Nuclear power: also heavily subsidised. (Too cheap to meter, they said... Pah!)
Solar power in the UK has potential, I reckon. You don't need much direct light, after all. Even in winter, there ought to be enough daylight to make a big difference, technology pending.
Wind power: beautiful. I'd much rather watch a field of turbines than a DRAX power station.
But... yeah.
I'd add to the list GM algae farms producing biofuels, and geothermal heat exchange.
EDIT: Ooooh, and vacuum energy. Sod the fact that it's merely hypothetical and I'm having trouble keeping sci-fi from reality. It's still infinite.
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Thu 17 Jun 2010, 14:52,
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Wind power: beautiful. I'd much rather watch a field of turbines than a DRAX power station.
But... yeah.
I'd add to the list GM algae farms producing biofuels, and geothermal heat exchange.
EDIT: Ooooh, and vacuum energy. Sod the fact that it's merely hypothetical and I'm having trouble keeping sci-fi from reality. It's still infinite.
Geothermal is wonderful. But is nicking energy from the Earth itself really the way to go?
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Thu 17 Jun 2010, 14:54,
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There's a lot of energy there to be tapped.
The planet's core is in no danger of solidifying for as long as humanity's around.
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Thu 17 Jun 2010, 14:56,
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Not while we're not POURING COLD WATER INTO THE EARTH'S HEART there isn't.
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Thu 17 Jun 2010, 14:59,
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Fair point.
But there'd be fewer volcanic ash clouds, so, y'know, swings and roundabouts...
:)
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Thu 17 Jun 2010, 15:02,
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:)
Drop in the ocean (ho ho)
The amount of energy extracted is incredibly tiny compared to how much is down there.
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Thu 17 Jun 2010, 15:17,
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We could certainly do some awesome stuff if we used all the earth's geothermal energy.
It mostly comes from decaying radioactive elements. I don't think the Earth is doing anything useful with it.
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Thu 17 Jun 2010, 16:05,
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