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American Energy

Obviously, America as a country is not doing a very good job handling the energy crisis. This is a discussion on what you think we should be doing to create energy for our future.

Argue your viewpoint:

Should we put forth effort to revamp the energy economy with already existing renewable energy sources (ex. wind, tidal, geothermal etc.).

Or put effort into theoretical, but highly efficient forms of energy that have yet to be created (ex. Fusion, magnetism, etc.).

Or, maybe, should we continue in the pursuit of oil, perhaps refining the process to be more efficient.

Or any other plan that may work for America.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Chris G on July 10, 2011 at 4:00am

Here's a direct link to the deforestation video.

Permalink Reply by Chris G on July 10, 2011 at 8:48pm

Allan Savory has replenishing ideas worth exploring.

Permalink Reply by Vulpes on August 20, 2011 at 2:57pm

I'm all for finding new renewable energies but I think that the way the question is phrased misses the point.
The point should be, should government be the one to heavily invest in new energy sources.Should private business invest in new energy sources, or should it be a joint venture between the two.
Also, what role should we the public play. Should we use normal economic practices to implement these
technologies ( as products become cheaper, more efficient, and more practical, then people will buy) or should we make it a priority to use some other process ( Like creating organizations or group philanthropist that make it a priority to implement said products into schools, houses, businesses, etc.) to move forward with new energies.

I also think that we tend to over exaggerate renewable's. We have to be willing to acknowledge the cons of these renewable's and try to compensate for that.

For instance,Wind power has some evidence that it can cause the death of bats by internal hemorrhaging from the sudden drop in air pressure.

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/08/25/wind-turbine-bats.html

Permalink Reply by Chris G on August 21, 2011 at 10:41pm

Wind turbines is new technology and will improve for bat, and bird habitat. I read an article years ago saying that making the towers taller than the top of the blade helped bird species roost and nest.
All energy sources impact the environment.
The key is finding out the least intrusive.

Permalink Reply by Apeman Jim on December 2, 2011 at 5:36pm

We have to divorce ourselves from the idea of easy anything. Fossil fuels provided the power which replaced cheap or slave labor by being cheaper and more easily obtained and maintained. No alternative offers as high a profit margin for its production or allows for as conspicuous a rate of consumption.

Permalink Reply by Joan Denoo on December 22, 2011 at 12:24pm

I lived on an army base, Wildwood Station, outside Kenai Alaska for two years and learned from native Athabaskans how to trap beaver using native methods, net fish for hooligan (smelt), make parkas and mukluks using animal parts for thread and needles, made and ate Muktuk, Uguruk, and pickled moose nose. They demonstrated Stone Age techniques of food and survival. Their culture had moved from Stone Age to Machine Age in one generation! They revealed the impact on them from European-style living, good and bad. They moved out of the Stone Age, not because they ran out of stones but because they benefitted in many way by taking on Western processes and thinking.

It is our responsibility to understand how we impact human cultures, the challenges and processes used in each one and how change takes place.

In the case of oil, especially the oil sands of Canada and the proposed piping asphalt from Athabaskan regions to Texas for refining and the risks involved to water sources all along the way. The Athabaskan population of oil sand regions provide "expert" testimony of risks and benefits. Especially as human beings must look farther ahead than the next profit statement and recognize the long range impact of continued use of fossil fuels.

If we are going to need to use alternative energy sources, lets put money into that research, stop warring over access to dwindling supplies of oil, and stop bailing out financial institutions.

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/

Here are some Googled sites that may help to see and understand Athabaskan terms:

Muktuk:

http://gcrgweb.sdsu.edu:8080/AK2001Web/Photos/photos06.html

Uguruk: http://arcticblast.polarhusky.com/nomad/Nomad.nsf/05f51a12758daeb20...$FILE/Arctic%20Blast%20Unit%209.PDF

Pickled moose nose:

http://www.recipesource.com/ethnic/americas/canadian/00/rec0051.html

Permalink Reply by Chris G on December 26, 2011 at 11:02pm

Interesting experience Joan.

Permalink Reply by Ruth Anthony-Gardner on September 30, 2012 at 5:57pm