It's Happening and Growing

Proponents of nuclear power will always cite figures that are taken from old renewable energy data to boost their argument in favor of nuclear power as to how much more viable nuclear power is suppose to be and proponents of renewables often don’t take notice of the latest in nuclear power but there are some very fundamental differences in the two that make renewables much more attractive. Meanwhile there are many economists who say that we can do it by using renewables without negatively damaging the economy. Prof. Ross Garnaut is one of those [1]. So the renewable industry in Australia like elsewhere is just getting on with it [2] [3].

[1] http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2008/s2168338.htm

[2] http://www.worldwatch.org/node/5625

[3] http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,23238663-5006301,00.html?from=public_rss

Helping the planet to cool itself down.

This planet was on course to cool down towards another ice age but it’s not. Why? Because of human intervention. We have tipped the balance and set the course for our extinction by burning fossil fuels and disrupting the normal ecological processes. The only thing I criticize Lovelock on is his idea that nuclear energy will save us. His idea of the planet being regulated by life forces should not be ignored however. Every indicator that the earth is warming up fast can be seen by faster than predicted rises in sea level, CO2, and temperature. Still everything that can be done should be done to try and stem or slow down it and new ways to do it must be given serious money. Solar thermal power is going ahead and we expect big things from this. But there are other ways of doing things and they don’t happened to be nuclear. A huge amount of research is going on to find new ways and some success is coming through. New ways to produce hydrogen [1] storing sun and wind energy [2] harnessing wave power [3]. It’s this last thing that’s as important as any because if we are going to use the planet to help it cool down, like James Lovelock says we need to, then we need those scientists on that front, take seriously his idea of using the planet itself to do it. Due to global warming the normal regulatory mode of the oceans keeping the planet cool is breaking down. The top layer of ocean is clear and devoid of algae and nutrients that would otherwise regulate the atmosphere because this warm water stays on top not mixing with lower layers. His idea is to use an enormous number of tubes vertically about 100 meters long and 10meters diameter with a valve on the bottom and as the waves pass over them this has pumping action bringing cold water from below. Or next big thrust must be in wave technology not only in producing power and desalinated water but cooling the planet down as well.

[1] http://www.news.com/Producing-hydrogen-with-water-and-a-little-metal/2100-11392_3-6184879.html?part=rss&tag=2038-12_3-0&subj=news

[2] http://www.news.com/Storing-sun-and-wind-power/2100-13840_3-6221396.html?part=rss&tag=2038-12_3-0&subj=news

[3] http://www.news.com/2100-13840_3-6223220.html?part=rss&tag=2038-12_3-0&subj=news