Brother, Can You Spare 22 Terawatts? Big ideas for the future of energy (Ronald Bailey)

Reason Magazine ^ | 24 November 2006 | Ronald Bailey

[SteveMcKing]

Solve one problem, create a hundred others.


Free, limitless energy will place demands on other resources, and the same complainers will cry injustice, claim oppression, and demand more answers through government.

[AntiGuv]

FutureTechPing!

An emergent technologies list covering biomedical research, fusion power, nanotech, AI robotics, and other related fields. FReepmail to join or drop.

[Westlander]

After millions of billions of federal fund expenditures on research, scientists announced today....

[WOSG]

ideas and energy PING

[devolve]

[potlatch]

Well, Gore has the means to either cool us or warm us;

Like your 'greenie' lineup!!

[Pontiac]

Forty-five years is a long time. Technology can be expected to make great strides in that time.

There are a great many technologies on the horizon that may have great impact on these figures

High temperature super conductors could reduce line losses in electric power transmission increasing effective power output 20%.

It is conceivable that nuclear fusion could become practical in that time frame generating cheap carbon free power (Whoopee).

And there are always new unexpected discoveries popping up. Who knows what might happen.

If we don’t solve the problem energy will become more expensive and demand will be reduced in response and again the problem will solve itself.

But I expect that if government stays out of the way the market will produce adequate power to meet demand. Left to itself the market will produce energy much more abundantly and cheaply than any government agency could imagine.

[devolve]

I like your "Dumbo" .gif

--

The "Soybean Six" is another algore innovation - this time in agriculture

[potlatch]

"He's doing it to avoid the disaster of a parboiled planet"

His brain is parboiled!

[devolve]

It snowed in Florida last week


algore has milked this to strongarm corporations to force them to put him on BODs and get payoffs


Like Hillaryscare - algore figures to get "a piece of the action"

[potlatch]

So it's all just a 'SNOWJOB', huh? Funny but possibly true.

Our weather here has been cooler all summer and fall.

Surprising about snow in Florida.

[Lurker]

It was nearly 60 degrees here in Chicago today.

I'll take all the global warming I can get.

L

[devolve]

Once in a while winters got below freezing

Horses and cattle were not acclimated to that - crops would freeze to

Burning old tires would often get farmers over a frosty night

Keeping the stock moving was the thing for the cattle

Citrus was a problem - they would use heaters in the groves

[potlatch]

It's been in the low 40's here in South Texas for some time at night. Our coldest weather is usually in late December through February.

Looks like we 'may' have more freezes this year!

[potlatch]

Similar to us in S. Texas. We seldom have a freeze that lasts longer than a few hours. Usually don't lose plants over it.

Our horses used to stay in the barn out of the wind.

[devolve]

In NC & New England we make the horses wear heavy wool sweaters and drink lots of hot chocolate

[Lurker]

It's 54 degrees topside here.

Pretty darn comfortable for a late November in the Chicago burbs.

We don't usually break out the heavy coats till it hits the low teens or so.

L

[potlatch]

In NC & New England we make the horses wear heavy wool sweaters and drink lots of hot chocolate

Do you know what I would be doing right now if it wasn't so late??

[potlatch]

We don't usually break out the heavy coats till it hits the low teens or so

My coat comes out in the low 40's!!