What are methods to produce energy without contributing to global warming?

Question

What are methods to produce energy without contributing to global warming, I know that so far turbines could help us, do you know any others?

Answer 1

Let's see now - the 'environmental movement' won't allow any new drilling or refineries = they are the ones spearheading the "Global Warming Theory"

The 'environmentalists' have successfully shut off building any nuclear power plants for several decades.

The 'environmentalists' want the USA to 'tear down' all dams = hydroelectric gone.

The 'environmentalists' shut down 'wind farms' in Kennedy's back yard = 'it will kill the birds'

"Global Warming" a threat? = Who are you Environ Whackos trying to fool?

Answer 2

Nuclear, wind, sunlight, hydro (Hoover Dam)

Answer 3

Here's some information about what is actually happening in the real world in the way of clean energy systems.

One company is making commercially viable fuel cells to run power plants on the same natural gas already used in many plants, but using the gas in a much cleaner way.  These fuel cells can also use the methane produced by manure, water treatment plants and landfills.  

The greatest potential is in solar power.  As I've posted in other places here, we have already started building solar thermal power plants that are producing 100% clean energy at competitive rates with fossil fuel power plants.

Using solar thermal and concentrating solar photvoltaic power plants we can power the entire nation using 1% of the desert areas of the southwest.  92x92 mile area would power the country. A lot of land?  Actually less watt per watt than the land used by coal mines and coal power plants.  

Using 1% of the Sahara desert this way would power the whole world.

The first of these are already running in California and more are on the way. Factories are being built to mass produce the parts for solar thermal plants. Solar thermal is also concentrating solar.  The sun is concentrated by parabolic mirrors etc, onto pipes or towers where water is heated to drive steam turbines.  There are several good designs.  At least seven companies are already active either in building or planning these plants.

To see an idea for a master plan to convert the U.S. to all solar in this century, see;

Article in Scientific American January 2008

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=a-so...

This plan calls for public spending of $400 billion over about 20 years.  If that seems like a lot, we give the oil companies that much in less than half that much time.  And we are spending 2 $trillion

to wage the war in Iraq over just a few years.  Only the truly naive believe that is not to protect our oil interests.  

  And how did the railroads get built?  Subsidies!

Photovoltaics on rooftops etc provide a distributed energy system(meaning not centralized as in power plants) will also add significantly to our power sources.  Their cost has come down drastically in the last twenty years and are a few years away from being as cheap as fossil fuels.  More on that later.

Wind farms produce perhaps the cheapest electricity.  Europe is developing them much more than in the U.S.

Technologies are being quickly developed to store the excess electricity from solar plants and wind farms, so they can put out juice after the sun goes down or when the wind isn't blowing.  Some of the solar thermal and concentrating solar plants will store hot water or other liquid.  Some will store molten salt, which has the ability to hold it's heat over fairly long time frames.  This will allow these plants to provide eclectricity after the sun goes down.  

Some utilities are envisioning using the spent batteries from electric and hybrid cars to store non peak excess energy to be released during peak demand times of day.  When the batteris have outlived their usefullness in cars, they still have enough capacity to be useful for this other purpose.  Under some of these scenarios owners of hybrids and electric cars wouldn't have to actually own the batteries in their cars. They would be leased and then used by the utilities.  This could reduce the price of electric and hybrid vehicles.

  PG&E in Californiais already implementing plans for ocean wave generating systems for the northern California coast.

Ethanol which is being pushed by the Bush administration and big agribusiness and the car companies, is the worst choice.  It hasn't been shown to be either ecologically or economically viable.  It could disrupt our food economy, corn and all products from corn, including corn fed beef and pork would be effected.  Ethanols only saving grace is less dependency on foreign oil.

  A better use of biomass, which doesn't have to be a food crop, is to use it to make plastics.  Bioplastics are fairly new.  A company called Metabolix and Archer Daniels Midland are building a bioplastic factory in Iowa.  Petroleum based plastics never break down in the environment.  They cannot be made ecologically safe.  We use 10% of our oil supply making plastics and they present a huge pollution problem. The oceans are filling up with microscopic particle of plastics and being ingested by the algae at the bottom of the food chain.  And they never decompose in landfills.  Bioplastics made by Metabolix are actually compostable.  This also could impact agriculture but wouldn't require near as much biomass as ethanol because we wouldn't be burning the product.  And it natually returns to the earth as compost when we dispose of it. To start with, they are using corn starch and corn sugars for this but will eventually use non food crops like switchgrass.  

Biodiesel is a better idea than ethanol. It can be made from used cooking oils for one thing.

A company in Europe has developed a parasail for sail assisted freighter ships.  It is cheap, low tech and will save 10-30% of a ship's fuel costs, which are substantial.   In perfect wind conditions it will save 50% of their fuel.  A ship can be retrofitted with this for a paltry $250,000.  Large ships are leased at up to $120,000 a day to give you an idea of how cheap this is.

  These Sky Sails can produce 6800 horsepower.

The first container ship with this system has either been launched or is very near launching.

Ships running on bunker fuel are big polluters so there is a dual advantage here. Do a search for SkySail to see this.

Companies are quickly developing much better batteries for electric and hybrid cars.  Phoenix Motor Cars builds a light utility pickup that has lithium titanate batteries.  Using a special charger, that requires 440 volt electrical connection, they can charge these batteries in 10 minutes or in 6 hours using the cars 110 volt onboard plug in charger.  A network of charging stations would speed up the practicality and adoption of these vehicles.

Ultra capacitors have been developed for electricity storage in lieu of, or in combination with batteries.



Forklift and other materials handling vehicles are good candidates for fuel cells and they are being marketed for this

Fuel cells don't have to run on pure hydrogen.  There are many types of fuel cells.

Fuel cells are being developed and may even be on the market to replace small gasoline generators like 1kilowatt or more.

Fuel cells are being developed for cogeneration plants for homes, businesses, public buildings etc.

Someone here said Nuke plants.  While I don't rule them out entirely, solar is safer and cheaper.  And requires no fuel ever. And with nuclear we are back to square one in a sense, with someone who controls the uranium supply. In that sense it is not as energy independent as solar.

There are many hidden costs in nuclear, like the cost of dismantling when they have reached the end of their lifespan, which can be very expensive.

And while it is claimed that nuke plants can be built that are safe, we still have to transport the radioactive waste all over the country to dispose of it,  presumably at Yucca mtn in Nevada.

Answer 4

farting

Answer 5

Nuclear

Answer 6

Green energy includes natural energetic processes that can be harnessed with little pollution. Anaerobic digestion, geothermal power, wind power, small-scale hydropower, solar power, biomass power, tidal power and wave power fall under such a category. Some versions may also include power derived from the incineration of waste.

Answer 7

your brainwashed already

Answer 8

Wind, wave, solar, nuclear, and geothermal come to mind.

Answer 9

What about using less energy?

Answer 10

Nuke plants. 0 emmissions isn't it wonderfull and cheap to boot. I will never protest a new nuke plant please come build one for me.

Answer 11

Here's a variety of very interesting ones (some with great potential):

http://www.logicalscience.com/technology...

Answer 12

Questioninger person

Let me start off by saying we (my family and I) live 100% off of the grid and are completely self-sufficient with a 0% Carbon footprint. I believe this is the first step anyone can make “help the environment”. Once you convert your own life style to a greener more eco friendly route, you can start helping others.

my home has all the comforts listed above plus some. we live very comfortable without effecting the environment. just saying that tolet you know it's possible. you may not want to go as extreme as me and my family but anywhere in between is something.

Without getting to in depth here, Using alternative fuels in your vehicles and harnessing your own electricity from the sun, water, earth and wind are the 2 are key elements in making a green transition and erasing your carbon footprint.

I've been installing home made Solar panels. Solar stoves, Solar batch and inline hot water heaters. Solar radiant heating. Solar home heating and AC, along with home made wind gens and other alternative energy items for the last 3 years.

You can even make the above projects on site with simple parts from the local hardware stores or auto stores or junk yards. For more info check out some guides I wrote / compiled on how to DIY www agua-luna com

Again these projects can be accomplished anywhere by anyone.

if you absolutely can't do anything in your home at least you can put alternative fuels in your car. most major automotive manufacturers (Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors, etc) recommend the use of bio fuels, and nearly every car manufacturer in the world approves ethanol blends in their warranty coverage.

In fact your probably even driving an ethanol car and didn't even know it.

The trick is finding fuel.

I've been producing biofuel for about 3 years now, it's not extremely difficult. Basically you need general household ingredients, a processor (or still for ethanol) and some used oil. Blend it, let separate, screen and use. I complied a guide a while back to help walk you threw the process step by step, just email me or check out..

www agua-luna com

as for recyling the best way i've found without taking money from your won pocket is to join a free freecycle group in your area or visit the habitat for humanity.

If you’d like help in making your self sufficient steps, feel free to contact me directly. I’ve written several how-to DIY guides available at www agua-luna com

on the subject. I also offer online and on-site workshops, seminars and internships to help others “help the environment”.

Hope this helped, feel free to contact me personally if you have any questions if you’d like assistance in making your first self sufficient steps, I’m willing to walk you step by step threw the process. I’ve written several how-to DIY guides available at  www agua-luna com on the subject. I also offer online and on-site workshops, seminars and internships to help others help the environment.

Dan Martin

Retired Boeing Engineer now living 100% on Alternative & Author of How One Simple Yet Incredibly Powerful Resource Is Transforming The Lives of Regular People From All Over The World... Instantly Elevating Their Income & Lowering Their Debt, While Saving The Environment by Using FREE ENERGY... All With Just One Click of A Mouse...For more info Visit:  

www agua-luna com

Stop Global Warming, Receive a FREE Solar Panels Now!!!

Answer 13

no, you can not produce energy with out producing some kind of  green house gas.

The products that you use to cut the GHG had to be made and when they were made they used some kind of energy to make them and they produce green house gas.

right now we do not have the technology to make anything with out producing green house gas. but it will come!

Answer 14

I like the answer from above that says "Use less Energy" but your question specifically asks about non contribution to global warming.

The issue is not that we are contributing to climate change (have you ever heard of us making a hurricane go away?  Humans are NOT that powerful).  It is that we are wasteful and greedy.  We may be contributing to smog and unclean AIR, which in turn gives hospitals excessive loads of emergency asthma cases, etc.  But

Let's dry our clothes on lines and 'clothes horses' (I have both) and let's walk to the village if we are close enough.  Let's ride a bike if we can to go to the grocery store.

Let's car pool and 3 families buy from the big stores once a week,  or even once a month, and share petrol (gas).  

Those kinds of personal savings use will help YOUR bills and give the rest of the world a chance to catch up.

The other person named very good uses of alternative fuel production and I hope the research scientists are going full steam ahead on those.