[DifferentPointofView]

this quote reminded me of my master plan.

(originally from FX2.3)

Alot of great information!

Guess that means electricity is the true alternative, no point in ethanol or hydrogen, but then the electric companies could become the new OPEC even with solar, wind, and hydroelectric powering our vehicles. Those who control the grids, control the future. Oil is a dying, ethanol is not practical as food and fuel, and hydrogen is eh..

Has anyone ever thought about geothermal energy? it's more reliable and highly more potent than solar, and more reliable than wind, and it's virtually free, and it's there all day, everyday, 24/7. Iceland runs their whole country basically on geothermal energy, and to a lesser extent hydroelectric energy.

From businessgreen.com

The reason for this optimism lies below Iceland's famous landscape in the form of the molten rock that bubbles conveniently close the surface.
It was back in the late 1970s at the peak of the oil crisis that the Icelandic government decided to exploit the geothermal energy that gives the country its distinctive volcanic landscape and famous hot pools. The country invested heavily in geothermal and to a lesser extent hydroelectric power, building as it went the foundations that would quickly turn it into one of the most productive countries in the world per capita.
The net result claims Einar Karl Haraldsson, chief political adviser to the Icelandic foreign ministry, is that around 80 per cent of Iceland's energy now comes from renewable sources and the country is arguably further along the road to becoming a low-carbon economy than any other.

I've always thought about how they're trying to find a way to make hydrogen cheaply, because right now it costs more to make hydrogen than hydrogen is worth, but use a little geothermal energy and we can make cheap hydrogen. it may not be as simple as that, but it's a start.

The process of harnessing geothermal energy is remarkably simple, according to Sol Squire, managing director for offshore operations at Data Islandia, a data storage specialist offering to store and archive firms' electronic data at facilities powered entirely by geothermal energy. "Basically you drill a hole in the ground and then add some water to juice it up a little," he explains. "The water turns to steam and that drives a turbine."

hmm, back to steam? it seems that technology is making complex things do simple tasks.

More over, listen to this piece about how much potential energy geothermal energy might have.

This readily available source of power means that geothermal and hydroelectric energy provides 99.95 per cent of the country's electricity and 98 per cent of its heating requirements. Moreover, geologists are convinced that Iceland has barely begun to tap the geothermal potential that arises from its position above the meeting point of the European and North American tectonic plates. Some reckon that all the energy needs of the Northern hemisphere could be met from Iceland, but the truth is that no one is that sure how much energy could be eventually harnessed.

That's probably overestimated, but still, if one country can power half the earth, imagine what 5, or even 10 countries could do!

The government is now engaged in a major project to tap more of this huge potential energy source. Conventional power plants are based on bores drilled to a depth of between 2km and 3km, but work is now underway at the Resource Park on bores of up to 5km in depth. "The water pumped into those bores will reach an unbelievable pressure and deliver four to five times the power yield of conventional bores," explained Haraldsson.
Of course, until such time as long distance power cables become a reality, Iceland's remote location means it has no means to export this geothermal energy. As such, the government has now embarked on a major charm offensive to attract those industries it feels will stand to benefit from its abundance of green and cheap energy.

Your thoughts?