Solar vs. Oil
Solar power has long been a minor power source compared to mighty oil. As oil prices rise and conflicts occur in oil countries, perhaps the issue needs to be revisited.
Solar vs. Oil
The industrial revolution was built on the back of oil and coal. There is no denying that solar played no part whatsoever. This is particularly true since solar cells were not invented until the 1950s! That being said, it appears indisputable that we have reached or are approaching a new debate about how we deal with our insatiable thirst for power.
At first glance, the mere mention of a comparison of solar to oil as an energy source sounds laughable. It is laughable when we are talking about large scale energy production, but the tide is turning.
In a comparison of solar to oil, solar power has numerous advantages. The power source for solar, the sun, is free. Solar is available as a resource in every country, regardless of location, economic strength and so on since the sun shines everywhere. The process of converting sunlight into electricity or heating produces no greenhouse gases. Whether you believe in global warming or not, solar still is advantageous in that it doesn’t produce pollution. If you live in a big city, you know how much pollution is in the air. You can often see it!
Flipping the coin, oil has some serious advantages over solar. We have already developed technology to efficiently convert oil to power. The cost of converting industry, vehicles and such to solar or any other power source would be huge. Oil also has an advantage in that it is easier to use in a wide variety of applications, such as vehicles. One simply can’t power a vehicle with solar power, not on a practical level. Finally, it is easier to use oil to provide power to massive energy platforms, such as electricity for New York City.
For large scale energy needs, oil is still a superior choice to solar as an energy resource. The technology simply does not exist to provide solar energy solutions for vehicles, national electrical grid systems and so on. Advancements in solar technology, however, may be changing this fact in the very near future. Technologies such as quantum dots, essentially microscopic solar panels that could exist in the paint on your home, may make oil a thing of the past.
For now, oil remains the backbone upon which our energy needs sit. In the next 5, 10 or 20 years, however, new technological applications may change this. Don’t believe me? Then consider the fact oil companies such as Chevron are investing heavily in solar companies.
Rick Chapo is with SolarCompanies.com, a directory of solar energy companies.
Collapsing
“Collapsing…”
Terry Dashner……………………..Faith Fellowship Church PO Box 1586 Broken Arrow, OK 74013
Capitol Reader Political Book Summaries writes, “In Collapse, Jared Diamond argues that present global resource consumption trends are not sustainable. Throughout history, civilizations have collapsed or declined, in no small measure, because their populations have undermined the ecological niches upon which their existence depends. Diamond believes that a complex set of factors, such as environmental resilience (or fragility), social flexibility, larger global trends and even pure luck, combine in unpredictable ways to influence whether societies fail or succeed.”
I have a point of contention with the stated summary. But first, let me tell you something about Jared Diamond. Diamond is brilliant and tends to see the greater picture of things by studying the significance of the small things. His book, Guns, Germs, and Steel was a very rich read. It’s amazing how unseen germs, industrialized steel, and other small things shaped world history.
Diamond teaches geography at the University of California and is the Pulitzer Prize winning author of Guns, Germs, and Steel. (It seems that others thought the book was good also.) He is one of the most distinguished experts in the field of evolutionary biology. He has written more than 200 articles for magazines such as Discover, Nature and Geo, and his work has proven highly influential in informing public discourse on a range of environmental and social issues. He is a smart, very smart guy.
Now back to my point of contention. Let me start by stating a disclaimer. I’m far from qualified to match wits or backgrounds with Diamond. I resist the temptation to flatter myself in thinking that I could add or take away anything Professor Diamond states in his well written book. Nevertheless, I would be remiss to neglect in telling you something that Diamond and other highly educated men and women oftentimes overlook when it comes to telling a story on how things came to be. I refuse to believe that “pure luck” is equal to science and technology in either augmenting or whithering civilizations. I refuse to accept this.
Why am I being pig headed, you may ask? Granted, my background pre-disposes me to “pig headedness.” I grew up in a minister’s home. I attended school in a small town and left home at 18 to serve in the United States military. The year was 1973. I returned in 1977 to marry my high school sweetheart with whom I’ve enjoyed her love and acceptance for the past 27 years. I’ve reared three children, all grown. I served my community as a police officer through the years and now enjoy retirement. In retirement I’ve chosen to pastor a small church that my father founded.
I tell you my background of the past 50 years to set the stage for what I’m about to write. When it comes to human history “luck” may seem the order of the day, but it isn’t. “…pure luck…” should be changed to “God’s Providence and over riding hand in the affairs of men.” Yes the longer I live, the more I study history (my life’s passion), the more I see the movement and aligning of nationseither past or presentthe more I am convinced that “luck” in world affairs has little to do with the way things are. It is God who holds the course of human history in the palms of His Hands.
So, when you are tempted to scratch your head and thinkWowwhat luck! Try this. God doesn’t rule His world and universe by luck. He rules by His Sovereignty and favors those who will serve Him willingly. No my friend, it isn’t luck that’s covering history. It’s the goodness and favor of God who is The Almighty history maker.
Keep the faith. Stay the course. Jesus is coming soon. Are you ready? Or maybe I should inquireare you feeling lucky?
Pastor T.dash
About the Author
Pastors a small church in what used to be a small town.
Dallas Contracting Co., Inc. Completes Concrete Aggregate Cr
South Plainfield, New Jersey, July 2005 - Dallas Contracting Co., Inc., (website: http://www.dallascontracting.com) a specialized contractor providing demolition, onsite concrete aggregate crushing, equipment salvage and scrap metal recycling to various industries, completed a 5,000 ton concrete and asphalt crushing project for a client in New Jersey.
The project scope consisted of Dallas Contracting Co., Inc. (Dallas Contracting) providing an excavator and an onsite concrete crushing plant to crush 5,000 tons of concrete, asphalt and brick into 2 inch minus material to be used for onsite backfilling. The work had to be completed quickly as the client had a backfilling deadline that had to be met.
To accomplish this task, Dallas Contracting utilized a Komatsu PC220LC excavator with bucket attachment and an UltraMax 1000-15CV Plant (manufactured by Eagle Crusher Company, Inc.). The Ultramax is a 3 stage portable crushing unit that has a feed hopper size of 11 cubic yards and is powered by a 275HP Diesel and 75KW generator. The typical throughput for the crushing plant on material of this nature is about 1000+ tons per day.
The materials were first sized to 2 feet x 2 feet in order to fit into the feeder. The materials where then fed into the hopper utilizing the Komatsu excavator. Rebar from the concrete is sorted out from the aggregate material via an onboard magnet. The rebar is discharged to the side and the crushed materials are discharged towards the rear. The crushed aggregate material was sized to 2 inch minus.
Due to the client’s timetable, all materials needed to be crushed as soon as possible in order to meet their backfilling schedule. Dallas Contracting was able to meet the client’s tight schedule and all 5,000 tons of materials were crushed in five (5) days. The crushed aggregate was immediately utilized by the client for onsite backfilling. The project was completed on schedule and without incident or injury.
Our concrete aggregate and asphalt crushing services offered the client many benefits including:
Environmentally friendly - conserve landfill space
By utilizing the crushed aggregate materials onsite as fill material, it saved the client a substantial amount of money by not having to import backfill materials or send the original materials offsite for disposal.
Dallas Contracting Co., Inc. is an expert in onsite concrete aggregate crushing, asphalt crushing and recycling. Additional information on our onsite crushing services can be obtained at our website http://www.dallascontracting.com/concrete_crushing.html
About Dallas Contracting Co., Inc.
Dallas Contracting Co., Inc. has been in business for 26 years, is financially sound (D&B Rating of 3A2), is bondable, and works on a nationwide basis. Dallas Contracting Co., Inc. offers a turnkey approach to demolition, concrete recycling and remediation projects by offering the following services under one roof:
Demolition, Onsite Concrete Aggregate Crushing and Recycling, Environmental Remediation, Rigging, Brownfield Redevelopment, Surplus and Used Equipment Sales, Interior Demolition, Equipment Removals, Dismantlement, Equipment Salvage and Scrap Metal Recycling.
Dallas Contracting Co. Inc. sells used and surplus equipment and inventory at their storefront on EBAY (http://stores.ebay.com/Dallas-Contracting?refid=store).
Contact:
Dallas Contracting Co., Inc.
1260 New Market Avenue
South Plainfield, New Jersey 07080
P: (908) 668-0600
F: (908) 668-0601
Contact: Damon Kozul, PE, CHMM
Email: dkozul@dallascontracting.com
Website http://www.dallascontracting.com
About the Author
Operation Manager
Dallas Contracting Co., Inc.