Since the Industrial revolution power sources and feul have been shrinking. Before the industrial revolution, power sources were local like peat moss and fire wood but with the dawn of industry,power became a product more distant from the consumer. Large power grids were created to keep with the widening market of electricity. These grids were often powered by coal burning facilities and some still are. The power was made in one place and distributed regionally.This system involves the transportation of the energy across long streaches of land leaving power lined scares on our nation. This is a changing trend.With the new advances in local energy sources like solar, wind, and even high effiecency wood burning and coal devices, power is again becoming more locallized. This is because of some advances in the size of energy yielding tools such as solar panals, geothermal wells and wind turbines for residential units.This ctreates a power plant in a local setting from renuable energies instead of a neighborhood being supplied by a regional fossel feul plant.This is a bit from a writer named Poblo Paster:
From a previous AskPablo: If every household in the US replaced one incandescent bulb with a CFL we could turn off 1 coal-fired power plant, assuming 3 hours per day of use. How did I get this? Well, if you replace one 60W incandescent bulb with a 23W CFL you are saving 37W. 37W x 3 hours/day x 365 days/year x 110,000,000 households in the US = 4,456,650,000 kWh/year, or $668,497,500! A typical coal fired power plant generates 4,000,000MWh/year. To find out how many power plants we could eliminate we simply divide the energy savings by the energy generated by a power plant (4,456,650MWh / 4,000,000MWh). This shows that, if every household in the US replaced one incandescent bulb with a CFL, we could turn off 1 coal-fired power plant.
Imagine what we could do if we all produced energy!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
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I agree the landscape is scarred with power lines. Not only are they unsightly; they use a tremendous amount of our resources in copper and trees. Therefore, localized power plants and solar power are the way to go.
ReplyDeleteThat is quite a big deal, imagine if people actually did other things to benefit. We may actually get somewhere. Solar energy is limited due to cost, need for sunny days, and lack of means to properly store. Wind turbines are only good in high wind areas. Now, before you freak out, let's also consider nuclear energy. It's safer than most people think, and it's plentiful.
ReplyDeleteWow, it only takes a single light bulb in every house to save that much energy. The amazing thing is, this is so easy to do! When you show people numbers like that its very convincing to help out.
ReplyDeleteIt definitely has been getting smaller and smaller when it comes to what can power what. Good article!
ReplyDeleteThis would be really good for the earth and the concept of going green. It would be an idea that would be very beneficial and they (whoever they may be) should be aggresivley trying to do this.
ReplyDeleteThe powerlines are unsightly, and it funny how they think they can hide them by making them look like trees. The kids always ask what it is. They are still unsightly and still using energy, and what kind of materials are they using to make the powerlines look like a tree. Solar power would be a good thing. Using a light bulb that saves energy is the first small step society can take to help save the environment. Would have been nice to read this article sooner.
ReplyDeleteI see the reality of shutting down a power plant and saving the earth from harmful chemicals and toxins being released into the air but i can't help but thinking a little more locally...What happens to the job market after one plant is shut down..and another and another. Don't take my comment as an ANTI GREEN campaign but just as an after thought what happens as society begins to correct the errors in our judgment. Do we sacrifice our economy destroying a plant a time?
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