X-Message-Number: 29256
From: "Mark Plus" <>
Subject: Re: substitutes
Date: Mon, 05 Mar 2007 22:40:59 -0800

In Cryonet #29234, Charles Platt writes,

>Mark Plus questions the availability of energy substitutes. Obviously 
>nuclear comes first, because it exists (the French figured that out).

So the French have done something to commend them after all, even though 
they've used a statist, collectivist approach to securing their electricity 
supply. Of course, nuclear power doesn't bring about the energy millennium. 
During France's deadly heat wave a few years back, its nuclear reactors 
nearly had to shut down because of cooling problems. If the French had 
adopted the American custom of plugging air conditioners into their power 
grid that summer, the whole country would have experienced a mega-blackout.

>O'Neill's solar power satellites were thought of--30 years ago?

As I pointed out in my post to Keith, this idea comes from a 1970's view of 
"the future" that doesn't look that far removed from geodesic domes and 
flying cars, only worse because we don't even have a working prototype.

>So we already have two options that are just waiting to be used when they 
>become economically
comparable to fossil fuels. And Mark knows the more speculative ones. Tar 
sands, some biomass, solar. Since there is virtually no incentive right now 
to develop alternatives, it's amazing that any exist at all.

An "alternative" has to make thermodynamic sense. For example, Brazil's 
ethanol from sugarcane apparently produces net energy and keeps Brazil 
significantly less dependent on petroleum because: (1) Brazil lies beneath 
the equator, which gives it a year around growing season and, what, at least 
50 percent more insolation per square meter than America's cornbelt during 
its spring and summer-only growing season; this makes a big difference in 
the photosynthetic efficiency of sugarcane over corn in producing and 
storing carbohydrates that can turn into ethanol. (2) Having a lumpenprole 
labor force helps to keep costs down. And (3), only a relatively small 
proportion of Brazilians have the wherewithal to own cars any way, so 
locally produced ethanol can supply the market easily. These conditions 
don't describe the ethanol situation in the U.S.

>Oh, and coal of course. There is a LOT of coal....

Yes, in this energy scenario, "the future" looks a lot like the 19th 
Century.

Mark

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