At this link, you'll find an interesting article comparing the various energy/fuel alternatives. I do not know if the author's numbers are all 100% accurate, but some of the factors I do know about sync up with what the author is saying.
I always get my teeth on edge when people compare the "payback period" of various solar, geothermal, etc systems because they usually do the comparison so simplistically. They conveniently forget about life cycle costs. In other words, wind power is dandy, as long as you are ready to replace bearings and batteries every 3-5 years, rectifiers every 7-10 years, etc. If you take the real life-cycle costs of these systems, you never get "payback" over petro-power no matter what the price of a barrel of oil.
Ethanol particularly sets me off as full of stupid trade-offs. If you want to be informed, this is a good article to read. As for me... I want Tom Swift and Ultrasonic Cycloplane.
Without Tom's latest aircraft, which uses ultrasonic rotating drums to provide lift, a rescue attempt would be impossible. Battling violent weather conditions, the young inventor lands the DRUMHAWK and organizes a rescue expedition. --Hey, reading is believing.
About Me
- Derf
- I live in the Florida Keys. I've been in the military and worked inside the Beltway. I've had 22 technical books and two novels published. I fly, boat, dive, shoot, and swim pretty damn well.
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