I've suddenly became aware. EVERY way we get power is derived from the sun. Every way except for nuclear power plants. Check it out Hydro electric dams - Powered by the sun because the sun pulls water up from the ground and it falls down on mountains and places of higher elevation where we extract energy from water falling down in mass quantities. Wind Mills - Powered by the sun because the sun heats up air. As air heats up, it rises and cooler air goes down, creating convection currents. We use these currents to spin the wind mills. Coal/Oil - Sun powers plant photosynthesis. Animals eat plants. Over time the layers get squished under new beasts. The pressure over a lot of time squishes all the layers together, rendering the layers of animals and plants, more volatile and energy-packed. Turning them into fossile-fuels. Solar Cells - Sun goes on it. Makes... current What else is there... Well anyway, I think this insight can be an indicator for us. Energy has always come from the sun in some way. The sun will continue to be the primary source of energy on Earth for its civilizations. I believe we should focus more on ways to harness its power. If we did that, we'd have more electricity than we'd ever need. Ever.
True. But don't forget the Earth's angular momentum and the Moon, which together enable tidal power generation. Also don't forget geothermal power. But generally speaking, the sun pours out so much energy we could support 1000 billion people if we had the right conversion infrastructure. Some people propose plastering the moon with solar collectors or sending massive solar power satellites into orbit and beaming the energy to Earth as microwaves. It's been calculated that only 1% of the Moon's surface needs to be covered with solar cells to supply the entire Earth with electricity. The cells (and all associated infrastructure) could be manufactured on-site from lunar material! http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/04/020416073334.htm As an alternative to solar cells, one could use the extreme day/night heat differential: http://www.nasda.go.jp/library/news/e/50/moon.html How's that for pure renewable power with zero environmental impact, not to mention a major reason for a permanent return to the Moon? Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Another alternative for a near-boundless and low-polluting energy source is the same process used by the Sun -- fusion. There is vigorous research going on around the world with the goal of constructing fusion-driven power plants. Of course, this would not be 100% clean power, as most practical fusion reactions spit out neutrons which tend to make generator enclosures radioactive over time. But I'm all for Moon-based space-power program. Sure beats the billions we're wasting on the space station. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
The uranium used in reactors was produced from super nova so that too can be considered as "solar" derived, though thankfully not our Sol. Geo thermal heat is produced from the decay of radio active elements to some extent also.
