What's the best energy source?

Question

This is a very debatable question that i have been thinking about for a long time. what is the best source of energy? I think it's between wind power and organic matter (old garbage or plants that is burnt, then the fire heats up water that boils and then the steam is used to power turbines, this also includes Ethanol) But i want to hear your thoughts on the subject!

Answer 1

Thats really an unanswerable question.
I mean do you want the most effecient energy source, or do you want the a source that harms the planet the least, do you want the most cost effective energy source?
There are numerous problems with every form of energy.
The most cost effective energy source is nuclear. The problem with this however, is that spent fuel rods have a half life of 500,000 years (or so).
The most effecient energy source is... im not exactly too sure what it is called .. inertial confinement fusion, perhaps, but dont quote me). I believe the National Ignition Facility is creating this. It uses a laser beam that is split , and the energy output is 1 million times the energy input. So you could literally use the energy used by a home in michigan for a year, and power the city of new york for 1 year. (ill try to look up what this is called later, and if anyone else know what its called, please post it)
The problem with wind, is that you need alot of space to produce very little energy. The benefits are that it is renewable.
Ethonal is nice, but once again, it requires alot of energy to produce.
Solar is a nice form of energy, but the costs for solar panels are extremely expensive. But then you also have the problem of the lead/acid batteries. They are extremely harmful to the enviroment.
Theres really no 'best' energy source. There are pluses and minuses to nearly every form of energy

Answer 2

The very best energy source for home energy is gas made out of trash and biomass. The way to make lots of really good clean fuel from stuff like this needs to be constructed and maybe if fuel stays costly more biomass will be made into gas and oil rather than letting it rot and polute the atmosphere with greenhouse gas.

Answer 3

The best source of energy is fusion power through the 3He fusion process. See link. There are several feasible fusion reactions for commerical power generation, but the 3He reaction is the best, being that it's the cleanest, leaving no radioactive contaminants in the reactor shell, and producing no x-rays nor neutrons. It takes up little space, requires no environmental alteration, nor uses up any resources on Earth. While extremely rare on Earth, 3He is readily available in the moon's regolilth, enough to power all of Earth's energy needs for thousands of years.

The public needs to be more aware of this potential source of super-clean energy. One of China's objectives in putting a man on the moon is for the purpose of eventually mining the moon for 3He, and the US shouldn't give up the moon because of public ignorance about this.

Answer 4

Wonderful question... difficult to answer. Depends on what energy is expected to do? Heat? Cool? Move? Stop? Convert (mass to mass).

For transport, really does require stored fuel. Currently that's converted fossil fuel (gas or diesel), with small amounts of electrical (with batteries) and biomass (ethanol & bio-diesel). Why stored? Cuz we want to be able to use it when we need it, not just when it's available.

That's the big trick! Solar, wind and wave is not easily stored. Fossil and nuclear is stored already. Hydro and geothermal is stored too, but expensive to develop. Existing hydro is cheap, but limited new opportunities.

Bottom line....... storage is key ALONG WITH ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT!!!

Answer 5

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I think that wind is the best energy source because it doesn't pollute, there is always wind, and it is one of the most effective ways of harnessing energy. I also think that geothermal is also good because it doesn't pollute and it is a good source of heat and energy.

I disagree with burning because trash and garbage would release carbon dioxide into the air causing the world to warm up even more causing people to use more air conditioning.

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Answer 6

I think the best source right now is hydroelectric power. It's fairly easy on the environment and easily converted into energy. Just ask everyone in the mid-west.

Answer 7

nuclear power. it's the cheapest, most effeciant. people just hear the word "nuclear" and think OH NOES! EXPLOSIONISMS! sadly, most people are completely ignorant about it, and that ignorance turns into fear.

addendum:
please dont confuse this with what Subhash is saying, for he has stated complete science fiction. feasible nuclear fusion reactors have yet to exist (in anything other than research-level), the current tech uses fission. mater-antimater anihilation is not only EXTREMLY dangerous, but it costs more energy to MAKE antimater than energy comes out of anihilation. and as gor dark matter and dark energy...lol science has yet to find out what both realy are.

Answer 8

Rotation of the Earth power as suggested by Tesla in Margret Cheney's book on p 8 Tesla Man Out of Time. Please visit my web site at www.geocities.com/scifuntubes/index.html to see how readily available this carbon free, overlooked energy source is. scifuntubes

Answer 9

nuclear fusion is the best source of energy
annihilation is also good but is hard

i think the scientist should start finding methods to trap energy from dark matter and dark energy

if u wanna know more about dark matter and dark energy chk out in wikipedia

Answer 10

the Sun