William asks…
Which countries are leaders in alternative energy source research and utilization?
Why are these countries so interested in alternative energy?
The Expert answers:
Yaay we are! (sings; rule britannia, brittania rules the waves!)
we have a working tidal stream turbine
http://www.marineturbines.com/
working wave generator farms;
http://www.pelamiswave.com/
two off shore wave power research facilities for new prototypes, one in devon and one in scotland.
Come on usa! Do keep up!
Actually, in terms of per capita generation, the danes, closely followed by the swedes.
Edit;
tde, i’m not sure you can count nuclear as ‘alternative’ lol!
Richard asks…
what percentage of a country’s budget is dedicated to developing alternative energy sources?
could you say that use of alternative energy sources is not widespread because the country only allots little money for it?
why?
what are other problems?
uhh, any country? the US, perhaps?
The Expert answers:
Yes. Because the companies which supply us with energy have a lot of us employed. This makes for a difficult process. Plus there are myriads of companies which are in the chain to supply energy. It is hard to shift that many people instantly. It is being done slowly now. When the alternate ideas are spread more,more people who are in the current energy supply companies change over and they make money. There will be a snowball effect and everyone will jump in. I seen this take place in our economy beginning in 1959. I started working at a company that made lawnmower ,snow blower gas engines. When I started we built 800 engines a day ,10 years later later we were building 12,000 engines a day. To run almost anything power. The engine started in the machine shop where it was machined to specs,in 60 minutes it had gas in the engine running in the test bed. In 1 hour it was packed and in the truck. Now most of this is made in China,etc We now produce the major supply of solar panels in the world and ship 80 % out to the world.We need more engineers, Smart people who refuse to give up producing alternate energy ! We must Sell more to other countries. We can do it when we have the right people ready!
Sharon asks…
Metal hydrides as alternative energy source?
I have an oral presentation to do on Metal hydrides as an alternative energy source. I tried to do some research on metal hydrides and all I come up with are published scientific research papers and people selling cells of metal hydrides.
I don’t want you to do my homework for me; I want to do it myself. But, could someone give me like an introduction or overview of Why/how is metal hydrides an energy source?
Thanks and 10 points for best answer!
The Expert answers:
From what little I know, they’re a powerful type of battery. Pretty much any chemical reaction that can be done in a sealed container can be used as a battery. It’s a matter of how much energy can be made in a small amount of space.
Sandy asks…
what are problems associated with alternative energy sources such as solar power and nuclear?
im doing a project for school and it asks what are the problems associated with alternative energy sources.
now, i know fossil fuels(coal, oil etc…) create greenhouse gasses but solar power, it seems there is nothing wrong with it
is there anything wrong with it?
The Expert answers:
Hurdles in using solar power:
1. It’s affected by time(day/night), climatic conditions and geographic location.
2. Initial Investments are high.
3. All technological developments are made by keeping the conventional energy sources in mind. Thus, solar energy cannot be integrated easily with these technologies involving additional cost.
Cons of nuclear energy:
1. Disposal of radioactive waste material is not easy.
2. Working with radioactive substance is hazardous and can cause genetic mutations in humans if they come in contact with such a substance.
3. Controlled reactors are required for generating energy so that the fission chain reaction does not go out of proportion.
4. Radioactive material is rare and available only in a few places of the world.
Betty asks…
I just want to know what is Obama planning to do with alternative energy if he wins the Presidency?
Obviously, we can’t rely on fossil fuels anymore.
*Please no links. If you’re a die-hard Obama supporter, then please provide me with a one or two sentence summary of his alternative energy plan.
Thanx Danny Boy.
The Expert answers:
This is what he proposes, from his website:
“Require 25 Percent of Renewable Electricity by 2025: Obama will establish a 25 percent federal Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) to require that 25 percent of electricity consumed in the U.S. Is derived from clean, sustainable energy sources, like solar, wind and geothermal by 2025.
Clean Technologies Deployment Venture Capital Fund: Obama will create a Clean Technologies Venture Capital Fund to fill a critical gap in U.S. Technology development. Obama will invest $10 billion per year into this fund for five years. The fund will partner with existing investment funds and our National Laboratories to ensure that promising technologies move beyond the lab and are commercialized in the U.S
Deploy Cellulosic Ethanol: Obama will invest federal resources, including tax incentives, cash prizes and government contracts into developing the most promising technologies with the goal of getting the first two billion gallons of cellulosic ethanol into the system by 2013.
Double Energy Research and Development Funding: Obama will double science and research funding for clean energy projects including those that make use of our biomass, solar and wind resources.
Convert our Manufacturing Centers into Clean Technology Leaders: Obama will establish a federal investment program to help manufacturing centers modernize and Americans learn the new skills they need to produce green products.
Increase Renewable Fuel Standard: Obama will require 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels to be included in the fuel supply by 2022 and will increase that to at least 60 billion gallons of advanced biofuels like cellulosic ethanol by 2030.
Establish a Grant Program for Early Adopters: Obama will create a competitive grant program to award those states and localities that take the first steps to implement new building codes that prioritize energy efficiency.
Reduce Carbon Emissions 80 Percent by 2050
Cap and Trade: Obama supports implementation of a market-based cap-and-trade system to reduce carbon emissions by the amount scientists say is necessary: 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. Obama’s cap-and-trade system will require all pollution credits to be auctioned. A 100 percent auction ensures that all polluters pay for every ton of emissions they release, rather than giving these emission rights away to coal and oil companies. Some of the revenue generated by auctioning allowances will be used to support the development of clean energy, to invest in energy efficiency improvements, and to address transition costs, including helping American workers affected by this economic transition.
Expand Locally-Owned Biofuel Refineries: Less than 10 percent of new ethanol production today is from farmer-owned refineries. New ethanol refineries help jumpstart rural economies. Obama will create a number of incentives for local communities to invest in their biofuels refineries.
Renewable Fuels: Obama has worked on numerous efforts in the Senate to increase access to and use of renewable fuels. Obama passed legislation with Senator Jim Talent (R-MO) to give gas stations a tax credit for installing E85 ethanol refueling pumps. The tax credit covers 30 percent of the costs of switching one or more traditional petroleum pumps to E85, which is an 85 percent ethanol/15 percent gasoline blend. Obama also sponsored an amendment that became law providing $40 million for commercialization of a combined flexible fuel vehicle/hybrid car within five years.”
Planning and proposing is one thing, but to actually do it is another. Let’s hope Obama can actually implement and execute what he wants to do if, and only if, he becomes President.
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