BF2S Forums Oil, $36/barrel...is alternative energy still on its way?

A necrophiliac?

kylef wrote:

I think it is pretty amusing that despite OPEC cutting supply (wow, none of us saw that coming...) prices keep coming down. Saudi's wish of $75/barrel is bleak and I think Obama will do a lot for alternative energy sources.

Just imagine - they might actually have to open up! Diversify! Progess!

you know there was a story out of California where they wanted to install solar panels in the Mojave desert but the green weenies stop them because it might endanger some squirrels or something.

seriously you green tards, make up your fucking mind.  i truly believe you guys dont want green technology because then you will have nothing to cry about.  you all blame the neo cons and people who hate gore, well guess what retards, it was a repub trying to install all those panels.

usmarine wrote:

you know there was a story out of California where they wanted to install solar panels in the Mojave desert but the green weenies stop them because it might endanger some squirrels or something.

seriously you green tards, make up your fucking mind.  i truly believe you guys dont want green technology because then you will have nothing to cry about.  you all blame the neo cons and people who hate gore, well guess what retards, it was a repub trying to install all those panels.

As good as that sounds, Solar cells are (atm) expensive and inefficient. Solar is also not a viable replacement for current power plants because it relies too much on the weather conditions. It is only a complementary system so is therefor rather pointless. It's like driving a prius, it may sound good in theory, but it's really just a waste of time.

We have to develop replacement base load power, something that is reliable and constant. Some things that should be considered are:
Geothermal
Tidal
Wave
High altitude wind  (ie in the jet streams)
Orbital solar (takes weather, day/night, atmospheric absorption out of the equation)
Nuclear Fusion
Hydro

Similarly to go along with clean, efficient power sources we can change automobile fuels from petrol and diesel to hydrogen relatively easily. All we need is for car companies to stop wasting there time on hybrid and battery powered vehicles and develop hydrogen ones instead.

usmarine wrote:

DrunkFace wrote:

Solar is also not a viable replacement for current power plants because it relies too much on the weather conditions.

you ever been in the mojave?  sun aint the issue in this case.

Because its never night there either I suppose?

You need something that works 24/7 reliably and can produce a constant output.

DrunkFace wrote:

usmarine wrote:

DrunkFace wrote:

Solar is also not a viable replacement for current power plants because it relies too much on the weather conditions.

you ever been in the mojave?  sun aint the issue in this case.

Because its never night there either I suppose?

You need something that works 24/7 reliably and can produce a constant output.

ummm....you need a combination of sources.  and the sun and wind are pretty good.  do you know anything about solar panels?  no offence but it appears you dont know anything about them.

After many consecutive years of increasing and record-breaking profits, why WOULDN'T big oil/OPEC/etc. agree let oil prices drop drastically for a while (several years even?) to essentially quell the newly developing societal impetus for affordable, alternative energy?

Sounds awfully conspiratorial, I know, but I have always considered the ways in which energy prices are manipulated behind the scenes to be pretty scary stuff when you think about it, whether it's a company like Enron or Exxon, or even a national gov't, doing it.



Seriously, though, is there anything that would prevent such a scheme to take a big hit on profits for a while to prevent a source of competition from gaining a market foothold?  Seems like a pretty easy and effective way to make societies with short attention spans forget about the need for alternative energy.

I doubt the oil companies were responsible for driving prices down in the short term...that would had required too much collusion. 

Seems more likely that a global recession was the cause.


As for alternative energy programs are at a stand-still with our financial crisis and all.  I've heard some reports that some alternative energy companies are filing bankruptcy because of the downturn in oil prices?  Is that true?

Can our governments really afford to spend money on alternative energy programs now?

If someone could just show 'greedy oil' how to make money on alternative energy we would have had this licked yesterday.

Harmor wrote:

If someone could just show 'greedy oil' how to make money on alternative energy we would have had this licked yesterday.

I have a whole essay-type response to this problem (to show how this problem disappeared long ago, but big oil hasn't followed yet because they're BIG OIL), but I don't have time to post it now. Maybe later.

For now, look at GE Transportation + Norway.

Besides which, why don't you think we can afford to spend money on alternatives NOW?

Last edited by Spark (2008-12-23 23:37:55)

Do we need a carbon tax to incentivise alternative energy?

CameronPoe wrote:

Harmor wrote:

Do we need a carbon tax to incentivise alternative energy?

We already have one.

Europe has one?  I thought I heard you guys doing something like that, but don't know the particulars.

My only worry with ANY tax right now is that it'll prolong the slowdown.

venom6 wrote:

Until there is oil in the earth what can be sold there wont be any energy for free or cars what can operate with water.
They WONT let it!
Surprised why all the inventors who created water cars were silenced?

?

There is no such thing as a car that runs on water. Simple chemistry - breaking bonds takes energy.

Harmor wrote:

Do we need a carbon tax to incentivise alternative energy?

I'm not an economist but I think it would help. As for cars... I would like to retract one of my earlier statements - I said that you'd be better off not using an electric car while the grid was on coal. I've looked deeper and in fact, it is cleaner to use coal on the grid than petrol in the tank.

Much cheaper, too.

Last edited by Spark (2008-12-24 18:24:05)