BP BlowOut DeepWater Horizon 2010 Group

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Comment by KENN DRESCHER on June 23, 2010 at 12:25pm

Risk of Tropical Storm, Hurricane in Gulf of Mexico Next Week

Comment by KENN DRESCHER on June 23, 2010 at 12:04pm

As of this hour:

Defineate rotation, TS south of Hati -

Comment by KENN DRESCHER on June 22, 2010 at 8:56pm

Tropical Storm May Impact Oil Spill Next Week

Comment by KENN DRESCHER on June 22, 2010 at 3:16pm

What If a Hurricane Were to Slam into the Oil Slick?

Comment by W. Dan Chance on June 22, 2010 at 1:13pm

Some still contend that SOLAR is not ready for prime time by a lot. Have you looked at this http://solarfeeds.com/the-phoenix-sun/12967-can-solar-power-compete...? We need to stop throwing water on the fire when people say 'Lets go solar', please don't say, "Not so fast. I think it is too expensive." Now is the time to push for SOLAR and wind where we have wind. Let nature provide what she can and as we learn we will improve the technology but learning will be much faster as the user base grows.

Comment by WALTER REED on June 19, 2010 at 10:12pm

Hi Greg:

A solar cell today runs at about 15% on a perfectly clear sunny day with the cell looking straight at the sun. Converters take another toll and the energy to disassociate water is significant. Without very significant tax subsidises, there still isn't any solar system today that can make financial sense even without the cost burden of energy storage. That said, the day will come with real commitment by the public and government to do so. Already, there is new catalytic method which greatly increase the efficiency of converting water to H2O and O2. There are also other developments of great promise, but still not commercially ready.

'Hope this helps,
Walter

Comment by Gregory L. Smith on June 19, 2010 at 9:42pm

Water is the solution, and Dr. Hans Kugler showed us the shortcut to the discussion of this very thing....A water storage system that uses solar energy to convert water using solar energy into Hydrogen and Oxygen, makes storing the energy easy, since both of these components can then be piped into a fuelcell engine that produces electricity and exhausts water vapor, which then is recycled by coolers, back into the water storage area. It is almost a closed loop system, but for evaporation and heat related uses of the system that runs the heating and cooling of the home...and fuels your cars...Since the car will lose its water vapor out the exhaust system, more water is used, but even bathroom water could be used in this process, (grey water) and the amount necessary is so small, any home can impliment this process for about $10,000-$50,000...Less the solar panels and the piping and storage tanks necessary...Watch the YouTube,com video from Hans's blog reply....It is enlightening. Gregor S > likes this!!!http://poptech.org/popcasts/dan_nocera_personalized_energy

Comment by WALTER REED on June 19, 2010 at 9:24pm

Real interest video.'Still we need energy storage technology to catch up for any real practical plan action. The water infractions go beyond gas drillers,and is a serious concern for all. Like so many issues, there is no long planning to adjust and that has to change.

Comment by Gregory L. Smith on June 19, 2010 at 9:00pm

Gasland is a good film, showing clear signs that the EPA should be involved in the process of approving Fragmenting operations. But, what is particularly serious, is that oil companies in low income areas may just get approval from local govcernments and not tell mineral right owners that they are doing this along their mineral right lines and then, stealing the gas or oil as well as disrupting or poisoning the water of an area. I have to say it makes sense that it occurs without notice, because governments do not know where their drills are headed in this time of horizontal drilling, so the companies can lie and get away with drilling under your land! That alone is offensive enough and should have remedies in State laws...We'll have to check into that component.
As for the pollution of the water aquifers, the counties and state governments are directly liable for failures in this area and it would serve the county residents to make sure this does not occur, by means of independent services that can evaluate and determine dangerous conditions and culpability if the Natural Gas industry is in fact poisoning ground based aquifers and water wells.
My own fresh water well was recently checked for operability and due to some electrical problems, my well currently does not supply water. But now I have a good reason to check with the county and get them to check the water purity and residual contents. I will be glad to make a company pay for their failures to ensure my water is not polluted by fraging in my area. It will not endanger my family, because most of my water comes piped in from a facility outside any fraging activity, but my well water is for irrigation and its loss will not be tolerated by me or my neighbors, especially when they pay us only 1/2 the local price per metric foot for the gas they get already from my long-term lease agreement and only 1/6000th of that, as a royalty subdivision, and since the landlease was before 1965 when gas was far cheaper, nearly 50 years ago, and is up for renewal...Seems like the Solar idea for renewable energy looks more and more inviting as one by one the costs of getting fossile fuels is rising...And the outcomes are getting intolerable and basically unlivable. Time to require surveys on each well drilled and fragmented. I was told it was done with heavy saltwater and I was not aware of any other chemicals being injected into the earth under my home. Else I certainly would not agree with such an action. Salt water is bad enough, but at least it does not cause dangerous leeching of ground fertility unless it is near the surface...If plants die, then we do too, soon after. That is just stupid, for both owners and drillers....I am a little startled it is being done like that...I still have not signed a new lease agreement, so the next year will be the year they have to get permission and renegotiate a new lease....Many of my neighbors already have had theirs come up for renewal and refused to accept the old prices...Looks like they will have to make some serious agreements for the oil companies to get the rights in my area at least. But we need the money, can use the activity and those companies know they will possibly manage enough compensation to get it accomplished... SO, If EPA doesn't investigate, it is for sure, the local governments will, since they have a lot to lose, being responsible for those conditions that occur in connection to drilling permits in their counties...

Comment by Dr. Hans J. Kugler, PhD on June 19, 2010 at 2:05pm

I couldn't have said it better!
But the bottom-line - - US ENERGY INDEPENDENCE AND THINKING OUTSIDE THE BARREL - - is relatively easy to achieve.
Example: My house.
Installed a 3 kw PV rooftop 4 years ago, and making excess electricity that could be used to charge a plug-in hybrid car (if our no-brains government, owning 61% of GM, had made it a requirement of the auto industry to immediately produce a plug-in hybrid). But no, we have to kiss GM's and oil mogul's butts and prevent such common-sense (also cheaper, also technically far less complicated) means of transportation to reach the consumer.
Add to this a small wind turbine, and build your own solar water and house heater, and this would balance your AND some of your neighbors carbon footprint.
AND NO (only utility company benefiting) grid would be required.
I appreciate a violent chemistry professor. For years I have been telling people that large solar arrays by utility companies, and grids that transport the electricity (with large power losses in doing so) are unnecessary. People's homes with PV rooftops, connected to a local grid, supported by wind power, are the energy plants of the future. ONLY FEW PEOPLE LISTENED.
So, what does my fellow chemistry professor Nocera do? He borrows an F-15 from the Air Force, bombs the s - - t out of the grid AND PROBLEM SOLVED. Check it out for yourself: CLICK HERE http://poptech.org/popcasts/dan_nocera_personalized_energy

But our great leader in Washington - - obviously seeing the need to now even kiss the nuclear industry's butts - - is willing to spend $ 100 billion of your tax money to build nuclear reactors.
$ 100 billion spent in incentives to stimulate people to install PV solar systems and buy plug-in cars would be a much better approach towards energy independence.
Just to clarify this point: Even though nuclear electricity is at least 4 times as expensive as PV solar (as outlined above), I have nothing against independent companies/investors building nuclear reactors - - in the hope that they will find willing suckers to buy it - - JUST DON'T USE MY TAX DOLLARS TO DO SO.
CLICK HERE to find out how solar and wind are less expensive and make much more sense: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DboEhc5D9aE&NR=1
And please watch REINVENTING FIRE f from our own leading research institute RMI.

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