"Vetrolium" From Agricultural Waste

Tag : Seed Oil
While I believe a lot of the claims made are a bit hyperbolic, thiskind of biodiesel certainly is more scalable than food-crop basedethanol, and does have some promise (as well as problems).

I make a point to follow emerging trends in new energy technologiesand there is certainly no silver bullet (unless we can get coldfusion going). However, I'm also of the opinion that the US (andcertainly most other nations) has the ability to independentlysupply its own energy through using a healthy balance of diverseenergy technologies.

Off the top of my head: Solar (both photo voltaic and focusing mirrors): Huge potential(especially in south). This can be done both commercially as wellas deployed residentially to offset customer's bills (and in somecases even sell excess energy generated back onto the grid). Wave and tidal Geothermal: Yellowstone is sitting on top of on of the earth'slargest super volcanoes. I know it's a national park, but thematerial pumped from geothermal stations is water. As long as theinfrastructure is responsibly deployed and maintained, this is a nobrainier. Wind: huge potential on coasts, mountain ranges, and through theentire mid-west. Concerned about the effects on birds? No problem.There are some pretty ingenious non-propeller turbines (some ofwhich can work with wind blowing in any direction). Hydro-electric dams: Tried and true.
Combine this with newer technologies that reduce consumption. LED lamps Better fuel efficiency (fuel mileage, hybrid drives, alternativefuels) Broader use of recycled goods Better energy consumption of electrical appliances and devices Thermal underground radiation for residential and commercialclimate control Better insulation requirements
Again, none of the above (which are incomplete lists) alone can bea viable solution and each as their own set of problems toovercome. What is needed is a diverse portfolio of renewable energytechnologies combined with a more conscious responsible use ofresources. I really do believe that in doing this, there is apotential to achieve complete energy independence. What people seemto be having a hard time with is that this requires a hugeinfrastructural investment as well as the creation of a whole newindustry. The infrastructural problems, I think, will workthemselves out as the potential of ROI of these differenttechnologies becomes attractive. A jump start from the governmentwould help as well.