I hold a bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering. I see the future in Green/Clean Energy. How can I apply my product design and manufacturing skills into the field? I’m also very good in CAD/CAM and problem solving. Also, I have strong passion in preserving the earth.

A PV contractor maybe?
I’m 17, planing on going into that general field.
Good luck!

Wouldn’t it be better to reform what we currently have than to spend the money to try and transition from gas and oil to other alternatives?

To me, green energy seems like pie in the sky. It’s a nice idea in theory, but I don’t think we could ever efficiently put it into practice.

It should be intended to compliment what we have now, not replace it.

Do you have any idea how many windmills it would take to replace one conventional coal fired power plant?

What is the best Solar, Wind Energy Diy Guide.I am good with my hands and have a lot of time. Might give it a go.

I bought this. It works - http://diysolarpanelsfordummies.blogspot.com/

can provide the power necessary to, at the very least, avoid a precipitous drop-off in the human population due to energy starvation?

Is the problem that they’ve never had a decent course in physical chemistry, and thus lack the understanding of how physical principles pertain to the science of economy?
Stu,

It’s ExxonMobil, and I’ve never worked for them. On the other hand, one of the primary conspirators behind the AGW fraud is the Rockefeller Crime Family, which made their fortune from the ExxonMobil cartel (formerly Standard Oil).

Very true, but seems to me that the upper eshelon is also full of many hipocrites. Al Gore is making bank by trading carbon credits…which doesn’t actually reduce Co2 levels, but spent $10,000 in utility bills. One of the more active enviromentalists has a home with redwood floors.
The governors and senators traveling to Copenhaugen made a larger carbon footprint than most when they flew in style to the conference, meanwhile bilking money from the taxpayer for this little luxurious weekend to which Pelosi won’t answer any questions on.
Seems to be one big corrupt venture into catering to themselves and stiffing the taxpayer.
As for a ‘Green" source of power, Nuclear power plants are pretty green and have limited waste, yet congress stands in the way of building new ones. The Obama administration is also trying to shut down the coal industry even though we are the ’saudi arabia’ of coal.

I, like my girl Fae, am writing a persuasive speech for English class. I am a Go Green girl all the way! But I need some more examples on how, and reasons why, the class should Go Green and conserve energy. I would greatly appreciate it if you guys could help me out. And if you could, look for Fae’s question, "Why is it important to read books?" It would help her out a lot too.

All of this is explained in detail in the instructable.
http://www.instructables.com/id/50-Ways-to-Reduce-Your-Impact/

step 1: Change to CFLs
step 2: Up 2 degress in summer, 2 down in winter
step 3: Recycle your junk mail
step 4: Don’t let your water continue running
step 5: Make a Compost pile!
step 6: Unplug unused electronics
step 7: Plant a tree!
step 8: Buy local!
step 9: Use masstransit, carpool, walking, biking
step 10: Make sure your tires are inflated
step 11: Use a line to dry your clothes
step 12: Turn off the pilot flame of your gas furnace in the summer
step 13: Use Tote bags when you shop!
step 14: Install low-flow sink and faucet aerators
step 15: Full loads of dish washing and clothes cleaning
step 16: Get rid of excess weight in your car
step 17: Throw away bottle caps
step 18: Turn off the lights when you leave the room
step 19: Energy Star
step 20: Air Seal your home
step 21: Insulate your walls
step 22: Fresh Filters
step 23: Cheap Insulation: Rugs
step 24: Power Strips
step 25: Computer sleep mode and hibernate mode
step 26: Printing and Photocopying
step 27: If you can, use recycled paper
step 28: Clean fridge or freezer coils
step 29: Brooms before Hoses
step 30: Shorten your showers
step 31: Don’t use so much detergant
step 32: Lawn mower blades
step 33: Wash your car on the lawn
step 34: Limit your play with the hose
step 35: Dont defrost food with running water
step 36: Cold water cycle
step 37: Dehumidifiers
step 38: Freezer fillers
step 39: Pressure cookers and microwaves
step 40: Cool down your spa when you are not using it
step 41: Get Tested, don’t be afraid to ask
step 42: Low Wattage is good wattage
step 43: Your Chemical Non-Romance
step 44: Combine errands and trips
step 45: Get regular engine tuneups
step 46: Smooth Driving
step 47: Grasscycling
step 48: Mulching
step 49: Non-Recyclable Water Jugs
step 50: Reuse Computer Paper

I am thinking of utilizing geothermal, wind, and solar energy generation. Can I do that on my land?

You need to find out what potential your property has. Any of the three will work but the question is what will be the better of the three and at what cost. Geothermal, while one of the best forms of electricity, is also the most expensive to place in areas where Geothermal heat is located to deep underground to be practical to be harnessed.

Wind energy can be very efficient and cheap to harness but in areas where the wind doesn’t blow consistently wind generation can be a frivolous pursuit.

Solar energy while not as efficient is very cheap and can be set up in pretty much any location that gets a good supply of light. The down side to solar energy is the fact that current capture capabilities of solar are only about 10% at the very best (8% is industry standard to date) The lack of efficiency in the collection cells makes it necessary to build Immense collectors to make up for the deficiency in energy capture.

You might begin by conducting a few simple tests to see what energy would best be created on your location. Other than that I would consider only making what you need to sustain your own life on 300 acres because what you will get out of a commercial endevour is minimal.

Little has been done or is in the works. Are greenies actually realizing that there is no ready replacement for fossil fuels? Or at least nothing that the average person can affordably use. I suppose cars with a nuclear reactor could give performance as good as gas or diesel but it would cost a few million per car. Electric and hybrid cars are an expensive joke. You may as well shut off your electricity and get a horse and buggy.

Are you suggesting that Democrat Obama lied during his campaign or he’s just incompetent and not doing anything he stated he was going to do. We were supposed to be out of Afganistan by now, out of Iraq by now, the economy was supposed to be fixed by now and he’s made it significantly worse, we are supposed to be switching to green fuel and we’re not, all of the countries are supposed to love us because Democrat Obama would talk to them, Iran is supposed to stop their nuclear weapons production instead of significantly increasing it as it’s been proven they are, Guantanimo Bay was supposed to be close and terrorists put on American soil, etc., etc., etc.

Wake up to reality: Due to Democrat Obama we’ve had our first Terrorist attack on American soil since 9/11, our economy is in far worse shape due to his spending policies, we’re increasing the number of troops we have in Afganistan though not at the minimum level needed to actually protect, help and win the war, just at a level where we will loose and are far more likely to suffer longer and greater casualties. The Generals stated they needed 80,000 troops though at an absolute minimum 40,000 to do anything properly. Democrat Obama gave them 30,000 that will prolong the war without giving us enough strength to win. I could go on and on though it’s clear Democrat Obama lied to everyone and that shouldn’t be a surprise. Anyone that can think past a sound byte know his policies don’t work and should never have been suggested.

I’m really into the climate change and global warming. I would love to be able to make a job out of my interest for it as an adult. What should I major in to go down this path? Help?

Sciences (Chemistry, Biology, Physics) and some mathematics. Some geography and geology. Environmental/ecological Sciences etc.

I can’t seem to find any websites that refer to Nevada’s main power source. I’m pretty sure that Nevada doesn’t use nuclear power at all. I need the websites you get your info off of because I’m doing this for my final English essay of the semester.

Nevada’s main power source is probably hydroelectricity from Hoover Dam.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoover_Dam

I don’t know if the state has nuclear power plants, but it does host the biggest nuclear waste dump in the country at Yucca Mountain. Not too green, in my opinion.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yucca_Mountain_nuclear_waste_repository

What do you think about Green Energy?

Wind mills?

Solar Power?

Power from water?

Thanks for your Ideas!

Green energy is our only option for a good future. The world as we know it was built on cheap fossil fuels. We have not hit peak oil or will hit it soon. Prices are only going to go up. If we don’t replace it with something sustainable we’re going to find a recession like we’ve never seen before.

As for specific green energies:

- Wind: It’s great for now as it’s the cheapest option and the easiest to get going. Yes, it may interfere with some birds (that may not be the case with newer, slower windmills) but I assure you that the Alberta oil sands do much, much worse. The downside of wind is that the geographic distribution is quite limited.

- Solar: This is ultimately the energy of the future. The sun shines everywhere in the world (although to different degrees). As solar gets cheaper it’s going to be economic to deploy it everywhere. Solar is also the only energy that is truly renewable (at least for the next 5 billion years).

- Power from water: If you’re referring to usually the actual water atoms for energy, it’s impossible. If you’re referring to hydro and tidal, then this is what I say: Not a viable future energy source. At this point in time we’ve pretty much maxed out our hydro resources. Add to it the fact the hydro destroys ecosystems and that recent research has shown it to release tons of CO2 (by promoting the rotting of forests), and hydro doesn’t look that good. Good tidal sites simply aren’t available in great enough numbers to have any impact.

As to what another poster said about environmentalists blocking nuclear and natural gas: Nuclear is blocked for good reason. Nuclear is disgustingly expensive and it’s hardly "green". The mining of uranium is hugely destructive, and the production of nuclear energy creates millions of gallons of water that are no longer useable. Of course, there’s also the issue of spent fuel. We can burry it in the mountains? Oh wait, it’s been 30 years, hundreds of billions of dollars, and there’s still no completion in sight for the Yucatan storage facility.

As for natural gas, it’s still a fossil fuel. Ultimately it too will become scarce, and ultimately it does produce pollution (albeit much less than coal or oil). I will concede that solar and wind do need some form of backup. In the near future the best option we have IS natural gas - it’s flexible and the best of the bad options we have. Ultimately though, we should transition to using hydrogen fuel (generated by solar and wind) to provide the stability the grid needs.