HUGE breaktrough for unlimited supply of energy

[venture]

That’s not true.
Its 2 examples of people who are educated enough about the topic to not fall for the fear that some sell.

Unless the source of the education was as biased as the EnergyTomorrow.org commercials.

Research needs to continue but we shouldn’t be wasting money on alternatives just for the sake of spending money like we did with the solar companies. Virtually all of the current alternatives cost more per unit of energy than do fossil fuels.
Oil is a “Band-Aid” that has served mankind well for over 100 years and will continue to be the band aid for a very long time in our future.
It should be noted that even in the 1910’s there were predictions that man was going to run out of oil by the late 1920’s. We have heard this repeated over and over.
These dire predictions rarely take into account new discoverers and new methods of production that with research are sure to come.
Hydrocarbon research has already bought us plenty of time to find the right alternatives.

I agree that many shouldn't be wasted, but who are we to judge what is a waste. Would you consider the research dollars being pumped into Fusion research to be a waste?

Any alternative is going to cost more initially until it is in mass production and widely accepted. The gas engine obviously costed more than the horse and buggy back in the day. I would imagine CNG and hybrids will drop in cost as they are more widely produced.

I think there is more of an underlying theme of those who are very set in the ways of the industrial age and don't want to advance away from it, and those that are always looking for the next best thing to get us closer to that "futuristic" life visionaries have been dreaming of since the 1950s. The drive to continue to improve our lives, make that next great break through, is definitely not shared by those that want to continue on the same path because "it's worked well for 100 years."

At some point we need to break the oil addiction or divide it equally with other forms of energy. Sure, let's use it the best way possible for the access we have to it now. However, there are going to have to be limits on how far we go considering the impacts that can happen when taking something out of the ground. Imagine if it was sent down in the industry that all passenger vehicles had to be CNG completely by 2020. That would do wonders for breaking a huge reliance on oil. If we have the large amounts of NG here, why aren't we pushing for that? It seems that it would make more sense than importing foreign oil.

[ou48A]

Unless the source of the education was as biased as the EnergyTomorrow.org commercials.



I agree that many shouldn't be wasted, but who are we to judge what is a waste. Would you consider the research dollars being pumped into Fusion research to be a waste?

Any alternative is going to cost more initially until it is in mass production and widely accepted. The gas engine obviously costed more than the horse and buggy back in the day. I would imagine CNG and hybrids will drop in cost as they are more widely produced.

I think there is more of an underlying theme of those who are very set in the ways of the industrial age and don't want to advance away from it, and those that are always looking for the next best thing to get us closer to that "futuristic" life visionaries have been dreaming of since the 1950s. The drive to continue to improve our lives, make that next great break through, is definitely not shared by those that want to continue on the same path because "it's worked well for 100 years."

At some point we need to break the oil addiction or divide it equally with other forms of energy. Sure, let's use it the best way possible for the access we have to it now. However, there are going to have to be limits on how far we go considering the impacts that can happen when taking something out of the ground. Imagine if it was sent down in the industry that all passenger vehicles had to be CNG completely by 2020. That would do wonders for breaking a huge reliance on oil. If we have the large amounts of NG here, why aren't we pushing for that? It seems that it would make more sense than importing foreign oil.

Believe me; I am always looking for the next best thing what ever it is.
That’s where the money is and an improvement in life.

We can dream all we want but there are still very hard limits to what is and isn’t practical.

[BoulderSooner]

What kind of data do you have that supports this statement? You make a lot of one-or-two line statements and very rarely provide anything to support it. I'd just like to see what you have that backs up the kind of claim I've never seen before.

this only talks about oil ... but .... Why the world isn't running out of oil - Telegraph

[venture]

Believe me; I am always looking for the next best thing what ever it is.
That’s where the money is and an improvement in life.

We can dream all we want but there are still very hard limits to what is and isn’t practical.

Eh. I tend to thing claiming something isn't practical is just an excuse to be lazy and put in the hard work. We've gone completely off topic since this was about Fusion power, but even the notion that we can have fusion power within the lifetime of most of us here (those of you in the older generation will be cutting it close) would have been impractical not that long ago. It just comes down to how much drive and hard work people are wanting to do.

The impacts of finally nailing fusion power would be huge. Not only here on Earth, but it would make long distance space travel so much easier.

[ou48A]

Eh. I tend to thing claiming something isn't practical is just an excuse to be lazy and put in the hard work. We've gone completely off topic since this was about Fusion power, but even the notion that we can have fusion power within the lifetime of most of us here (those of you in the older generation will be cutting it close) would have been impractical not that long ago. It just comes down to how much drive and hard work people are wanting to do.

The impacts of finally nailing fusion power would be huge. Not only here on Earth, but it would make long distance space travel so much easier.

Our huge USA reserves of energy buys plenty of time to methodically and responsibly attack our long term energy problems beyond fossil fuels.

In the meantime let’s not kill the prosperity that it takes to invest in future research.
Making our energy cost more now harms the prosperity that we need for futuer investments.

[Plutonic Panda]

Perfect example of "we'll be dead, who cares?"

Exactly, forget the Earth and our future generation, let's just follow this logic, "ahh don't worry about(said in an Italian voice lol), we'll have enough for another 100 years". ME I think the best time to conserve is now. There are so many ways too save electricity and oil, it just cost money and people aren't willing to do it and/or don't care. It isn't always necessarily their fault, I can understand if someone can't wake up, grab a few thousand dollars and replace every light in their house with an LED. But, there is so much energy saving tech out there that until we get something like Nuclear Fusion, we should act like it isn't coming and try and conserve our finite resources. Nuclear Fusion will be here. . . . . eventually, just like anti matter

[Stew]

we have enough oil to last for well more than 100 years ..

Well, that's a relief.

[zookeeper]

we have enough oil to last for well more than 100 years ..

These two say GEE THANKS - it obviously makes them a bit nervous.

[ou48A]

Exactly, forget the Earth and our future generation, let's just follow this logic, "ahh don't worry about(said in an Italian voice lol), we'll have enough for another 100 years". ME I think the best time to conserve is now. There are so many ways too save electricity and oil, it just cost money and people aren't willing to do it and/or don't care. It isn't always necessarily their fault, I can understand if someone can't wake up, grab a few thousand dollars and replace every light in their house with an LED. But, there is so much energy saving tech out there that until we get something like Nuclear Fusion, we should act like it isn't coming and try and conserve our finite resources. Nuclear Fusion will be here. . . . . eventually, just like anti matter

Nobody is even close to saying anything like don’t look for energy solutions.
Nobody is even close to saying that we shouldn’t “conserve our finite resources”….

But that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t use what we have when it’s still reasonably cheap and abundant and in ways that advance mankind. But that’s what some extremist want!

[ou48A]

These two say GEE THANKS - it obviously makes them a bit nervous.

Panic much?

[zookeeper]

Panic much?

Kids tend to be pretty innocent, but pretty smart too. They smell BS much easier than adults. If oil for 100 years gives you relief, more power to you.

[ou48A]

Kids tend to be pretty innocent, but pretty smart too. They smell BS much easier than adults. If oil for 100 years gives you relief, more power to you.

Yes kids are smart when they haven’t been filled full of BS.
In spite of the dire predictions most will grow up feeling blessed by our abundant natural resource that they will develop more of and use ever more efficiently. Sure their will a few fear monger extremist among them just like there are now but oil will be used well over 100 years after these kids have lived a natural life.

[zookeeper]

but oil will be used well over 100 years after these kids have lived a natural life.

Because ou48A says so, I will sleep better tonight. I'll pass it along to the next generation of my clan. Thanks. yikes

[ou48A]

Because ou48A says so, I will sleep better tonight. I'll pass it along to the next generation of my clan. Thanks. yikes

Properly educated people on this topic understand and know we have plenty of oil of various grades.
You would know this too if you bothered to learn the real actual facts.
Some of us have back grounds that have helped us learn well beyond what many of the talking heads say.

[zookeeper]

Properly educated people on this topic understand and know we have plenty of oil of various grades.
You would know this too if you bothered to learn the real actual facts.
Some of us have back grounds that have helped us learn well beyond what many of the talking heads say.

Properly educated individuals also know background is one word. If I knew the "real actual facts" all would be well, I guess that's opposed to the unreal actual facts?

It's not just the amount of oil, it's ----------------- wait, you'll have an answer, I'll leave this alone.

By the way, this is my thread about fusion and the ITER project. Do you really have to have the last word? If so, go ahead, I'm through.

[ou48A]

Properly educated individuals also know background is one word. If I knew the "real actual facts" all would be well, I guess that's opposed to the unreal actual facts?

It's not just the amount of oil, it's ----------------- wait, you'll have an answer, I'll leave this alone.

By the way, this is my thread about fusion and the ITER project. Do you really have to have the last word? If so, go ahead, I'm through.

It may be your thread but I’m going to post on it when I see a grossly wrong opinion like you have when you try to sell fear by posting pictures of children. Attempting to create emotional fear with children is the stuff that radical propagandist have used though out recorded history.

[venture]

So back to fusion...again? Geez these oil people are militant when their ways of life are threatened. Can only imagine what the reaction is going to be when the reactor comes on line for the first time. Can you say millions of lobbying dollars to make it completely prohibitive to start it up in this country? This is 'Merica, we don't need none of that fancy smancy high tech stuff when there are dead dinosaurs still to burn.

There have been many comments/examples of potential new energy types of was to better utilize energy, perhaps our local oil gurus would care to share their comments about that. Or is this going to be a threat reminiscent of the Politics forum where differing opinions and suggestions are provided but just completely disregarded because they can't bring themselves to entertain different ways of thinking?

Regardless. I'm excited to see an alternative energy source moving forward. I wish it were closer, but at least we are moving further away from oil and gas - albeit at a snails pace.

[Plutonic Panda]

Nobody is even close to saying anything like don’t look for energy solutions.
Nobody is even close to saying that we shouldn’t “conserve our finite resources”….

But that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t use what we have when it’s still reasonably cheap and abundant and in ways that advance mankind. But that’s what some extremist want!

I think we should use oil for the time being, it does sound like some people say just what you're saying they don't say. Maybe I just interpreted it wrong.

[Plutonic Panda]

Kids tend to be pretty innocent, but pretty smart too. They smell BS much easier than adults. If oil for 100 years gives you relief, more power to you.

That's a myth and nothing more.

[BoulderSooner]

So back to fusion...again? Geez these oil people are militant when their ways of life are threatened. Can only imagine what the reaction is going to be when the reactor comes on line for the first time. Can you say millions of lobbying dollars to make it completely prohibitive to start it up in this country? This is 'Merica, we don't need none of that fancy smancy high tech stuff when there are dead dinosaurs still to burn.

There have been many comments/examples of potential new energy types of was to better utilize energy, perhaps our local oil gurus would care to share their comments about that. Or is this going to be a threat reminiscent of the Politics forum where differing opinions and suggestions are provided but just completely disregarded because they can't bring themselves to entertain different ways of thinking?

Regardless. I'm excited to see an alternative energy source moving forward. I wish it were closer, but at least we are moving further away from oil and gas - albeit at a snails pace.

what?? this reactor will be great for large scale power generation if it works ..... it is not going to power a car

[venture]

what?? this reactor will be great for large scale power generation if it works ..... it is not going to power a car

Thanks for proving you didn't even bother to read my previous posts of how it can all trickle down.

[BoulderSooner]

Thanks for proving you didn't even bother to read my previous posts of how it can all trickle down.

nuclear fusion can't "trickle down"

[venture]

nuclear fusion can't "trickle down"

Sigh. What a waste of time. Attempt to discuss how an unlimited energy supply can assist with the transition to electric cars and such, and just get a bunch of nonsense answers. I'm so glad people take things seriously and are willing to discuss the topic. Interesting how the true character comes out in some people and just how hollow it actually is.

By the way, this is my thread about fusion and the ITER project. Do you really have to have the last word? If so, go ahead, I'm through.

Zoo I think you hit on something that makes the oil lemmings feel threatened. As I stated before, being able to finally realize this will do so much for lower the costs of ground transportation. Get rid of the need for fossil fuels when it comes to cars, trucks, and trains and it'll help drive further enhancements to our everyday life. Light rail and commuter rail, not to mention HSR, could see a much bump from it all with a lowest energy cost.

Definitely excited to see further developments in this.

[ou48A]

Zoo I think you hit on something that makes the oil lemmings feel threatened. As I stated before, being able to finally realize this will do so much for lower the costs of ground transportation. Get rid of the need for fossil fuels when it comes to cars, trucks, and trains and it'll help drive further enhancements to our everyday life. Light rail and commuter rail, not to mention HSR, could see a much bump from it all with a lowest energy cost.

Definitely excited to see further developments in this.

You might not be reading my post with enough comprehension…… because I am not in the least threatened by new sources or types of energy and have made that abundantly clear. If I am wrong, then all you’re trying to do is irritate people. If it’s cheaper energy I am probably going to be for it. There is no conspiracy or desire to hold back new energy develops from big picture energy people.



The major oil & NG companies spend and donate billions of dollars of their own money on many different forms of energy research. Many universities have received VERY large donations from oil & NG companies to help them preform all kinds of energy research. Some of these research efforts include work done on the very things you want and its being funded at least in part by oil.