After listening to Noam Chomsky today, I can think of one real solution to energy and power in the future. SAND. It's ubiquitous, and it makes great solar cells and reflector troughs. Technology can't be bottled up forever, so it's impossible for any one government or company to have a lock on solar photovoltaics - silicon from sand is too plentiful to control, and control issues are a big part of the problem. So, vote for sand in your energy budget whenever possible. Catch the rays, catch the spirit, catch the wind, and catch a few waves..:cool::sunny::cool::sunny::cool:

I've came across a water heater which uses sand to be generated. :confused:

I've came across a water heater which uses sand to be generated. :confused:

You've gotten me confused, Rudy! Do you mean the water heater takes solar power (from a collection system and heat exchanger), stores the heat in a thermal mass of sand, and the extracts the heat to heat water??:confused: That's a great method, if that's what you're looking at!

But Chuck, we are already exploting beaches and deserts to get pavement, don't you think it would cause a major problem? :thinking:

But Chuck, we are already exploting beaches and deserts to get pavement, don't you think it would cause a major problem? :thinking:

It's a metaphorical thought I was having, Ricardo. Silica can be mined from quartzite rock formations (lots of them), or sandstone, or inland desert sands - no need to eat up the beaches! ;)

It only takes a little bit of sand by comparison to make silicon, the basis for solar PV cells at present - they're sliced pretty thin. And since it's basically from formations that represent common crustal elements, it's pretty benign to the environment (some dust issues, but misting water can cut down on that pretty well).. Comparing that to say silica to make bottles for Corona, or sand for cements & pavement - it's a fraction.

But the thing that makes it great is everyone's got some. No cartels or consortiums (De Beers, Haliburton, Chevron, Shell, Exxon-Mobile, etc.) can hog control of the resource, and technology to make them can always be gotten. It could save the world from the resource grabs currently going on.

You've gotten me confused, Rudy! Do you mean the water heater takes solar power (from a collection system and heat exchanger), stores the heat in a thermal mass of sand, and the extracts the heat to heat water??:confused: That's a great method, if that's what you're looking at!

 

I've got confused too though! :lol: Because I only saw it in the newspaper, and there was no brief explanation about it. :confused:

Sand is the cause of all evil in the world.

Sand is the cause of all evil in the world.

 

Sand hurts my eyes, and it tastes bad... :disappointed:

I hate it when sands are all over my feet everytime I come out of the water.

 

So yeah use them as much as you want to generate energy. I don't mind.

Fckn DP.

I hate it when sands are all over my feet everytime I come out of the water.

 

So yeah use them as much as you want to generate energy. I don't mind.

Well, it's better than coming out of the water onto a rocky and pebble beach.

D:

And not to mention the shit people dump there too. :bigcry:

Sounds like a great idea to me chuck. Now only if you could implement it...