I am a high school environmental science teacher. I have been following the discussion here and it's fascinating. I have copied the discussion and will modify it for class use in order to spur a series of classroom discussions. DON'T WORRY! I will remove names and contact info. I will retain only the region that the reply came from.
*My vote is a Manhattan Project scale Solar Power project in the southwest of the USA. Use huge amounts of solar power to produce hydrogen and transport hydrogen using the existing natural gas pipelines. I know this is a bit ambitious, but if we look at the productivity of Americans during WWII to fight a war, we should be able to be as productive now in order to address major environmental issues. We just need to galvinize the people behind such a project. Always dreaming big, Josh Leonard Environmental Science Teacher Como Park Senior High School St. Paul, MN On 8 Feb 2006, Bomar, Charles wrote: > I really don't' believe "best" is a great term. Each source has a cost, > and a benefit. In Wisconsin, solar power isn't going to be a reliable > source of energy, but likely will in New Mexico. I think we need to get > away from the one size fits all mentality, that's what's got us into > trouble in the first place > > Second even hydro power has its costs... such as disrupting spawning > activities of endangered species of fish as well as the mega-tons of > gravel and sand that needed to be extracted to develop the concrete dam > structure. These are permanent damages to the ecosystem, The same is > true with ALL power sources > > Ultimately we will continue to need power and our need will increase as > our population and need for power grow, its just a matter of what we are > willing to pay for it... If we don't want new, different , and more > power, the cost is that we stop driving our cars, stop heating our > houses to 70F all winter and cooling our houses down to 70F in the > summer > > There are rumors of 4-6 more power plants being built in the upper > Midwest, as far as I know they are all planning to utilize cheap > abundant coal. > > > > Charles R. Bomar PhD > Professor of Biology > University of Wisconsin-Stout > Menomonie, WI 54751 > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > 715-232-2562 > >
