Growing Focus on Alternative Energy

It's good that different magazines and newspapers are talking more and more about the need to deal with energy issues. The July issue of Popular Science has a cover article on alternative energy along with several mini-articles on alternative energy that can be found on their website. I enjoyed browsing it but I have to say it's largely the same gee whiz stuff that they first started putting out in the 1970s during the first energy crisis. I wish these articles had more substance and challenged industry and the government to do more.

I liked this one passage though about "making energy where we use it":

When Tony Ellsworth began planning a new San Diego home for his custom-bike company, Ellsworth Bikes, he aimed from the get-go to minimize the project’s impact on both his bank account and the environment. A geothermal system heats and cools the building, and electricity is provided by rooftop solar cells, which feed excess energy back into the local electricity grid to be credited at full retail value. "It’s such a no-brainer," Ellsworth says. "Far better than building power plants and importing foreign energy." He expects to recoup the cost of the solar system—$28,000 after rebates—in four years. And his green factory even helps him cope with the stress of running a small business. "I deal with the low moments by going out back and watching the electric meter run backward," he says. "That always puts a smile on my face."

There's a great deal more that can be done by individuals but the big push will come when the government starts funding much more extensive research and development. But I hope a lot of that research goes into helping coming up with systems that farmers, ranchers, home owners, small business owners and various other individuals can use. Even schools should be involved so even kids can see the stake in their future.