The World Beyond BetterMost > Anything Goes
Share your energy/resource saving tips
starboardlight:
--- Quote from: Giancarlo on July 21, 2006, 10:02:44 pm ---We really need a break through on nuclear fusion energy... which produces almost unlimited power and little/no radioactive byproducts.
--- End quote ---
i'm not so sure about that. i think the advancements in renewable energy is going to make a huge difference in the near future. The push for better solar cell, with increased efficiency and cheaper production cost is going to make it a very viable alternative. In addition, Europe is experimenting with using ocean currents to generate energy. In addition to wind power, we actually have quite a bit of alternative ahead of us. Right now in LA and perhaps most of California, individuals can become energy producers. With Solar cells hooked up, you can get credited for energy you produced against you energy bill. I'm quite optimistic about our future as far as energy is concerned.
starboardlight:
--- Quote from: thierryhenrypie on July 21, 2006, 10:03:05 am ---Nipith,
Hooray for Trader Joe's! They are the exception to my mainstream grocery-store rule. (Also Whole Foods, although cost keeps me at bay there.) I do about a third of my grocery shopping at Trader Joe's, in fact, and it is always a good experience. The employees have their brains on full-power and thank me for bagging and thank me for supplying my own. By the way do TJ's in CA sell alcohol? In MD they don't, but in VA they do, and I've stocked up in Alexandria. They have some very good beer and wine at crazy-good prices. What a wonderful store.
--- End quote ---
Yeah, TJ does sell alcohol here in Cali. They have some great small brewery beer and great wine, and very reasonable price. I'm always tempted to buy a lot, but living alone I don't drink often enough to finish a bottle of wine quick enough.
starboardlight:
--- Quote from: JennyC on July 21, 2006, 07:35:40 pm ---Thanks for the tips about idled changers and appliances plugged in. I went home and checked we do have quite a few. The thing is I can not unplug everything and only plug them when I need to use them. For one, I don’t ever want to get under my desk to tackle all the wires for the computers and its peripherals. Then you have all the lamps, TVs, DVDs, cable box, major appliances, etc. I guess that’s where I stop and say that I have to leave them on for the convenience. Anyway I did get cell phone chargers, laptop chargers, and my husbands’ razor, hair dryer, coffee machine unplugged. Those are either not used that often or easy to plug in again.
--- End quote ---
here's a tip. get a surge protector that has on/off switch. plug those peripherals into it, and position the switch so that it's not so deep under your desk. you can then just reach down and turn off the switch. the protector itself will still be using up energy when while it's turnd off, but at least it's just the surge protector and not all the devices.
Giancarlo:
--- Quote from: starboardlight on July 22, 2006, 01:41:41 am ---i'm not so sure about that. i think the advancements in renewable energy is going to make a huge difference in the near future. The push for better solar cell, with increased efficiency and cheaper production cost is going to make it a very viable alternative. In addition, Europe is experimenting with using ocean currents to generate energy. In addition to wind power, we actually have quite a bit of alternative ahead of us. Right now in LA and perhaps most of California, individuals can become energy producers. With Solar cells hooked up, you can get credited for energy you produced against you energy bill. I'm quite optimistic about our future as far as energy is concerned.
--- End quote ---
Renewable energy is inadequate. I really hate to say that. It is a wonderful idea, no question about it... but it is nowhere close to what is needed. But you are dismissing an energy source that people know very little about. Nuclear fusion is possible, and it has the most research and development being put towards it. Sometimes people hear "NUCLEAR fusion" they get frightened... not knowing what it really is about. It is better then solar. In fact it produces basically unlimited amounts of energy. Solar cells are inadequate.
Europe, particularly France rely mostly on nuclear power. Nuclear power like it or not is not EVIL, nor is it bad. It is very efficient, and can be very clean when all guidelines are followed. It also produces FAR MORE POWER then any other energy source out there. In Los Angeles we need nuclear fusion. Solar power though a nice idea... simply isn't enough.
http://www.iop.org/EJ/journal/NuclFus
http://www.atomicarchive.com/Fusion/Fusion1.shtml
"Nuclear energy can also be released by fusion of two light elements (elements with low atomic numbers). The power that fuels the sun and the stars is nuclear fusion. In a hydrogen bomb, two isotopes of hydrogen, deuterium and tritium are fused to form a nucleus of helium and a neutron. This fusion releases 17.6 MeV of energy. Unlike nuclear fission, there is no limit on the amount of the fusion that can occur."
They have done this. They need better technology and more research to contain such energy.
JennyC:
Nipith, now I am really glad you got your A/C in before this recording setting heat in CA.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WEATHER/07/23/heatwave.ap/index.html
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version