Hybrid power systems for military
Thanks for that, Adam
I had not seen that, and I've passed your link on to a couple of Defence energy personnel here in Canada.
Revolution in Energy Production
Last week I participated on an ASPO roundtable of ASPO Switzerland. Main topic was the project of the Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI), which developed a technology with which they can produce fuel from water, carbon dioxide and sunlight. The technology seems promising and the perspective of commercializing it during the next ten years made it a point of attraction for the media.
Unfortunately, I left the room a bit confused and with a lot more questions than answers. The most disturbing point for me was, that the discussion following the presentation focused more on the technological feasibility of the project than on the political realities. I was utterly shocked how even some representants of academia are convinced that a radical change in energy production can be realized within short time. From their perspective the petroleum and nuclear industries are obstructing every attempt to promote alternative energies for the reason of their own profit. Although there is some truth in this argument I think that the phantasies of some of the proponents of alternative energies are at least as far fetched as their charges against the petroleum and nuclear industry. Or what do you think about Switzerland plastered with solar panels and mountains full with windmills?
I think these people are more propagating a radical change in energy production rather than in energy consumption which makes them even more dangerous in my eyes because they are selling nothing more than an utopia rather than sollutions…
By the way, the current issue of the Scientific American contains an article about 7 technoologies that might revolutionize energy production (7 Radical Energy Solutions, The Scientific American, May 2011, pp38 – 45)
And I found a description of the project by the project director Prof. Steinfeld in English: http://www.peakoil.ch/assets/images/.../steinfeld.pdf
As well as the aricle from Advances in Science and Technology: http://www.peakoil.ch/assets/images/...fuels_2010.pdf
German military report on Peak Oil