03/06/08: It's not a question of CO2

Posted by: Xur


Biofuels are already part of the carbon cycle, so they don't really add to the problem of greenhouse gases. The problem with biofuels is that they simply aren't energy efficient, if you take into account the energy costs of production. Estimate vary, but generally they are about the same or worse than just using current fuels.

The impetus towards biofuels is mostly noble, but misguided. We need true alternate energy sources, such as solar or thermal depolymerization. I've read somewhere that covering 1/10th of Nevada with solar panels would power the entire US... may or may not be true, but it's certainly worth investigating. Nevada gets lots of solar energy, and let's face it, is pretty empty.

Modernizing our power grids would help too - imagine if a household could produce it's own power and release it back into the grid for fair market value. People would be adding solar panels and windmills to their properties like crazy, and electricity would become cheaper, more reliable, and could even be a source of income for some families. Hell, people could even store power and release it back into the grid at times of peak demand, making the whole infrastructure more efficient (in fact, there is at least one company, Gridpoint, that is working on exactly that).


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