I am surprised by the variety of answers this question generated. To me it is like asking "what is the best food to give an animal?". The answer is, "it depends".
The world will always require a mix of power sources, depending on availability and the type of use. There is no question that Iceland has its optimal power source, but geothermal energy is not globally available. Hydro power is more widespread, but still confined to certain regions and useful only for fixed demand (like factories or aluminum smelters). The same goes for wind and tidal power. Power for mobile applications poses a different set of problems. Even Iceland doesn't power its cars with geothermal energy. There is also the problem of balancing different kinds of environmental impacts. Hydro power is basically free, but the dams and power lines can have a major impact. So my answer to what I consider a meaningless question is this - the best way to power the world is brain power. Bill Silvert ----- Original Message ----- From: "Leslie Mertz" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, February 08, 2006 1:29 PM Subject: What's the best energy source? >I got an interesting question yesterday. From an environmental point > of view, what is the best, yet still feasible, way to power the > world? Any thoughts? > > Leslie Mertz, Ph.D. > science writer/author, educator
