YOU!: Fix the US Energy Crisis

mheslep

Do you believe the source above, Dr. Dorothy Robyn, current deputy under secretary of defense, is a big right wing nutter?
Location knowledge doesn't trivialize the problem.
http://www.google.com/#hl=en&q=wind+...8ef3750cf3a29c

brainstorm

Blind people can't hear hybrid cars? Maybe they need bigger bass speakers.

Ivan Seeking

Make the wind turbines stealthy.

russ_watters

That is one potential solution, yes.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...cars-too-quiet

Topher925

Found this seminar thing from bill gates and thought it was worth sharing.

brainstorm

Very inspirational speech. CO2=PxSxExC: nice clarity. The only thing I wonder is why do these kind of speeches always build up to suggesting more spending? Why doesn't anyone ever base their visions of progress on the idea that necessity will breed innovation? It seems to me that every time loads of money get thrown at change, the result is more spending on the status quo. How much money was invested in hydrogen and electric cars before it all culminated in cash4clunkers? How much has been spent on improving the energy efficiency of buildings and what has changed in terms of climate control practices? I would have expected many elegant designs for open-air work and consumption spaces. I would have expected to see more light vehicles with sun/rain canopies but no a/c. I would have expected to see cooperation between employers and city planners to move employers and employees closer together to promote pedestrian commuting. How much stimulus money does it take to initiate these kinds of innovations? Or is the truth that the stimulus was only ever intended to maintain cash flows at levels that would preserve the status quo of paying current utility costs, maintaining current machinery, paying off current mortgages, and renovating current infrastructure for current commuting patterns?

OmCheeto

Never heard of a U-238 reactor before.

I'll check it out and get back to you.

(ten seconds later)

Oops. Never mind. Wiki says it's true:

I hate that Gates guy.

I hope his kids kick him in the shins when he gets older, or twist his nipples real hard when he's sleeping.

brainstorm

I hate him for giving so much money away to people who couldn't give a damn about what he's saying. Bill, you're so right about everything but those people just sit and listen to you talk about zero CO2 so they can get your money to go buy more oil, coal, gas, and other high-energy products.

I would love to see him stand there and talk about zero emissions and then say that he's going to take the first step by not letting a penny of his fortune get into anyone's hands who uses any fossil fuel in any way. See if there's any applause after he says that.

Topher925

How can you hate Bill Gates? He created the Windows OS and is the worlds greatest philanthropist. Everything he does these days is to increase the quality of life for man kind.

OmCheeto

But that has nothing to do with fixing the US Energy Crisis does it. I think what I hate more is that a 250cc gas powered car won the automotive x-prize just the other day.

Five million dollars!

Now that, I hate way more than Gates.

Gates is more a jealous kind of hate. I was a ML coder back in his day. Those were the days. I think I wrote over 2000 programs in a 3 year period.

Actually, given a year, and about $100k, I could kick Edison2's derriere too. Maybe I hate them both equally.

sigh.....

mheslep

Gates is referring to a Traveling Wave Reactor. There are several threads e.g:
http://www.physicsforums.com/showpos...3&postcount=24

and

http://www.nuc.berkeley.edu/files/Te...rGilleland.pdf

OmCheeto

Bill Clinton mentioned something similar regarding this, which I think I didn't quite relay properly the other day, and had someone laughing:

The Daily Show

Topher925

There's a good reason why Obama hasn't raised taxes on gas, and its because people would go absolutely ape @#$% over it. Just look at how much aggression has been created by the Bush tax cuts ending. If Obama was to enforce an increase cost in gasoline the right wing republicans along with that whole "tea party" movement would tear down the white house.

I think its a very good idea though. Increase the cost of gasoline to help fund alternative energy development and maybe do it with providing a tax waiver for the poor. To bad us Americans don't know whats good for us.

Ivan Seeking

Either we do it strategically, in a controlled manner, to foster alternatives and end our reliance on oil, or we wait until the market does it for us, without controls, and live with the consequences of an avoidable disaster.

But you are right, the Republicans and tea partiers will have no part of it.

Topher925

My money's on the latter.

mheslep

It might fly with an exact revenue match in income tax reduction, where it could be sold with the pitch - save gas and you are ahead of where you were before the tax. Would have flown already I expect, except for the exceptional impact on large, sparsely populated states where its nothing to drive your F150 50mi to work every day.

Mech_Engineer

Why can't you just invent a better alternative to compete against gasoline powered transportation, rather than raise taxes to "research alternatives"?

I've got a better idea: give me the option to reroute my social security, medicare, and welfare taxes into alternative energy research. I'll go for that in an instant.