The Energy Thread

[Uncle Ted]

For First Time, Majority in U.S. Oppose Nuclear Energy

For the first time since Gallup first asked the question in 1994, a majority of Americans say they oppose nuclear energy. The 54% opposing it is up significantly from 43% a year ago, while the 44% who favor using nuclear energy is down from 51%.


[...]
Lower gasoline prices over the past year are likely driving greater opposition toward the use of nuclear power. As Americans have paid less at the pump, their level of worry about the nation's energy situation has dropped to 15-year-low levels. This appears to have resulted in more Americans prioritizing environmental protection and fewer backing nuclear power as an alternative energy source.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/190064/first-time-majority-oppose-nuclear-energy.aspx

And democrats largely continue to not embrace the science that could stop global warming...

Democrats and Republicans Less Likely to Favor Nuclear Energy


Republicans continue to be more likely than Democrats and independents to be in favor of nuclear energy. Still, support for the use of nuclear energy among Republicans and Democrats has declined in comparison to 2015. A slight majority of Republicans, 53%, are in favor of nuclear energy, down significantly from 68% last year. One in three Democrats, 34%, favor it, down from 42% in 2015. Independents' support is essentially unchanged from last year, but is down from the high Gallup found in 2010.

Thanks Bernie Sanders and the rest of you damn hippies!

[Mormon Red Death]

Great documentary from the founder of 5 hour energy. I heard of him from Adam Carolla.

https://youtu.be/YY7f1t9y9a0

[myboynoah]

I first heard about this 4-5 years ago. There must be some reason why it's not popular by now (such as cost, reliability, need for onsite energy storage, compatibility, etc.).

[wuapinmon]

Does anyone know anything about photovoltaic glass?

I watched this video, and seems like something that could be a real game changer, but I'm not sure if it's just another startup blowing smoke about something that doesn't work as well as they think it does.

[I.J. Reilly]

An interesting article on cost containment for nuclear energy projects: http://www.vox.com/2016/2/29/1113293...s-france-korea

[Green Monstah]

Oil and gas magnate Aubrey McClendon died today, one day after being indicted for charges of bid rigging during his time at Chesapeake.
http://www.cnbc.com/2016/03/02/

[beefytee]

Pons and Fleischmann's mess is still having negative repercussions today:

https://aeon.co/essays/why-do-scientists-dismiss-the-possibility-of-cold-fusion

[chrisrenrut]

Researchers Have Developed Socks That Generate Electricity Using Urine:

http://www.techtimes.com/articles/115648/20151211/researchers-developed-socks-generate-electricity-using-urine.htm

Could have gone in the Blink Blink thread, but since this one was bumped today, I'll put it here.

[Pelado]

Woodland, NC in the early favorite to win the prestigious "Friend of Hydrocarbons" award.

It's for the photosynthesis, damn it!

[Green Monstah]

Crude spot price is over $58

There's a furniture store in twin that is offering a "85 and it's free" promotion. If you buy $7k worth of furniture and crude hits $85 by the end of the year you get all your money refunded.

I doubt we get anywhere close to $85, but at least things are looking up for the industry.

You jinxed us, damn it!

[Green Monstah]

Woodland, NC in the early favorite to win the prestigious "Friend of Hydrocarbons" award.

[Uncle Ted]

North Carolina citizenry defeat pernicious Big Solar plan to suck up the Sun

Town council votes to deny zoning permit that would allow solar farm development.

The citizens of Woodland, N.C. have spoken loud and clear: They don't want none of them highfalutin solar panels in their good town. They scare off the kids. "All the young people are going to move out," warned Bobby Mann, a local resident concerned about the future of his burg. Worse, Mann said, the solar panels would suck up all the energy from the Sun.


Another resident—a retired science teacher, no less—expressed concern that a proposed solar farm would block photosynthesis, and prevent nearby plants from growing. Jane Mann then went on to add that there seemed to have been a lot of cancer deaths in the area, and that no one could tell her solar panels didn't cause cancer. “I want information," Mann said. "Enough is enough."
[...]

http://arstechnica.com/science/2015/...ck-up-the-sun/

[Katy Lied]

One of the Energy Efficiency programs we run for a large client in the Midwest resulted in enough electrical energy savings to remove 3 500-MW coal fired power plants from the grid for a year. Yeah!

Although... now that we've cherry picked the low hanging fruit, further efficiency gains only get harder.

[clackamascoug]

Well, low oil price killed the region I work in. Office closing 8/1. I was offered employment back in Houston office. Maybe this belongs in the "what's right/wrong with Texas" threads.

If I recall you were in Tulsa right? At least you've got a job, even if it's in one of the nicer cities of the nation.

[TripletDaddy]

Ha! How long does it take to get downtown from there? I don't think I should move back to my old ward/stake. So I'm looking at your area, Nik's area, and Sugar Land (although I hear it's full of douchebags).

Should be a buyers market there right now. I hear a lot of homes for sale are underwater.