[Almondjoy]

While you are correct the term comes the ability to get energy from things that already exist and don’t have to be transformed in order to create the energy. Hydro dams where the water already runs, the sun whose light is carried to earth everyday, etc etc etc.

Although my Dad told me the other day that oil is looking increasing likely that it is produced deep within the planet’s mantle and forced back into the pockets from which we drilled from. If that’s the case they would probably have to consider it renewable as well.

[SkyDancer]

Somewhere the second law of thermodynamics is tickling my brainbox ... it's been a while though .... once energy is converted from one source to another like coal to produce heat to boil water to run a steam engine that produces electricity, that energy from coal can't be recaptured. Same with hydroelectric ... once the energy from water over a dam produces electricity the energy in the water is gone. It would take extra energy to pump it back to the top of the dam to run again but then that takes energy that can't be recovered. Stuff like this makes my head swim ....

So then, what produces the oil in the earth? It seems something out of nothing is producing energy (energy what's trapped in the oil) - so something had to have given up energy to produce it which gave up energy... hmmmm

[yesca]

Dad says, "Oil is produced deep within the planet’s mantle and forced back into the pockets from which we drilled from."

Dear ol'Dad is one smart boy!

"Every well is renewable if you wait for it ti refill, it's a pressure thang."

Even the green meanies understand this now.

They won't admit it 'till they can spin it their way though.

Port of like Evil Al's plan now to keep pushing the carbone'head scam with the plan to say "See we saved the erf'" when nothing happens (i.e. no globalls warming).