I will be honest. I am not "green". It is not that I am against it, it is not that I don't understand the ramifications... I just don't get as involved as I should. Nor am I as interested as I should. I do some things, but I don't gear my entire life towards becoming "green".

However, I (as of late) have been watching this new series that the Science Channel HD has. They are collecting about a dozen or so scientists from around the world and examining their radical, out-of-the-box ideas for several environmental issues- new ways of collecting energy, climate issues, etc. They call it Project Earth, for obvious reasons, and they say that we basically have until 2050 to fix some of the issues that our planet and society face or face serious ramifications at that time.

Some of these ideas are fantastic. The theories sound great, and the projected results seem to be wonderful. They are still testing some of the negative aspects of these ideas, but the ideas themselves are radical and definitely a fresh view.

Example- one guy wants to build wind ... funnels (not the right word, but having a brain freeze) and float them up about 1000 feet above ground at many spots in major cities. Usually attached to the top of skyscrapers, where there is an abundance of wind, these funnels would capture the wind energy and send it down to a processor at the bottom that turns this wind into energy. They say that one of these wind things can produce enough electricity for 600 houses. While that doesn't sound like a whole bunch, when you start putting up bunches and bunches of them... all of a sudden, that could be one way to help conserve and create energy. The negative aspect, which has yet to be studied, is that essentially you are slowing down winds above... which might have an adverse effect on climate shifts and change.

I am fascinated by these scientists and their thought processes. I am intrigued by some of the concepts being discussed. And who knows- maybe this will make me become a bit more aware of "green" and what I can do to positively impact our planet. Whether it does or not, the shows themselves are excellent TV and highly recommended.

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7595441.stm

That should be enough of a reason right there to encourage people to start thinking "green".

It's just sad, really. We're irrevocably screwing our planet, and it seems a good majority of people aren't doing anything about it due to simple laziness.
Why cycle to work when you can drive?
Why suffer heat/humidity when you can have an air conditioning system on 24/7?
Why recycle when you can just have one giant garbage bag for everything?

The list goes on and on, really.

I don't see how that article is a reason at all.



This was sixty years ago, and the effect did not resume until 2002 whilst we had the pollution of the 1970s in-between.

But on topic it's always interesting to see new technology. Algal fuel is also pretty neat.

And I'm not entirely sure that the wind funnels would slow the air down beyond doing so locally. The air is moving due to a differential in heat, so if it were slowed down from its equilibrium speed it should accelerate again after passing through the system.

Sarissa Candyangel

Wind tunnels are trying to stop the rotation of the earth! Fucking liberal commies!

I would bike more, I really would, it is just that out of 7 months of this year it is not viable due to ice and snow.



Don't need to run the AC much, it is heat that kills me during the winter. Would it be acceptable when it is -40 below that I am allowed by the GreenCommuNazi's to run my heater for a little bit? I don't want to freeze to death :/