| |
 |
|
|
Science Forum Index » Energy Forum » Its only just begun . .
Page 3 of 3 Goto page Previous 1, 2, 3
|
| Author |
Message |
| Fred B. McGalliard |
 Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2003 10:16 am |
|
|
|
Guest
|
"Dale Eastman" <dalereastman@sprintmail.com> wrote in message
news:3FB421C0.4080909@sprintmail.com...
Quote:
Fred B. McGalliard wrote:
Oil is used as a source of energy now,...
For transportation fuels only. Coal and natural gas drive the fixed
generation and chemical process industries.
Transport of coal? powered by oil. Mining of coal. powered by oil.
Electric power can be and is often used to run mining machinery and short
run train systems, so I don't think it makes sense to attribute to oil the
coal generated energy. Without any oil at all, the coal powered energy
systems would still run quite nicely. Of course, the only folk able to get
to work would be those living along the electric trolley lines. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| Fred B. McGalliard |
| Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2003 10:23 am |
|
|
|
Guest
|
"danny" <inthesoup@home.com> wrote in message
news:sfZsb.386548$9l5.286009@pd7tw2no...
....
Quote: We will run out of oil. We will run out of coal.
And when we do we will deal with it. We will
perhaps use energy more efficiently. We will
harvest solar energy where it falls to earth. We
will develop nuclear processes that give an
almost infinite supply.
Whoa up here. The solution of fusion energy, a nice obvious solution
identified over 80 years ago, is today still 20 years away. How long does it
take to develop the solution? How long to find that the solution you
expected is not there and you must find another? Some solutions are very
nasty. Economic disintegration, mass starvation, even resource war, these
are all solutions we could be forced into if we do not act quickly enough
and define a studied process to develop the solutions before we need them. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| Scott A Crosby |
| Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2003 1:47 pm |
|
|
|
Guest
|
On Fri, 14 Nov 2003 15:23:42 GMT, "Fred B. McGalliard" <frederick.b.mcgalliard@boeing.com> writes:
Quote: "danny" <inthesoup@home.com> wrote in message
news:sfZsb.386548$9l5.286009@pd7tw2no...
...
We will run out of oil. We will run out of coal.
And when we do we will deal with it. We will
perhaps use energy more efficiently. We will
harvest solar energy where it falls to earth. We
will develop nuclear processes that give an
almost infinite supply.
Whoa up here. The solution of fusion energy, a nice obvious solution
identified over 80 years ago, is today still 20 years away.
Thats what I thought until I found out the real extent of uranium and
fission. If fusion comes about and is better, I'm happy to switch. :)
But if fusion remains '20 years in the future' for another thousand
years, our civilization is still powerable with fission.
Scott |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| Alan G |
| Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2003 2:07 pm |
|
|
|
Guest
|
On Fri, 14 Nov 2003 15:16:57 GMT, "Fred B. McGalliard"
<frederick.b.mcgalliard@boeing.com> wrote:
Quote:
"Dale Eastman" <dalereastman@sprintmail.com> wrote in message
news:3FB421C0.4080909@sprintmail.com...
Fred B. McGalliard wrote:
Oil is used as a source of energy now,...
For transportation fuels only. Coal and natural gas drive the fixed
generation and chemical process industries.
Transport of coal? powered by oil. Mining of coal. powered by oil.
Electric power can be and is often used to run mining machinery and short
run train systems, so I don't think it makes sense to attribute to oil the
coal generated energy. Without any oil at all, the coal powered energy
systems would still run quite nicely. Of course, the only folk able to get
to work would be those living along the electric trolley lines.
I get to work by putting one foot in front of the other. Repeat for
about 20 minutes and I'm there. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| Fred B. McGalliard |
| Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2003 3:09 pm |
|
|
|
Guest
|
"Scott A Crosby" <scrosby@cs.rice.edu> wrote in message
news:oyd8ymizt23.fsf@bert.cs.rice.edu...
....
Quote: But if fusion remains '20 years in the future' for another thousand
years, our civilization is still powerable with fission.
Fission is about as unforgiving of social, economic, military, and political
silliness as are the big dams with major cities in their flood plains. So
while we probably could run on fission for the next 2-3000 years, it might
not be our best solution. I was interested to find out that there could be
as much as a million years of uranium available using breeders, and
separating the metal from very low grade ores and the ocean. But on the
other hand, if the rate of growth of demand continues exponentially, we have
to scramble to provide power for just a few hundred years. Nether rosy, or
exactly doomsday, but changes are a coming, like it or not.
BTB, I did intend to indicate that no matter how long we have to spend
researching it, there is a distinct possibility that fusion power will
never, ever, be available to us, except through the auspices of our friendly
local star. |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| Fred B. McGalliard |
| Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2003 3:11 pm |
|
|
|
Guest
|
"Alan G" <me@privacy.com> wrote in message
news:dq8arvk1rbg9jr32of9m35ocroach9euav@4ax.com...
Quote:
I get to work by putting one foot in front of the other. Repeat for
about 20 minutes and I'm there.
Now just think, if we all depended on shanks mare, how small our cities
would be? Wait! Think on that. Perhaps the man is on to something! |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| |
Page 3 of 3 Goto page Previous 1, 2, 3
All times are GMT - 5 Hours
The time now is Fri Jan 09, 2009 3:08 am
|
|