The Observation Deck

Interesting article on how Denmark kicked the foreign oil habit.

I like this quote. I think that is the way ahead. Finding new ways to save with what we already have. As well as strong innovation.

"District heating systems" were implemented throughout the country, reusing normally wasted heat produced by power plants by piping it directly into homes. Today more than 60% of Danish homes are heated this way.

Thanks for sharing this article, Jim.

With 5.5 million people living in an area half the size of Maine, it seems that Denmark took advantage of its critical mass/population density characteristic. It's not the most populated country in the world by square mile (or kilometer) by any means but they seem to have dedicated themselves to this "Mission to the Moon" project.

Senator McCain has opined that he would start a new Manhattan Project focused on alternative fuel/energy/material sources.

We should remember that only 60% of U.S. oil imports is used for transportation/gas. The rest is used for utilities, materials and manufacturing.

It would be great for this nation to fully embrace this concept, stop relying on fossil fuel, stick it to the countries we buy oil from, become more self sufficient and allow me to feel comfortable that when countries attack our nation they aren't using some of $30 I bought in gas to do so.

Are we ready for windfarms on Lake Erie?

good work denmark.

Heat rises. If you're piping hot air or steam into a homes from a central location, it is optimal that that home be a 3 story home that is taller than it is wide with at least 5 people living in it. Or a modestly sized apartment building. Not a split level ranch. The housing units should also be reasonably close together.

Denmark is a net exporter of oil and natural gas. According to calculations using CIA world Factbook data, Americans consume 2.2 times more oil per capita than Denmark, over 2.3 times the natural gas per capita as denmark, and over 2 times the electricity per capita as Denmark.

Surprisingly, we only have about 62 percent more roadway miles per capita than Denmark. This might not include total lane roadway miles.

We only have 96 percent of the railway miles per capita Denmark has. This doesn't reflect that vast plains, desert, and mountain railway miles we have compared to them. Or actual railway traffic.

So, if our leaders and media started promoting smaller cars already available we'd probably use 20 percent less oil within 2 years. All we need to do is reprint the same posters and re-use the same radio blurbs we used during World War II for fuel conservation(when we were a net exporter of oil). I can't guarantee this would dissuade random Saudi, Kuwaiti, or UAE nationals from flying jet planes into buildings. but it might help our long term prospects for prosperity.

David Anderson wrote:Are we ready for windfarms on Lake Erie?

I believe we are. What is stopping us. Money, the fear of change, the fear of money drying up for big oil and by proxy big government? (That is a real question. I am not sure what we are waiting for.) We are waisting an opportunity to make life better for so many people because we spend to much time worrying about maintaining the status quo.

To bad the people who have the cash do not see it the same way. It would be nice to spend 400 million on developing high tech new forms of energy as opposed to pie in the sky convention centers and administrative offices.

To Ryan's point small cars really can make a difference. I see it every morning when I sit in the parking lot of the coffee shop and sip the morning Joe. (With the engine off mind you) SuV after SuV pulling up and idling through the drive thru line. Not once have I seen said SuV occupied more than one time.

It is indeed a change of mindset as well as policy that is going to get us out of this hole we have dug.

Iceland is also very very green...

Jim -

I agree. It seems consumers are more interested in purchasing alternative energy than the energy companies are in producing it.

The Illuminating Co./First Energy is the one fighting hardest against the windmill farm and other requests for alternative energy sources. In fact, it made a request to the PUCO a few months ago to build another coal power plant. One trick pony.

I'm sure you know that The Cleveland Foundation is the primary gust behind the Lake Erie windmill farm idea.

Regarding car culture, our nation has a love affair with the car that surpasses most if not all other countries. I love mine. It seems as though Denmark didn't have to defeat this type of cultural value. But, remember, research shows that only 60% of our nation's oil consumption is for transportation. There are real ways to cut the use of petroleum use in manufacturing, packaging, construction, etc.

Jim/David

Have you been following the race for Hydrogen 3?

An energy source so valuable, it will restart the space race.

H3 is very rare and worth more than gold here. Project is solar flares and solar winds. Seems to burn up in our atmosphere, the moon collects it.

Supposed to be better the fusion, when used in kinetic fission.

Just

David very good point. We can still save a lot before we tackle the unhealthy love for cars.

To the hydrogen-3 point. That sounds like it could have real promise. I believe that is what they say will make travel to distant planets possible as a true space ship can stop and refuel. That kind of power here on earth could do lots of good.

Jim O'Bryan wrote:Jim/David

Have you been following the race for Hydrogen 3?

An energy source so valuable, it will restart the space race.

H3 is very rare and worth more than gold here. Project is solar flares and solar winds. Seems to burn up in our atmosphere, the moon collects it.

Supposed to be better the fusion, when used in kinetic fission.

Just

Does Mars have a huge amount of H3?

Not sure about Mars. But you may have some in your watch!

This quote from the wiki.

The emitted electrons from small amounts of tritium cause phosphors to glow so as to make self-powered lighting devices called trasers which are now used in watches and exit signs.

the H3 isotope has been collecting on the moon for millions of years, like mill dust near the steel plants. Mars still has an atmosphere so most of the h3 wouldn't settle into a reasonably dense layer on the surface.