"Ethanol from switchgrass and ditch weed, bio-diesel from algae and turkey offal, geothermal hydrogen, tidal electricity, methane ice, P-series fuel -- it's enough to give your gas tank a real identity crisis," writes author David de Rothschild in The Live Earth Global Warming Survival Handbook.
In other words, we're a long way off from deciding on the best alternative to diesel. It's Essential Skill #55 in The Handbook:
Choose your fuel.
De Rothschild weighs the pros and cons of the top contenders:
1) Biofuels (ethanol, bio-diesel and methane)
PROS: If it's organic, it can probably be turned into fuel.
CONS: It forces a choice between using plants for food or fuel. It also comes with the negative environmental impact of farming.
2) Electricity
PROS: There's already an existing infrastructure for this technology. Its centralized generation also makes carbon capture relatively easy.
CONS: To use this alternative fuel, you have to buy a new electric car. And reliance on battery technology limits range of driving and fuel time.
3) Hydrogen
PROS: The only waste product produced from hydrogen fuel is water, and it's carbon neutral if it's produced from renewable resources.
CONS: Building the infastructure for hydrogen technology could cost up to $500 billion, and it could be decades before we can even use it.
"If we were really smart," writes de Rothschild, "we'd invest as much of our remaining fossil energy as we can in wind turbines and solar panels. The best fuel is the one you do not burn up in the first place."
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Essential Skill #54: Say "Nuclear" Correctly
"First things first: 'nuclear' is not pronounced 'new-cue-ler," writes author David de Rothschild in The Global Warming Survival Handbook. "Or 'new-cler.' Since it's likely to be rolling off more tongues than ever in the coming years, it's best to get that straightened out right now."
It's Essential Skill #54 in The Handbook: Say "Nuclear" Correctly.
But really, the way you pronounce the word is of little consequence. What matters most is that you get the facts on this potentially devastating "solution" to global warming.
Despite all its drawbacks and dangers, even some environmentalists who once spoke against it are embracing nuclear power, desperate for any other way to power the planet without fossil fuels. But is it really worth the risk considering the following fact?
"In order for nuclear energy to displace enough fossil-fuel energy to make any real difference in global warming," writes de Rothschild, "worldwide nuclear output would have to double by 2050 and continue at that capacity for at least 50 years."
But here's the real kicker.
"Even that massive increase of atomic energy ... would only prevent .33 degrees Fahrenheit of global temperature rise."
Weigh that pro against the cons, and the balance seems rather out of whack, don't you think?
The drawbacks of nuclear energy include:
It's Essential Skill #54 in The Handbook: Say "Nuclear" Correctly.
But really, the way you pronounce the word is of little consequence. What matters most is that you get the facts on this potentially devastating "solution" to global warming.
Despite all its drawbacks and dangers, even some environmentalists who once spoke against it are embracing nuclear power, desperate for any other way to power the planet without fossil fuels. But is it really worth the risk considering the following fact?
"In order for nuclear energy to displace enough fossil-fuel energy to make any real difference in global warming," writes de Rothschild, "worldwide nuclear output would have to double by 2050 and continue at that capacity for at least 50 years."
But here's the real kicker.
"Even that massive increase of atomic energy ... would only prevent .33 degrees Fahrenheit of global temperature rise."
Weigh that pro against the cons, and the balance seems rather out of whack, don't you think?
The drawbacks of nuclear energy include:
- Nuclear plant meltdowns
- Problem of how to safely store nuclear waste (which remains active for thousands of years)
- Possibility of it falling into terrorist hands
- Nuclear energy is not a renewable resource, as uranium reserves are limited
Instead of investing in the potential dangers of nuclear energy, encourage your leaders to use your tax dollars to concentrate on clean, renewable alternative technologies, like wind power, hydropower and geothermal power.
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