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Originally posted by lex400sc fusion doesn't break bonds, that's fission. fusion 'fuses' them together if we're talking about power grids, we already have the technology to run the entire country on carbon-free sources. a solar photovoltaic grid 10,000 sq mi in the arizona desert can run the power requirements of the entire united states yearround. so can a wind turbine farm across all of north and south dakota. yet in texas they are still building coal-burning power plants today. most people don't realize just how little sunlight is required to run solar power. the most successful solar power program in the world is in germany... a country that receives less sunlight every year than seattle. and the united states is the most wind-rich nation in the world.

Yeah it pisses me off so much how we are so dependant on coal power. Its an antiquated power source and it puts massive amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere which contributes to global warming. It would be great if we could use solar power and wind power, and I would prefer that, but I would be alot happier if we could atleast use more nuclear power over coal power. Its much cleaner and provides more energy. People are just scared, although it is perfectly safe when properly maintained. But we have soooooooooo much coal and the coal companies (and railroad companies) are blocking anything from happening. Also I think the economy of states like west virginia, oregon and wyoming are completly dependant on coal (I could be wrong though).

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Originally posted by Sunsnail Fusion means to put things together, so I don't it would describe a process of breaking atoms apart.

Yeah I know that, but he mentioned using temps "hotter" than the sun and thats why I thought he was talking about fusion power.
(actually you just need temps as hot as the sun because the sun is a huge fusion "power plant")

10,000square miles is a lot...

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Originally posted by montie Yeah it pisses me off so much how we are so dependant on coal power. Its an antiquated power source and it puts massive amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere which contributes to global warming. It would be great if we could use solar power and wind power, and I would prefer that, but I would be alot happier if we could atleast use more nuclear power over coal power. Its much cleaner and provides more energy. People are just scared, although it is perfectly safe when properly maintained. But we have soooooooooo much coal and the coal companies (and railroad companies) are blocking anything from happening. Also I think the economy of states like west virginia, oregon and wyoming are completly dependant on coal (I could be wrong though).

for a while it was because coal power was the cheapest and most abundant. that's not the case anymore as photovoltaics are about the same cost now. hell even if you wanted to continue using coal, there's a new technology called coal gassification that is virtually pollution-free. still, texas builds them coal-burning plants...

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Originally posted by Sunsnail 10,000square miles is a lot...

yes, but such a grid would run EVERY CITY from los angeles to new york, chicago to miami... all on the sun's light... free energy! and that is not to say it has to be a 10k sq mi grid, that's just an example. just like we don't have to fill all of north and south dakota with wind turbines, they can be scattered across the pacific, atlantic, gulf coast, south and midwest. a single wind turbine can run 700 homes.

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You're telling me solar is as cheap as coal?

here's a perfect example... the fedex distribution center here in oakland is covered in photovoltaic panels and runs 80% of its power off the sun. during peak hours it can sell energy back to the utility company. every household has enough surface area on its roof to be run on the sun's light...



http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/...18/daily12.html

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Originally posted by Marc Summers 2005 and 2006 both had record-breaking quarterly earnings, and high gas prices. Shoo! Back to the rock you crawled out from under! Did you fucking forget that we were paying upwards of 3.00 per gallon gas last year? How can you be so dense? We are hurting, and they are profiting? That's greed... And that's what's real. Update: I've been getting the run-around from Edison Township.

You're commenting on accounting figures, but you clearly have no grasp of accounting. Stop posting ignorant rants.

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> S u s h i p u n k . P h o t o g r a p h y <

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Originally posted by Sunsnail You're telling me solar is as cheap as coal?

just about there. if you buy a solar power system for your house, it will pay for itself in 5 years. there is a company here in redwood city that is using composite photovoltaics that are cheaper than silicon-based panels, they've developed a saran-wrap-like film that works just the same. right now they are researching photovoltaic paint that can be applied to windows to run the energy needs of skyscrapers.

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Originally posted by Inconspicuous You're commenting on accounting figures, but you clearly have no grasp of accounting. Stop posting ignorant rants.

You're right, I guess I'll shut up and continue to take it, because that's not ignorant.

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"You won a new refrigerator, great! Where you gonna put it?" - Tony Danza

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Originally posted by lex400sc here's a perfect example... the fedex distribution center here in oakland is covered in photovoltaic panels and runs 80% of its power off the sun. during peak hours it can sell energy back to the utility company. every household has enough surface area on its roof to be run on the sun's light...

I've been trying to convince my mom to invest in solar panels for years! Every year she says, "I'll wait for the technology to get better".

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"You won a new refrigerator, great! Where you gonna put it?" - Tony Danza

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Originally posted by Marc Summers I've been trying to convince my mom to invest in solar panels for years! Every year she says, "I'll wait for the technology to get better".

Well, it is true. Every year its decreasing in price by a pretty substantial amount.