alternative energy?

Question

solar, hydro, geothermal, wind, hydrogen fuel cells; what else have i missed?

uhh..interesting, but something feasible and current please?

Answer 1

Bio Fuels and Human resources energy. But bio fuel is turning out to be a non-starter. In Bangalore, India, the government transport started using bio fuel in 110 buses and after 6 months trial, they have reverted back to diesel. Reason: bio fuel is costlier than.
Most affluent people in urban areas, go to gym and try to burn up lazily accumulated calories. While they have a right, their energy burning exercises can be converted into electrical energy by simply making them run on static bicycles with one wheel. A dynamo is attached to the wheel and the turning wheel can produce electricity that can be stored in batteries. This method can also provide employment opportunity to the unemployed youth.
Solar energy can be harnessed in different ways. But U-SEE the following World Bank honored innovative initiative, do it at home, make copies of the methodology, circulate it to the community and save the world:
Knowingly or unknowingly we are all partners in misusing of costly electricity for our lighting purpose during day time when the solar light is available just outside our windows. Why can't bring home the sunshine?
Yes. This has been successfully adopted by a number of people in Bangalore, India. This innovative but simple method of bringing home the sunshine was suggested to the World Bank as a Grassroots Initiative for Preservation of Natural Resourcs during IDM-2007 competition - Project U-SEE (Unlimited Savings of Electrical Energy). U-SEE does not involve any nano technology nor does it requires billions of dollars for implementation. Moreover, U-SEE you get free lighting for life. No charges.
The World Bank honored this initiative and has created a permanent blog on the World Bank URL at http://dmblog.worldbank.org/mirrors-can-bring-light-rural-homes.
How is it implemented? U need a house hold mirror of 12"X18" and a pillow. Identify where u can get maximum sunshine just outside the windows with clear glass or on the balcony, keep the pillow on a stool or chair and place the mirror on the pillow, go on nudging the mirror till the solar light is deflected from the mirror, through the window and on to the white ceiling inside your home. U will be surprised to find the light spreading from the ceiling - it can be 40 to 60 watts (see the picture above - notice tube light and table lamp in the corner are not burning but there is enough light). If u can keep a bigger mirror, u will get more bright light. U can control the light just by covering a portion of the mirror.
Earth moves on its latitude. When u find that the deflected solar light is moving elsewhere, just go to the mirror, nudge a little and u can get back your light as before. THIS IS THE BASIC IDEA and once u have done it, u be the Innovator of your light requirements for your home and U-SEE PROVIDES YOU FREE LIGHTING FOR LIFE. Many homes/huts in rural areas in developing countries do not have proper lighting and people are living in dark, damp and dingy environs but urbanites living in concrete jungles in cities with tinted glasses are misusing electricity for their lighting purpose even during day time.
U-SEE the Benefits: ONE incandescent bulb/tubelight burning for 6 hours during day time consumes 7 units of electricity in a month. If half the world can adopt U-SEE and switch off one bulb for 6 hours during day time, how much of electricity can be saved? Your guess is as good as mine + saves cost of fossil fuels, coal, water+saves cost incurred for machineries and equipments+saves overhead charges+saves transmission loss charges+saves the world from global warming (burning bulbs/CO2 etc) with n'th value+ U GET FREE LIGHTING FOR LIFE with n'th value. The savings that accrue can off set the load on our productive requirements like A/c, refrigerators, mixies, fans etc.
Solar light will be available at least for about 200 days in a year and it is infinite and why should we let it go waste? We are not harnessing this infinite energy. U-SEE is ssoo simple.
First adopt this method, innovate solutions if u face small problems. U be the winner. U-SEE It is a win win situation for all of us. Need clarifications, mail: [e-mail] U-SEE - The author's ambition is to spread this friendly initiative to one and all. No charges!!
Vasanthkumar Mysoremath, Bangalore, India

Answer 2

You have forgotten wave and tidal sources.

But the main alternative to the pollution caused by fossil fuels is to use less. Walk or bicycle instead of going by car, switch off instead of using standby, do without instead of buying more stuff.

Beware of the new bio-fuels, except those that use waste, because they will cause food price increases and will discourage development of the better alternatives outlined above.

Global warming is causing enormous social and economic problems and the exhaustion of fossil resources will add further problems for our children and grandchildren. These resources are essential raw materials for a wide variety of products and should not be wasted by burning them, particularly in cars and planes.

Nuclear power is not an answer because uranium is a dwindling fossil resource like all the others and burning it in reactors causes radiation pollution. The mining of the uranium and the building of the reactors and waste storage facilities also creates a lot of CO2 (the greenhouse gas causing global warming). We still have no satisfactory way of disposing of the waste and the problems of accidents and terrorism are enormous.

I am glad you are interested in alternative energy. For the sake of future generations and ourselves in a few years time we need to reduce our demand for stuff, re-use stuff that is not worn out and recycle stuff that can not be re-used. By adopting a simpler lifestyle we will give politicians a signal that there are votes to be had by adopting sensible policies (such as curbing air transport) and we will show other people that a simple life is more fun than trying to keep up with the neighbours.

Best wishes

Answer 3

Magnetic energy. This is energy that is from stationary/moving magnets. The magnetic field is broken by a spinning coil of wire, causing an electric current to form in the coil and read in the ends of the wire with an electric meter. What will cause the coil to rotate is a combination of six magnets, three mounted on a circular paltform purpendicular to the rotation of the coil and three mounted on another circular disc attatched to the coill but at a diffferent degree that will cause the magnets to be slightly off allignment and cause attraction at every juncture of opposing pair of magnets as the coil rotates.

Answer 4

Bio fuel, like ethanol, bio diesel and others.
Methane collected from closed land fills.
Nuclear fission, which may not be truly alternative except for the fact that it is been a total no-no for 30 years and is only now making a comeback.
Coal gasification.
Shale oil and tar sand that were previously not economical but that will be when oil prices rise far enough.

Answer 5

How about the Human Body? If we could Harness just the Heat we put out( about 750BTU Each) we could use that to produce Electricity. Humans " Operate" on Electricity. What do you think all of those Neural Transporters are all about?

Answer 6

JOHN R
you watch too much Matrix and Tank Girl
:)

Other alternative energy: tides,biodisesel, soy, garbage!

Answer 7

magnetic, but it's not yet a feasible energy source because it actually requires energy to put into action.. (electromagnets).

Answer 8

magnetic and biofuel