Ouch My Head Hurts!

A Sane Energy Policy

What would qualify as a sane energy policy? I would maintain that there really is no such animal. At our current point in the history of the human race our choices are limited, and most of them suck.

Hydro power: It's susceptible to drought, geographic limitations and environmental impact. If you have noticed your favorite beach disappearing, it may be a dam problem.

Coal: It's a monster to mine, a pain to transport and turns the air brown. On a positive note it used to turn the air black and green so I guess things have gotten better. “Clean coal” technology is a fantasy similar to hydrogen fusion. It exists more in political speeches than in reality. Coal power can be made cleaner, but making it clean will rapidly approach the point were no net energy is gained. On the other hand current oil prices and several new technologies may end up turning coal into oil and natural gas. (Dr Steven Koonin, who was appointed BP’s Chief Scientist last year stated, that at around $40 per barrel the BP teams tells him Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthetic fuels become competitive.)http://www.greencarcongress.com/2005/04/a_physicistrsqu.html

Oil: I'm willing to let the market pass judgment on whether we have reached “peak oil” yet. Relatively easy to acquire and low parasitic losses involving transporting and refining.

Non-conventional oil: Makes coal mining look easy. Steam is required to mine tar sand and oil shale does not give up its oil easily.

Nuclear Fission: Steam generated electricity is a heat engine, higher temperatures mean greater efficiency. Nuclear plants must operate at lower temperatures than fossil fuel to avoid melting the fuel. If responsibly operated, nuclear can be a clean safe source of energy. Unfortunately responsible management is diminishing. As Chernobyl and Three Mile Island fade into the past, profits are now driving decisions and common sense is leaving the building. (I say this as someone who works in the nuclear business, has toured the plants and has dined with the scientist and engineer who operate the plants.)

One of the more agregouse violations can be seen here.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=692018

Nuclear Fusion: To call this a pipe dream would be elevating its status. Even if, after 50 years and billions of dollar, you do produce a reaction with a net energy gain, you can't get the energy out of the reactor. The best idea so far is to place material around the reactor so that it would become radioactive and could be used as fuel in a fission reactor.