Alternative Energy doesn't mean Nuclear Energy.

Recently in Australia there has been much debate about the need to find alternative energy sources to fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas. In terms of generating electricity the so called environmentally friendly Nuclear Power is often put forward as the one, clear and sensible alternative energy choice.

However I've always maintained that Nuclear Energy isn't environmentally friendly because no company has found a viable use for the nuclear waste it produces. Nuclear waste is usually stored which, given its radioactive nature and inability to biodegrade safely within a time period of less than before Armageddon, doesn't seem all that friendly to me.

People like me usually look towards the obvious solar and wind energy as a better alternative but that's largely because I'm not a scientist. I lack the knowledge to look beyond the main stream options.

Thankfully the children's science show, Scope, presented a highly informative show on Alternative Energy giving hope that there really are alternatives to Nuclear energy. To be honest this particular episode should be required viewing for anyone wanting a heads up on where science is taking us with regard to environmentally sustainable/friendly energy sources.

What really impressed me during this episode was an alternative energy source known as Hot Rocks being developed by Australian company Geodynamics Limited.

In layman's terms this energy source sends water 5-6 kilometres below the earth's surface where it uses the heat stored in a naturally occurring, special kind of granite rock to heat the water. The water is then bought to the surface where it can be converted to steam. This steam is used to drive a turbine that produces electricity. The best part is that the water is reused meaning that this system is not a great burden on water supplies.

For a more detailed explanation read Geodynamics FAQs page.

Geodynamics makes the following claims about this energy source which I think puts the lid on Nuclear Energy once an for all:

One cubic kilometre of hot granite at 250 degrees Celsius has the stored energy equivalent of 40 million barrels of oil when the heat is extracted to a temperature of 150 degrees Celsius.

Australia is known to have several thousand cubic kilometres of identified high heat producing granites and these have the potential to meet the total electricity demand of the country for hundreds of years.

The only thing Hot Rocks has against it is that it is still in development. This is why I believe Nuclear is often touted as the way forward. Nuclear is ready to go. It's an established power source with powerful investors driving it forward. These investors have a real vested interest in establishing Nuclear energy in new markets so they can make more profit.

Governments often look towards established businesses willing to pay big money to install technology that will ultimately return a profit for everyone. It's economically cheaper than backing an in development, concept that won't return a dollar for several years. Even if that concept is a better alternative in the long term.

Having seen Scope's show on Alternative Energy I'm totally convinced that Nuclear Energy is not the way to go. Anyone supporting such a venture must have a vested interested in the companies involved. Nuclear is not an alternative and it is even less environmentally friendly than non biodegradable plastic shopping bags.

Skateboard Trick Tips: Two Ways to Ollie North (Ollie One foot)

You have to be quick to see my Ollie Norths! Ollie One Foots, otherwise known as the Ollie North, is one of those skateboard tricks you learn and then tend not to do very much as more interesting trick challenges grab your attention. However it does look really cool if you learn how to kick your front foot well past the nose of your skateboard. Still shot from Braille Skateboarding's Ollie North tutorial. I was inspired to make my video below, showing two different techniques to achieve a successful Ollie One Foot, when I not only saw that Braille Skateboarding's Tutorial used a different method to the one I had learned but also, when I looked at various other video tutorials, I discovered yet another technique, with no one using the method I had originally learned. Braille's method is to simply Ollie and drag your front foot past the front of your board. The second method I came across in several video tutorials is to Ollie, drag your front foot and tap your

Are Ion Thrusters the Future of Flying Cars? Spoiler - Probably Not But... Hover Boards... Maybe?

Undefined Technologies Ion Propulsion Drone prototype 3D concept image. You may have heard of Ion engines or, more likely, Ion thrusters. NASA uses them on their spacecraft to help maintain a craft's position or to propel them through space. Upon hearing that you might think they're big, powerful engines, but actually they are not. They work well in the vacuum of space but, once any kind of atmosphere and gravity is involved they'd be hard pressed to launch you off the ground if you strapped four of them to your lawn chair and yelled "up, up, and away!" I am no expert on Ion thrusters - they're basically magic that science has an explanation for. If you want to know the details, The Space Techie website has a layman's explanation . Build Your Own Ion Thruster Earth based Ion Thrusters work a bit different to their space based cousins by Ionizing the same air that we breathe to create thrust (an effect known as Ionic-wind ). While they sound highly soph

How to Transfer Any Line Art to Your Griptape - Easy Skateboard Griptape Art Tutorial

Dog Star Griptape Art by TET Griptape art is once again gaining popularity amongst modern skateboarders. For those of us who have tried to create our own griptape art, using paint pens, you'll know reproducing your design onto the grip, without making any mistakes is incredibly challenging. Mostly because you just have to go for it and draw the design freehand, with paint pens, directly onto the griptape. You can make the odd mistake here or there but if you get the proportions of the design completely wrong, it can be very difficult to fix. Often you just have to live with the mistake. To address the problem I've come up with an easy way anyone can transfer a line art design to their griptape, removing almost all the anxiety of getting the proportions wrong. In fact, you could do this with any line art design, even if you have no drawing skill at all. Watch the video below to see my technique in action and/or skip past the video where I highlight the basic steps to get your de

Guest Post: NEW NOVEL ALIAS JEANNIE DELANEY - BOOK 1 - GO WEST, GIRL!

Today's guest post is by returning Artist, Writer, and Mental Health Advocate, Jo B Creative who writes for her blog, Creating My Oddessey . Jo's previous 2019 post, MY SOOPER DOOPER NEW CONSERVATORY/ART STUDIO! for a long time was one of this blog's most read pages. Jo returns under a new alias, author Kit Mackenzie , and with word of her new novel, ALIAS JEANNIE DELANEY - BOOK 1 - GO WEST, GIRL! which is now available on Amazon. T he first book of this epic western trilogy, Alias Jeannie Delaney - Book 1 - Go West, Girl! is the life story of a devastating and charismatic pants-wearing cowgirl who's the fastest gun in the west and bisexual. A crack shot story that blazes across the wild west! Jeannie Morgan, a devastatingly tomboy-beautiful, pants-wearing maverick who flicks a finger of contempt at society in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Her speed with a gun is faster than the strike of a rattler, outshooting every man she meets. Love, hate and jealo

Robot Uprising Update: Robot Waiter, Fasta Pasta, South Terrace, Adelaide CBD, South Australia

On the second evening of my partner, Enigma, and I's weekend stay in Adelaide we decided to have dinner at Fasta Pasta . Strangely enough our hotel staff, at the Alba, had not mentioned Fasta Pasta as an option for an evening meal while their restaurant is closed for refurbishment, even though it is literally next door on the corner of South Terrace and Pultney Street. You may be aware that Fasta Pasta is an upmarket Italian restaurant franchise with its beginnings in Adelaide. Currently they have 19 restaurants Australia wide (with the majority in South Australia - we even have one in Gawler, our home town). I've never had bad food at a Fasta Pasta, and their food never looks like a franchise meal. You always feel you're at a restaurant that's a little bit more quality than your typical hotel/motel meal. Maybe it's because you don't see as much pasta based meals on an Aussie pub menu. Despite the name, it's not all pasta. I went with a basic plate of fish a

Review: FP Footwear FINO Skate Shoes

FP Footwear FINO Skate Shoes I first saw FP's FINO skate shoes in a video by YouTube channel, Braille Skateboarding, titled, THE FIRST EVER NON NEWTONIAN FLUID SKATE SHOES!? As someone whose feet hurt and bruise relatively easily just from the basic tricks of skateboarding (Ollies, Pop Shuv-its etc.) the 90% absorption of impact energy selling point seemed like an ideal solution for minimizing my injuries. A day later I placed an order through FP's website . Ordinarily I wouldn't mention Customer Service but I can't let the lack of communication on my order slide. FP's website says to expect delivery within 7-14 days of your order. After close to two weeks, my order was still marked as being processed. I sent an email asking for any kind of update, to no response. A day or two later my order was marked as completed but still no signs of shoes in my mail? About two weeks later (just over a full month of placing my order) the shoes arrived. I'm sur

Aptera Solar Powered Electric Vehicle Solves One of the Biggest Issues in EV's Today

Aptera Launch Edition Solar Powered Electric Vehicle. Electric Vehicles (EVs) are going to be, and in fact are, already a thing. It's already been proven that they can out perform their fuel powered counterparts with the Rimac Nevera , the fastest production car ever made. While you might have distance anxiety about electric vehicles, it's not really any different from the anxiety you feel when the fuel gauge is on empty and you're not sure if the car will even make it to a fuel station. The difference for EVs is that literally anywhere with a power point can be a charging station. Not a great charging station but a charging station none the less. Thus giving rise to the anti EV snob who would have no problem letting you charge any of your mobile devices at their home but dammit, you're not plugging your car into their power grid. Not even if you throw them a few bucks for the extra power. It's the principle of the thing. Apparently, their fuel driven car is sudde

TET.Life (The Extraordinary Tourist Life)

Search This Blog