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Energy Policy

The Government Should Invest In...

  • Total voters
    36
Ethereal said:
On a large scale, none of these things are even remotely practical or efficient.
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Totally untrue, both wind and solar must be in the energy mix.
Solar, right now for its direct passive energy.
Had every home in America been properly positioned and designed, our energy bill could have been 10 - 20% less.

Wind energy, around for centuries, temporarily replace by cheap oil and coal, now those days are over.

Nuclear, 50,000,000 Frenchmen cannot be wrong.

Oil should only be for lubricants, plastics, so many other things. and the day is coming.
 
UtahBill said:
There aren't very many good geothermal locations ...
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So what ??
We should use those that are available.
For energy, there can be no single source.
Our goal must be to free ourselves from any dependence.
This is possible if we try, and avoid making silly excuses.
And I also favor drilling, everyplace; the environment need not be spoiled...
 
ronpaulvoter said:
Why the government?

How about repealing stupid and abusive regulations and excessive taxes?

Then let the free market take care of it.
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Yeah, lets regress a century or a millennial, no regulations, no taxes.
Instead - slavery, black lung disease, misery, and poverty for the working class.
 
WHile discussing this, bear in mind that wind, solar, geothermal, etc. are all SUPPLEMENTS, not true alternatives. A true alternative will be able to replace coal completely. Nuclear is the only one that can do that. The second largest contributor to our energy mix is conservation. We waste an inordinate amount of it in buildings that are poorly designed, oriented, and built.
 
Ethereal said:
Like I said, I'd support a Constitutional Amendment which permitted the government to create and run a nuclear infrastructure.
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I do not see how this is necessary at this point in time.
We do , however, have a problem with fear and ignorance...This must be solved.
All of these energy sources have their downsides,(pollution, up front costs, operating costs, future costs, environmental impacts, on and on)..
I just hope our "think tank" people are smart enough to handle this.

Our people are not:3oops:......but they still must have a voice....

And, a word on wind energy.
Maybe the European nations have gone overboard with this.. but in Denmark, apparently the wind farms have negated any need to build more "traditional" energy plants...the anti-wind argument is slanted...Surely, the newer generation of wind turbine will be improved, just as the wind turbine has been improved from the old windmills of a century ago.
 
Harry Guerrilla said:
Just some interesting input but using geothermal for home temperature regulation is quite accessible to everyone, nearly everywhere.

It can be quite expensive though.
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My basement, with bare concrete floors, and bare load bearing concrete wall, stays in the low to mid 60's year round...so yes, home based geothermal is a good idea.
winter time, the low sun angle heats the tile in our dining and kitchen area, and as long as the sun is shining, the furnace stays off most of the time. If it gets REALLY cold out, it kicks on part of the day...
We need new home building codes more than we need NEW energy supplies.
 
UtahBill said:
My basement, with bare concrete floors, and bare load bearing concrete wall, stays in the low to mid 60's year round...so yes, home based geothermal is a good idea.
winter time, the low sun angle heats the tile in our dining and kitchen area, and as long as the sun is shining, the furnace stays off most of the time. If it gets REALLY cold out, it kicks on part of the day...
We need new home building codes more than we need NEW energy supplies.
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Here is an example of what I'm talking about.
I think it's a great idea but again expensive.

The tubes and the earth itself act as a heat exchanger.

heat_pump_small_cool_nt.jpg
 
Harry Guerrilla said:
Here is an example of what I'm talking about.
I think it's a great idea but again expensive.

The tubes and the earth itself act as a heat exchanger.

heat_pump_small_cool_nt.jpg
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It doesn't have to be expensive, an earth coupled heat pump is very efficient but requires a lot of surface area and soil with adequate moisture in it. If you have a large lot, say an acre, and run the tubing around the perimiter, you will get enough heat exchange area for relatively cheap. If you have to drill a well, it gets expensive.
 
UtahBill said:
It doesn't have to be expensive, an earth coupled heat pump is very efficient but requires a lot of surface area and soil with adequate moisture in it. If you have a large lot, say an acre, and run the tubing around the perimiter, you will get enough heat exchange area for relatively cheap. If you have to drill a well, it gets expensive.
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I think it has to go deep enough to work well that's why it gets expensive but I like it none the less.

I also read somewhere that you can use a pond in the same manner.
 
Harry Guerrilla said:
I think it has to go deep enough to work well that's why it gets expensive but I like it none the less.

I also read somewhere that you can use a pond in the same manner.
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Depending on where you are, you need to go deep enough that the temperature stays relatively constant year round. Here in Logan, Utah, the water coming in to the house varies throughout the year from high 40's to low 60's...so I would go below the level of the water supply pipes.
I know someone who had several acres in SE Idaho and had one of the systems using a single pass around his property at about 10 feet down. Took a lot of trenching, but not as pricey as drilling a well. Water where he was is DEEP underground...
There are all kinds of current energy saving technologies available to us, no need to go exotic...
 
UtahBill said:
Depending on where you are, you need to go deep enough that the temperature stays relatively constant year round. Here in Logan, Utah, the water coming in to the house varies throughout the year from high 40's to low 60's...so I would go below the level of the water supply pipes.
I know someone who had several acres in SE Idaho and had one of the systems using a single pass around his property at about 10 feet down. Took a lot of trenching, but not as pricey as drilling a well. Water where he was is DEEP underground...
There are all kinds of current energy saving technologies available to us, no need to go exotic...
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That's pretty slick, I'd like to see one in person to judge it's effect on a house though.

I came upon this trying to find out about home power generation.
 
Harry Guerrilla said:
Just some interesting input but using geothermal for home temperature regulation is quite accessible to everyone, nearly everywhere....
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UtahBill said:
My basement, with bare concrete floors, and bare load bearing concrete wall, stays in the low to mid 60's year round...so yes, home based geothermal is a good idea.
winter time, the low sun angle heats the tile in our dining and kitchen area, and as long as the sun is shining, the furnace stays off most of the time. If it gets REALLY cold out, it kicks on part of the day...
We need new home building codes more than we need NEW energy supplies.
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The best way is to build an underground home--out of reinforced concrete.

You get the same geothermal effect as in a cave--a nearly constant temperature.

But you should do it yourself. Government should have nothing to do with it.

And no, we don't need new building codes. We need people to be free to use innovative ideas without restriction.
 
ronpaulvoter said:
The best way is to build an underground home--out of reinforced concrete.

You get the same geothermal effect as in a cave--a nearly constant temperature.

But you should do it yourself. Government should have nothing to do with it.

And no, we don't need new building codes. We need people to be free to use innovative ideas without restriction.
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incorrect....building codes are a minimum standard based on safety, and there is nothing in them that says you cannot exceed minimum....
 
Ethereal said:
Assuming the government should subsidize energy costs, the government should invest primarily in:

a. Solar.
b. Wind.
c. Geothermal.
d. Nuclear.
e. Oil.
f. Coal.
g. Hydroelectric.
h. Other.

---

I say nuclear energy. My reasons:

1. It could provide for the vast majority of our infrastructural energy needs.
2. We could export nuclear energy to Mexico and Canada.
3. It's very efficient.
4. It's safe.
5. It produces relatively little waste.
6. It's cost-effective (in the long term).
7. There's no compelling argument against it.

Even France understands:



IF the government insists upon investing in energy then why don't they invest in nuclear power? I think it has something to do with the radical, leftwing, environmentalist types that insist on turning every issue into an overly emotional cry-fest, ignoring the facts and distorting the ones they can't ignore.

Let's be practical America...nuclear energy is good stuff.
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Where the heck is "Tidal Energy"? As long as we have a Moon, we have the Energy provided by both the Surge, and the Resession of the Tide. There's no stopping it, and we know like "Clock-Work",,,When.

Mega Tons of Power Wasted.
 
Plus, thousands of miles of "Wave Energy". Never Ending. The waves will be there until the end of time... We can harness that.

Why not?;)

It's all "Hydro Energy". Any thoughts Folks?
 
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Realist1 said:
Plus, thousands of miles of "Wave Energy". Never Ending. The waves will be there until the end of time... We can harness that.

Why not?;)

It's all "Hydro Energy". Any thoughts Folks?
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Has promise. But unless done correctly, it may negitively effect beach areas nearby.
 
The Mark said:
Has promise. But unless done correctly, it may negitively effect beach areas nearby.
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In what way? The idea seems to me, harness the Power. "The Waves Give, and Recieve":). If you're talking about major storms hitting. We withdraw the Turbines. They'd be mostly "On-Line", by being Lines in the Surf.:lol:

As for the Beach. Have the Common Sense NOT to live next to an Ocean. Just visit, when you want, and it's safe.;)
 
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Realist1 said:
In what way? The idea seems to me, harness the Power. "The Waves Give, and Recieve":). If you're talking about major storms hitting. We withdraw the Turbines. They'd be mostly "On-Line", by being Lines in the Surf.:lol:

As for the Beach. Have the Common Sense NOT to live next to an Ocean. Just visit, when you want, and it's safe.;)
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Not exactly sure how it could impact.

But I am sure that there is some way that it could, if not implemented correctly.
 
The Mark said:
Not exactly sure how it could impact.

But I am sure that there is some way that it could, if not implemented correctly.
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True,,, if "implemented" by the Govt.:lol: But not by someone interested in making MONEY. Instead of STEALING from those that actually PRODUCE.


Get back to me, if you can't figure that out.:lol:
 
Realist1 said:
True,,, if "implemented" by the Govt.:lol: But not by someone interested in making MONEY. Instead of STEALING from those that actually PRODUCE.

Get back to me, if you can't figure that out.:lol:
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Well, it depends.

It is almost impossible, but potentially a government could do it correctly.

On the other hand, if implementing it correctly is in the best interests of a private, for profit firm, then you are correct. If not, then possibly no.

I know not what exact issues could arise, but I’m sure there are some. The potential for a company to ignore them for profit does exist.

For that matter, I have no idea what, precisely, I am talking about. But I'm still sure that the potential for it to be done incorrectly exists.
 
The Mark said:
Well, it depends.

It is almost impossible, but potentially a government could do it correctly.

On the other hand, if implementing it correctly is in the best interests of a private, for profit firm, then you are correct. If not, then possibly no.

I know not what exact issues could arise, but I’m sure there are some. The potential for a company to ignore them for profit does exist.

For that matter, I have no idea what, precisely, I am talking about. But I'm still sure that the potential for it to be done incorrectly exists.
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Yep,,, You Voted for B.O. :lol:
 
Realist1 said:
Yep,,, You Voted for B.O. :lol:
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Actually, no.

What made you think so?

Edit: Or is that another joke that flew several miles over my head?
 
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