Energy Sources

*Originally published on 4/17/09


It's been said time and time again that we need to get off oil and find a new energy source. It's also been said that there aren't any feasible sources. I call fooey on that, there are plenty of them. Let's take a look at some of them shall we.

Solar: The sun, it powers Superman and Captain Planet and it provides limitless energy. Sure they sell solar panels and some people have converted their homes to solar power only, but many say its not feasible. How? They've built cars that run on solar power and if it can power one house, than it shouldn't be too difficult to adapt every home. It will take time but progress is progress. Even if it's not feasible on its own, used in conjunction with one of or all of the sources below, there should be no problem generating enough energy to power this country.

Wind: Ok, this one is definitely not feasible on its own, but as a secondary energy supply, I could see it working just fine. They look pretty and there are certainly plenty of flatlands out in the midwest where you can plant a couple of windmills.

Ethanol: This was brought up as a possible fuel for cars but has since been forgotten. My roommate said that it is actually more harmful to the environment then regular fuel. I don't know if that's true or not but there's no reason we can't refine it to do less damage. It doesn't even need to be for car fuel. It can be used to create energy for homes or something else. There's certainly enough open farmland should people figure out a way to make ethanol viable.

There is a substance called Methane Hydrate buried beneath the earth. According to scientists, there is more of this than there is oil, gas, and coal reserves combined. I don't know the specifics, but it could potentially be used as a power source as well.

Kinetic: I saw a segment on the Science Channel that showcased a woman who designed these sidewalk panels that convert the kinetic energy from your footsteps into electricity. It wouldn't generate much, a crowded walkway would generate enough to power street lamps and traffic lights. Still, every little bit helps. I also think that we should build some generators hooked up to giant hamster wheels like the mad scientists always put their lackeys in. It would help solve the energy problem as well as the obesity problem. If you wanted to watch football, you would need to run a certain distance to generate the energy used to power your TV; two birds, one stone.

Individually, these sources may not be feasible, but why not use all of them? Much like heroes unite to face threats that they can't overpower alone, so should we use all available sources of energy to solve this crisis of finite natural resources.