What is the ideal renewable energy source?

[SASKFARMER3]

Can't cook a steak without a nice propane barbaque or natural gas! So basically I guess the next thing in full the herd is vegetarian

[bucket]

Most guys collect oil and have it picked up.

The average combine or tractor gets an oil change and 80 percent goes back to the refinery.

Diesel is burnt but with these cleaner engines....you have to wonder...

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Not even close. Fission is non renewable

Yes, but does the public have a clue about Fusion? If you asked the average Joe on the street would they be able to differentiate between fusion and fission, or would they immediately think of Chernobyl and Fukishima, at the mention of either one? I know I need to do a lot more research.

But, my bigger question is, why are we all fixated on wind and PV, when options such as this exist? What is the money trail that lead us here, or is it for genuine fundamental reasons?

[biglentil]

Been following supposed cold fusion technology outa Italy for at least 5 years called ECAT. Nickel and hydrogen are fused into copper or something like that and 4 times the energy comes out.

The whole thing is either a really good fraud or there is amazing potential. Most likely fraud but entertaining none the less. This article oulines the drama pretty well.

[URL="https://www.google.ca/amp/www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/amp20454/in-cold-fusion-20-whos-scamming-whom/?client=ms-android-samsung"]https://www.google.ca/amp/www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/amp20454/in-cold-fusion-20-whos-scamming-whom/?client=ms-android-samsung[/URL]

[tweety]

Yes, but does the public have a clue about Fusion? If you asked the average Joe on the street would they be able to differentiate between fusion and fission, or would they immediately think of Chernobyl and Fukishima, at the mention of either one? I know I need to do a lot more research.

But, my bigger question is, why are we all fixated on wind and PV, when options such as this exist? What is the money trail that lead us here, or is it for genuine fundamental reasons?

no they can't differentiate, but it doesn't matter anyways. People feel techy today because they can swipe an ipad.

Follow the Wendelstein 7-X in Germany.

Also search solar cell capture of CO2. Creation of syngas rather then photovoltaic, its photosynthesis.

[dalek]

Firewood. We waste billions of BTU's just letting it rot or burn up in forest fires

[burnt]

Firewood. We waste billions of BTU's just letting it rot or burn up in forest fires

That's my observation here also in the west part of the province. Millions of cords of wood rot in public and private woodlots every year. And now that the ash borer is making its way north and east, millions more cords of the nicest, easiest ash firewood turning into carbon and adding to the CO2 burden in the process, LOL!!

Why? Don't tell me oil got too cheap maybe? The reality is that a wage-earner or property owner or farmer can make enough money to pay for oil, gas or electric heat in far less time and effort than it would take to cut a winter's supply of firewood.

But maybe that's just me because cutting firewood in one of my favorite jobs on the farm. It's a great de-stressor.

Ooops, well, I guess I've just gone full circle here - cutting wood takes human effort that many or most don't want to expend for lack of return.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Has anyone done the math on burning firewood?

The typical firewood exercise looks like this:

Drive diesel truck to woodlot, lots of idle time,

Use gas powered chainsaw to cut down trees, delimb, and top.

Use diesel powered skid steer or tractor to move, load and unload trees

Chainsaw again to buck up the wood

Gas powered wood splitter, or hydraulics from diesel tractor to split the wood

Run quad in middle of winter to move wood from shed to house

Hire chimney cleaner who brings big diesel truck, which screams for half an hour while cleaning chimney.


Now, if I took the energy content of all the fuel that went into creating that firewood, and burnt it directly in my furnace, could I heat my house and save all the work?


No doubt that burning wood should be more efficient, renewable, sustainable, but I think it would involve axes, swede saws and horses.

[wmoebis]

Any furnaces that would clean burn heated canola or fuss damaged wheat?

[wmoebis]

Any furnaces that would clean burn heated canola or fuss damaged wheat?

Maybe Just like olden days, only Instead of growing hay to feed work horses and stoves to burn cow chips we need on farm ethanol and bio plants and stoves to burn low quality grain to heat buildings and dry grain.