The burning of petroleum (and other fossil fuels) is a primary contributor to the increase of CO2 in the Earth's atmosphere. Burning of plant material, on the other hand, does not increase the concentration of CO2, because the carbon in the plant came from the atmosphere in the first place, through the process of photosynthesis. …
Category: Energy
Biofuel-ishness?
Some present biofuels (e.g. ethanol, biodiesel) as the great cure for our energy and environmental problems. After all, if we grow our fuel, we don't have to import it from Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, and Venezuela. Additionally, whatever CO2 is released when the fuel is burned was originally removed from the atmosphere when the plant grew, …
Gas Prices, County by County
US gasoline prices, on a county-by-county basis, are portrayed on the US National Gas Temperature Map. Gas here in Europe ranges from around $4 per gallon (here in Romania) to over $6, so no complaining allowed. Grace and Peace
Coming to a tight parking spot near you!
How about a car whose length is just a little longer than a Hummer is wide? How about being able to park two cars in a single parallel parking spot, by pulling into the space with the nose of the car against the curb? That's the Smart Car; a somewhat common car on the streets …
New Gulf of Mexico Oil Field
Chevron has announced the discovery of an oil field off the coast of Louisiana that could rival the Prudhoe Bay field (Alaska North Slope) in size. This does not mean that the United States will soon have a source of cheap petroleum: the well was drilled in 7000 feet of water, down to a total …
Fusion Power?
Breakthrough?: Scientists say they have cleared technical hurdle in fusion research — The headline makes it look like a major breakthrough, but it is just one small step towards commercial fusion power. Unlikely: Fusion Power: Will It Ever Come? (Science, 10 March 2006) — The full article is not available online, but it outlines a …
Black Hole Power
The Astronomy Picture of the Day for April 27th is about the tremendous energy that is released when matter falls into a black hole. This situation is incredibly efficient at producing energy; even more so than nuclear reactions. How about a black hole power plant in the future? If I remember right, the science fiction …
GeoChristian 