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- Path: sparky!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!rutgers!kb2ear!princeton!nextc.Princeton.EDU!mdd
- From: mdd@nextc.Princeton.EDU.ampr.org
- Newsgroups: sci.physics
- Subject: Re: ZERO Nuclear impact (was: Is car pooling for real? etc)
- Message-ID: <1992Jul24.221351.10050@Princeton.EDU>
- Date: 24 Jul 92 22:13:51 GMT
- References: <1992Jul24.210910.5092@vexcel.com>
- Sender: news@Princeton.EDU (USENET News System)
- Reply-To: mdd@nextc.princeton.edu
- Organization: Princeton University
- Lines: 37
- Originator: news@ernie.Princeton.EDU
- Nntp-Posting-Host: nextc.princeton.edu
-
- No one seems to have mentioned this yet...There are other ways to
- distribute solar power besides using an electrical grid. Solar power can
- be used to convert water to hydrogen quite efficiently and the hydrogen
- could then be transported through an infrastructure similar to the natural
- gas infrastructure that already exists. End users would then burn the
- hydrogen. Or even better use it to power fuel cells. It is likely (I am no
- expert) that is a more cost effective approach to solar energy than
- erecting solar panels on the East coast, say.
-
- Another renewable energy source that doesn't contribute to global warming
- would be gasification of biomass. Biomass grown and harvested specifically
- for energy use can be turned into hydrogen and methane that can then be
- transported in pipelines and burned. There is no net increase in
- atmospheric CO2 if things are managed correctly.
-
- It seems pretty clear to me that people need to think about these new
- technologies. The picture of solar energy as a panel on every rooftop is
- somewhat outdated. New nuclear power is not much more than a stopgap
- measure, at least in its present form. And certainly any new nuclear
- plants should not be in the old style. Safer, smaller plants of uniform
- and well-tested design is the preferred direction. I seem to recall that
- there is only about 70 years worth of fissionable uranium to be found,
- although breeder reactors would be able to get around this shortcoming.
-
- In summary, there are several different alternative energy sources that
- are environmentally benign and could be quickly developed and implemented
- if we chose to vigorously pursue them. And, finally, there certainly can
- be nothing wrong with encouraging conservation. New building designs that
- can greatly reduce the amount of power used for heating and air
- conditioning is one area of active research. Conservation is certainly
- cheaper and more cost-effective than building new plants. Why else would
- power companies offer $30 million for an efficient, CFC-free refrigerator?
-
- Well I have gone on enough so I'll stop here.
-
- Mark Doyle, Almost Ph(inishe)D.
- mdd@nextc.princeton.edu
-