We have always known our "illustrious most esteemed" legislatures in Washington continue to waste tax payers money on their instance that our energy problems can be solved by up grading technologies that only continue to increase our fossil fuel dependency and consumption. Today, there is an consorted effort in developing a potentially new energy source which will make the fossil fuel industry almost obsolete. By doing so this new energy source is destined to become a major part of the green energy movement. We also have known that green energy technologies have been pushed aside for far too long, courtesy of our oil conglomerates.
When we think of the beginning of the green energy movement we think back to the mid 1970's. At that time solar and wind technologies were just getting started. Unfortunately, though just like what happened in the early 50's when the Tucker Automobile was being developed for mass production the oil conglomerates as well as the big Auto manufacturers like Ford and GM effectively crushed the makers of the Tucker before even one car came off the assembly line. It has been the same thing that has hindered the development for the green energy movement. And, that is to make solar, wind and other sources of green energy affordable for the majority of Americans to purchase and effectively use to lower their energy costs, which have only continued to increase by more than 25% each year.
One of the biggest concerns with the solar and wind energy development has been the harnessing of these energy sources into useable liquid forms. This is where this energy could be readily used to power our current automobiles, air craft and other modes of transport that currently are powered by combustible engines. With all this talk of natural gas being the next generation of energy where we still have to continue to drill and fracture the earth to retrieve it still leaves a lasting legacy as to the horrific and catastrophic damage we continue to do to this planet. Solar gas on the other had is unintrusive to the earth. It is this new source of energy that is far more cost efficient and produces more than 25 times the equivalent amount of energy.
But, what exactly is solar gas? Solar Gas is a combustible fuel, originally developed by Australia's national science agency, the Commonwealth Scientific and industrial Research Organization. Solar gas is a super-charged product that contains more power than natural gas. It is a product that can be stored and transported or used in its fuel form instead of burning fossil fuel. Solar Gas will reduce carbon emissions drastically by combining water and sunshine. In non scientific terms solar gas is a high-temperature concentrated solar thermal technology. This is where the sun's energy is captured in an endothermic process (chemical reaction caused by absorbing heat) that transforms the hydrogen and oxygen gas in the water into a higher energy product. Could be said a bit like 'solar supercharging' the fuel.
All that is required to produce solar gas is a field of mirrors (heliostats) used to direct solar energy to a tower which houses a reactor. The reactor uses the high temperatures created by the solar energy, in the presence of a catalyst, to perform a chemical reaction in the water converting it to solar gas. The Solar Gas facility at CSIRO’s National Solar Energy Centre, Newcastle, New South Wales, already uses 170 mirrors to receive and concentrate more than 500 kW of solar energy.
The advantages of developing solar gas technology is tremendous. Just think of the number of good high paying jobs that are a by product in producing solar gas. Combine that incentive with the fact that Solar gas produces 25% more energy than natural gas. It is greenhouse emission free. Can be stored, transported, and even exported in liquid form. It can be used to make diesel, methanol and gasoline fuels without leaving a trail of carbon emissions. Will create efficient electricity by powering a gas driven turbine which will produce more that 60 times the amount of electricity that is currently generated using today's conventional methods, like coal, nuclear, and oil power sources. Probably the most cost savings will come when solar gas can be delivered using existing gas pipelines and can be successfully integrated into existing hybrid transport vehicles.
The biggest question is why are other countries especially Australia light years ahead of the United States when it comes to actually implementing alternate fuel sources into the mainstream economy? One of the key factors as to why is that our political system is so tied to the Oil industry and oil conglomerates that effective legislation for the ease of restrictions to make green energy cost efficient has never reached a point where congressional approval succeeds. In other words our elected officials are literally in the pocketbooks of the fossil fuel industries and have been ever since the onset of the first industrial revolution.
With so many alternate energy sources that are green house emission free there really is no reason why the United States, which continues to pride itself as being so much in the forefront of new scientific developments, continues to lag far behind other countries when it comes to less expensive new greenhouse emission free energy sources. But, there again other countries don't have a Republican mindset leading the charge from Washington to practically every state house across the country.
The United States would be wise to catch the wave of new energy sources like Solar Gas that is now a realistic alternative to the fossil fuel that currently drives our automobiles. A lower steady price of green energy fuel that would ease the financial strain of the fluctuating prices we all now pay at the pump would be a most welcome benefit from switching to Solar Gas. It is already occurring in other parts of the world. We had better start realizing that our fossil fuel consumption and dependency only keeps our economy stagnate, continues to contribute to so many ill effects for all of mankind and eliminates the chance that the great income disparity divide will close anytime soon.
For the health and welfare of nations everywhere it is essential and imperative that we had better use the technology now developed to shed the yolk of oppression that the oil conglomerates have kept around our necks for far too long to secure our future. It has been know for quite some time that carbon emissions contribute to the rising incidences of all forms of cancer, cause crop retardation for our food supply, and contributes so much to climate changes that have devastating effects on the whole planet. We should see that humanity is in grave danger the longer we continue to manufacture and consume all forms of fossil fuel. Like that opening to the Six Million Dollar Man " We have the technology, we have the capability" Yes, we now actually do have the availability to fully integrate new reliable lower cost, more efficient green renewable energy that will take us into the 22nd century and beyond. But, do we as a nation have the political will to do so? I for one really hope so for our children's and grandchildren's sake.