Global Warming. Fossil Fuels and Alternatives –

The scope of this forum is to discuss global warming, fossil fuel depletion, alternative energy sources and scheduling the transition from fossil fuel to alternative fuels.

The protocols that I hope you can observe when posting here are:

1.      State your opinion or beliefs and try to support them with reliable factual data if you can.

2.      Avoid ad hominem remarks. No name calling or personal attacks. These weaken your argument.

3.      Avoid non sequiturs, which are arguments that say “event A happened” then “event B happened” therefore event A caused event B. Such a statement may be true or false depending on whether you can show a mechanism by which this event was produced.

4.      Avoid saying you know X is true because the majority believe it. Majority opinion is often refuted.

5.      Go ahead and do any of the above but I may issue grades, A+ thru F-, and you can do the same to me.

OK, we are all chess players and capable logical arguments (except for those who cheat with computers). Let’s see what you may have to say. I will offer some of my beliefs and opinions at a later time.

I'll throw something into the debate: What's your take on nuclear energy?

Nuclear energy may become a valuable source of energy once we figure out what to do with the waste products, spent nuclear fuel and how to engineer facilities that are more reliable than what we have now. It is difficult to engineer for the unexpected.

In view of the fact that our species may be around for another 2 o 3 million years the waste disposal must be guarantied safe at for least that length of time.

I'll give that comment an A. :-)

I suppose I should put in my 2 cents. I'm all for solar! From an environmental perspective, solar power is the best thing going. A 1.5 kilowatt PV system will keep more than 110,000 pounds of carbon dioxide, the chief greenhouse gas, out of the atmosphere for the next 25 years. The same solar system will also prevent the need to burn 60,000 pounds of coal. With solar, there's no acid rain, no urban smog, no pollution of any kind.

It looks like we are in a period of energy transition. Fossil fuels will be in the picture for a long time. Airliners and military equipment using fossil fuels will endure unless you junk trillions of dollars worth of existing aparatus.

I have wondered if there might be an application that would use wind energy for trans-Pacific shipping. A hybrid system of diesel and sail. The sails could be managed by servo motors and satellite weather analysis could guide ships on the best course taking advantages of currents and wind direction. Losing 2 or 3 weeks of transit time would make little difference if the energy cost savings offset the expense of slower transit time. How quickly do we need to move socks and underwear across the Pacific? This would be a slow process going to the next generation of trans-Pacific ships.

   Since I live in Massachusetts I have to post this;  http://tdworld.com/generation-renewables/massachusetts-edges-out-california-most-energy-efficient-state