Nuclear Power Is Not Clean

I used to think it was, but it isn't.

Some people still try to argue it is.

Here's why I don't think nuclear power is clean: it produces toxic waste.

There. Simple, right? Sure, we store it away, hide it, save it for a rainy day, but that toxic sludge builds up and builds up. Just like greenhouse gas emissions build up.

Hydrogen fuel cell technology will produce water vapor. That's it. That's truly clean.

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars

How fast can we make the conversion? I want one! Well, I want it to be safe. None of the whole, "Oh, the humanity!" issues to worry about. But seriously, are we moving along developmentally at a steady clip? Or could things go faster?

How quickly and efficiently could we set up the new hydrogen fuel cell infrastructure, consisting of hydrogen fuel stations?

Would it be an easy conversion for preexisting gas stations? Or would there be the flashy new hydrogen station opening up across the street and slowly draining the customers out of the oil economy?

I think it would be cool to drive a car that only produces water. I wonder if they would have a collection bin connected to the exhaust pipe, or maybe reroute it back to the radiator?

Sci-Fi Movie Says Global Warming Is Aliens

Ok, I'm not referencing "The Arrival," but that does make sense.

Last night there was a lower-budget sci-fi movie on, and I was able to catch a few minutes of it. A priest having a crisis of faith was approached by devil-looking creatures and given the power to heal. At one point, one of the creatures revealed that he and his race were from a planet far, far away. Their plot was to slowly remove earth's atmosphere, siphoning it off for storage, transportation, and integration with their home world.

So... what if our atmosphere isn't chemically changing. What if it is eroding?

In all seriousness, I don't think that's the case, but the idea did strike me as thought-provoking.

Oil: $108 / Barrel

It's so weird... A few months ago, I heard about a Peak Oil Shortage crisis, a predicted catastrophe that entailed massive blackouts and economic turmoil. But that can't happen, let's get back to our normal practical lives...

Now, our economy is experiencing definite turmoil, and the price of oil is steadily rising. Could the predictions be true? Are we on our way toward disaster?

When things keep going as normal, and you don't hear about a massive program being instated by the government in order to prevent the doomsday scenarios, you think, "Oh, it's no big deal, that's just paranoia. If there was anything to it, the government would be solving the problem, and we'd be a part of that solution. Since they haven't gotten in touch, there's nothing to worry about."

What if the threats are real, and the government doesn't know, or doesn't care? My money's on, "We've tried everything, but Judgment Day is inevitable."

Maybe things just need to get a little worse before major changes are instated. Or maybe the election will change things. Hopefully those things will include attitudes like McCain's, that encompass a belief that the economy is fine.

More Power: Start At The House And Car

I just watched "Six Degrees Could Change The World." It's a documentary shot in high-definition and narrated by Alec Baldwin about how an increase of 6 degrees Celsius of the average temperature of the earth would be catastrophic. It would basically be the end of civilization. 1-2 degrees is the maximum we can allow, but the consequences of a 2 degree global increase are still pretty bad.

Anyway, one of the ideas presented was that if everybody changed their living and travel arrangements in such a way that their houses produced as much energy as they consumed and their vehicles produced no emissions, the world would be much, much better off.

This one guy walks through houses and points out all the areas in which the houses are lacking in efficiency. He said many are shocked and much more gung ho about conservation when they learn it can save you money.

A couple of his findings were that baseboard heaters and cold-to-the-touch freezer doors were wasteful. I guess a baseboard heater isn't too efficient, and a freezer door that allows cold to seep through is not insulated properly, forcing the freezer to work harder to maintain a certain low temperature, and therefore use more energy.

So if there was a simple plan that each homeowner could follow to minimize energy consumption, we'd all be set.