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191 Comments
- Siraris, on 11/30/2008, -9/+117It seems that every other week, we have a new form of energy that is going to save the world, and then it vanishes as soon as it appears. If it's as good as the article paints it out to be, I want to see it in the ocean by 2010.
- inactive, on 11/30/2008, -4/+69Wow. This is really cool.
- booksnmore4you, on 11/30/2008, -2/+44We shall one day look back and judge the era of dirty energies as an insanity.
- KenLark, on 11/30/2008, -5/+30cheap electricity and guaranteed health care, welcome to the 21st century
- oboshoe, on 11/30/2008, -0/+19The moon will just have to work a little harder.
- cyrix, on 11/30/2008, -3/+20Ok, I'm going to go out on a limb here... I'm no expert by any standard AT ALL. In fact I'm pretty much a retard in regards to understanding the complex physics regarding the following statement.
I think that the surge for "green" energy is great. I'm all for it. But if we were to harness all of the oceans power to actually power ourselves I for some reason see negative side effects. When a wave crashes it puts out a certain amount of water upon the beach it hits, which in turn rolls back into the ocean as energy to help further the energy of the wave behind it and the ocean as a whole. It's not a massive amount at all, but it does significantly matter (I think.) So if we were to completely rely on the ocean waves as our source of energy wouldn't be be sucking out a massive amount of energy from the oceans that cannot be returned, and in essence be altering the ocean's basic physics greatly? Like I said, I'm all for green alternatives, but I think the best idea is to spread it around from wind/solar/wave/um....clowns?
Seriously, if someone has some good insight into this please please PLEASE correct or inform me. I've done some searching for answers and haven't found much. Bury me if you want, but to me this is something of great interest. - Paulorific, on 11/30/2008, -0/+16More like necessity. It's been a necessary evil in the progression of our civilization; in a couple of decades hopefully it'll be mostly gone.
- dacheetah, on 11/30/2008, -1/+16Why are people digging cyrix down? It's good to see people thinking critically. Rather than digging these people down, let them know why they are wrong (if they are wrong).
From my understanding of the mechinisms that "power" the ocean, waves (at least normal waves, tsunami's are different) are mostly created by tidal forces, which are caused by the gravitational pull of the moon, which is a virtually unlimited source of energy (it'd take alot of power to pull the moon out of it's orbit.) While there could well be side effects, I don't think we are drawing energy that is otherwise needed, as it is mostly lost when the wave crashes on the beach, and new energy formed from the pull of the moon. (Also, I am not a marine scientist, nor an expert in fluid dynamics, I'm quite prepared to be wrong myself.) - ianenos03, on 11/30/2008, -1/+13Here's hoping that our legislature here in Michigan stays friendly to green energy. Ideas like this are exactly what we all need right now.
- krnldmp, on 11/30/2008, -0/+11It all comes from the sun. You heard it here first.
- HimThatSpeaks, on 11/30/2008, -3/+14Big oil and others will fight it.
- Paulorific, on 11/30/2008, -0/+11I hope you're just joking. If not, tune in next week for information on "batteries".
- Dundasbro, on 11/30/2008, -0/+10Language?
- skeetmuffin, on 11/30/2008, -1/+11zjbird
leave please - Paulorific, on 11/30/2008, -0/+10Unless it becomes easy enough to make at home. Ideal world would have everyone living off the electrical grid.
- oboshoe, on 11/30/2008, -0/+10@wontstop
4cm? bah. We'll just get one of the Chinese Astronauts to jump and up and down a few times once they get up there. That should knock it down a few cm. - smurfsahoy, on 11/30/2008, -0/+10theres a lot of money to be made in small parts manufacturing too. Yet somehow zippers don't cost 20 dollars each.
- oboshoe, on 11/30/2008, -2/+12"Energy so cheap, they won't bother metering it"
That was the original promise of "clean nuclear energy"
Energy will never be cheap, because there is way to much wealth to be made from it. - madmage816, on 11/30/2008, -0/+10The Printing Press?
- booksnmore4you, on 11/30/2008, -1/+10No, but we do have sailboats. :-D
- Riggs, on 11/30/2008, -0/+9I wish I'd see stuff like this more in mainstream news so people are aware of the current scientific advancements that are going on ...
- cyrix, on 11/30/2008, -0/+8IT'S NOT A SAILBOAT!!! It's a schooner.
- rexical, on 11/30/2008, -0/+8are we there yet....?
- skeetmuffin, on 11/30/2008, -2/+10cheeseburgers?
- opmike, on 11/30/2008, -0/+8Hurting plankton is generally a bad idea.
- TaylorHelferty, on 11/30/2008, -1/+9I keep reading about all these amazing new innovations, but when will they be implemented?? We need to stop being scared, and definitely stop letting those big oil companies keep these things in the dark. This is not some "enviro nazi" *****, we cannot continue to shove this stuff aside. We will crumble if we don't get rid of our dependence on fossil fuels, and not just in the environmental sense.
- fungie5, on 11/30/2008, -0/+7You need some perspective.
Consider this - Hurricanes are powered by energy released at the surface of the oceans and then releases this energy into the atmosphere. Scientists at the US National Center for Atmospheric Research estimate that a tropical cyclone releases heat energy at the rate of 50 to 200 exajoules (1018 J) per day, equivalent to about 1 PW (1015 watt). This rate of energy release is equivalent to 70 times the world energy consumption of humans and 200 times the worldwide electrical generating capacity, or to exploding a 10-megaton nuclear bomb every 20 minutes. And that's just from ONE storm. We normally have dozens per year, and the world's ocean's average temperature doesn't even change as a result of it. So i think it's safe to conclude that this type of power supply is a VERY rich source of energy, now that we've managed to produce a technology efficient enough to take advantage of it. - Gemfinder, on 11/30/2008, -0/+7Indirectly, it would.
Wave power generators feed an electrical grid which hybrid vehicles can tap into for recharging. - demoneye, on 11/30/2008, -0/+7Ubiquitous energy will make the issue of powering electric cars a lot less of a problem. :)
- Paulorific, on 11/30/2008, -0/+7Really? Pretty sure the Green Team will be alright with this. Although I do agree some can be stupidly obsessive, this is a 100% "green" technology and is great for the environment.
- layzice, on 11/30/2008, -0/+7Sliced bread?
- Paulorific, on 11/30/2008, -0/+7If only.
- blinkatron, on 11/30/2008, -0/+7This should be all over the MSM. If these work as the article described, then we could solve a lot of our energy problems in the next few years. Please god let this be real and viable.
- booksnmore4you, on 11/30/2008, -0/+7To a point.
It was once cutting edge, the new thing going, and for a season it became mere necessity.
However, the country rejected an earlier bridge because oil interests made it so.
I we had followed Carter's well-reasoned admonitions in the 70s, we would have then begun our energy revolution, and we would have transformed the globe by the Reagan era. From then till now would be the insanity given what we have done absent the revolution. - ArrenV, on 11/30/2008, -10/+17Genius, I wonder if that will work in cars too? Do they have ocean currents in cars? :)
- t3rmv3locity, on 11/30/2008, -1/+7Keep in mind though that they energy taken could just cool the water, not slow it down. We already are heating up the oceans and melting the ice caps, we might as well try something different.
If it's broke and you don't know how to fix it...it's time to experiment... - t3rmv3locity, on 11/30/2008, -0/+61000 * (4cm / 1year) = 4000cm / 1000years = 40meters over 1000 years
yeah were screwed - fungie5, on 11/30/2008, -0/+6I'm surprised people were digging you down for your comment. At least, you demonstrated that you were thinking of possible consequences of this new approach. In truth, our science has largely avoided looking at environmental consequences until recently. I, for one, believe that the greatest challenge for us as a species this century is to adapt our science so that it becomes harmonious with the world's ecosystems.
As far as this new technology goes, we don't need to worry about the possibility of draining the ocean of its energy.
Consider this - Hurricanes are powered by energy released at the surface of the oceans and then releases this energy into the atmosphere. Scientists at the US National Center for Atmospheric Research estimate that a tropical cyclone releases heat energy at the rate of 50 to 200 exajoules (1018 J) per day, equivalent to about 1 PW (1015 watt). This rate of energy release is equivalent to 70 times the world energy consumption of humans and 200 times the worldwide electrical generating capacity, or to exploding a 10-megaton nuclear bomb every 20 minutes. And that's just from ONE storm. We normally have dozens per year, and the world's ocean's average temperature doesn't even change as a result of it. So i think it's safe to conclude that this type of power supply is a VERY rich source of energy, now that we've managed to produce a technology efficient enough to take advantage of it. - akchrs, on 11/30/2008, -3/+9Diesel generators.
- stuffradio, on 11/30/2008, -0/+6RTFA
"The new device, which has been inspired by the way fish swim, consists of a system of cylinders positioned horizontal to the water flow and attached to springs." - inactive, on 11/30/2008, -2/+8yeah how dare people want to know the effects of undertaking a major potential global climate change that will affect every living species on earth. DAMN ENVIRO NAZIS! I love my CFCs! Only libruls would dare take them from me!
- ArrenV, on 11/30/2008, -1/+6Very true :)
- wontstoptalking, on 11/30/2008, -0/+5But as the moon gets further away by 4 cm a year, what will power the moon to stay close enough to power the ocean currents to power the world?
- DigitalisAkujin, on 11/30/2008, -3/+8They lost their power in the last elections. :P
- Kyan, on 11/30/2008, -1/+6LOLCats?
- richirwin, on 11/30/2008, -0/+5But if we remove the energy from the currents, doesn't that CHANGE the currents and, as a result, affect something else?
Seriously. You can't remove energy from something with impact. - inactive, on 11/30/2008, -2/+7Porn.
- MotoFly, on 11/30/2008, -0/+5Installing massive farms of machines the size of buildings, on the ocean floor. Sounds real cheap.
- drapelyk, on 11/30/2008, -0/+5They have a website http://www.vortexhydroenergy.com/
- cyrix, on 11/30/2008, -0/+4Thanks dacheetah.
I don't mind at all if I'm wrong. In fact I welcome it because it would enlighten me on a subject of science that I don't 100% comprehend. If I'm wrong then good because it means this idea is far more efficient than I initially thought, and it has great potential. If I'm right then my notion of spreading out our green tech is valid as well. I'd love for us all to live off of free and plentiful energy to be honest. -
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