American Thinker: The people who are best described as members of a renewable energy cult are lately promoting the idea that we should run the country on 100% renewable energy, whatever that is. I say “whatever that is” because different branches of the cult have different definitions of renewable energy. It seems to be a matter of fashion and prejudice.
One definition of renewable energy is that it is naturally replenished on a human timescale. Solar energy and wind energy fit in nicely with that definition. Most fans of renewable energy explicitly reject renewable hydroelectricity if it involves damming a river. Most renewable energy-lovers are also dam-haters. They literally feel that fish are more important than people.
Global warming, which supposedly is caused by emissions of CO2 from burning fossil fuels, is frequently cited as a justification for using renewable energy. But hydro and nuclear, energy that does not emit CO2, is excluded from the renewable universe. more
Of all the ‘renewable’ energy ideas, Hydroelectric makes the most sense, as it also mandates the building of reservoirs to save water
But the Hippies are against any thing like that
I’ll accept ‘renewable’ energy when they concede that hypocrisy should be punished by execution. That’ll rid us of AlGore, DiCrapio, et al immediately and then we can sort out the truth and move on.
Renewable energy lifestyle…so easy a caveman could do it. In fact, they did it for thousands of years. They also spent a few thousand years struggling to get out of the renewable energy lifestyle. I’m down with their struggle.
With just current technology, 100% renewable energy, at cuurent per capita demand levels, in the “first” world, is easily achievable. With a few, but more than just a few, billion fewer capita. (And that’s not even using the removed as fuel.)
How do we have a United States “Space Force” ? They are’nt using Gasoline, that I know.
Yes, two proven 100% renewable energy sources are firewood and whale oil.
The free market being the most efficient way of supplying anything, energy sources ought not to be mandated by govt force. There are places and uses where wind or solar make sense, but using them should be a free choice between suppiers and consumers.
But, but, but, they left unicorn farts out of their analysis.
How ’bout this: In order to collect a welfare check, the would-be recipient is required to generate 2 KWH of electric power on a generator-equipped exercise bike or elliptical machine.
There is a finite amount of “energy” in the universe. (Obviously less in a closed system- a lab beaker or a star for instance.)
It is convertable, but not renewable.
Energy may be required to initiate the conversion, or it might be released during the process.
Evidence suggests a gigantic energy release at the creation of the universe. This seems reasonable but may be impossible to prove. It leaves certain metaphysical questions unanswered.
Mass, energy, light, heat, motion, gravity and subatomic forces are bound by a web of relationships that have not yet been untangled.
Research continues, uncovering clues and adding depth to the pool of knowledge.
Meanwhile-
If only there were a way to store vast quantities of potential energy, accumulated over millions of years, in huge underground reservoirs, that could be tapped and utilized when needed…
What about tapping the geothermal energy in areas like Yellowstone National Park and Hawaii? Iceland does it (meets 25% of their energy needs), why don’t we?
100% you say at what cost? And btw, energy cannot be created only transformed.
Uncle AL We should do this with prisons, too:
You want a hot shower? Pedal two hours a day.
Hot Food today? Another two hours
Lights on? Two more Hours
Heat and AC? That’ll be another four hours
I guess they’re not interested in the dramatic increase in the standard of living that came about after we started burning coal for energy. I prefer the new higher standard.
Stupid humans.
You will never prevail until you unleash the unlimited brain power of the Hive Mind!
And your puny meatsack bodies would not support that power
anyway. Our exoskeletons are superior to your mushy, fragile encumbrances in every way.
That is why We rule the universe, including this fetid rock you call home.
Hail Ants!!
Now, slaves, get back to the sugar mines.
N.conclusive: “There’s a finite amount of ” Energy in the Universe”.
I disagree, “Energy” is everywhere and it self renews” we just need to learn to use it, a little help from the Secretive sector of the Military would help, or solve our issue all together.
That was my response to N.conclusive.
^^Energy resides in matter and is released as the matter is converted to another form, or type of matter.
All matter tends to decompose (or separate) into its constituents. Some do so more readily than others. Wood, coal, petroleum, alcohol and whale oil, for instance, decay more quickly and conveniently than, say, uranium. (Not a perfect example I know, but the processes produce similar results.)
The trick is to harness the released energy efficiently, with due consideration to the byproducts.
You can see how difficult it might be to reassemble the constituents in the original arrangement.
If by “renewable” you mean that forests can be grown to replace firewood, you are correct, though you have ignored the energy required to sustain the trees.
I stand by my original comment and agree with Wildman above.
“Is 100 Percent Renewable Energy Possible?”
in a word …. no
even the Sun will burn out eventually
the law of entropy’s a bitch
I’m speaking of energy all around us everyday, as everything is vibration and energy in one form or another, we just don’t know how to use it yet. We are always (modern day) trying to compact something to get it’s energy out, and in 20 years I don’t think we will need to.
Wood?
Nuclear?
Petroleum?
Coal?
All of these are renewable. The H-C-O cycle goes round and round. And round.
The Coulombic forces within the atom don’t dissipate, either. As long as matter exists, there will be energy (and vice-versa). It’s all renewable in any sense of the lifetime of humanity, at any rate. Of course, over Billions and Billions of years it’ll attain Entropy – but we’ll all be long dead by then.
These morons misuse the term “renewable” because they’re fucking idiots – just as they mis-understand and misuse “organic.” Morons are morons because they think moronic thoughts. If they had some real education, instead of Dewey-type indoctrination, they could (if they studied hard!) someday become imbeciles! Or at least leaders in the Inter / National Socialist Movements.
izlamo delenda est …
No one has proven oil isn’t being made all the time. It’s only an assumed theory that it isn’t.