Harnessing Nature's Power

Robert Redford - Actor, Director, and Environmental Activist
Posted May 11, 2009 | 01:30 PM (EST)

Harnessing Nature's Power

Read More: Celebrities Talk Politics, Clean Energy, Foreign Oil, Geothermal Energy, Green Energy, Robert Redford, Wind Power, Green News

Anyone who knows Utah knows the power of wind, water and sun. You can see that power in Utah's sculpted arches of stone, in our majestic mountains capped with snow, and in the cracked earth of our deserts.

Nature's power is so obvious that you have to wonder why we've mostly ignored it as a source of energy to run our homes and businesses, and to propel our cars and trucks.

After all, if we did a little more to harness that power, we could begin to solve some of our most pressing environmental and economic challenges. In fact, creating electricity from the energy nature gives us is critical if we're going to reduce global warming pollution, protect public health with clean air and water, create jobs in Utah and ultimately bring down energy prices.

We know that burning fossil fuels is destabilizing the atmosphere and acidifying the oceans. We know that our dependence on oil shackles us to dangerous foreign regimes and to the escalating prices they'll inevitably charge as demand outstrips supply. But we also know how to break our dependence and free ourselves from this destructive cycle.

Why keep buying foreign crude when we could be making energy right here in Utah from sunlight, wind and geothermal power? Why rip up more pristine wilderness to extract dirty fuels when we could generate clean power from the energy nature delivers to our doorstep?

Dollar for dollar, investing in clean energy creates more jobs than investing in traditional energy sources like oil and gas. That really matters, especially when you consider that more than 30,000 Utah workers lost their jobs last year.

We've got tens of thousands of windy acres here in Utah, sites for geothermal energy abound, and the southern part of the state has tremendous potential for solar power. We will have to carefully pick renewable energy sites that don't endanger critical habitat and wilderness quality land, but the opportunity is vast.

So how can we jump start a home-grown clean energy economy?

Right now Congress is working on a landmark clean energy jobs plan that would boost the amount of wind, solar and other clean energy our country produces. The American Clean Energy and Security Act will also make our vehicles, appliances and buildings more efficient, and update our antiquated electricity grid.

Our investments in clean energy and efficiency today will pay dividends for generations. They will create good, family-sustaining jobs that can't be shipped overseas, and they will lower energy prices in the long run. They will reduce energy dependence and global warming pollution, and make our economy more competitive.

It's true that the economic and environmental challenges we confront are serious. But Americans have never encountered a challenge of any kind that we couldn't overcome by working together and applying our ingenuity.

That is what we need to do right now. The only missing ingredient is a spirit of innovation, cooperation and resolve amongst our political leaders. From the copper-domed Capitol in Salt Lake, to the halls of power in Washington, our leaders need to reconsider their allegiance to the dirty fuels industry, stop their bickering, and act boldly to move America towards a new energy economy.

In the coming weeks, Representative Jim Matheson (D-Utah) can lead the way. As a key member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, he'll play a pivotal role before Memorial Day in determining whether Congress even gets to vote on the clean energy jobs bill. Now is the time to let Rep. Matheson and all of our leaders know that we expect them to do what's right for our people, our economy, our land and our future.

[This piece first ran in the Salt Lake Tribune.]


Green Energy
Celebs Talk Politics
Anyone who knows Utah knows the power of wind, water and sun. You can see that power in Utah's sculpted arches of stone, in our majestic mountains capped with snow, and in the cracked earth of our de...
Anyone who knows Utah knows the power of wind, water and sun. You can see that power in Utah's sculpted arches of stone, in our majestic mountains capped with snow, and in the cracked earth of our de...
Related News On Huffington Post:
President Obama To Pitch Energy Plan, Green Jobs In Iowa
NEWTON, Iowa — President Barack Obama, standing Wednesday in the shell of a once-giant Maytag appliance factory that now houses a wind energy company, declared...

Green Energy Paradox: Activists Fear Renewable-Energy Projects Could Damage Wildlife
The SunZia transmission line that would link sun and wind power from central New Mexico with cities in Arizona is just the sort of energy...

Half Of Americans Can Buy Renewable Energy Right Now
Yes, there's a 50% chance that you could be buying renewable energy from your power company) right now--renewable energy can now officially reach half the...

Eric Schmidt: "Green Energy Done Right Is More Profitable Than Old Energy"
Green vs. greenbacks. It's a balance we've been told we have to accept. But somebody who knows a lot more about making greenbacks than the...

President Obama To Pitch Energy Plan, Green Jobs In Iowa
NEWTON, Iowa — President Barack Obama, standing Wednesday in the shell of a once-giant Maytag appliance factory that now houses a wind energy company, declared...

Green Energy Paradox: Activists Fear Renewable-Energy Projects Could Damage Wildlife
The SunZia transmission line that would link sun and wind power from central New Mexico with cities in Arizona is just the sort of energy...

Half Of Americans Can Buy Renewable Energy Right Now
Yes, there's a 50% chance that you could be buying renewable energy from your power company) right now--renewable energy can now officially reach half the...

Eric Schmidt: "Green Energy Done Right Is More Profitable Than Old Energy"
Green vs. greenbacks. It's a balance we've been told we have to accept. But somebody who knows a lot more about making greenbacks than the...
Related Blogs On Huffington Post:
Kathy Freston: An Earth Day Reflection On The Breathtaking Effects Of Cutting Back On Meat
In honor of Earth Day, I thought I'd give you some more information about how our natural resources (such as air, water, and soil) are depleted and devastated by animal agriculture.
Avital Binshtock: Earth Day Film Review: A Sense of Wonder
It's a quiet film, one that asks us to set aside our hunger for over-dramatic portrayals of human conflict; watching it feels like a meditation of sorts.

Jeff Biggers: Earth Day Atonement: 10 Environmental Disasters to Remember
Ten tragic lessons in our nation's environmental history that should never be forgotten. And one climate destabilization tragedy in the making that needs our urgent help.
Paula Crossfield: Before You Grow: 5 Reasons to Go Peat-Free in Your Garden
It's Earth Day, and in the spirit of stewardship I'm thinking about good soil. Choosing peat could do unforeseen damage to the Earth, while an otherwise environmentally engaged gardener's plot thrives.

Kathy Freston: An Earth Day Reflection On The Breathtaking Effects Of Cutting Back On Meat
In honor of Earth Day, I thought I'd give you some more information about how our natural resources (such as air, water, and soil) are depleted and devastated by animal agriculture.

Avital Binshtock: Earth Day Film Review: A Sense of Wonder
It's a quiet film, one that asks us to set aside our hunger for over-dramatic portrayals of human conflict; watching it feels like a meditation of sorts.

Jeff Biggers: Earth Day Atonement: 10 Environmental Disasters to Remember
Ten tragic lessons in our nation's environmental history that should never be forgotten. And one climate destabilization tragedy in the making that needs our urgent help.

Paula Crossfield: Before You Grow: 5 Reasons to Go Peat-Free in Your Garden
It's Earth Day, and in the spirit of stewardship I'm thinking about good soil. Choosing peat could do unforeseen damage to the Earth, while an otherwise environmentally engaged gardener's plot thrives.

Deepak Chopra: Earth Day Message
Through our rivers and waters are our circulation, its atmosphere is our breath, its trees are our lungs. We call it the environment, but that's the wrong word. It's our extended body.

Bruce Nilles: EPA: Carbon Dioxide Endangers Human Health
There is no longer a question of if -- or even when -- the U.S. will act on global warming. President Obama is following through on his campaign promise to show American leadership on global warming.

Rep. Nita Lowey: The First Step is Admitting You Have a Problem
As anyone with experience with recovery knows, the first step in addressing a crisis is to admit that you have a problem. Unfortunately, when it comes to global warming, some elected officials refuse to take Step 1.

Trip Van Noppen: Born in Wartime, Earth Day Unified the Nation
Arriving suddenly -- as a gift whose time had come -- it offered folks something to unite around: the idea of an entire planet, our home, in peril.

Matt Dentler: Greener Movie Viewing
If this cinema-seeking culture is trying to also remain carbon-conscious, then perhaps video-on-demand could be its salvation.

Sarah Newman: Eat Green, Be Green
trying to be extra green on this one-designated day is a nice way to raise awareness, but how about making every day Earth Day?

David Sassoon: The Climate Bill's Giant Carbon Polluter Loophole
Allowing polluting companies to keep pumping carbon into the atmosphere by paying others to reduce emission is a practice analagous to trying to lose weight by paying someone else to go on a diet.

Lea Lane: Dramatic Personal Photos of Antarctica, Greenland -- for Earth Day
These photos show the beauty and fragility of our polar world, and I hope that they help remind us to treat our vulnerable planet with respect and love.

Doree Lewak: Is Green Lit So Green After All?
If you harbored shame reading that Tori Spelling tome before, imagine how guilty you'd feel if you knew about the egregious expenditure of natural resources used to produce it.

Michael Pollan: A Food Revolution in the Making, from Victory Gardens to the White House Lawn
If we want to make significant progress in reducing global warming we will need to wean the American food system off its heavy diet of fossil fuel and put it back on a diet of solar energy.

Robert Redford: Making Every Day Earth Day
Today, pause for a moment and take full advantage of the unprecedented array of tools we have for connecting with others and expressing your views on how to protect the environment.

Dave Burdick: Earth Day Movies: 19 Environmentally-Themed Flicks To Celebrate With
Celebrate Earth Day at home -- turn off everything but your TV and watch one of these great environmentally-themed movies.

Javier Sierra: A Toxic Lesson
In more than half of the investigated schools, students were in danger of contracting cancer and respiratory diseases because of the presence of toxic compounds.

Ted Wells: Six Earth Day Activities for Your Classroom
Here are six activities that my fourth grade classroom at The Park School in Brookline, MA has been working on leading up to Earth Day.
Around the Web:
Robert Redford Green Biography - The Renewable Planet Greenography

The Green

Robert Redford starts channeling 'green' - Grist Magazine- msnbc.com

More in Green...
PHOTOS: Your Favorite Hot FarmersLou Dobbs Describes Meatless Mondays In Schools...Target Accused Of Organic Food FraudAll-In-One Innovative Pizza Box: Four Plates And...
Ads by Google
Wind Energy Stocks
A Complete Guide to All U.S. Wind Energy Stocks. Free Report!
www.TodaysFinancialNews.com

Comments217
Pending Comments0
FAQ: Comments and ModerationFAQ: HuffPost Accounts
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to

All comments on this article are pre-moderated. This means that every comment submitted will be reviewed by a moderator before it is posted to the site. Unfortunately, depending on the volume of comments, it may take timePage: 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next › Last » (6 pages total)
- + Shanonovic I'm a Fan of Shanonovic I'm a fan of this user permalink
Check out the work of Saul Griffith and his team of most amazing geniuses working on harnessing the power of the wind for energy using KITES: www.makanipower.com
From Business Week:
http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/mar2009/id2009034_875256_page_2.htm

wind can play a much bigger role in the energy revolution if they can harness the more powerful winds 1,000 to 3,000 feet up, which contain more energy per square foot than any other renewable source. They are developing wing-shaped kites to do just that. "Conventional turbines only work up to 200 feet, but capturing a small fraction of the global wind energy at higher altitudes could be sufficient to supply the current energy needs of the globe," says Griffith.

Capturing energy from high-altitude wind is far from easy. The biggest challenge is efficiently transmitting that electricity back to Earth. But Griffith, who has raised $15 million from Google.org and others for the venture, is confident, both about Makani's ability to develop a cost-effective new wind power technology and about the broader potential for meeting the challenge of climate change.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 11:50 PM on 05/29/2009
- + Terre49120 I'm a Fan of Terre49120 I'm a fan of this user permalink
Don't you just love Barry Commoner and his plan for energy efficiency and production for each bio-area?
Being from the Great Lakes I'm boning up on Victor Schaumburger's water energy releasing principles, while still learning the ins and outs of wind production Gov. Granholm is introducing to the center of the lakes. I feel that we're like toddlers taking first steps, but some day we will run and jump. Thanks for sharing the spotlight with these ideas.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 05:09 AM on 05/15/2009
- + Guitarsandmore I'm a Fan of Guitarsandmore I'm a fan of this user 24 fans permalink
Renewable energy

1. Once Solar panels are installed they require no ongoing mining or drilling for resources.
2. You only have to truck a solar panel once to its destination (once every thirty years).

3. Sunlight and wind are delivered to your home everyday for free by mother nature. No ships and trucks are required to deliver the energy to your home.

4. Solar panels do not give off harmful disease causing pollutants or stinky smoke while in use. Nothing is burned.

5. Installed renewables help stabilize the economy by stabilizing the price of energy.

6. Renewable energy will help clean the air and help health care costs go down.

7. Using renewable energy will mean fewer coal miners will be killed or trapped.

8. Renewables owned and operated by Americans means foreign governments will not be able to hold us hostage to their oil.

9. Renewable energy products made in Western Countries will not be sending money to terrorists.

10. Renewable energy will help turn around global climate change if we act quickly.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 07:50 PM on 05/13/2009
- + mioffe I'm a Fan of mioffe I'm a fan of this user 10 fans permalink
Dear Guitarsandmore, please ask yourself why in Hawaii, which closer to equator, in summer time we have temperature 70-80 F, while in Texas-90-110 F?
If you will answer on this question, you will never be for any source of energy-nuclear, coal, wind, solar cells, geothermal, natural gas, oil, etc, which produce energy without additional evaporation of water.
Property of water in reality is cooling the air. Trees are the best pumps in the world to evaporate water. They use sun energy and conserve that energy for hundred years.
If you agreed with Tim Flannery, The Weather Maker, 2006 that mature forest do not produce oxygen (oxygen producing by photosynthesis equal oxygen which will taken by old trees, when they are decayed), you will cut old trees and use them to produce electricity in small power plant. You will solve all GHG from that power plant and watering the same forest as the best nutrition sources together with ashes.
It will be the closest to customer and because of that the cheapest source of energy, which will really cool the atmosphere. Only in this case you can use any source of energy-nuclear, coal, wind, solar cells, geothermal, natural gas, oil, etc.
It will not only heat your butt, but also save the planet.

Please use your commom sence and basic Physics.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 10:21 AM on 05/14/2009
- + research I'm a Fan of research I'm a fan of this user 224 fans permalink
If you BioChar the wood, and bury the carbon, that will work.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:51 PM on 05/23/2009
- + Guitarsandmore I'm a Fan of Guitarsandmore I'm a fan of this user 24 fans permalink
Burning Fossil Fuels:

1. Contributes to global climate change.
2. Causes health problems such as heart disease and lung disease
3. Increases health care costs for all of us.
4. Pollutes streams, destroys forests, destroys wildlife, removes mountains.
5. Leaves the USA dependent on the whims of foreign governments that hate us.
6. Sends money back to countries that finance international terrorism.
7. Causes huge destructive fluctuations in our economy when gas goes way up.
8. Requires dangerous mining and drilling resulting in frequent deaths.
9. Requires delivery via ships and trucks that pollute and use additional resources.
10. Subject to spills which are difficult, expensive, and often impossible to clean up.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 07:19 PM on 05/13/2009
- + Mosby12 I'm a Fan of Mosby12 I'm a fan of this user 3 fans permalink
Robert - stick to acting. Besides being a blight on the landscape- (just ask Senator Kennedy), bird killers,a maintenance nightmare and undependable , windmills are energy inefficient and must be placed too close to their users.

You and the rest of the environment worshipers should take your head out of the sand. Nuclear power is now SAFE, EFFECTIVE, CHEAP, AND ENVRIONMENTALLY FRIENDLY. How can the greatest nation in the world not do what France, Italy, Germany and others have successfully achieved.

WE CAN... WE JUST NEED SOME COMMON SENSE.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:46 PM on 05/13/2009
- + research I'm a Fan of research I'm a fan of this user 224 fans permalink
3 cent solar and waste biochar can provide the cheap energy we need forever

Without increasing the risk Of global thermonuclear war From proliferation: N Koreas, India, Pakistan etc...

My profile proves it.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 05:33 PM on 05/13/2009
- + CherokeeGirl I'm a Fan of CherokeeGirl I'm a fan of this user 200 fans permalink
We haven't even begun to harness wind and solar and invent breakthrough technologies, and GENIUS Mosby12 declares wind power is unsafe AND insults my Robert unnecessarily.

He's just another Jane Fonda-hater, Bob. Pay no attention.

To be schilling for Nuclear power is so LAST CENTURY. It is clear we haven't been able to make it completely safe. If a Nuclear Power plant is to be built, I nominate Mosby's backyard for the project!

Keep on keeping on Bob, this generation of vipers won't be happy till they restore nuclear power and keep us hooked on oil. Luckily, there are only about 20% of them left!

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 05:34 PM on 05/13/2009
- + niko73 I'm a Fan of niko73 I'm a fan of this user permalink
Robert, while I agree with your piece, I have a question for you:

If you support wild and solar, would you put your money where your mouth is and support wind or solar development in areas outside national parks in Utah?

Thought not.

I understand and completely agree with the importance of transitioning to alternative energy technologies. However, conservation interests talk a mean game, but when it comes time to actually permit renewable projects, too many environmentalists obstruct. They say they love alternative energy, but when it's time to bring electrons from wind farms in Wyoming down to communities in Vegas and LA, environmentalists litigate the transmission line projects. They say they love solar, but when there's a proposal in the Mojave Desert, they raise hell.

I’m not saying that even renewable energy projects should be designed to impact the environment as little as possible and I’m not saying that some places shouldn’t have ANY development of any kind. However, NIMBYism and obstruction from "no development" environmentalists are crippling our ability to transition away from fossil fuels. When these projects are shot down, we just fall back on old oil and gas and coal resources. These folks should have NO seat at the table in a constructive debate about energy in America.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:25 PM on 05/13/2009
- + niko73 I'm a Fan of niko73 I'm a fan of this user permalink
Oops, meant to say "I"m not saying that even enewable energy projects should NOT be designed to impact the environment as little as possible..." Environmental considerations should be addressed as much as is practical. But resisting projects all together is a different story.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:52 PM on 05/13/2009
- + TxAggie I'm a Fan of TxAggie I'm a fan of this user 5 fans permalink
Very well said and I am amazed that your comments made it past the moderator. I have had four very reasonable critical responses to the Sundance Kid that did make the cut.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 11:15 PM on 05/15/2009
- + mioffe I'm a Fan of mioffe I'm a fan of this user 10 fans permalink
Wind and solar cells energy are very expensive and need batteries to store their energy in times, when we haven"t wind or sun. We always need greed connection which additionally will increase price for solar and wind energy.
Also we need to understand that every source of energy, wind, solar, geothermal, coal, natural gas, oil pollute not only greenhouse gases, but also and heat, which will additionally heat the air
I surprized that huffingtonpost every day published many articles from authors, which completely believed Al Gore, even do not trying to think little more, what they promote.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 01:51 PM on 05/13/2009
- + Guitarsandmore I'm a Fan of Guitarsandmore I'm a fan of this user 24 fans permalink
The sun is there heating up the earth everyday whether you use it or not for electricity.

Of course electric heat will give off heat, which is what keeps your butt from freezing in the winter.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 06:44 PM on 05/13/2009
- + mioffe I'm a Fan of mioffe I'm a fan of this user 10 fans permalink
Guitarsandmore: “The sun is there heating up the earth everyday whether you use it or not for electricity.
Of course electric heat will give off heat, which is what keeps your butt from freezing in the winter.”
Dear Guitarsandmore, please ask yourself why in Hawaii, which closer to equator, in summer time we have temperature 70-80 F, while in Texas-90-110 F?
If you will answer on this question, you will never be for any source of energy-nuclear, coal, wind, solar cells, geothermal, natural gas, oil, etc, which produce energy without additional evaporation of water.
Property of water in reality is cooling the air. Trees are the best pumps in the world to evaporate water. They use sun energy and conserve that energy for hundred years.
If you agreed with Tim Flannery, The weathermaker, 2006 that mature forest do not produce oxygen (oxygen producing by photosynthesis equal oxygen which will taken by old trees, when they are decayed), you will cut old trees and use them to produce electricity in small power plant. You will solve all GHG from that power plant and watering the same forest as the best nutrition sources together with ashes.
It will be the closest to customer and the cheapest source of energy, which will really cool the atmosphere. Only in this case you can use any source of energy-nuclear, coal, wind, solar cells, geothermal, natural gas, oil, etc.
It will heat your butt and save the planet.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 10:04 AM on 05/14/2009
- + research I'm a Fan of research I'm a fan of this user 224 fans permalink
rooftop solar is 3 cents per KWH, much cheaper than rates today.

You do NOT need batteries, you use the grid.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:16 PM on 05/23/2009
- + coco mees I'm a Fan of coco mees I'm a fan of this user 2 fans permalink
Absolutely right. Nature provides about a trillion dollars worth of free cleanup services through its cycle. So why would companies pollute the earth and then pay for the cost of cleanup in the atmosphere and soil when nature already does that for free?

Without nature, there would be no economy. Why wipe out your supply?

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 12:41 PM on 05/13/2009
- + j-rich I'm a Fan of j-rich I'm a fan of this user 3 fans permalink
It amazes me how the Republicans preach on and on about our children's future but are determined to stop funding to combat climate change and funding for education.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 10:53 AM on 05/13/2009
- + mahdeealoo I'm a Fan of mahdeealoo I'm a fan of this user 4 fans permalink
Wonderful. I would like to see more than the large turbines installed to harvest the wind. Even in less abundant wind, as little as 5 mph, the double helix would be a magnificent and more efficient method to harvest wind.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 08:57 AM on 05/13/2009
- + digital I'm a Fan of digital I'm a fan of this user 109 fans permalink
Thanks Robert for your attention and dedication to the issue of clean, renewable energy.

I am proud of you!

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 08:49 AM on 05/13/2009
- + JXJASON I'm a Fan of JXJASON I'm a fan of this user 10 fans permalink
Shelia,

Thanks for your reply. Am I correct that if I use 3,000 KWH of electricity in 12 months then at $5.60/watt, installed, it would cost me ( $5.60 X 3,000KWH ) $16,800.00 for the PV installation?

I live in northeast PA. and I checked my electric bill. I used 3,071 KWH in 12 months and paid $.13511/KWH or $414.92 for the 12 months. I ( like another poster ) am retired and on SS. so I cannot take advantage of the Federal tax credit. $16,800.00 divided by $414.92 gives me a 40 year payback period.

If my numbers are correct, the PV installation is too expensive.

Has anyone else done this kind of cost/benefit analysis?

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 07:51 AM on 05/13/2009
- + liecatcher I'm a Fan of liecatcher I'm a fan of this user 5 fans permalink
All true & logical, but the fascists controlling the world will never allow the U.S.

to achieve real energy independence.

And how is this for irony. I just again watched the ROBERT REDFORD movie "THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR", based on JAMES GRADY'S book "SIX DAYS OF THE CONDOR " which was published in 1975 and forecast the invasion of the middle east to get & control the oil.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 02:04 AM on 05/13/2009
- + mioffe I'm a Fan of mioffe I'm a fan of this user 10 fans permalink
Water vapor as greenhouse gas has special property. Molecular weight of H2O=18, N2=28, O2=32, CO2=44. Water vapor as lighter than most gases in atmosphere going up to clouds level. It’s invisible gas. Clouds, fog is not waters vapor, but waters droplets.
To evaporate 1 kg of water we need 339 kcal. When 1 kg of water vapor condensed to water droplet of rain they release the same amount of energy-339 kcal, but it happens on cloud level, where latent heat of condensation going to space. Water vapor helps cool the air, despite its greenhouse gas.
Atmosphere has nitrogen, oxygen, greenhouse gases, including water vapor and DROPLET OF WATER. DROPLET OF WATER, ALSO PLAYS It’s ROLE IN COOLING the air. Infrared radiation absorbed by GHG help evaporate closest droplets of water. Water vapor cool airs and goes up.
Clouds reflect to 90% of direct sun radiation.
In Hawaii summer cooler, than in Texas, because in Hawaii more evaporation.
We have convection, reflection, evaporation, cloud formation and saving sun energy in vegetation.
Using all forces of Nature we could fight melting ice in Greenland, Alaska, North Canada, Europe, Russia and Antarctic during five years, be energy independent, 100% employment and make huge profit. We no need support of all nations in the world. Canada, USA and Mexico can do it!
Following Al Gore recommendation we will fail.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 11:43 PM on 05/12/2009
- + JXJASON I'm a Fan of JXJASON I'm a fan of this user 10 fans permalink
Mioffe,

I do not quite understand what you are saying. Are you saying that if we grow more plants and trees there will be more water vapor generated and therefore less global warming?

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 05:22 AM on 05/13/2009
- + mioffe I'm a Fan of mioffe I'm a fan of this user 10 fans permalink
JXJASON: "Mioffe, I do not quite understand what you are saying. Are you saying that if we grow more plants and trees there will be more water vapor generated and therefore less global warming?
Dear JXJASON, yes, it is correct. It also will provide us with cheapest, cleanest wood energy, which will be saved in trees during hundred years without any batteries and can be used in any time, when we need, together with all kind of fossil fuel.
Al Gore explains global warming by increasing amount of carbon dioxide, which trapped infrared radiation, and heat the air. This heat evaporated additional amount of water vapors which also greenhouse gas and trapped infrared radiation, which additionally heat the air.
He misunderstands role of water vapor and simplifies explanation of global warming by carbon dioxide.
It is not only carbon dioxide.
It is winds and their direction, which send hot air to cloud level.
It is reflection, which send short wave back to space.
It is huge convection forces.
It is cloud formation.
It oceans streams.
It is properties of water and ice.
It is water evaporation, which take a lot of energy on the ground level and send vapor as lighter gas to cloud level, where infrared radiation escapes to space. We need to use all natural properties to reduce effect of global warming. Reduction of carbon dioxide is also good but by others directions, than advice Al Gore.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:26 AM on 05/13/2009
- + mioffe I'm a Fan of mioffe I'm a fan of this user 10 fans permalink
If carbon dioxide is main player in Nature we must follow Al Gore recommendation. “Save energy at home, choose energy efficient lighting, appliances when making new purchases, properly operate and maintain your appliances, heat and cool your house efficiently, insulate your house, conserve hot water, improve the efficiency of your home office, switch to green power’ telecommute from home, reduce air travel, consume less, buy things that last, recycle, don’t waste paper, bag your groceries and other purchases in reusable tote, compost, carry your own refillable bottle for water and other beverages, modify your diet to reduce less meat, buy local, purchase offset to neutralize your remaining emission.”
It is always good to save as much energy as we can, but only to make our life on the same level of comfort, which we have right now. Common sense of every person needs to command him travel expenses, use of paper or reusable tote, refillable bottle, his diet.
It is laughable to ask 6 billions people in the world to follow religious dogmas, which in reality can’t change something.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:30 AM on 05/13/2009
- + mioffe I'm a Fan of mioffe I'm a fan of this user 10 fans permalink
As you can read in Tim Flannery book “The Weather Makers,” 2006:
1. “ Forests contain much more carbon than does grass, and they also absorb more sunlight (having different albedo) and produce more water vapor, which affects cloud formation”.
2. “Mature forests don’t take in much CO2 they are in balance, releasing CO2 as old vegetation rots, then absorbing it as new grows. For these reasons the world largest forests-the coniferous forests of Siberia and Canada, and the tropical rainforests are not good carbon sinks, but new vigorously forests are.”
Common sense is prompting that Tim Flannery is right and not only about trees but about all vegetation’s on the earth.
If we will follow Tim Flannery, we can say, that all one-year vegetation wills rots during one year. In nature they are rots slowly, providing during vegetation period nutrition for new growing plants. Together with others vegetation on the Earth they created balance during millions years, when in air we had 280 parts per million of carbon dioxide.
Growing population, industrial revolution changed this balance. It is inevitable: we harvest food from almost all land in every states and bring it to huge cities, where rots of waste haven’t enough plants to take back carbon dioxide.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:32 AM on 05/13/2009
- + mioffe I'm a Fan of mioffe I'm a fan of this user 10 fans permalink
From Earth Science, Baron’s Educational Series, Inc, 2001
“Solar radiation reaches the upper atmosphere at a fairly constant rate of about 200
kilocalories per minute/square meter. About 1/3 of this radiation is reflected back into space mostly by clouds. Ozone, carbon dioxide, and water vapor in the atmosphere absorb or reflect most of Earth’s infrared radiation; the rest go through the atmosphere and out into space. Solar energy reflected back into space by thick clouds – 75-90%, thin clouds – 30-50%, water – 10%, grassy field - 10-30%, fresh snow – 75-95%, forest – 3-10%…

What are the most important lessons from these two books?

1. Clouds reflect huge parts of solar energy back to space.
2. Forests contain much more carbon than does grass and they also absorb more sunlight and produce more water vapor, which affect cloud formation.
3. Water vapor is one of the lightest gases and has tendency to go up to cloud level. Evaporation of water will cool air temperature. Despite that water vapor is greenhouse gas, it tendency to go up bring them on cloud level, where distances between molecules bigger and heat will go to space. No others greenhouse gases have these properties. Drop of rain when falling down partially evaporated and go back to cloud level, but more important they dissolve a lot of carbon dioxide and others “heavy” greenhouse gases from the air and soil and feed all plants on the Earth.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:38 AM on 05/13/2009
There are More Comments on this Thread. Click Here To See them All

- + JimRinX I'm a Fan of JimRinX I'm a fan of this user 4 fans permalink
We should all force the Gov to tie Auto Bailout funds to demand that they switch over, as quickly as possible, to having nothing but either Clarity-li­ke/Hygroge­n Fuel Cell-based and/or older cars that have had their Internal Comustion Engines converted to running on Hydrogen.
We shoudl build these plants in the dessert to make Hydrogen from WATER - as well as selling every car/truck/RV with a roll up solar panel and a hydrolicizer cell, so that any body of water and the shinning sun equals, eventually, a full tank of Hydrogen; then set up a network of Cryogenic Hydrogen distribution hubs, storage facilities, pipelines, etc..; all of which will have to be 'synced' so that no one losses their old 'Gas' pump-jockey, refinery worker, etc. Job for the their new 'H2' Job.
We need to start mining the Moon for more Platinum and Rubidium - which are Fuel Cell Catalysts.
Some Regolithe is ground up (vaporized on impact) M-Type Asteroid; most M-Types contain every metal known - and thus, so should some of the Regolithe! There's Valuable Metal, in that thar Moon!

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 05:59 PM on 05/12/2009
- + research I'm a Fan of research I'm a fan of this user 224 fans permalink
Hydrogen may make a good off peak electrically storage medium, if they can get the efficiency up and the cost down.

I staring to think BioOil Fuels from BioChar of everything grown after we are done with it, is more than enough. It's cheap, efficient and carbon negative.

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 06:29 PM on 05/12/2009
- + JXJASON I'm a Fan of JXJASON I'm a fan of this user 10 fans permalink
Why don't we mine Mars instead?

Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 05:26 AM on 05/13/2009
- + EinChicago I'm a Fan of EinChicago I'm a fan of this user 33 fans permalink
"We should all force the Gov to tie Auto Bailout funds to demand that they switch over, as quickly as possible, to having nothing but either Clarity-li­ke/Hygroge­n Fuel Cell-based."

Sure. The Clarity only costs a million or so to build. You have a spare million lying around to purchase a new car?

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-redford/harnessing-natures-power_b_201605.html

Comment

As is frequently the case, the discussion is as interesting as the initial article.