On Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:03:38 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

On Oct 25, 3:50*pm, Hawke wrote:



There's also no
reason why we should not be moving in a new direction for energy where
it's all clean and harmless to our environment. We all know that in the
future we won't be using fossil fuels anymore. It's just a question of
when.
Hawke


The when seems to be a long ways out. When I was ten or so, the known
oil reserves was less than twenty years. Now the reserves are
longer. Plus we have even longer supply of natural gas and a huge
amount of coal. But I agree, no since in using more energy than
necessary. Today I bought more insulation for the attic.


Dan
==================

The fundamental problem is the gross increase in global
population, highly exacerbated by rising expectations of an
American or at least Northern European life style.

AFAIK the existing human population is at or beyond the
global carrying capacity, even without the quantum jump in
lifestyle, and desertification, apparently due to global
climate change [IMNSHO it is still open if this is due to
humans or not], is only making things worse.
http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2...illion/100176/

You appear to be correct on the critical need for additional
supplies of energy as this would allow intensive methods of
agriculture such as hydroponics/aeroponics and increases in
the use of hothouse methods to allow multiple crops year
around. Desalinization of seawater for both human use and
intensive agriculture will also be very helpful.

While some of the green technologies such as solar,
geothermal, wave and wind power may be helpful, it appears
that nuclear power in the form of molten salt moderated
thorium reactors, built to a standard design in large
numbers, and erection of large numbers of coal liquefaction
plants to turn coal and other organic materials into
synthetic petroleum for the production of liquid fuels such
as gasoline, diesel and JP4 to keep the economy moving will
be required. This would provide domestic liquid fuel and
feedstock using domestic resources and domestic labor under
domestic control. A collateral program to recover rare
earths, thorium and uranium from the huge dumps of fly ash
which have resulted from using coal as fuel for electrical
generation would also be very cost effective.


--
Unka' George

"Gold is the money of kings,
silver is the money of gentlemen,
barter is the money of peasants,
but debt is the money of slaves"

-Norm Franz, "Money and Wealth in the New Millenium"