scientist Edmund Becquerel discovered that certain materials would give off a spark of electricity when struck with sunlight. Solar cells work because the silicon substrate has a weak grip on its electrons. The cells are made of two layers of silicon, one with too many electrons (the n-layer) and one with too few (the p-layer). When light hits the first layer, electrons are knocked loose. As they flow toward the layer with too few electrons, they pass through an electric circuit, the current from which can be used to power equipment and devices.
In the 1970s, a serious effort began to produce photovoltaic panels that could provide cheaper solar power. Experimenting with new materials and production techniques, solar manufacturers cut costs for solar cells rapidly, as the following graph shows.
Many solar panels are used today to power cellular phone transmitters, road signs, and water pumps, as well as millions of solar watches and calculators. But most of the market for solar electric is concentrated in off-grid homes, in the villages of developing countries and the vacation homes of industrial countries. Developing nations see PV as a way to avoid building long and expensive power lines to remote areas.
Recently, even utilities in developed countries have been attaching photovoltaics to their power grids. In some locations, it is less costly and politically difficult to install distributed solar panels than to upgrade the transmission and distribution system needed to meet ever-growing electricity demand.
This distributed-generation approach provides a new model for the utility systems of the future. Small generators, spread out in a city and controlled cartoon drawing of a solar panel by computers, could replace the large coal and nuclear plants that dominate now.
As the cost of photovoltaic systems continues to decline, they will find increasingly larger niches. No other electrical generator is as easy to install or maintain. Even among the various types of renewable energy, photovoltaics have great potential. The cells are made of silicon, one of the most plentiful materials on earth, and they draw power from the everlasting sun, so they will never run into the problem of fuel scarcity. As PV prices continue to fall, solar power will become a significant source of electricity in the 21st century.
We now pause to remember our dear departed surfing Uncle Sandy, who once started a referendum in Beach City to annex “the warmth of the sun and all of the gnarly waves.” We suspect that all those years of sunlight striking his head must have knocked loose a few cranial electrons.
James Nash is a climate scientist with Greatest Planet (www.greatestplanet.org). Greatest Planet is a non-profit environmental organization specialising in carbon offset investments.
James Nash is solely responsible for the contents of this article.
(Solar energy) The Process of Making Biodiesel
No commentsBy Mike Hirn
Procedure for making Biodiesel.
Transforming vegetable oil and making it into a homemade fuel is one of the best option for optimizing cost against the use of petroleum diesel. Not only that but it is also very easy to do.
Nearly all the major European vehicle makers now provide their cars with warranties on the use of a pure form of biodiesel. Some individuals are manufacturing their own fuel. No negative effects from this harmless process have yet been heard of.
Home biodiesel production requires the following items:
* 1 liter pure, unused vegetable oil (cooking)
* 250 ml pure methanol
* either sodium hydroxied (lye) or potassium hydroxide
* An electric blender that has a pitcher made of glass
* A set of scales that can measure with precision, down to 0.01 grams
* 1 liter high Density polyethylene container
* 2 bottles for settling
* Duct tape
* Thermometer
All the equipment must be clean and dry. The process of making biodiesel is as follows:
Be sure to wear the necessary shielding equipment such as gloves, protective eye glasses, respirator, long-sleeved shirt and long pants. Be very cautious as you perform each step. Extreme care should be taken in handling the harsh chemicals used in the process. Do a quick inventory of all parts to reassure good quality. It is necessary to make sure the blender is securely sealed and all parts clean and dry.
Before pouring oil into blender, heat it to 550 C. Carefully add into your blender, the sodium methoxide (or potassium methoxide) which was made from the HDPE container. Next, seal the lid and, for 30 minutes, carefully blend the mixture at a constant speed and temperature.
The moment the process is complete, you must pour the mixture carefully into a mini-processor. After completing the process, let the mixture sit for 12 hours or up to one day. The vial for liquid gathering is devided into two sections. One Of The Fluid Is Yellow Colored While As The Other Is Dark Colored Which Are The Byproducts Of Glycerin Biodiesel is in the top layer. The color of the fuel created depends upon the oil used but is generally a pale shade of yellow. It may be cloudy or clear, which is not much of a problem. It will become clear after awhile.
You must then take a wash test. If it makes it through the washing test, proceed with washing the remainderof the biodiesel.
For more information about how to make your own biodiesel and vegetable oil diesel fuels visit http://www.biodieselgeneration.com
Global Warming And Tax Shifting
By James Nash
We are on the doorstep of environmental and energy crises. In 2003, the fourth hottest year since 1880, thirty-five thousand Europeans died in a heat wave. Today we watch as glaciers recede and ice shelves break off into the sea. In the US, we import over 60% of our oil. Energy has been the primary motivator for two wars resulting in thousands of American armed forces deaths and hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths in the Middle East.
Hurricane Katrina exposed our energy supply/demand vulnerability - petroleum and natural gas prices skyrocketed, causing economic upheaval after just this one storm. In 2006, the US trade deficit set a record for the fifth straight year. This is not sustainable and leaves the US vulnerable to a sell-off in US stocks and bonds that would stall the economy. Finally, fossil fuel combustion has caused mercury in fish, acid rain, and increasing incidence of asthma.
These are effects and risks that can be grouped under four categories, which I call The Four Biggies:
1) Global warming (global climate change)
2) Dependence on foreign energy
3) Trade deficit
4) Pollution from non-renewable fuels
These serious problems are all related to the combustion of fossil fuels and our dependence on the finite supply of these fuels. The sooner we address this underlying issue, the easier it will be to fix The Four Biggies.
Society gets enormous benefits from small amounts of fossil fuels. However, the market does not internalize (account for) all the costs of fossil fuel trade, masking the true cost of “cheap energy” and giving false signals on environment and energy problems. Simply put: Non-renewable sources of energy should cost more.
We need a market-based solution to set the stage for our ingenuity, drive, and marketplace to fix our energy problem and solve The Four Biggies. We need a solution similar in function and scope to our patent and antitrust laws - that is, we need to change the “rules” for the long-term benefit of all.
One very effective approach is tax shifting - that is, lowering taxes on beneficial activities (like labor) and raising them on negative activities (like burning fossil fuels), with the net effect on the average consumer being a financial wash.
To apply this concept to The Four Biggies, Congress would cut federal income taxes but raise taxes on non-renewable energy sources like oil, coal, and natural gas to replace the lost revenue. This tax shift should be phased-in over 10 years. For individuals and families, the shift should be as close to cost-neutral as possible. Those that pay no income tax or currently receive a credit - that is, those whose increased energy costs could not be offset by lowering their income taxes - would be reimbursed for their additional energy costs in other ways, such as a larger credit and/or subsidized transportation.
The very first things that should change under a tax-shifting plan to address global warming (and other problems) are the massive federal subsidies given to US companies that operate in the arenas of oil, gas, nuclear, coal, and mining.
Examples of such institutionalized subsidies include:
1) Waivers of insurance requirements for nuclear power plants and the massive annual government spending on US nuclear-power management and infrastructure via the Department of Energy’s annual budget.
2) Pricing of mining concessions on federal lands based on a US law that is more than a century old.
3) Financial incentives to oil companies to “go out and find more” at the same time these companies are raking in record profits and cutting exploration and development budgets so they can reinvest their cash in their own stocks as they anticipate further supply constriction, price increases, and even higher profits in the future.
4) Weak pollution laws for all extractive and energy industries and lax enforcement of the regulations that do exist.
Eliminating such giveaways and dirty profits - with the changes being reflected in the prices of the products produced by these industries - would be an easy first step in any effort to shift taxes from workers’ paychecks to polluters’ products.
The resulting higher prices for fossil-fuel energy will reduce our use of it and stimulate the US alternative (renewable) energy industry by “leveling the playing field.” As consumption of non-renewable energy decreases, an automatic “ratchet” mechanism would further shift taxes from income to energy to maintain the incentives and the tax base.
Alternative-energy industries have been hindered by cheap fossil-fuel and nuclear energy, both of which are heavily subsidized. Between 1985 and 2005, alternative energy in the US grew by a mere 0.5%, according to the Energy Information Administration. Phased-in intentional increases in energy prices would make many alternative-energy projects economically viable. The renewable energy industry would grow rapidly, refining their technologies and achieving economies of scale.
This would create an export boom, since other countries face similar problems and are already seeking solutions. A revitalized alternative energy industry will create technical jobs in the US and a mighty economic engine providing life-enhancing products for people all over the world.
This shift in taxes will improve our positions on trade, fossil fuel dependence, pollution, and greenhouse gases - The Four Biggies.
James Nash is a climate scientist with Greatest Planet (www.greatestplanet.org). Greatest Planet is a non-profit environmental organization specialising in carbon offset investments.
James Nash is solely responsible for the contents of this article.
Wind Energy: Effective And Efficient Alternative Power Source
By Ben Needles
Though it is much less expensive to initially get subscriptions into the local electric companys grid than it is to set up and hook into wind turbines, in the long run one saves money by using the wind for ones energy needs while also becoming more independent. Not receiving an electric bill while enjoying the benefits of the modern electrically-driven lifestyle is amazing.
Electric bills and fuel bills are rising constantly but the cost of wind turbine energy is zero, and the cost of installing and hooking up a turbine is steadily coming down as demand rises and more commercial success is figured out by several companies which are producing the turbines and researching technologies to make them ever more efficient and effective. In addition, individuals are moving away from the traditional electric grids and the fossil fuels for personal reasons and that includes the desire for greater independence, the desire to live remotely or rurally without having to go primitive, political concerns such as fears of terrorist strikes on oil fields or power grids, or concerns about the environment.
Again, this motivation to move away from the traditional energy sources is the same one that causes individuals to seek the power of the wind for their energy, giving more business opportunities to profit from wind turbine production and maintenance, which drives their costs down for the subscribers.
In almost thirty states at the time of this writing, homeowners who remain on the grid but who still choose to use wind energy (or other alternative energy sources) are eligible for rebates or tax breaks from the state authorities that end up paying for as much as 50% of their total green energy systems costs.
Additionally, there are 35 states at the time of this writing where these homeowners are given opportunity to sell their excess energy back to the power company under what are called net metering laws.
Some federal lawmakers are pushing to get the federal authority to mandate these tax breaks and some wind power incentives in all 50 states. Germany and Japan already have national incentive programs in place. However, A lot of this is handled on regional government units.
Tapping these alternative energy resources gives significant contribution in making individuals independent from using traditional power resources like fossil fuels. On top of that, this program also helps with our battle to stay away from the severe effects of energy crisis.
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