svosavvy

Renewable Energy Reality: We're Dependent on Coal

I understood your idea from first noted in this thread. So do a fair few companies using solar reflection to make steam. In a nearly closed system you could generate plenty of heat with solar thermal. Heck you could run a solar panel and heat your ultra efficient house with a light bulb if you wanted. However, that isn't in the cards for most homeowners right now, so in the meantime coal is our friendly smelly crutch to get us to those high flying days. Heck you could spread tin foil over the polar icecaps reflect those rads and cure global warming. Now thats an idea you could get a company together get an underwriter and have an ipo sell some shares at a ridiculous valuation take everyones money and leave them with nothing. There's a good reason why people hate alt enegy because it's still poorly run and overvalued. But we're getting there and until we're there bring on the coal, because... it's .. cold ... outside...

Renewable Energy Reality: We're Dependent on Coal

First off, sounds like you have an obnoxious neighbor for that I'm sorry. Second, what is your alternative? Tin foil. I live in the northern zone, on thursday it is supposed to be -12F I'm sorry I have a VERY tight house, but, I don't think tin foil is going to do it. What is you alternative, we are still waiting for your good idea. I have a useful idea to sequester some CO2 and water vapor, you could try holding your breath. I still haven't heard how you are carbon negative, your tin foil will probably be mined from a bauxite mine in australia or africa or jamaica. Then smelted in a pot halfway across the world then transported via ingot to another factory to be rolled then packaged to be distributed to a supply warehouse somewhere else only to be shipped to a store where you can drive there to buy it then use it and then pay someone to haul it away so it can oxidize and revert to the mean in a landfill and we can start over again. I'm sorry, but, i'm long wood that I cut off my property within walking distance of my stove.

Renewable Energy Reality: We're Dependent on Coal

what do you heat with?

Renewable Energy Reality: We're Dependent on Coal

Gumby-Firewood is carbon neutral, I know you have probably driven by some guys house that has stinking smoke spewing from the chimney, but, where is the carbon derived from? Unless he is burning virgin growth (which I highly doubt) that carbon has been derived from a playing field that is most likely <100 years old. In other words he is withdrawing from a bank account that has been scrubbing the atmosphere and is now making a withdrawal. Coal is expending the carbon of a different time in our planets history. Think of it like this if a single person has a glass of water and drinks it, if he peed the same volume back into the glass that would be firewood. If he refilled the glass from a pitcher like coal he has to find somewhere to pee. Carbon sequestration is very important. Coal is a necessary evil, it is giving me the electricity to write this response. I like the author's article except for the prospecting part, we already know where the coal is we just need to get it transported in an economically viable way. Look at canadian pacific rails moving on the dm&e, they will have a big customer (china) if they can get prbc to vancouver port cheap. If the rails can get prbc to the east coast cheaper it will really give appalachian coal a run for its money. Long aci and long firewood.