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- toutratus, on 11/12/2008, -4/+12Let's hope we start moving faster to this type of energy sources and stop destroying our planet with non-renewable energies...
- Nimphious, on 11/13/2008, -2/+9What about tidal energy?
Would it not be intelligent to add tidal generators to these islands, both below and between linked islands... - snapcase, on 11/14/2008, -0/+5Except 250 megawatts isn't a lot of energy... To be a replacement (at least in areas a certain distance from the water... landlocked areas would be SOL), they'd have to have a TON of these things, when a Nuclear powerplant can make 5 times the energy that these can.... and in a hell of a lot less space per watt.
"it is practically impossible to conceive a scenario where there would be substantial impact on the currents." has a ring of famous last words to it. Hell, just look what happened in Dubai when they made their artificial peninsula's to extend their beach line... they didn't thing it'd mess with the currents, and then the beaches started to erode at an extremely increased rate at the original shoreline.
People keep calling out for "lets get this stuff into production" without even taking the time to realize that the technology just isn't freaking there yet. It's not practical yet to have the country powered solely by solar or wind power, and it's not practical to cover vast portions of the coastal waters to make these islands replace the current plants. I'm not saying we don't need to find better ways of generating energy... I'm just saying let the technology develop before jumping the gun and getting us in yet another rut because of it. - tamman2000, on 11/13/2008, -1/+5The amounts of water they are moving are so tiny compared to the total amounts of water in the area of operations it is practically impossible to conceive a scenario where there would be substantial impact on the currents.
- yessuz, on 11/14/2008, -0/+3Ammm..
Why none of the treehugers notice, that actually, Solar AND WIND energy is much more expensive per 1 MW than any coal/oil/gas/nuclear?
Having in mind all the CO2 capturing and flue gas treatment technologies, it's nonsense to waste your money.
It's like: to spend 25.000$ more on the equipment and then to spend like 25$ less every month... - cyrusuncc, on 11/13/2008, -1/+4This is one of the least exciting "green" solutions i've read about recently.
- lockr, on 11/13/2008, -2/+4Good ideas, but has anyone thought about the possible effects of pumping cold water from the bottom of the Ocean to the top? Hasn't that got something to do with the Ocean currents?
- snapcase, on 11/14/2008, -0/+2Uh, yeah... While I disagree with Toutratus's comment on a few levels, you just don't get it. Using non renewable resources until it runs out doesn't make any practical sense. For one thing... Oil is used in a HELL of a lot more than just fuels. The computer you typed on to make your post is made mostly out of oil. Coal too has uses beyond JUST heating water to generate steam to turn an electrical generator.
The non renewable resources need to be preserved for their other uses and need to be replaced by better (and I do mean BETTER, not "kinda sorta adequate") alternatives if and when applicable.
For power generation, with our current technology, we need to use non renewable resources. The alternatives aren't adequate yet. The technology needs to be developed further, and only when it can finally at least equal the production of our current methods, or better yet surpass them, should we replace our current methods. - MelroseMan, on 11/14/2008, -0/+2Even though you wasted a lot of space you have a point.
- wolferz, on 11/14/2008, -0/+2hmm a truly renewable energy idea that doesn't suck. Interesting. By making the system floating it reduces impact on the environment around it while making the building and delivery of the platforms much less expensive and much more efficient. At the same time by packing multiple forms of renewable energy into each one you build a form of redundancy. Then a modular design for unlimited expansion capability. When one source of kinetic energy is not available the other will be, and failing that there is always the solar panels, and when they are all working together? Pure genius.
I've never been excited about renewable energy because of how staggeringly inefficient and unreliable (both and cost and energy production) all forms were... but this idea might be worth a solid effort. - KalZakath, on 11/14/2008, -0/+1I hear "floating energy islands" and immediately think of the Angel island from Sonic 3 ; never did it occur to me that the islands could be floating on water...
- cddict1, on 11/14/2008, -0/+1Thats the perfect Idea to tap the tidal energy. It has tremendous opportunity to power our houses in future.
- Barackalypse, on 11/14/2008, -0/+1Didn't Hurricane Katrina teach you people anything about things in or near the ocean? The last thing we need is a storm being able to sink our power plants. Downed lines are easy to restore, 250 megawatt floating islands, not some much.
- anenokoji, on 11/14/2008, -0/+1Wait, so you're saying one alone is self-sufficient power wise? So, if I chain 2 together they are still self-sufficient? Whoa! Mind boggling math you had to use to figure that out.
All of these technologies are nice *thoughts.* But, maybe we should reduce how much we procreate, and conserve a little more. Plus nothing is going to ***** happen till the oil industry can figure out how to profit billions from a new technology. So, just sit tight and let the money makers make their money. - snapcase, on 11/14/2008, -0/+1It's not that it will never happen... it's that it won't happen anytime soon. And yes... it's annoying to have all these stupid stories about these half baked ideas to replace our current power generation technologies with methods one quarter or less as efficient. It'd take a bit more than four of these things... almost five depending, to equal the amount of electricity generated by my local Nuclear Generator.... So 5 of these hexagons each of them 2000 feet wide. And that's just for one power plant. You'd need an astronomical number of these things just to fully power the coastal areas... and then you'd be blocking coastal traffic.
- socialismEVIL, on 11/14/2008, -0/+1Will Dawkins' aliens appreciate the IP infringement on their pyramid generation plants?
- Godlike, on 11/14/2008, -0/+1Ammm..
Why none of the shortsighted notice that energy won't be a concern when the environment can no longer support us?
Having in mind the heroin habit of fossil fuels and horribly toxic (and incorrectly handled) nuclear waste, why do these people think we can just go on forever destroying our planet and burning our lungs and bodies with toxic metals and hydrocarbons?
It's like: to wish that the rivers weren't all sick with death, but then pour bleach in them. - mreade, on 11/13/2008, -0/+1It's good to see that more of these ideas have been coming out lately, now we just need to take action and stop our reliance on non-renewable energy sources.
- Godlike, on 11/14/2008, -0/+1Yes, because oil platforms are completely different from that.
That's not the problem we're trying to solve, and with proper precaution isn't really a 'problem' at all.
In fact, you've brought up one of the chief arguments AGAINST fossil energy. - macrumpton, on 11/15/2008, -0/+0#1 there are no functioning CO2 sequestration facilities.
#2 Wind energy is already competitive in several parts of the country, and that is without counting the costs that coal/oil/nukes put on society in the form of health problems and price volatility and security problems. Solar is more difficult, but the price has been decreasing steadily for over 20 years, so at some point in the near future it is going to be cheaper than coal/oil/nukes. Meanwhile we still have not figured out what to do with toxic nuclear waste. - Ecowarrior, on 11/13/2008, -3/+3All of these ideas are old and tired. And they all exist in one book:
http://www.amazon.com/Millennial-Project-Colonizin ... - rbk303, on 11/14/2008, -1/+1I love science.
- xanadu2113, on 11/14/2008, -2/+2no man is an island
all islands are in the sea
lets hear it for green energy
or 'tis a pirate's life for me - nescalona, on 11/14/2008, -1/+0Is it a good investment? Y/N
If yes, it will happen. If no, it will not happen, unless the government subsidizes it with our money.
If no, it's a bad idea, and it should be revised or abandoned. - nescalona, on 11/14/2008, -4/+1There's nothing inherently wrong with nonrenewable energy. As long as it doesn't cause damage, and it's cheaper, use nonrenewable energy until it runs out.
- voxak, on 11/14/2008, -6/+3is it me or this is getting kinda annoying?
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give it up treehuggers... this is just like "2009 will be the year of linux!"
it will never happen
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