How can we have safe and sufficient energy for future development?

Question

we are running thru a crisis for sufficient and safe energy for future development needs..

the atomic energy generates cheap electricity but the investment for atomic plants are high, their operation needs atomic fuel from other countries, the disposal of radio active wastes are likely to be unsafe..

tapping alternate sources of energy like the solar, bioenergy (biogas /biodiesel), wind energy etc are not found to make big headway..

what are the probable outlook for a solution to this state of affairs.. is it true that the lobby for fossil fuel is high and that the alternate ways are not sincerely attempted..

Answer 1

Get the politicians out of determining where to drill.

    The oil for the future is being recycled by the plants and the earth. It is the plant that recycle the plant leaves into oil & Gas and after a long time to Coal.

Answer 2

You are absolutely right. Here's a hint, charge a bottle of heavy water with a laser and it'll run you whole house for a month.

Answer 3

I am reminded of an Evaluation Dept study (under Planning Dept) done long ago in AP state, on the impact of a self reliant energy village project in a tribal (lambadi) village:

several depts of the state and centre, local industrial house, a NGO and the people united to generate self reliant energy for local needs - for cooking, street lighting, community TV etc

the local industry house provided a fenced land for growing fuel trees, a community TV room, a watch man and panel for tapping solar energy to run the TV..

the Rural Dept provided a community Bio gas plant for supply of gas for cooking to the houses. For getting the dung for gobar gas plant, the available milch cattle were not adequate and it was proposed to give loans for purchase of milch catle for more families to provide income as well as supply dung for the plant..

the cooperative dept proposed to give loans for the purchase of cattle by the willing locals..

the Alternate Energy dept gave free solar cookers to each family..

the NGo coordinated the work once the project was inaugurated with much fanfare by a central minister invited for the occassion by the state officials and wide publicity in media..

after a decade, the evaluation dept went for an assessment of the energy produced from the project for attaining self sufficiency...

it found that the solar cookers were not used by the tribals who were chapathi eaters (Wheat cake) which could not be cooked by it..

the fenced fuel farm was in spoils by tresspassers who cut the wood and no replanting done..

the watch man provided by the industry for initial watch was withdrawn and there was no protection to the farm..

the community bio gas plant was not functioning as there was no adequate supply of dung and the addl milch animals proposed were not provided on various grounds..

the community TV was however functioning as also some street lights using solar panels..

thus it turned out that a multi-lakh project started with much hope and preparation was in near total spoils..

the state of macro admin is no better.. the govts talked of alternate energy generation when the last fuel crisis struck by surprise.. but the moment the problem was resolved, all the plans for alt source of energy were given up..

now the projects of wild castor cultivation etc under wasteland dev scheme, for bio diesel production in various states are progressing sluggishly..

this is just to prove that the govts are not serious to solve any problem however serious and he public is also totally unconcerned with the impending crises like the energy and water scarcity...

unless public education is intensified and much  pressure is mounted on the govt we can not expect any serious action from the govts

Answer 4

Nuclear is the only option that can cost effectively provide the massive amount of reliable 24/7 power needed. Solar and wind can help, but is just not suitable for most areas and is much more expensive. This is much more important than emissions from cars relative to CO2 emissions. Cars are less than 10% of the CO2 produced by man.

We in the U S do not need anything from other countries.

Answer 5

Solar, wind, ocean power.  The government is controlled by the energy industry so don't expect much over the next 100 years in terms of new thinking or change.

For those who say solar/wind/ocean is too expensive, consider the cost of our wars for oil and the untold billions spent on nuclear power, much of which is financed by the taxpayer through government subsidy.

Answer 6

Well, I can tell you we have efficient cars for gas, but oil companies refuse auto companies to release them. one car can get 143 miles to the gallon! And believe it or not, they would probably be selling cheap depending on teh brand. The gov't is going to hvae to regulate that one day.