What are some of the alternative energy sources we should be looking at more closely?
Today Slate took a look at the pros and cons of geothermal energy--and the possiblility of utilizing the energy in Yellowstone. Though there are risks associated with geothermal power, there is also potential:
While drilling wells in Yellowstone might not be a great idea, geothermal energy in general is very promising. According to recent life-cycle analyses by Argonne National Laboratory, geothermal power plants emit between 18.7 grams to 103 grams of CO2-equivalent per kilowatt-hour—polite little hiccups compared with the 1,234.9 g/kWh belched out by coal or the 487 g/kWh by natural gas. (Those figures include building and running the power plants as well as extracting the fuel.)
Are there other alternative energy sources that we should be taking a closer look at?
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Raffielo
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How about all of the ones who have already been invented and been around for forty or more years.
- 1 year ago
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Raffielo
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nanonarcagent
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ELECTROMAGNETISM.
- 1 year ago
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nanonarcagent
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toyotabedzrock
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Google found a huge amount of Geothermal energy under West Virgina!
http://blog.google.org/2010/10/west-virginia-country-roads-to.html - 1 year ago
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toyotabedzrock
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Introspective
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there's only 1 alternative & that iz depopulation...period!...had the chinese let nature take itz course (i.e. opium addition 1800's), itz population wud b half what it is today (juz usin china fo an example...course that goes fo all Gov's)...but no, we think we have the right to intervene in another mans business...nature has a way with dealin with this shit, if we only stop fuckin intervening & let real freedom ring!
- 1 year ago
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Introspective
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Andrew_Folz
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The normal Wind and Water along with Geothermal and of course Marijuana!
- 1 year ago
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Andrew_Folz
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richelasig
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hellow......
- 1 year ago
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richelasig
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andreii
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Algae?
- 1 year ago
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andreii
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daveinLA
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Hot air from Wash.DC
- 1 year ago
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daveinLA
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Disco_Legend_Zeke
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daveinLA:
hahahahahaa you owe me a keyboard.
best line of the day. - 1 year ago
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Disco_Legend_Zeke
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coolplanet
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One lightning bolt contains from one to ten million volts of DC elecrticity. There are many places around the world, like parts of Florida and the Rocky mountains, that experience thunderstorms on a daily basis. One storm can generate over a billion volts. Why isn't anyone trying to harvest this clean, enormous power supply?
- 1 year ago
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coolplanet
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budmayne
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If you drill in yellowstone I will personally shoot you.
Wind energy. Solar Energy.
- 1 year ago
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budmayne
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MrMxyzptlk [removed]
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budmayne: This comment was removed as a violation of community guidelines.
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MrMxyzptlk [removed]
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Armageddon_Now
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MrMxyzptlk:
It's not like it's hard to shoot a lot of people.
- 1 year ago
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Armageddon_Now
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MrMxyzptlk [removed]
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Armageddon_Now: This comment was removed as a violation of community guidelines.
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MrMxyzptlk [removed]
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Armageddon_Now
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MrMxyzptlk:
Because I know how guns work?
- 1 year ago
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Armageddon_Now
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MrMxyzptlk [removed]
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Armageddon_Now: This comment was removed as a violation of community guidelines.
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MrMxyzptlk [removed]
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Armageddon_Now
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MrMxyzptlk:
Genius, I was referring to the simple logistics, not the psychology. Oh no! The sane man is judging me! What do I do?!?
- 1 year ago
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Armageddon_Now
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MrMxyzptlk [removed]
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Armageddon_Now: This comment was removed as a violation of community guidelines.
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MrMxyzptlk [removed]
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Armageddon_Now
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MrMxyzptlk:
You have no idea what you're talking about. If I wanted to kill people, I wouldn't use a gun.
- 1 year ago
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Armageddon_Now
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MrMxyzptlk [removed]
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Armageddon_Now: This comment was removed as a violation of community guidelines.
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MrMxyzptlk [removed]
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Armageddon_Now
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MrMxyzptlk:
Calling me psycho makes me mad... it makes me want to hurt people...
- 1 year ago
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Armageddon_Now
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MrMxyzptlk [removed]
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Armageddon_Now: This comment was removed as a violation of community guidelines.
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MrMxyzptlk [removed]
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Armageddon_Now
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MrMxyzptlk:
That's no fun. It's better just to eliminate everyone who considers me unsafe.
- 1 year ago
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Armageddon_Now
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hunzedog
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hemp power
- 1 year ago
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hunzedog
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PzLuvHappeniz
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how about hydrogen fuel cells for cars, thats a good start.
- 1 year ago
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PzLuvHappeniz
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thetrimsmith
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How about a giant gear around the equator, turning a space based generator?
- 1 year ago
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thetrimsmith
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fun_size
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How about Solar, Wind, Tidal, Geothermic, or biofuel energy sources? Honestly theyre all better than remaining enslaved to foreign oil.
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fun_size
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CalgarC
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WEED!!!!!
- 1 year ago
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CalgarC
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ThatCrazyLibertarian [removed]
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CalgarC: This comment was removed by its owner.
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ThatCrazyLibertarian [removed]
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CalgarC
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ThatCrazyLibertarian:
i can picture it now... hippies running gas stations... "ya man, fill er up with the green supreme"
- 1 year ago
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CalgarC
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PzLuvHappeniz
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ThatCrazyLibertarian:
hempseed oil can be refined for industrial uses
LEGALIZE IT! - 1 year ago
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PzLuvHappeniz
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Ogaal
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Also one of the big, gigantic, most obvious con of using the geothermal energy of Yellow Stone is that "harvesting" geothermal energy saps away at the overall avaible geothermal energy or to put it plainly: IT KILLS THE REGIONS GEOTHERMAL ACTIVITY.
For example look at the geothermal energy plants in Iceland.
Ever since they've been active and running the geyser fields that they were built next to have stoped spouting. Why? Because all of the energy/heat that would build up and be expelled through/as a geyser is being drained away at a consistant rate that stops the energy/heat from building up as needed for a geyser, causing the water that would normally be far beyond boiling to cool down a considerable amount.
Acording to the Scientists who have studied it the effect is "crippling", "would take decades to recover from", and "possibly permanent" - 1 year ago
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Ogaal
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CarlosIsDown
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Solar balloons, "clean" trash incinerators... Iono, I heard they were "clean" now a days.
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CarlosIsDown
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Confucius
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thorium nuclear power!
- 1 year ago
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Confucius
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artemis6
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Geothermal is great , but I would like to see bio digesters on every farm...... creating methane to power generators for the power on that farm while simultaneously eliminating cattle waste nitrogen contamination of local water supplies .
- 1 year ago
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artemis6
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observer2121
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Tidal/Wave, geothermal in Hawaii which currently burns oil for electricity.
- 1 year ago
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observer2121
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Stoneyroad
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observer2121:
Tidal was my thought too, and as you point out no better place than Hawaii.
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Stoneyroad
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justDre
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arch reactor technology ftw
- 1 year ago
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justDre
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ThatCrazyLibertarian [removed]
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ThatCrazyLibertarian [removed]
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Stoneyroad
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ThatCrazyLibertarian:
I am totaly interested in using hemp also.
- 1 year ago
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Stoneyroad
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indecisiveh
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ThatCrazyLibertarian:
So you advocating for legalization across the board? Good on ya....
- 1 year ago
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indecisiveh
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fun_size
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indecisiveh:
He didnt say that necessarily... Hemp =/= weed.
- 1 year ago
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fun_size
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Disco_Legend_Zeke
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ThatCrazyLibertarian:
A pound of hemp rope replaces plastics which compete for crude oil feedstocks.
Latest new use, extracting metals from soil to reclaim contaminated farmland, and as an alternative to conventional mining.
And patients are reporting good results for pain management, replacing expensive synthetic narcotics.
- 1 year ago
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Disco_Legend_Zeke
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Armageddon_Now
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Probably one that's easy to spell.
- 1 year ago
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Armageddon_Now
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JanforGore
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Armageddon_Now:
S u n. ;-)
- 1 year ago
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JanforGore
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thetrimsmith
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JanforGore:
Good one.
- 1 year ago
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thetrimsmith
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UrbanGypsy
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The thing about geothermal energy is that it is not available in all places. Countries like Iceland are able to supply all of their power with it, but in places like Florida... yeah, I don't see it happening.
Although solar panels down here would be able to supply a lot of energy. Just have every house equipped with a panel!
- 1 year ago
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UrbanGypsy
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sgwhites
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UrbanGypsy:
But the same could be said of many alternative energy sources, being more suited for some areas of the country than others. Doesn't it make sense to consider a system that relies on multiple sources where they are best suited rather than holding out for one sort of magic bullet technology that will work for everyone?
- 1 year ago
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sgwhites
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UrbanGypsy
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sgwhites:
Yes, I agree. The only thing that is holding a lot of these alternative sources back is their cost. Installing solar panels for a lot of people is too expensive, most just opt out of it.
- 1 year ago
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UrbanGypsy
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sgwhites
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UrbanGypsy:
Totally true. And leaving it up to individuals is also frustrating for people who aren't homeowners and can't actually make those changes. How many landlords are really going to install solar panels, especially if the tenants are the ones paying the electric bill?
- 1 year ago
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sgwhites
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JanforGore
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sgwhites:
That's why we need industry to step up to the plate and for those who aren't homeowners to push their utility companies to get their electricity from renewable sources.
- 1 year ago
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JanforGore
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JanforGore
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UrbanGypsy:
Solar farms are becoming more prominent and are a great way for people in a community to provide for their electricity needs through solar energy while also saving money. It isn't hopeless if people truly have the desire to make a change.
One example:
http://current.com/technology/92500804_growing-a-solar-farm-in-colorado.htm
- 1 year ago
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JanforGore
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