A little birdy told us that the more people that view this great video of “How to make a Solar Power power plane,” the better grade she gets. So here it is, direct from Penn State. Be sure to pass it on!
Hold the salt ‘n make room for all those extra ice cubes. You go SJSU – Rah!
Necessity is the mother of invention, and who is most likely to run out of ice cubes on a Friday night? You guessed it…..college students! Go figure they’d invent a solar ice maker. You gotta love ‘em.
In all seriousness, the San Jose State University mechanical engineering students probably didn’t have a lot of time on their hands to party and drink margaritas. They were too busy carving out their place in history by inventing a solar powered ice maker that puts out fourteen pounds of ice per day.
These trailblazers have opened up a whole new world of possibilities and opportunities ranging from solar air conditioning to helping people in third world countries who don’t have the luxury of electricity but could sure use some ice.
The solar icemaker makes ice from the sun’s heat; it implements an intermittent absorption refrigeration cycle (that’s brain talk for “it makes ice from the suns heat.”)
I haven’t had a pen pal in many years, despite the fact that I write every day. So I decided to choose one. Perhaps I’ve chosen a pen pal whom everybody writes, but that’s just fine. I hope we all keep in close contact with our new President, Barack Obama. In my first letter I aptly decided to relay my hopes for our energy future; hopes that I pray President Obama also shares. I just can’t wait to find out…
Dear President Obama,
Even as I write, we are facing a national energy crisis. A crisis that is temporarily relegated to the wings as oil prices decline and a dire economy takes center stage. We both know, however, that these relatively low prices cannot hold. And we both know – you more than anyone by now – that you, our new President, will have a laundry list of issues to address, even on your first day. Among these, energy will stake a prominent claim.
Nearly half our energy comes from oil, with much of the remainder provided by coal and natural gas. Each of these has its benefits and its problems. Oil is relatively easy to process but in short supply. Coal is abundant and domestic but also limited and our greatest polluter. Natural gas is much cleaner than oil and coal, but is not equipped to meet our needs and it too is finite. The fact is, roughly 90 percent of our energy needs are met by energy sources that just can’t last, especially with China, Japan, and India using so much more energy today than they did even 10 years ago.
Furthermore, at the federal (i.e., Presidential) level, very little is being done to promote renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biofuels, and more. Therein lay my energy hopes for the future of the United States. Yet at the present rate of funding, research and development, none of these resources can possibly make up the difference needed when fossil fuel supply really drops off.
Our current administration grants $60 million or so now and then to concentrated solar power research. Meanwhile billions are funneled through loopholes and tax credits to oil and gas companies. This you have discussed extensively during your recent campaign and I hold you true to your word. We have no extra money, as a country, to spend on vital new energy sources. We must reel in financing and tax credits for oil and gas and redirect that into energy sources that promise output in 10 years, 100 years and far beyond – so long as the sun shines, the wind blows and the waters flow.
I also hope that you will not turn your attention to supposed quick-fixes like clean coal and nuclear power. Nuclear power itself cannot come online fast enough to make a significant difference. Furthermore, we simply have not solved the problem of waste storage. What containers do we have that will be safe for thousands, even tens of thousands, of years? Do we want to fill up caves and warehouses across the country with radioactive waste, leaving a toxic landfill for future generations?
Rather than focusing on nuclear waste storage, I would assert a focus on renewable energy storage and transmission – two sizable hurdles to a clean energy grid that require immediate federal recognition and action. …continue reading An Open Letter to Barack Obama
