Interest in alternative energy has cooled down as oil prices have dropped more than half from a summertime high of $143. I wouldn’t get too comfortable though, with OPEC controlling oil production, you never know when the next spike will be. They recently announced that they were cutting production to stabilize prices. It doesn’t look like this first production cut has made much of an impact on prices since the demand for oil is lower globally, but the last two years has showed us that it can bounce right back up at anytime. Ideally, OPEC would like oil prices to be between $80 – $100 per barrel, and that doesn’t include the spikes that will happen during shortages or other global events.

“The one thing that is certain about energy prices is that they are volatile,” said Ralph Cavanagh, head of the energy program at the Natural Resources Defense Council. “They bounce crazily around. And Californians know this better than anyone – you don’t want to be a victim of the next bad bounce.”

So, now more than ever, we have to remember the pain that we’ve had to go through the last couple of years of high oil prices and try to prevent that same pain in the future.

If we don’t do more now with alternative energy research and development, we WILL just repeat history and go through the whole energy crisis again.

It’s always flattering when your website or blog makes it on a list with other notable people and organizations. I got an email the other day that this blog made it on the The Top 100 Environmentalists Blogs.

Check out the list, there is quite a collection of great blogs on there to read. A couple great ones that I’ve never heard of, but will begin to follow.

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Google recently pledged $10 million to fund good ideas. It’s called Project 10¹⁰⁰ (pronounced “ten to the one hundredth) and anyone can submit their ideas and you can enter as many ideas as you like.

The deadline for submissions is Oct. 20th and you can submit your idea by clicking here. Google will then pick the 100 best ideas. Beginning January 27th Google is going to allow the people to vote on the 100 ideas to choose twenty semi-finalists. Then an advisory board will select up to five final ideas.

Even though I’ve submitted about a dozen different ideas related to alternative energy, you can submit an idea for any of these categories:

So, if you’ve been thinking about that one great idea that you believe could change the world, here’s your chance to do it!

Last week I ran a very unscientific energy survey to get your opinion on which alternative energy you were most excited about.

Thank you to everyone that made a selection and left comments, here are the results:

The solar and wind energy responses were as expected. Many people are excited about solar and wind because they get a lot of press and the advances in those two technologies have been dramatic. I didn’t think that tidal energy would have fallen in third place. It was interesting that the closer someone lived to a large river or the ocean were more likely to chose tidal energy for their selection.

There are quite a few advantages to tidal energy, but the applications thus far haven’t been nearly as publicized as biofuels and geothermal energy.

I just completely forgot to include nuclear energy in the options. I will be sure to include it next year when I run this poll again to see how opinions have changed and the reasons behind it.

As the energy revolution continues and we look for a more comprehensive energy plan, I am absolutely positive that all of these alternative energies will have their own role in our alternative energy options.

A lot of people attack the sea, I make love to it.
-Jacques Yves Cousteau

Tidal energy is more predictable than solar energy and wind energy because we already know that cycles of high and low tides are twice a day. We all just might begin to love the sea as it helps in producing alternative energy.

A tidal energy generator is installed to capture the energy of the tide coming in and the tide going using turbines. These large underwater turbines use the force of millions of gallons of water coming in and out to produce electricity.

Advantages of tidal power

*Abundant, clean, and safe
*Tides are very reliable

Although the energy supply is reliable and plentiful, converting it into useful electrical power is not easy.

Disadvantages of tidal power

*Not commercially viable at present
*Shipping could be disrupt
*Turbines may be hazardous to marine life

Even with these disadvantages, tidal energy is becoming more popular. As the technology of the turbines increase and they become more efficient, areas previously deemed to have too slow of a current are becoming viable spots to place tidal energy generators.

I haven’t seen a plan that incorporates tidal energy into the overall energy solution, but as we move forward to a more comprehensive strategy of incorporating all types of alternative energies, I am absolutely positive that tidal power will be included.

How Tidel Power Works

Thank you to everyone that gave their opinion, here are the results.

And let me know why in the comments below.

Geothermal energy uses the heat from the center of the earth’s core to produce electricity. As the heat from the Earth’s core rises to the crust of the earth, the heat is captured and absorbed by geothermal power plants. Momentum is gaining to use geothermal energy as a more prominent source of alternative energy.

Geothermal energy is a continuous source of energy since the heat is trapped inside the earth, without depleting. This places geothermal energy above sporadic wind and solar energy, which tends to have a capacity factor of only 20-35%; geothermal capacity is more than 70%.

Although global energy use from geothermal sources today only amounts to less than 1%, geothermal projects now exist in around 20 countries around the world.

Advantages of geothermal energy:

5. You can have one in your backyard
4. Maintenance costs are low
3. The amount of land needed is low
2. Energy output is unaffected by changing weather conditions
1. It’s renewable

Disadvantages of geothermal energy:

1. Produces greenhouse gases during production and maintenance
2. They could affect their surrounding environment
3. If a system is too large for its site, the energy could dry up

Technology of geothermal energy

To understand and learn more about geothermal energy, visit the Geothermal Energy Association

With gas prices rising, more and more people are biking to get to work, go to the grocery store, or visit friends and family.

Increasingly, people who used to view bicycles as playthings or exercise tools now see them as workhorses. So they’re outfitting them with fenders, racks, bags — anything that will make them more functional.

So, pull out that old bike out of your garage and get pedaling! You’ll be glad you did.

Here are just a few benefits of biking:

1. You’re going to save money on gas
2. You’re going to become more healthy
3. You may be able to reach your destination faster
4. Your stress levels will be reduced
5. You’ll get better muscle tone, bone mass improvement, and clearer skin

Here are 40+ benefits of bike commuting

Both drivers and bikers need to learn how to share the road. Fortunately, biking has been a big thing in Austin for quite some time so everyone’s already used to it. The other areas around the country will need to learn how to get along so everyone will be safe.

Congress lead their second round of questioning for the execs of the major oil companies on why gas prices were so high and how they can be okay with making so much money while people are paying so much for gasoline.

Don’t they understand that the oil industry is a byproduct of the transportation industry. I liken the analogy of bringing in the oil men instead of the auto men to trying to treat the symptoms and not actually find a cure for the disease. As long as the disease is still there, there will always be symptoms.

In fact, we’ve been here before and unless the transportation industry changes, we will come here again in the future.

Why doesn’t Congress hold the auto industry more accountable for the fuel efficiency of automobiles?

In that same article, John Dillin says:

John DeCicco, an engineer and fuel efficiency specialist, told me in the early 1990s that we could boost the mileage of US vehicles by 20 percent, even 30 percent, just by using the technology we already had. But people weren’t listening.

A few political leaders also sounded the alarm. In 1991, Sen. Richard Bryan (D) of Nevada urged Congress to mandate more-efficient cars and trucks. He called it a matter of national security.

Senator Bryan’s bill would have required that gas mileage rise to approximately 34 mpg in 1996, and 40 mpg in 2001. But Congress sat o­n its hands. Not until last year, with gas prices again soaring, did it mandate 35 mpg by 2020.

David Steckling, founder of Vapor Systems Technology, says that the technology for 100+ miles per gallon is already here but the auto industry along with the oil industry doesn’t want it to be widely known.

I’m pointing my finger back at Congress, stop wasting your time trying to treat the symptoms of high oil prices and find a solution to increasing the mpg for automobiles or how alternative fuels can alleviate our dependency on oil.