The energy discussion

[LoArmistead]

We must construct additional pylons.

[tkrow21]

We must construct additional pylons.

 

Additional supply depots required.

[graememk]

Nuclear is "expensive" in the upfront construction costs, but when you break it all down into cost per energy unit, it is only slightly more expensive that coal, notably less than natural gas and wind, and far less that solar.

 

 

As for the waste, it can be recycled. But Carter banned the process in the United States, though I think France may do it. The recycling process is along the lines of that used to enrich uranium to weapons quality(hence Carter's ban, yay ignorance!) and results in fuel that can be used again in certain reactor types. The rest of the by-products from recycling that can't be used for fuel have applications in the medical field, among others.

 

Here, isn't that what they do in Sellafield?

[IVIYTH0S]

Does anyone not really care on a daily basis about energy consumption but occasionally have one of those "WHAT THE EFF AM I DOING" moments when they're doing a fairly mundane task?

I have those moments all the time, I spazzed out the other day and stopped doing my hw so I could change my ceiling lamp from a 20W CFL bulb to a 12W CFL (that actually seems brighter lol). I also changed a 13W bulb out with an 11W.

 

Though I warn anyone who buys those LED house bulbs....they don't project very well, they are more of a focused light than a room light (like a flashlight). I bought one of those 24 led bulbs for ~$9 and it's like a flashlight (though my kill-a-watt meter didn't register even a watt of power consumption out of it and it now makes a great desk lamp).

[Phil]

Most of all that crap is trite, I mean I crank the heat in the winter, crank the AC in the summer, have lights on a lot, constantly have the PC blasting, drive inefficient vehicles, burn plastics/used oils/tires/painted/chemically treated wood in bonfires, drive for the hell of it with no real destination among many many other wasteful things but I just shrug it all off.

 

For some reason the mundane things just irk me when I do them...

So stop doing them then! Or at least work to reduce. The only behavior we really have control over is our own, if we all exercise that control, the world will be a better place.

[IVIYTH0S]

So stop doing them then! Or at least work to reduce. The only behavior we really have control over is our own, if we all exercise that control, the world will be a better place.

"Crank dat" thermostat to 65F and leave it there , rig your computer's heat onto a hot plate and make your tea/coffee there (since you seem pretty handy from the beast case), heck just fold the poo outta your computer for heat in your room and block off your vent to distribute the heat to the rest of the house and your heater would have to work less.

 

Now if we all had solar on our house, we could live alot of our high consumption lives with minuscule negative environmental impacts.

[Silverfox]

Shouldn't LED based lights have some sort of projector lens to broaden the field of light?

[Phil]

They must have, some towns in the US are using them for street lighting.

[IVIYTH0S]

Shouldn't LED based lights have some sort of projector lens to broaden the field of light?

Ideally, mine was literally a cluster of leds. 90% of the light shoots straight ahead like a flashlight.

I do see the potential though. It's pretty strong for less then a watt of power

[fire_storm]

Does anyone not really care on a daily basis about energy consumption but occasionally have one of those "WHAT THE EFF AM I DOING" moments when they're doing a fairly mundane task?

 

Stupid things like:

 

Making toast-

(or using the toaster in general)

Has anyone actually stopped and thought about that?

Feel how much wasted heat energy comes off of the damn toaster, and for what?

Mmmmm my bread is cruchy...

 

Making tea-

(or just using a stove to heat water in a kettle in general)

Same deal, just for your enjoyment of a beverage you turned a giant heat sucking burner on to boil water.

(and yes I know there are more efficient electric kettles that expend ~99% of their heat into the water)

 

Among other things.

 

 

Sometimes like I said I'll be doing something and just have a "WHAT THE EFF AM I DOING" moment.

 

Do I really need to have toast?

 

Do I really need to use this burner to boil water and make tea?

 

Do I really need to use this microwave for this snack?

 

Do I really need to make coffee?

Anything with a heating element is inherently inefficient...

 

And obviously the givens, the things that we all do and don't really think about:

Do I really need to DRIVE here?

 

Do I really need the heat on 75?

 

Do I really need the AC on 60?

 

Do I really need to be constantly watching TV?

 

Do I really need to be on the PC ALL THE TIME?

Like right now...

 

Do I really need to be up right now using this electricity?

Like me, I'm up all the time, I barely get any sleep...

 

 

Obviously we don't want to live like cavemen, in the dark, heating by open wood fires and going to bed when it gets dark out.

 

I'm an extreme energy waster, I would never state otherwise.

 

Its just some of the sheit I do makes me really stop and wonder why I am doing it.

 

Most of all that crap is trite, I mean I crank the heat in the winter, crank the AC in the summer, have lights on a lot, constantly have the PC blasting, drive inefficient vehicles, burn plastics/used oils/tires/painted/chemically treated wood in bonfires, drive for the hell of it with no real destination among many many other wasteful things but I just shrug it all off.

 

For some reason the mundane things just irk me when I do them...

 

Besides heating and cooling most of those things don't use that much electricity when you look at it.

 

Toasters, electric stoves, microwaves, coffee makers, and hair driers all use a lot of power usually around 1000-1500 watts but typically you don't run those things all day you usually run them for about 10-15 minutes a day or less so the wattage use it pretty low when you compare it to other things.

 

Same goes with lights a lot of people seem to think that running lights or TVs all the time uses a ton of power and costs them a ton of money when in reality it doesn't. Know I'm not saying that we should leave lights or other devices on all the time either just because they don't use a lot of power.

 

I think people are attacking the problem from the wrong way instead of worrying about lights and unplugging cell phone chargers they should be worring about there heating and cooling costs. When it comes down to it heating and cooling costs probably make up most of the energy we use in our home. There also the things that are neglected the most by most people. Replacing your furnace/hot water heater or air condition system with a high efficiency one can save you big on your energy bills however doing so will set you back 5,000-10,000 which is why its not popular choice. Adding energy efficient windows can save hundreds if not thousands on heating and cooling costs however its not popular due to the high cost of energy efficient windows.

[IVIYTH0S]

Besides heating and cooling most of those things don't use that much electricity when you look at it.

 

Toasters, electric stoves, microwaves, coffee makers, and hair driers all use a lot of power usually around 1000-1500 watts but typically you don't run those things all day you usually run them for about 10-15 minutes a day or less so the wattage use it pretty low when you compare it to other things.

 

Same goes with lights a lot of people seem to think that running lights or TVs all the time uses a ton of power and costs them a ton of money when in reality it doesn't. Know I'm not saying that we should leave lights or other devices on all the time either just because they don't use a lot of power.

 

I think people are attacking the problem from the wrong way instead of worrying about lights and unplugging cell phone chargers they should be worring about there heating and cooling costs. When it comes down to it heating and cooling costs probably make up most of the energy we use in our home. There also the things that are neglected the most by most people. Replacing your furnace/hot water heater or air condition system with a high efficiency one can save you big on your energy bills however doing so will set you back 5,000-10,000 which is why its not popular choice. Adding energy efficient windows can save hundreds if not thousands on heating and cooling costs however its not popular due to the high cost of energy efficient windows.

Good insulation, better windows and doors can do a world of good.

 

Also I'll have to look up when but I know in one of the recent years their was an extreme buckle down on the efficiency of the common refrigerator which if you replace an old one that can REALLY lower some power consumption.

[rourkchris]

Much of this energy discussion is based upon climate change. This may throw a monkey wrench in the works http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=16889

 

31000 scientists sign petition against global warming caused by humans http://www.tulsabeacon.com/?p=462

 

Global warming on other planets in our solar system http://www.skepticalscience.com/global-war...olar-system.htm

 

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/20...rs-warming.html

 

Just some things to think about. More energy efficiency and less pollution would be a poitive thing no doubt about it. I'm not saying that it wouldn't be a good thing for the planet. I do think the science behind all of this may need to be examined more closely. Good science doesn't try to manipulate it's findings to fit their wanted outcome.