| This article is an energy review and update, as well | | | | expensive, less strategically manipulated energy |
| as a critique of US and Western energy policies, or a | | | | supplies. The sadly renewed threats to use more |
| lack thereof. This is not about Eastern energy policies | | | | coal, gas, petroleum and nuclear are corporate |
| because they will follow our political and market leads | | | | propaganda for profits and continued political |
| in dealing with a necessary and long overdue shift out | | | | influence. Do you know how many politicians just |
| of the archaic energy infrastructures that have been | | | | can't say no to oil money contributions? |
| perpetuated for corporate profits and political | | | | Certainly we can use those fossil fuels, but they |
| profiteering. | | | | should be at 10% of our energy supply, not 90% of |
| Let's talk about energy first, and this is very old | | | | our energy supply. The airlines industry should be |
| information that is continually suppressed and | | | | congratulated, especially Virgin and other leaders, for |
| marginalized by the existing energy politics. The sun, | | | | looking at energy saving alternatives. The automobile |
| and wind are free. Oil, coal, gas and nuclear are | | | | industry has repeatedly succumbed to big oil's |
| NOT free - and they are very toxic. Just as we had | | | | economic and political pressures for decades. |
| the foresight to build hydroelectric dams we must | | | | About the petroleum propaganda that all of our |
| shift into solar, wind and hydrogen technologies. Solar | | | | plastics that are used in every industry MUST come |
| and wind technologies have less ecological downside | | | | from petroleum - this is absolute rubbish. We should |
| than even the hydroelectric dam systems by the | | | | be using ceramics, glass, and polymers that are |
| way. Hydrogen burns to leave water, not carbon, | | | | created from other than petroleum derived |
| and hydrogen can be easily created with solar or | | | | substances. As much as possible they should be |
| wind electric generation | | | | either easily recyclable or biodegradable or both. The |
| What's so good about free energy? It can be easily | | | | numbers of these materials technologies that are |
| collected and added to the grid, or used in free | | | | marginalized by petroleum politics and profiteering is |
| standing private and corporate energy supply | | | | as great as the energy technologies. |
| projects. Windmills and photovoltaic panels make | | | | In glass and ceramics alone, made predominantly |
| good sense and there are even less expensive ways | | | | from silicon (sand), we could create more durable |
| to gather the free energy that is present over most | | | | building products, with less fire risk, less risk of rot, |
| of the planet, most of the time. | | | | better insulative properties, better electroconduction |
| Sunlight can also be reflected or focused onto water | | | | technology properties, etc. than plastic siding and oil |
| pipes that create steam to drive electric generators | | | | tar based shingles and paints. |
| in the same way as the nuclear power plants have | | | | Silicon is the most plentiful element on Earth, and |
| done - but without nuclear accidents and thecost of | | | | many of its substances are almost free for the |
| obtaining and maintenancing highly toxic nuclear | | | | gathering. Brick, tile, siding products and roofing |
| isotopes that are a strategic risk and target in | | | | products made from ceramics and glass compositions |
| themselves. | | | | are already on the markets but they are being sold |
| Sunlight can also be reflected by mirrors to heat large | | | | rather expensively at present as designer alternatives |
| mass structures with built in updraft wind tunnels - | | | | to the older more petroleum based materials. The |
| since heated air rises - to drive electric generator | | | | price can come down with mass production and |
| fans well into the night. | | | | marketing. |
| Photovoltaic cells are coming down in price - they | | | | Local building codes must be forced to uniformly |
| work very well and inexpensively. There are also | | | | support newer building materials and technologies, not |
| THERMOvoltaic cells that work with heat instead of | | | | just the same old technologies that builders foist off |
| direct sunlight, and they are continually being refined. | | | | as expensive, traditionally accepted status symbol |
| They both use FREE heat and sunlight. | | | | designs. Just as the prices of these newer materials |
| Windmills work well, they need not be the huge, | | | | decrease, so should the taxation for control on the |
| corporately constructed and maintenanced models. | | | | use of toxic technologies increase. |
| Private individuals, like farmers, can build and easily | | | | Leaders like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Pope Benedict |
| operate these to drive generators. The generators | | | | and Al Gore, who are actively using newer and less |
| could be made more available with hookup kits that | | | | toxic technologies should be congratulated. The man |
| go directly to the power grid to provide the farmer | | | | or corporation who popularizes an inexpensiveelectric |
| with extra income from energy companies. And | | | | automobile should receive the Nobel Prize. |
| individual windmills can provide beautiful variations, as | | | | These solar, wind, and hydrogen technologies should |
| sculpture on the landscape. Esthetics awards could | | | | be supported as humanitarian works by the |
| even be given for originality and uniquely creative | | | | billionaires. Alleviating the worldwide politics and |
| designs - they don't all have to be like the repetitive | | | | profiteering of big oil, with it's toxic residue and |
| designs shown now. | | | | stimulation of politically based wars worldwide, would |
| Just as we shifted out of burning coal for heat in the | | | | be far more beneficial to mankind, other species and |
| 50s, we must shift out of petroleum, gas, coal and | | | | the planet than any other humanitarian endeavor I |
| nuclear as much as possible for cleaner, less | | | | can imagine. |