I am hopeful, and I know some companies are researching, say, fuel cells. But here's an example of why I believe we should speak for DOE funding. Nuclear fusion research, according to many scientists, could be a huge benefit to mankind. No radioactive waste, simple available fuel, and immense amounts of energy. I doubt oil companies will do fusion research, and funding for fusion research from the DOE has been cut in each of the last two years. I know of labs that have the holy grail in sight, but they're moving on to other topics because they cannot obtain funding for their fusion work. edit: I cannot spell 'sight' apparently.
If they are as close as you say then I'm in. I say we should start a letter writing campaign to give funding to those labs which are so very close to finishing the work.
Okay, let me admit my bias: I'm a physicist, and I am an unabashed supporter of nuclear power. That being said, let me reiterate to skeptics that nuclear *fusion* can be run without nasty by-products of any sort. Here is a nice interview with Rob Goldston, the director of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (funded completely by the D.O.E.) that covers the latest advances: interview with Goldston So, if anyone is convinced, feel free to write a quick letter (even an email) to your legistlative representatives.
Man, did I miss out on this thread! I been in a meeting all day with other corporate suits trying to figure out how to rob the world of all of its natural resources. We have some action strategies but we decided to put them on the back burner to move to more pressing issues like drinking lattes from none-enviromentally safe coffee growers and eating tuna sandwiches with extra dolphin! Oh and by the way here are a couple of pictures from this years annual hippy death camp sit in! Anyway, I agree with B-Bob, Nuclear is great for Baseloading power grids and providing large areas with electricity. Nuclear Fusion in a contained form is the future of electrical generation. But if you are looking for the government to fund this type of research, its not going to happen. But as a side bar, AEP (American Electric Power) the largest energy producer in the US is already funding this research as well as other useful projects(Atomic Clock, Clean Coal Power Plants, and Light loss transmission lines.) Jeff, I always have respected your sense of reality. You always bring a stable head to the table when it comes to this type of debate. Even though I don't agree with you politically, I respect your position. Now the hippy death camp statement was brought about when I was reading right1's whiny post back to T_J. I think I got that from a memory of the classic Dead Kennedy's "California Uber Alles" (If you never heard the song then you will not get the inside joke), anyway you are right that there needs to be moderation on both side. I bow to your pluralism and pragmatic attitude! Anyway, On the Hydrogen fuel cell front. I can't agree more, I wish we as a nation could change today. But that is not possible and not practical with present technology. In ten years we will be there, but not today and definately not tomorrow. Oh and by the way, on of the largest contributors to hydrogen research is BP (British Petrolum). And finally, right1 you are a whiny little thing aren't you. Grow up and get a life!
Whiny little thing? grow up and get a life? I'm full grown thankyou, but my kids aren't. Whiny? What? The ozone, the pollution, the petrochemicals, the cancer? Your post was so ignorant and idiotic it is hard for me to fathom you retorting in such a manner. Do you not like me talking about pollution, toxic waste and disease? I'm sorry Phi83, but it's reality. The truth. Do you disagree with me about something? Have you heard about the new oil spill, yet? Mmmmm, hope your dolphin tastes good . Open your eyes, please. I'm begging you. I love you man.
I think I'm going to name one of my bands songs "Hippie Death Camp." Has it been used before? And pollution sucks. Go Flipper.
wrong1, Yes, you are a whiner! I never disagreed with you that pollution is bad, the fact is pollution in any form is a bad thing. But that is a byproduct of industry and progress, I wish there was a way around it but for the foreseeable future there is not much we can do. I hope that one day we can live in a green world were are cars run on peanut oil and produce cotton candy as emmissions, but for right now we are stuck with what we got. Sure technology is progressing and we can actually now visualize the future for once, but there is a factor that needs to be considered which is time. It takes time to develop new technologies and make them into standards that we can all use. But the Utopian way of saying that all cars are bad and that we need to find a green solution is not practical. Even if you have a car that runs on Hydrogen and get 100 miles to a gallon, you will still need oil for all the moving parts. That oil will have to drilled and refined somewhere and shipped via sometype of transport. Next thing, sorry to be the barer of bad news but you can get cancer from pretty much anything. Eating red meat, smoking cigarettes, getting a tan, and pretty much anything else. I am not promoting that you go live next to refinery, that is your decision, I would imagine that if you see smoke stacks out of the breakfast window of your house, you might want to move. So please do everyone a favor and first remove your head from your buttocks, then your next step is to stop calling people that don't agree with you idiots and morons because my points make more sense than your whiny pathetic utopian arguements. Thanks for your supports!
I love you Phi83. I just don't want to be a part of your hippie death camps . The truth is....there is really nothing for you to disagree with me about. What did I say that you disagree with?
